3 Months and Won't Take a Bottle HELP!

Hi K.,

I have 6 m.o boy I started give him a bottle after two month. In my case he had no problemm to take it. In fact it is a good idea do not give them a bottle first 4-5 weeks I think you did good. But now I will advise you to try different bottles. I like Aveeno one but we started with one from medela pamp, they are little and niple is soft. I started give my baby cereal when he terned 4 m.o. and later some vegitabels now he eats all vegitables and fruits.

I hope you will find the way how to get her on the bottle. I wish you good luck,

N.

From my experience (4 kids) there's no 'right time' to introduce a bottle. I had to try several different brands of bottles and several different brands of nipples to find the right fit. Take a deep breath, you'll be ok.

When I was having the same issue with my newborn, a very knowledgeable lactation specialist said not to worry that even a baby that young can drink from a sippy cup or a medicine cup. That said, she of course gets upset with you because you are withholding the "boob". She can sense it. You have to work with your husband to get him to be patient enough to help the little one. She may never want it from you but be willing to take it from someone else. Also, try all different kinds of nipples. Oh yes, this worked for me. Usually, the nipples are "graded" slow, medium or fast. It is usually recommended that the slow nipple be used for the younger ones. I found that the medium nipple actually was a bit more similar to the breast as it allowed for more milk flow. After all, when it comes from my breast, it lets down rapidly and from more and he liked that better. If she is taking 2 ounces and getting frustrated, it may be that the milk flow it too slow. Anyway, hope this helps. Patience is key and trying different nipples, shapes, sizes and flow (perhaps). Just keep at it and relax...you have time. Good luck.

This happened to us too. I bought every bottle available - even one that looked and felt like a real boob!!! Have you experimented with the flow of the nipples? I remember buying the stage for infants, but the amount she got from me was much more/faster, so she got frustrated. Maybe try different nipples so you can test fast vs. slow flow. Do you have a sister or mom or MIL or friend that could try and feed the baby with the bottle? Maybe she doesn't want the bottle from you... she wants the real deal!!

Don't worry... she won't starve. Hang in there.

I had the same issue and it was torture but hang in there - SHE WILL TAKE IT. I first got her to take a bottle called Adiri- they are shaped like a real breast and it was the only one she took. Unfortunately, i tried to get others of the same one and the flow seemed to be heavier even tho they were all supposed to be infant slow flow. I finally found the playtex drop in bottle to work. It had the slowest flow. I think my baby was frustrated because most of the bottles would drip constantly which was not what she was used to. She wanted to "work for it" the same way with the breast. The playtex bottle with the drop in liners do not "drip" milk- they have to suck it out. It still took a couple days of "sneaking it to her". I would breast feed and as she got sleepy i would sneak the bottle in her mouth still holding her in the breast feeding position and she started to get used to it. Also, my dr. reccomended trying formula as it was sweeter than breast milk. I originally started with expressed milk. I think the taste of the breast would just make her crave the breast. So i started her on formula even tho i would have preferred breast milk. It worked and after about a week- she was fine with the bottle. I started this about 3 months also. She ended up weaning herself about 6 months from the breast altogether. Good luck!!!!!!

Try Dr. Brown's bottles. She may have acid reflux/gas from a bottle as she is able to suck harder and take in more air. Also...the nipple texture and structure can be confusing her. Dr. Brown's are what we used and they worked awesome! They have a valve system so a baby can't get too much air.

The nipple on the bottle is the softest I've ever seen. I say purchase 1 and give it a go. If that doesn't work, try starting her on the bottle and finishing with the breast. You may have to let her get good and hungry, but once she realizes that is now a source of food, she will start to get accustomed to it after she gets hungry enough.

I know it must be frustrating, but hang in there!

First of all, this is soooo common. Not sure if you still want to try the bottle, if so here is a previous post from me about my experience with bottle rejection. Good luck! She is still very young, so there is still a chance she will accept the bottle! :)

I feel for you. I went through the same thing , 2 weeks before day care. Ugh. Make sure there is no smell on the nipples. Seriously, I couldn't figure out why my baby was all of a sudden rejecting bottles that she used to take no problem. I was trying to figure out "What changed?!?". Then I realized I switched dishwashing detergent. I went to smell the nipples and yep, totally lemony fresh due to Cascade gel packs. The cascade detergent had leached into the silicone nipples! I was using Electrosol before. I tried to handwash them, boil them- nothing got the smell out. So I threw them away, bought new nipples, and then she started taking them again. Now I ONLY handwash all supplies. This might not be your problem, but just a reminder to definitely look at anything that might have changed. I was practically forcing her to take the bottle and thinking if she got hungry enough she would eventually eat. Now I feel awful because she was refusing because of the nipple. . . glad I figured it out though.
Other things that kind of helped us while we were figuring it out
-set baby in boppy pillow or bouncer
- sit behind baby and only put arm in front of baby with bottle so he can't see you
- distract baby with tv (i know. . .but it did work sometimes)
-put bottle nipple next to baby's cheek while breastfeeding, when they take a small break or when you can quickly delatch them, do the switcheroo and stick the bottle nipple in fast. Sometimes they will be so in to eating they won't notice the swap until they are already sucking on the bottle- this helps them get used to the feel and understand that milk also comes out of this weird contraption.
-warm the nipple of the bottle by putting finger over bottle and holding upside down in the warm water for a few seconds
-put the nipples in your bra for a few minutes (before attaching to bottle) to make them smell like you
-check to make sure your milk tastes ok, perhaps you have higher levels of lipase and its effecting some batches of milk (soapy or metallic taste)- my milk only tastes good for the first 2 days. My baby was much more likely to drink if the milk was fresh. Once they get used to the bottle then you can try older milk (my daughter now doesn't care if it is a few days old).
-take baby outside to eat
-let baby play with bottle by himself, they are starting to use their hands at this point and sometimes just want to play with it before helping to put it in their mouth

