How to Introduce a 12 Week Old to a Bottle

What stage nipple are you using? It may be that the milk isn't coming out of the bottle fast enough. My breastmilk flowed so fast that when my son tried a bottle at 6 weeks, he already needed a stage 3 nipple. Also, are you warming the milk?

Consistent bottle feeding. I do not mean to sound mean or out of touch, but be consistent in the bottle feeding. You're not the first nor will you be last mommy that got a baby to go from breast to bottle.

I used the breastflow bottle by first years. My son never had a problem going back and forth. Good luck.

You caould try using an eye dropper or even a sippy cup. Babies don't have to have the bottle, they will take milk from other sources and sometimes this is an easier way to transition. if you are only wanting to use the bottle for occasional use, I would really try an eye dropper first. It amy save everyone some frustration!

K.

I commend you to having made it to 12 weeks, exclusively breastfeeding your baby! That's wonderful!

I read all of the responses thus far. Please, don't give your baby juice or water in a bottle. Though I understanding the reasoning behind the advice, the baby is too young for anything other than breastmilk in her tummy (as recommended by the AAP). And please don't withhold feedings from her; I think that would be so sad for her...

We tried introducing a bottle at 8 weeks and had no luck. The best luck we had was with the Playtex drop-in system, LATEX nipple (not the silicone). I've tried all the expensive bottles (Adiri included), and for us it wasn't at all about the shape of the nipple or container, it was just that it wasn't mom. :(

The benefit to the drop-in system is that if baby refuses to latch, you can press on the bottom of the drop-in bag and squirt the milk into her mouth, which is a pain-staking procedure, but at least you're getting milk in her right?

Other ideas are a soft-spouted sippy, like Nuby or the Magic Cup by Avent, cup-feeding (shot-sized cup with flexible rim and baby laps milk from cup), or using a medicine dropper. If she's receptive to a spoon, try making a breast milk slushie from partially defrosted breastmilk. Straws are also an option.

Most likely, in time, she'll learn that drinking from a bottle doesn't mean she has to give up the breast. It was a real struggle for our baby until she hit 8-9 months. It was then that she decided that bottles were okay when mom was away, and she would take anything. I also found a nipple at that time, also by playtex and latex, that she seemed to really like. I've added the link so you can see what it looks like: http://www.csnbaby.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=PTX1020&am...

I wasn't crazy about the fast flow nipple, but I have a fast flow, so it has not caused any problems. As others have mentioned, try making it really warm, try it cold, try in her car seat, facing out, etc. But hang in there. October is still a few months away and she may get the hang of things!

Send me message if I can be of any further help!

I tried several different kinds of bottles before we finally found one that worked. It was the Playtex Ventaire Wide bottle:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2793334

It seems to be most naturally shaped like the nipple and my DD always has liked it the best. Good luck.

My second daughter has never taken a bottle. When she was about 12 weeks I had to have a minor surgery. My mom tried for 8 hours to get her to drink pumped milk. She was having none of it. My dad was finally able to use a straw by putting it in the milk about 1/2 inch sealing the top and then dripping it into her mouth. Using a spoon to pour a little bit in at a time worked too. She finally started using a sippy cup around age 6 mos. I would definitely recommend that you not try anything that isn't breastmilk, though, because if it gives her a tummy ache, then she definitely won't want something other than mommy.

It was at about 10 weeks when we introduced the bottle and my son refused the bottle over and over even with breastmilk. We tried several different nipples and eventually the playtex drop in nursers seemed to satisfy him most. We tried so many tactics when giving the actual bottle and we all were so frustrated. Just try different things. Here is what worked for us - and different things worked different times so keep trying.
- Give the bottle when she is tired.
- Give the bottle first thing in the morning when she is still happy.
- Try your husband holding her and you not in the room.
- When I gave the bottle I had my son in the carseat or bouncyseat, I stood behind him so he wasn't looking directly at me.
- Sometimes distracting helped too (rocking the carseat, singing, etc).

