Bottles for breastfed babies

VitaLuna · May 2016

i know that every baby is different, but just trying to get a general survey of what's working for people. DD, much like her sister did, screams at the bottle and I'm going back to work Friday. She has taken about an ounce a couple times, but not without 15+ minutes of major horrendous meltdown.

So, what bottle do you use? Love it? Hate it?

VitaLuna · May 2016

Also, has anyone tried the Munchkin Latch? I bought one, opened it, but that thing looks like a b* to clean.

srecupido · May 2016

We used the Medela calma to get him adjusted but now he takes the regular Medela nipple

SmallyMcSmall · May 2016

Hi there, lurking from March '16. My son is the same way; he hates the bottle and only just decided a week ago that he likes pacifiers (he's 12 weeks now) I have tried multiple different bottles and nipples in an effort to get my LO bottle fed. The best success (read: shortest struggle and minimal meltdown) I've had so far was a Nuk bottle with a medium flow nipple. I know it's recommended to use slow flow nipples with a breast fed baby, but I have a very good supply and a fierce let down apparently so a medium flow nipple mimics that best. He just doesn't like having to work hard to get milk from the bottle when it's a better flow from the best.

Also, tommy tippee closer to nature bottles haven't been as bad either, but I need to get the faster flow nipple for that to say if it's truly a success or not.

Eta: I also have two munchkin latch bottles (4 oz and 8) they were the first I tried with my son. He hated it but like I said he hates all bottles still. The only difference with cleaning it is the blue valve on the bottom which comes out easily. I would also like to get the right nipple for this one as well because I did really like them.

meg+on+the+DL · May 2016

We were using the regular Avent bottle and she did ok. But then we switched her to the Avent Natural and she seemed to like that one way more. Also, I would make sure you have a size 2 or 3 nipple. If they aren't getting enough milk coming out, they will get super frustrated. I know my little stink bug did!

VitaLuna · May 2016

Of course, the little pill decided today that maybe she'd take the Comotomo after all (after I just spent another $20+ on bottles to try). Fingers crossed she'll continue to take it. Why like a cheaper bottle when you can like the one that's $13 a pop??

ashton2190 · May 2016

Mine does the avent natural with a size 1 nipple. She already eats too damn fast so I'm not sizing her up any time soon

sheslikeasunburn · May 2016

We use dr Browns and she has never shown any resistance. That being said, we have been giving her a bottle once a day since she came home from the hospital.

Eta: she is 3 months and we still use level 1 nipple

esca18 · May 2016

We use Munchkin Latch with size 1 nipple. LO is 4 months. Early on we tried Avent and Tommie Tippee but she didn't like those.

middy411 · May 2016

DD used to take Dr Browns like a champ... Like such a champ that I had to stop her frequently or she'd guzzle it all and spit up. I thought... "My baby loves milk so much, she would take it out of anything! Who are these crazies who's babies won't take bottles?"

Then when I started getting better at breastfeeding, I stopped wanting to do the occasional bottle bc I was just having so much fun! *facepalm*. Now she acts like the bottle is a lemon and let's the milk dribble down her chest. She will play with the nipple but gags when it goes all the way into her mouth. I am freaked out by the fact that I am her only food option right now and I'd like to be able to go have a drink or let grandma watch her for an evening here or there. Guess this will help with DH and my decision about whether I return to work. Ugh

jarob747 · May 2016

We tried for over a month to get my little one to take a bottle. I bet I spent $100 plus on different bottles in the nipples including a $26 mimijumi with no luck. I had everyone try, I tried leaving the room, daddy, friends, grandma, after breastfeeding, before breast feeding, tired, a little hungry, a lot hungry... no luck!!! Finally I bought a mam bottle with a size 2 nipple and big brother tried without me even asking him to and we had some luck! I was frantic and three days away from putting in my notice at work to not return. It was seriously one of the most stressful times of my life was to get this baby to take a bottle. Had me worried about him starving to death of something happened to me because he refused to take a bottle. I return to work 3 weeks ago part-time just two days a week but 15 hour days each. He takes the bottle but it's not his favorite. Just keep trying and really Even though I really hate this saying " they will take it when they're hungry, they won't let themselves starve." It seems to prove true so far for me. He doesn't fight it too much at all. Once I get home and nurse him he acts like it's the best thing ever! Hang in there

katieashley13 · May 2016

MAM bottles work well for our LO when she's not being stubborn!

