Advice wanted - Baby won't take bottles..

[nunheadmum]

I don't have any failsafe methods I'm afraid but I would say, if you're trying to get your LO onto a bottle and they are refusing, keep trying. I tried just about every bottle under the sun with my second daughter and it must have taken a month or more of trying at every daytime feed (started off with nighttime ones too but was too stressful) before she finally took a bottle - and she finally went for the Avent bottles that we had left over from daughter No1 and had tried at the start. Once she started, she never looked back!

I think some kids just have a strong will and will do it when they're ready or realise that your will is just as strong as theirs!

[EmilyE]

Glad your problem seems to be sorted out, amydown. Just thought I'd mention that although most babies do better being fed by anyone other than the mother, as a last resort I tried giving him the bottle, and that did the trick. So I did the first couple, and then I think he believed that the bottle did work and would take one from other people. It's always worth a go.

[snowboarder]

I'm kind of finding now with my bubs that it's actually NOT the bottle type he has a problem with* - he can drink out of it fine - he just doesn't want to. I have pretty much every bottle and teat under the sun now so it is annoying to realise this. He took 2 oz from a bottle this morning, completely refused any more, then spent a happy 5 mins breast feeding. Babies are very irritating!

(*actually apart from breast flow - which he was totally bewildered by!)

[Emski]

Afraid (for all those who have spent a fortune on different bottles) that I agree. With MiniEmski she stopped taking the occasional bottle we'd been giving her from 8 weeks at around 3 months. Apparently it's quite common at this age and perhaps due to them getting more strength in their tongue (!), so able to push the teat out. It took a month (on and off) of battling to get her to take it again, which was quite traumatic (we kept at it for an hour each time, trying to comfort her between screams) - mainly for my husband, since we'd also read that it's more likely they'll take one from someone who's not mum. However, persistence paid off eventually, and she's now having a bottle before bed every night. We tried a couple of diff teats/bottles but I honestly don't think they made any difference.

It was a complete battle of wills, and I know there are many who would find it impossible to keep trying in the face of such an upset baby.

[amydown]

My joy is short lived and Snowboarder and Emski, I think you might be right with the bottle types! He took it well for a couple of nights and now refusing again! Hubby is currently battling with him upstairs, I'm trying to occupy myself with the forum whilst listening to the crying through the baby monitor.. all so traumatic!!!!

[snowboarder]

Amy...yes that's why the bottles never really took off for us - I couldn't bear hearing the battles! And now - if my husband tries to feed baby with bottle and he gets stressed, it takes me a couple of weeks to get back to any acceptance at all! I see people calmly bottle feeding in cafes and am SO envious!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

My son won't take the MAM. Looks like I won't be enjoying a drink over christmas....

[alieh]

I know it probably won't help, but we had this and we did find that the bottle mattered. The only one he would tolerate is the Playtex Drop-Ins type bottle, with the disposable bags. Like these:

http://www.infantcaredirect.co.uk/acatalog/Disposable_Nursers_&_Starter_Sets.html

I know some other people who have had the same experience. Something about the way the bag contracts as they drink more closely simulates breastfeeding?

I have a few of these bottles, a new pack of teats and lots of bags if anyone wanted to test them out before buying.

I freaked out when my son started bottle refusing around 3 months, but we eventually got him back onto it using these bottles. The funny thing is that I can count on two hands the number of times he's had a bottle since! Now if I am away from him, he is fine with having the milk from a cup. He's been doing this since 8 months or so. So if nothing works, take heart and know that the bottle phase is short-lived!

I also got quite relaxed about having a few drinks and still breastfeeding (oops...not advocating this, but I was okay with it) especially once I stopped feeding overnight.

[Billy]

Hi, my eight week year old has just started refusing a bottle - I am reading the list of different bottle options in horror! Trying again tonight. Am hoping perseverence is going to work...

[lorraineliyanage]

billy, it's an awful feeling isn't it? my daughter rejected the bottle at 5 months old and didn't get back on it until 8 months and I nearly had to consider giving up work so that i could be there to feed her!

[amydown]

Hi Billy,

I'm giving my little boy a bit of a rest from the daily struggle of trying to get him to take bottles. He had his first vaccinations yesterday so a bit stressed (or so I tell myself to use as an excuse for this break!)

So far, I have Tommee Tippe Closer to Nature, Nuk Latex, Playtex drop-in and Breastflow. We have had the most success with Breastflow which I bought from HeidiH! We seem to have spent quite a small fortune on this now :)) Drop me a PM if you would like to borrow any of ours before you go and purchase them.

Amy

[Billy]

Thanks for your messages. He took the bottle from my husband last night so am going to try to keep going with one a day. What is silly is that I hate the faff of expressing etc but I need to be able to keep him taking the odd bottle. Otherwise I will never able to go out again! LorraineLiyanage - had your daughter been accepting bottles all the way up to 5 months before she refused?