I have been only breastfeeding my daughter since birth almost 8 weeks ago. She is doing GREAT with it. I may have to return to work in a few weeks, so I started trying to give her breastmilk in a bottle without any luck. She has never been able to take a paci because everyone of them gag her. The same thing happens when the bottle nipple gets anywhere near her mouth. I have tried 8 differant pacifiers and 4 different bottles. NUK, Playtex,Dr. Brown, and hospital nipples. She even gags sometimes when she latches onto the breast. I am fine with her not taking a paci, that's NOT a big deal at all, but I am worried about the bottle issue.
She has reflux and is on Prevacid for that which is helping a lot. Someone told me the reflux may have something to do with why she gags.
I am wondering if I should be concerned with the gagging. How in the world am I suppose to return to work if my baby can't drink from a bottle. Is this a medical issue and should I talk to her dr about this? She is my third and I have never seen a baby gag like she does.
Does anyone know of a bottle nipple that might work, maybe a premiee nipple?
Breasflow bottles! These have a short nipple and simulate breastfeeding for easy transition between breast and bottle.
Try the Breastflow bottle. I wish I'd had known about them earlier on. I had the same problem with my son. He did not do well with any bottle and really didn't start to drink the pumped milk well until he was 5 1/2 months old and was able to take a sippy cup. Before then, I had to work very part-time in 2-3 hour intervals so that I could come home and nurse the baby. I watched in envy a few months later as I watched another new mother give her 3 month old expressed milk from a Breastflow bottle with ease. I've already purchased one for the second baby. Good luck!
Have you tried wearing a nipple shield? My son had trouble switching from the breast to bottle, so the lac consultant suggested one. It's a silicone cover you place on your nipple when nursing to help the baby adjust. They are still in nursing position, still sensing mommy/smelling mommy, still getting the breastmilk. So the shield is one tiny change. Once he accepted that change, I could make another gradual switch such as feeding breastmilk with a spoon or dropper, or even the tip of my finger, maybe try a different position so baby is used to not being at/smelling the breast. I agree that another person may have better luck getting her to accept anything but the breast. If she's gagging, they may have to try finger-feeding or spoon-feeding (time consuming I know, but at least you could nurse before/after work?) Also, try to bottle feed in a more upright position, sitting baby up and supporting the head NOT lying baby in a prone position-breastfed babies are not used to that. Also make sure the nipple does not come out to fast-we loved the BPA free Born Free bottles because they have an attachment that required baby to suck milk, not letting it pour out and choke them.
Also try kellymom.com for awesome tips on transitioning to breast, weaning, or pumping. It was such a great site when I transitioned to full-time work and had to pump four times, and work out the feeding schedules before/after work. Good luck!
The only thing I can think of is to be sure that they are slow flow nipples. She may have choked once and now is afraid of it, so she's refusing all bottles. The Gerber cheapo bottle has a short nipple and my daughter loves them. Has daddy tried to feed her the bottles with pumped milk (with you far, far away)?
It's amazing what they will do at daycare and won't do at home. If she still won't do it for daddy/a stranger, then I would call the dr.
Gerber makes a bottle with a tiny nipple. I found them at Target. They were the 4 oz plastic bottles. My first never took a pacifier because they made her gag too. I gave up trying. She had a hard time with a bottle too. I found a nipple that was really short compared to other bottles. They were Evenflo nipples on the angled bottles but that was 2 years ago. My baby now used to take the hospital nipples just fine but he started refusing formula at about 3 months old ever since then he only will take the Playtex drop-ins bottles with the big nipples. They are more shaped like me plus I can put the breastmilk bag in the bottle and fold the bag down and secure the nipple. Have you tried having someone else feed her a bottle? Maybe she will drink it if you are out of the room or gone. She might associate you with nursing and not take a bottle from you. Good Luck.
My babies didn't have gagging like that, and we used Avent slow-flow nipples. I just wanted to write, as I returned full time and nursed both children for over 1 year successfully.
When you do return, be sure your company has a private, quiet spot you can use for scheduled pumping times, and that you have a good, durable double electric pump. Both these kept my milk up, kept me pumping and nursing, and kept my babies and my work happy:) And be sure to drink LOTS of water -- stress and indoor air/heat means more than 1 gallon a day if you can.
Good luck and go girl!
