Any other LOs still refusing a bottle?

giggler25 · September 2014

I know this was a hot topic a couple months ago, but we're still dealing with it. Any other May babies out there still refuse to drink from a bottle? DD is 16 weeks old, and we've been trying to give her a bottle since she was ~ 7 weeks old. Just wondering if any other May babies out there are still refusing to take a bottle too! Is there any hope at this point or is it a lost cause? I've tried leaving the apartment, DH has tried feeding her, my mom has tried, MIL has tried. She's taken it a grand total of maybe 3 times over the past 2 months, but there wasn't really a rhyme or reason to why she took it that particular time -- it's been in different positions, different bottles, different temperatures and with different people. I'm ready to give up bc I'm tired of seeing my pumped milk get discarded. DH is really frustrated that we can't go out together and leave her home for any longer than 1-2 hours because she won't eat.

A couple weeks ago I went to get my hair done and had to run out of my appointment early because she was screaming from hunger and wouldn't take the bottle from DH. Can anyone comiserate or offer any hope at this point?

jenb_99 · September 2014

DD is still refusing a bottle. We've tried both pumped breast milk and formula, and we've used five or six different bottles and two different levels of nipple.

Fail, fail, fail.

spinsoffresonance · September 2014

We haven't tried the bottle yet, does that count? Good luck, hope you figure it out.

Nikkipal82 · September 2014

We are still dealing with this. I work 12 hour shifts, so I'm generally away from her for about 14 hours. At this point my sitter and my husband have to feed her with a medicine dropper. We have also tried oatmeal mixed with BM (after talking with my pedi), although that doesn't always go so well either. At her 4 month apt, the pedi gave us a referral to feeding therapy, which is a division of speech therapy. I am excited to see what they have to suggest, but they said they can't fit me in until October, although they would try to fit me in sooner. My pedi says that although it is a struggle, usually once they do it, they will keep doing it. So that is encouraging, I guess. I have tried more than 10 nipples/bottle types, finger feeding with a supplemental nursing system, and 2 different sippy cups. So I definitely feel your pain. I'll let you know if feeding therapy offers any revelations.

giggler25 · September 2014

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that other mamas are having a hard time with getting their LOs to drink from a bottle, but yet oddly comforted at the same time that we are not alone. My DH thinks that we have the only baby in the history of the world that won't take a bottle (I'm exaggerating, but he's realllly frustrated), so I guess I can tell him we're not alone!

@Nikkipal82 -- I've never heard of feeding therapy, but definitely curious to hear how it goes for you!

@lica001 -- I'm impressed! I actually don't mind BFing DD exclusively, especially since I'm home from work until January, but DH is really set on getting her to take a bottle so we can leave her home with other people taking care of her.

@katsmewsings -- You raise a good point, though I sort of feel that if Dad or other caretakers are around interacting with her and doing other things with her (bath, bedtime routine, etc.) that Mom being the sole feeder at this point isn't really that big of a deal in terms of an unhealthy attachment. I'm a FTM though so what do I know!

giggler25 · September 2014

I can definitely see your point -- I guess I just hadn't thought about it that way before. Yikes, I love my DD and want to be with her all the time, but want her to be happy when I'm not there too. :-/

thefussybunch · September 2014

I'm so in the same boat. I was wasting so much pumped BM on trying to bottle feed that I just gave up. I'm still pumping for a freezer stash to mix when we begin solids. My worry is that my DD is in the smaller side weight wise. Pedi is not worried at this point, but when she would take the bottle, I at least knew how many oz she was getting. Now I have no idea and am worrying myself.

QOTR · September 2014

@thefussybunch‌ my lactation consultant weighed my LO before and after feeding to tell me how much he consumed. That was only for one feeding of course, but maybe it would give you peace of mind.

My guy continues to be picky with the bottle. Sometimes he'll drink 4 ounces from the nanny no problem and other times he refuses and screams. So I still don't feel comfortable leaving for extended periods.

thefussybunch · September 2014

@QOTR thank you for this advice! I really want to do this because I know how much I pump after BFing, but I know this is not a good indicator of how much DD is eating.

yogasailmomma · September 2014

Have you tried a cup instead of a bottle? There is a thing called doidy cup that was recommended by my LC as a transition from boob to drinking w/o using a bottle. We haven't actually tried it yet but we have it.

giggler25 · September 2014

@thefussybunch‌ - You can probably also do your own weighted feeding at your pedi's office too. I know our office allows us to bring LO in at anytime to be weighed-no appt needed.

@QOTR‌ - Does your LO refuse and scream from nanny or only when you're home? Were you ever able to get him to take a bottle before you had nanny?

@yogasailmomma‌ - That is an interesting suggestion - I've never heard of that before; thx!

