Advice for moms struggling with getting baby to take a bottle

jordans_wife · May 2016

I couldn't get my ebf baby to take one either at 1st. The 1 tip that seems to work is to point the bottle nipple towards the roof of their mouth toward their uvula-might have butchered spelling? Anyway, that induces their suckling reflex and was the one thing that seemed to help. I saw some mom's saying they were having trouble with that so I just thought I'd throw it out there. However, I think if they get hungry enough they'll take it and then it's just a matter of time before they get used to it.

meg+on+the+DL · May 2016

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

VitaLuna · May 2016

meg+on+the+DL said:

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

This was 100% true with DD1 and I think with most babies. We've been struggling with the bottle for DD2 (took it twice before, now hasn't for almost a month). I had my mom try again today and it was scream fest. She went home, I nursed baby, and then the bottle was sitting there so I figured I'd pop it in to see what she did. Wouldn't you know, after a minute of turning her head away/playing with it, she started eating like she'd been doing it forever. What the heck, kid!

ashton2190 · May 2016

meg+on+the+DL said:

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

Up until yesterday, my LO would only take it from me. Now she's doing so much better. I think she figured out she wasn't getting the
boob, no matter how hard she cried

meg+on+the+DL · May 2016

Sometimes you never know what babies will do! They definitely have a mind of their own!

jarob747 · May 2016

VitaLuna said:

meg+on+the+DL said:

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

This was 100% true with DD1 and I think with most babies. We've been struggling with the bottle for DD2 (took it twice before, now hasn't for almost a month). I had my mom try again today and it was scream fest. She went home, I nursed baby, and then the bottle was sitting there so I figured I'd pop it in to see what she did. Wouldn't you know, after a minute of turning her head away/playing with it, she started eating like she'd been doing it forever. What the heck, kid!

This is the exact same way my LO is. I had everyone try and spent a lot on bottles and nipples. Then one day after a month of trying, he just took it from his brother. Now he doesn't always, but we offer it one time a day just to keep him familiar. I start back to work tomorrow for a 15 hour day. Dad is so nervous about baby boy not taking a bottle or crying and not being able to soothe him. I'm so not at ease about it. It's funny, sometimes baby will take bottle like a pro and other times it's like he's never seen it. Be praying my LO takes it tomorrow so he won't starve while I'm over an hour away for a long day at work.

AdorkablePixie · September 2016

ashton2190 said:

meg+on+the+DL said:

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

Up until yesterday, my LO would only take it from me. Now she's doing so much better. I think she figured out she wasn't getting the
boob, no matter how hard she cried

@ashton2190 I know this is an old post and I wasn't even in the February group (DS was born in May) but DS was taking a bottle fine from one month on, last week he started daycare and now he refuses the bottle no matter who tries to give it to him. Did you just withhold the breast until she took a bottle?

mwmiller4 · September 2016

@AdorkablePixie DD never went back to taking a bottle for us BUT right around 4 months would take the nuk learner sippy cup. Thought I'd throw that out there since it can be so stressful

ashton2190 · September 2016

AdorkablePixie said:

ashton2190 said:

meg+on+the+DL said:

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

Up until yesterday, my LO would only take it from me. Now she's doing so much better. I think she figured out she wasn't getting the
boob, no matter how hard she cried

@ashton2190 I know this is an old post and I wasn't even in the February group (DS was born in May) but DS was taking a bottle fine from one month on, last week he started daycare and now he refuses the bottle no matter who tries to give it to him. Did you just withhold the breast until she took a bottle?

I was at my first day back at work and she was refusing to take the bottle. I was able to go home during lunch and put her in her bouncer and gave her the bottle while gently bouncing her. Idk why that worked but my husband had to do that for a couple days and then she was fine. She holds her own bottle now and will lunge at it if she sees it

AdorkablePixie · September 2016

ashton2190 said:

AdorkablePixie said:

ashton2190 said:

meg+on+the+DL said:

Out pediatrician also said to have dad do it. If the baby can smell mama and her milk, they may try to go for the breast.

Up until yesterday, my LO would only take it from me. Now she's doing so much better. I think she figured out she wasn't getting the
boob, no matter how hard she cried

@ashton2190 I know this is an old post and I wasn't even in the February group (DS was born in May) but DS was taking a bottle fine from one month on, last week he started daycare and now he refuses the bottle no matter who tries to give it to him. Did you just withhold the breast until she took a bottle?

I was at my first day back at work and she was refusing to take the bottle. I was able to go home during lunch and put her in her bouncer and gave her the bottle while gently bouncing her. Idk why that worked but my husband had to do that for a couple days and then she was fine. She holds her own bottle now and will lunge at it if she sees it

I did something similar and it worked! I put him in his swing and looked at him as he ate. I also stopped storing his milk in the medela storage bags and we haven't had a problem since. I was thinking I was having a lipase problem and that's why he wouldn't take the bottle, but as soon as I stopped using the medela bags, he started taking the bottle again. So weird.

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