Good luck!!! And remember the folks at the daycare often have NO problem giving your baby a bottle even if you and everyone else you know does. They sometimes have the magic touch and down to business attitude that the babies respond to.

She won't starve herself. My daughter did the same thing when I went back to work when she was 5mos. Your husband or another care taker has to be the one to do it because she can smell if your home and know she doesn't have to take it and that you will give in. I work 12 hour shifts and can't come home. It took my husband eight hours of being patient and offering her the bottle and she finally took 8 oz. Even after I came home that first day I was told not to give her the breast until the next day. So that she realizes she will have to take the bottle. from that day forward even if you are home you need to give her the bottle at least twice a day.

My second son was breast feed exclusivly until he was 6 mths and it took about 5 days before he would take a bottle. it's harder for them to understand taking it from you when they are used to teh "good stuff", so have your husband keep trying. Also, try to look at your nipple and find a bottle nipple that is shaped sort of like it, try silicone and the other brown type (can't remember the name).After a few attempts, my son ended up taking a Playtex drop in's, with a silicone nipple and would only take it if the water was room temp. He now takes it however we give it to him and actually weaned himself at 7 1/2 mths of breastfeeding all together.

good luck
K.

Keep giving her the bottle, eventually she will take it. Try different nipples, I had success with advent. Also, be careful feeding your daughter solids at 4 months, most pediatricians recommend 6 months. Be sure she has good head control and start with rice cereal, the easiest to digest and easiest to learn to swallow thicker substances. Good luck

been there...it's so difficult!! my 3 month old daughter fortunately took to her bottle the day before I started back to work. She flat out refused it before, and I had been trying to incorporate a bottle since her first week. My husband and I found a few tricks to make it easier.
1. the vaccuum- she would scream and cry when given a bottle but once the vaccuum was turned on, she would instantly stop crying and take her bottle. We had to keep it on as long as she was eating but it was the one thing that we could do to stop the crying. Gradually, we were able to use it less and less. i think we were able to stop using it once I went to work.
2. wrap baby in a worn shirt that smells like mama. Many times we used this in conjunction with the vaccuum.
3. Turn the baby outward. I found that if I held her toward me, she would always hunt for the boob. But just by holding her facing out, she will take the bottle more easily.
I found that my hubs could give her a bottle before I could. So I left the room so that he could feed her without distraction. It was difficult but she was able to take the bottle without incident with her daycare from day one. I think she really came to the point where she was hungry enough that she didn't fight it.
*** it's hard to leave but it seems like my baby was just holding out because she knew she had an alternative. Now that I'm back to work, she has let other people hold and feed her-even when I'm around. She seemed to really have benefitted from my going to work. Don't give up! Your baby will be fine. If she's like mine, she'll make you sweat it until the last minute and then will pleasantly surprise you. good luck!

I don't think you want her to be easy about taking a bottle from you. Breastfeeding is your special bond with her, and when you hold her to feed her, that is what she wants. If hubby isn't good with handling the bottle feeding, maybe you can find a friend who is willing to try her on one bottle a day until she gets used to it. Once she realizes that there are going to be some times that she needs to accept the bottle, she will take it. I think what I'd recommend is find a neighbor or friend with whom you can leave her for an hour or two a day... choose a time that will be a normal feeding time for her when you go back to work... and you go shopping or back home to do housework... or whatever while she's being cared for and fed the bottle. That way she's getting used to what she's going to actually face starting in January.
If she was a couple of months older, I'd suggest trying the sippy cup, but I think sticking with the bottle is best at this time.

Hi K.,

First, take a deep breath and relax a little. I know just how you feel - I've been there. I introduced a bottle late to my second son and then, at about 5 months, when I tried to introduce it before I went back to work, he rejected it. I was tied in knots over what to do. So, what happened is this... I went and talked to the childcare staff where I was taking him when I went back to work and they ensured me that he would take the bottle from them ~ eventually. I kept up the efforts, with no good outcome, before I went back to work. The first day back was really hard, and when I called they said that he had not taken the bottle. By noon, I was ready to drive out and feed him myself, but when I called, they said he had taken the bottle. It was touch and go after that, but the staff knew what they were doing and were as patient as saints in their efforts. In the end it all worked out just fine. So again, take a deep breath, keep trying and communicate the situation to your childcare provider.