QOTR · September 2014

@giggler25, I work from home, so I'm almost always here when the nanny is feeding him. The worst case of him refusing the bottle and getting inconsolable was actually when I was away at a dentist appointment (you'd think it would be the opposite). So now, I have her do a bottle with him every day, whether or not I'm available to feed him to try to keep him in practice for when I am away and he absolutely has to eat by bottle. I thought we were over the hump, but then he only drank an ounce and a half with her on Friday, so we obviously need to continue working on it.

thefussybunch · September 2014

Great idea @giggler25! We have our 4mo check up this week so I can ask then. Thanks!

Nikkipal82 · September 2014

Feeding therapy had a cancellation so we are going tomorrow morning! I'll update after.

Mikki62 · September 2014

DS won't take a bottle either. If he's not really hungry he'll play with it but when he is hungry he just fights it and spits out what gets in his mouth. I never have to be away from him so it's not that big of a deal. It'll just be nice to go out with DH alone once he'll eat something else. He is good at being with other people other than the bottle though.

oceanlove13 · September 2014

We had a really hard time getting DS to take a bottle. We felt like we had tried it all: different people feeding him, holding him in different positions, feeding in different places, different bottles, changing nipple flow, waiting until he was very hungry,etc. Then when this topic was brought up on here a month or more ago I read through the posts and someone had suggested feeding him in his bouncer. (Which I didn't think to use a device before being a FTM). We tried this and he instantly took the bottle no problem. Now he doesn't care what bottle, what flow nipple, etc. The only thing that made sense to me was the lack of body contact in the bouncer because when someone was holding him he was expecting to nurse. Now it's been about a month and he will take the bottle being held facing out or sitting up. He drinks 5 ounce bottles like a champ now for the nanny. I know how challenging and frustrating this is. We struggled for 4 months with him not taking a bottle and I dreaded when we would try because he would scream, kick, etc.

pistolpackinmomma · September 2014

Still very hit or miss here and he barely eats when he does take one.

Nikkipal82 · September 2014

Update after going to feeding therapy: The speech therapist said that she was very advanced, motor wise, and that she was just refusing. That there were not any structural or motor issues, she was just being stubborn. Apparently the suck reflex disappears, usually between the third and fourth month, and once that is gone, they don't "have to" suck whatever goes in their mouth. So at this point it's a choice, and she's choosing not to do it. So she gave us a squeeze bottle, which is a plastic honey bear with a flexible straw in it, which we can use to train her how to use a straw. we squeeze the milk into her mouth from this bottle, and eventually she should learn that she can get milk by sucking on a straw. In some ways, it's a relief that we can stop with all the bottles, so I can put them all in storage and work on a new skill. I hope the rest of you have more luck than we have!

hbird0723 · September 2014

We started spoon feeding her milk because the nurse suggested it and now she takes a bottle. Only when she's really hungry though.

giggler25 · September 2014

Very interesting, Hbird05!

neems1982 · September 2014

Have you tried using the Lansinoh mOmma bottle? DS1 is 2 now, but he refused the bottle at 7 weeks and never took a bottle ever again after that. We started giving him a nuby sippy cup at 4 months and he did fine with it but preferred the breast. So with DS2 we only bought the Lansinoh mOmma bottles he has never refused the bottle.

hbird0723 · September 2014

@giggler25‌ I thought so too. When she suggested it I was like yeah ok sure that will help. Then it did.

giggler25 · September 2014

@neems1982‌ - we have tried Lansinoh Momma, Dr. Browns, Tommy Tippee, Medela and Avent. None worked.

giggler25 · September 2014

@Nikkipal82‌ -- interesting about the suck reflex disappearing, though that makes me wonder BC DD wouldn't suck bottles placed in her mouth before 3 months old either. But she cab nurse wonderfully so I think everything works the way it should....

PattyTC · September 2014

We still struggle some days. DC suggested the latex playtex nurser. It works sometimes when others don't. (Their words not mine) Although they have me totally parinod saying it can grow mold if not dried properly. We have tried 6 different bottles. In my opinion, all seem to get the same response. (pushing out, playing and crying) She has gotten to the point that she takes the first two if spaced out well but refuses the third. (Most days but not everyday) It's close to when I pick her up so I think she just rather wait it out. She took all three and the afternoon worker was so thrilled that she filled her sheet with happy faces. I asked the pediatrician and she said her weight is still on track so not to worry. She also said the pushing out is a reflex at this point and it won't fade until closer to 6 months. DH hasn't been able to feed her since he pushed so hard one day. He hates it but I think he's lost the patience needed sometimes. I've heard of babies rufussing the whole time they are BF so we might be in for the long haul. Good luck ladies!

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