CrazyHorseLady · June 2016

Avent with a #1 nipple.

beharrington · June 2016

My LO takes a bottle 3 or 4 times a day. We use Dr. Brown's and are still using a size 1 nipple and don't have any problems.

lbart86 · June 2016

We LOVE the Joovy Boob bottles. They have a "Nood" nipple to help EBF babies adjust to the bottle. I've had zero issues with DS, he's been drinking bottles during the day since 3 weeks and breastfed overnight.

val_mom2 · June 2016

I use the Munchkin Latch bottles and they are not bad to clean, you just take them apart and use a good bottle brush. My LO does great going from breast to bottle with these, however every baby is different. We have some Avent bottles as backup and she does ok with those as well, but doesn't get as good of a latch.

middy411 · June 2016

Is anybody using level 2 nipples with their Dr Browns? DD used to suck bottles down so fast with level 1 nipples that we had to stop her every ounce and burp her while she screamed for more or she would spit up. Many times she would spit up anyways bc she just ate so fast. I finally got better at breastfeeding and abandoned the bottle as I was so proud of myself and wanted her to regulate my supply blah blah blah. So now of course she's decided to refuse the bottle. I'm not sure if level 1 or 2 is what she needs now. She has taken an ounce before with level 1 and last night I got her to take an ounce from level 2. But she doesn't latch on the bottle anymore. She just sucks on the tip and opens her mouth and plays with the nipple. I am terrified of being her only source of food and would like to be able to have a cocktail or a night with my husband here and there. Anybody else's LO used to take a bottle like a champ and now refuses?

BabySeaTurtles · June 2016

We use Tommee Tippee and have had no problems. I had tried to feed her a bottle a few weeks ago and she just played with the nipple for a long while before finally taking it. After that, knowing I had to go to work soon and leave her, I couldn't bring myself to feed her a bottle when I didn't have to. So her first day at daycare was yesterday and she fed like a champ. I also slept with one of her blankets for a week and gave it to daycare and they held her in it at feeding time.

=caenis= · June 2016

middy411 said:

Is anybody using level 2 nipples with their Dr Browns? DD used to suck bottles down so fast with level 1 nipples that we had to stop her every ounce and burp her while she screamed for more or she would spit up. Many times she would spit up anyways bc she just ate so fast. I finally got better at breastfeeding and abandoned the bottle as I was so proud of myself and wanted her to regulate my supply blah blah blah. So now of course she's decided to refuse the bottle. I'm not sure if level 1 or 2 is what she needs now. She has taken an ounce before with level 1 and last night I got her to take an ounce from level 2. But she doesn't latch on the bottle anymore. She just sucks on the tip and opens her mouth and plays with the nipple. I am terrified of being her only source of food and would like to be able to have a cocktail or a night with my husband here and there. Anybody else's LO used to take a bottle like a champ and now refuses?

Exact same story here. We had to supplement daily with formula for the first month because breastfeeding wasn't going well at all (my milk was super late, nipples hurt like hell so we did lots of pumping, then my supply had to catch up, etc.). By the first month, he was thankfully EBF and I dropped the bottle completely for a while to get into the groove. Now we've tried introducing it again when I've been out and about a few times, and it has NOT gone well.

I don't really know what to do, except to keep practicing. We've been doing so with "old" milk that's been in the fridge, and I might start trying to pump 1x/day and offer it fresh the same time each day at first and see if it helps. Once I go back to work in July, he will have no choice. Take the bottle, or go hungry.

mrsc12414 · June 2016

My little takes the bottle decent for my husband . I work nights so she doesn't get too many feeding with him. We use Tommee tippee . She does nurse like crazy long when I am finally home in the morning

VitaLuna · June 2016

@middy411 stick with the level 1. My LO did the same thing.. Took the bottle great at 6wks and I was so happy! I got a little complacent and then she started to refuse it. After a couple more weeks of trying (and screaming), she finally did take the Comotomo. It took about 4 tries worth of crying for her to finally take it. No magical advice, just sympathy. It sucks!