Good luck!

I do believe she'll eat if/when she's hungry enough. I had to make an emergency trip to the hospital when my daughter was 10 weeks old. She had been BF until then, and didn't want to take a bottle. Finally, after 12 hours, she gave in and drank from a bottle. It wasn't my first choice of bottle training her, but we had no choice. By the time I came home from the hospital (weeks later), there was no going back to the breast, and both of us were fine with that. My point is, she won't starve herself forever, try to relax and know that she will eat when she wants to.

Hi K.,
You must feel so anxious with all the changes about to happen. I think you've had some good advice about helping ease the bottle transition. It's lucky you have some flexibility at first to breastfeed in the middle of the day if necessary. I encourage you to wait on solids as long as possible. On the advice of her pediatrician, my mother started me on solids at 6 weeks old. I have some really inconvenient food allergies now (mostly wheat and gluten) and while I'm not positive this is the cause, a baby's digestive and immune system isn't ready for solids at 4 months. With my daughter I waited until 6 months and she has no allergies. Again, who really knows the cause, but you can give your little girl the benefit of the doubt by waiting

Good luck as you go through this transition!
A.

Hi, I am so sorry you are having a hard time with the switch. I am currently in a Child development class and we just covered this topic. How ironic. Your daughter will not starve. She will eat what is offered eventually. She may be stubborn about it but hopefully to minimize the transitional frustration on her part you are offering breast milk in the bottle? Also my daughter was as stubborn as yours and I pulled the breast during the day but continued to let her nurse at night. We compromised until she was 6-months old. Also, try giving her the Old style Platex nurser with the short square nipple. Use the "older baby" nipple so it is slightly easier for her to get the milk out. I found this really went in my favor as well as waiting until she was really hungry (not overly just more so) These tricks seemed to work for me. It was easier not easy. All the best -LLP

My neighbor had the same problem but just kept at it and their daughter finally takes the bottle fine now. It took a couple months of trying, though! Also, many recommend introducing the bottle between 4 and 6 weeks so don't think that you did something wrong by waiting till 5-6 weeks. That's when I introduced it and my baby has always taken the bottle just fine.

Be aware that most babies aren't ready for solids at 4 months (even though so many seem to be started that soon) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding through 6 months. Their lining in the intestines isn't fully developed until 6 months so you risk allergies when you introduce solids sooner. That said, you obviously have to do what's best for you both and if it creates too much stress on you to wait you have to take that into account. But I just wanted to throw it out there that it's better to wait till 6 months to introduce solids if you can (unless your baby is just showing signs of REALLY wanting solids sooner). Have you considered pumping at work?

Good luck!

We waited until my son was about 3 months old to introduce the bottle to him, and he didn't like it either. You might try having whoever it is that will be with him when you are working introduce the bottle, and if that's going to be dad, well, then he's going to have to buck up and calm down. If he's not calm then your little angel will pick up on the frustration, and dad won't get the skill if he doesn't practice. Eventually, if you're working and she gets hungry enough, she'll take milk from the bottle. She's only three months old though, so she may not take a whole lot more than a couple of ounces at a time, my son didn't take more than 2-3 ounces of breast milk from his bottles at a time until he was closer to 5 months, he just took it more often. Most importantly though, Realx, everything will be okay, and being too stressed or worried about the situation won't help at all. Best of Luck to you!!

Try offering the breast first and then once offer the bottle. This helped my little one transition over little by little. Try holding off on introducing solids, too early can lead to developing allergies. However, if she is eager and appears to be ready then go ahead. My little girl started solids at 5 1/2 months and took the sippy cup right away. Her pedi was surprised at how well she handles the cup. Best of luck!

Infants can smell mama's milk and will prefer the breast over the bottle. Amrit Khalsa is a midwife and Lactation Consultant who helped me work out a schedule for introducing the bottle to my son. Her no-fail plan reduced a lot of the stress for the return to work for me, for my husband and for our son's other caregivers. She's in El Cerrito and I highly recommend her. Otherwise, Laura Monin is an LC practicing in the Berkeley and Orinda areas. For other recommendations, I would suggest going to the BirthWays web site (birthways.org) and checking their online resource database.

Best of luck to you!

I waited until my daughter was 6 months and I know that the crying is heartbreaking. We tried about 10 different bottles and she finally took the Breastflow. http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-3pk-Breastflow-Bottles/...
I don't know if she was just ready to give in or if the bottle did it. I'm due again in March and was planning to introduce the bottle earlier -- like 6 weeks, but it sounds like I could have the same problem even starting that early. Darn. Good luck!