Babies: 6 - 9 Months

Son used to take a bottle, now refuses

My 8 month old has just recently started refusing to take a bottle.  I'm a SAHM so I breastfeed him almost exclusively, but like any mom need him to take a bottle now and then when I have to be gone.  Since he was little he was always super flexible with feeding- breast, bottle, formula, pumped milk, warm or not warm, etc.  All of the sudden he refuses anything but being breastfed.  Any tips for someone who has experienced this?  I've tried a variety of approaches but so far it just makes him angrier.  I'm supposed to attend a five hour event this weekend, and I'm already worried that I may have to cancel :/

Thanks.

Re: Son used to take a bottle, now refuses

  • My daughter did the same.  She took any nipple, any temp, anywhere, by anyone.  I also EBF.  For us, I had to go away for a wedding and left her with my mom and SIL for 40hours.  While away she took all her bottles with no problem, but I came home and she would not go anywhere near a bottle again for months.  I left her with her daddy for 8.5hrs and she refused any and all food.  She was happy as could be but refused the bottle. 

    Anyways, after many months (that was June) she finally started to take a bottle about 3 weeks ago when I tried.  I left her with daddy and she grabbed the bottle from him, pushed his hands away and slurped it back.

    So, keep trying.  Offer it regularly without pressure.  Eventually he will decide to take it.  As for your 5hr event.  Give a good feed before you go.  Have a bottle left for him, have who ever is watching him offer some food (I assume he's on some form of solids at 8months) and a sippy cup of milk or water.  He will not starve in 5hrs so do not cancel...he will do fine...just be ready to feed him when you get home and nurse a few extra times to make up for a missed feed!

    My daughter feeds every 2hrs (and always has).  She was fine for 8.5hrs when I was away that day...I was out of sight so she really didn't focus on it as much.  If I had been home and not fed her for that 8hrs she would have been screaming at me. 

     

  • Agree with PP, five hours is not that long for them to go at this age without eating. Whoever's watching him could try a bottle (he may take it if you're not there), sippy cup, maybe a bit of cereal/puree/soft table food if he seems really hungry. But if he doesn't eat he'll be just fine in that short of a time span. Some babies sleep 12 hour stretches overnight at this age without eating (well, not mine, but I hear some do). ;)
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  • My LO refuses to take a bottle too. Ive decided that i will just BF until shes one year and then switch to whole milk once shes at daycare while still doing morning and night feedings. Not the best solution but i was getting way too stressed out trying to get her to take a bottle on the off chance I was going to be away from her for longer.
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