middy411 · June 2016

@VitaLuna thanks for the advice! It was hard to tell if the bottle upset her bc of the flow or bc it wasn't my nipple lol. Since I hadn't used the bottle in a while, I couldn't attest to if it was still fast enough. I have a pretty fast letdown. I'm going to stick with level 1 and just keep trying. That's what I get for avoiding the hassle of pumping a few times a week and bottle feeding here and there. Now I'm pumping much more just so I can keep trying to get her to take it... ugh.

kinnonam · June 2016

What size bottles are you ladies using? My LO use the Dr Browns bottles 4oz but I think he's ready for more.

Kimbarbour08 · June 2016

Mine does Dr. Brown's 4oz with a level 1 nipple, we also tried a Mam bottle with a level 1 early on but he WOULD NOT have it!

VitaLuna · June 2016

@kinnonam I'm using a 5oz bottle and giving LO 4oz at a time. Technically their intake shouldn't change for the first 6 months or so (your milk composition will change rather than their intake changing), but I've heard of breastfed babies taking anywhere from 3-5oz at a time. DD1 took breastmilk bottles until she was around 14 or 15mo and never took more than 4oz at a time.

ashton2190 · June 2016

kinnonam said:

What size bottles are you ladies using? My LO use the Dr Browns bottles 4oz but I think he's ready for more.

We use a 9 oz bottle. Mine will take about 6-7 oz at a time. Although she's a smarty pants and will pretty much eat whenever you offer it to her at daycare they have to make sure she's not always being offered the bottle as soon as she fusses

VitaLuna · June 2016

ashton2190 said:

kinnonam said:

What size bottles are you ladies using? My LO use the Dr Browns bottles 4oz but I think he's ready for more.

We use a 9 oz bottle. Mine will take about 6-7 oz at a time. Although she's a smarty pants and will pretty much eat whenever you offer it to her at daycare they have to make sure she's not always being offered the bottle as soon as she fusses

@ashton2190Breastmilk or formula? That's a LOT of breastmilk. I'm not sure how you can keep up!

@kinnonam Kellymom has a calculator based on how many feeds per day. Scroll down a little and it has a spot where it calculates a range automatically of what to expect for your LO. https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#toomuchlittle

ashton2190 · June 2016

VitaLuna said:

ashton2190 said:

kinnonam said:

What size bottles are you ladies using? My LO use the Dr Browns bottles 4oz but I think he's ready for more.

We use a 9 oz bottle. Mine will take about 6-7 oz at a time. Although she's a smarty pants and will pretty much eat whenever you offer it to her at daycare they have to make sure she's not always being offered the bottle as soon as she fusses

@ashton2190Breastmilk or formula? That's a LOT of breastmilk. I'm not sure how you can keep up!

@kinnonam Kellymom has a calculator based on how many feeds per day. Scroll down a little and it has a spot where it calculates a range automatically of what to expect for your LO. https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#toomuchlittle

Breastmilk! She's a chunk for sure! Although she only eats about 3 times a day when I'm away from her

kinnonam · June 2016

VitaLuna said:

ashton2190 said:

kinnonam said:

What size bottles are you ladies using? My LO use the Dr Browns bottles 4oz but I think he's ready for more.

We use a 9 oz bottle. Mine will take about 6-7 oz at a time. Although she's a smarty pants and will pretty much eat whenever you offer it to her at daycare they have to make sure she's not always being offered the bottle as soon as she fusses

@ashton2190Breastmilk or formula? That's a LOT of breastmilk. I'm not sure how you can keep up!

@kinnonam Kellymom has a calculator based on how many feeds per day. Scroll down a little and it has a spot where it calculates a range automatically of what to expect for your LO. https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#toomuchlittle

Thanks for the link! He takes about 4oz at a time at least when he is at home with me or with daddy. Just so happens when he is with the grandparents he he tends to drink around 6oz. Since he doesn't take the pacifier they just assume he's crying because he's hungry. So much pumping lol

4N6s · June 2016

My baby has taken every bottle we've given her which has just been the kiinde and the medela. Good luck.

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