Getting baby to take bottle
I am currently braest feeding my five month old & I need a real trick for getting a baby onto a bottle? I've tried just about everything. I use breast milk because we knew he likes the taste. I have tried five different nipples. I have put oatmeal in the breast milk. I have tried the sippy cup. I have tried someone else giving it to him. I have tried a different hold and location to make it a whole new experience. Now... he will put the bottle in his mouth but he chews on it not sucks it. As of three weeks ago he would take maybe an ounce from a bottle and he would suck it. But, now it is almost like he forgot how to suck on a bottle. ALl he does it chew and then spit it out. And we cant wait for him to be hungry because then he throws an absolute fit when you try to put the bottle in his mouth. And, Please, I dont wanna hear if he is hungry he will take it. Because I left him for 8 hours one day last week. And he would not take the bottle. He ate about 5 tablespoons of cereal all day. I need help. I wanna be able to go out for a day and him to just take a bottle and know he isnt starving or very unhappy. HELP! any knew suggestions
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6 Answers
The one thing I remember doing that you didn't mention was having someone else give the bottle at first. Have you tried that? It's supposed to help when you're nursing because when they're near mama, all they want is the breast. Let your husband or someone else give the bottle at the same time every day until the baby gets used to it. (You may never even have to give your baby a bottle if all you're trying to do is get some time away...) I hope I'm not telling you something you've already tried.
Good luck!
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
Oops...after I posted this I did see where you'd mentioned this already. Sorry.
The only other thing I can add is that maybe you need to focus on just one thing for a week or so and not try any other methods for that amount of time. Then the baby might get used to it because it's consistent.
Another thing is: you might want to try getting away for awhile anyway. Most babies will take the bottle when mommy's not there, and even if they don't, they'll probably just make up for it when mom is back. When I worked for a brief time when my daughter was around 4 months, there were nights when she wouldn't take the bottle from dad, but she would just chow when I got home. If you time it well so it's not mealtime (or you feed her just before you go) you can certainly get out for an hour or two. With you gone, it might give your baby the chance to get used to the bottle. You never know til you try! (If it makes you feel better, just go somewhere where you can get back quickly if need be.)
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
You said you tried different nipples, I was just wondering if you tried the transition ones from nubby? They are really odd shaped, they are somewhere between a sippy top and a nipple. I knew a baby that used those over a regular bottle when the mother swore nothing else would work. Keep trying, eventually he will take a bottle. For future reference I heard that whether you breastfeed or not at around 3 weeks or so, you should start to introduce the bottle, you know in case the baby was left with a sitter.
Jessica McCurdy
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We tried the Nuby bottles when I was trying to get Robbie off of the bottle and it was the only thing he would take for a while, but I had to stop using them when he bit the tip off of the nipple. I would be very careful if she has teeth!
Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com
Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com
On that suggestion to introduce a bottle at around 3 weeks, I think that's a good idea but I'd wait til at least 4 weeks if you're breastfeeding. All the breastfeeding books say your milk supply is well established by 4 to 6 weeks, and then you can try pumping and giving a bottle. (Otherwise the milk supply is disrupted, which could mean it's hard for the baby to get the needed milk during normal feedings.)
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
Ok this is going to sound weird and I can't remember where I heard of it, but have you tried putting a bottle nipple over your own nipple? you may have to take a look around for what brand would be accomodating for you and you might have to enlarge the hole a bit. You may also have to help express the milk . Sounds like a balancing act, but you sound like you have tried all the traditional ways.
Is he already upset when he realizes he isn't getting your breast? Are you feeding him in a quiet, nurturing environment? perhaps he is missing the closeness and is noticing his environment more.
As a last resort iI would try this: Get some "Rescue Remedy" it's a homeopathic remedy available at health food stores& some grocery stores. Put a drop or 2 on his lips. It will help him relax and then try to feed him. It isn't addictive and it won't hurt him. I use it for lots of things...my dog freaking out over a balloon floating over head, a child scared by a movie and can't sleep, me traveling on an airplaine and imagining the plane crashing. I suggest it a lot and everyone has found it helpful. You shouldn't have to use it more than a few times. I wish I had known about it when mine were little.
Barbara S. Kaiser