There was one day I let him miss a feeding when he refused the bottle. About 2 hours later he took the bottle - and that was the turinng point - me holding out is what it took. good luck and hang in there!

Hi, my name is R. and I've got 4 children, I've breastfed all of them. When I was at work I was lucky to find a time to pump so my children could have my milk while I was away. My Mom and Grandma kept my kids and they said that the first few times they kinda fought the bottle, but hunger eventually won out. My youngest two now ages 9 and 6 didn't take to well to the bottle, we tried different nipples for the bottle and they actually preferred sippy cups earlier. Which made breaking them off the bottle a lot easier. Hang in there, it's nice that your husband will also have a chance to feed the baby.

I worked from the time my daughter (who is now a grown lady) was 8 weeks ole--I expressed my mile and she took that --in a bottle--during the day! At the time, I was involved with LeLeche League (women who breastfeed and help others with issues on it)--I used only nipples that were more "breast shaped"--I used the bottles like the playtex nursers that have the collapsible bags in them--less air---and a little more suction required----how does the baby take water? Start with a little sweet water in the bottle---then put in a little breast milk at a time---until you get to all milk--also--in case you did not know --you can freeze breastmilk--i expressed and put the milk in the plastic nurser inserts--labeling the outside of the bag with the date 1st--rolled the tops down--taking out all the air--and stapled them closed---and let cool a little--like in the frig section--then freeze them--that way when you go out--or when the baby goes thru a growth spurt and your milk can't keep up at first--there is spare milk! They keep for up to two weeks---always use the oldest first!

Worked for me!!

Try it in the same way...out of sight with husband feeding, maybe even leave the house. This time try a couple of different kinds of bottles. It also helps if you use freshly expressed breastmilk. Hope this helps!

My daugther has had great luck with MAM bottles. She goes back and forth between nursing and the bottle. These bottles are just for that purpose. The nipple does not have to collapse for the baby to get milk, instead the baby strips the nipple the same way they strip a breast for milk. I love these bottles and they are BPA free. You can order them online from Target or The Right Start at The Shops at Legacy sells them for close to Target's price. Here's a link to info about the bottles: http://www.mambabyusa.com/sassy/go?d=bottles Best of luck!

I have never had to deal with this, but one of my best friends JUST did it. Her daughter would refuse a bottle, but her pediatrician told her to give her nothing but a bottle for 10 hours and then give her the breast. She was even giving her a bottle instead of giving her the breast. It might be hard for the first couple of days (mostly on you as the mommy), but the pediatrician assured her the baby would be fine. Sure enough, on day 2 toward the end of the 10 hours, she began to suck like crazy and everyday, she took more and more of the bottle. Now she takes a bottle with no problems. I hope that helps!

I have a 6mo old, and we waited until about 8-10 weeks to try a bottle with her. She completely refused it the first time (exactly the same way as yours!) We just kept trying every few days (we didn't try every day, we thought we would give her a break and time to adjust). We also tried LOTS of different bottles. Does your baby take a pacifier? If she does, try finding a bottle nipple that is similar to the pacifier shape...that might help. Eventually, I guess we found the right combination because she will take one now (although we don't give them to her very often). Good luck!!

You've had lots of suggestions that might help (when you're away, different nipples, have dad hold her in a non-breastfeeding position).

Have you considered taking her with you to the wedding? Wear her in a gorgeous babysling like a hotsling and you'll be the envy of the mommies, plus you get to show her off! Most little babies are actually pretty portable, just might need to take a little break to nurse every once in awhile. Even if she takes a bottle easily, you'll still need to pump while you're gone to maintain supply and perhaps most importantly, she'll miss you! Breastfeeding isn't just about the milk.
:-)

Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide.

Fellow Mom,

You might try perusing the following websites for articles on this topic. It seems like a common question for breastfeeding moms:

www.mothering.com
www.askdrsears.com
www.llli.org

Good luck!

Hi, I think the best thing you can do is just keep trying. Make sure Dad is giving her at least one bottle a day until she gets the hang of it. This is another learning process for her, just like learning to nurse. If after several weeks of trying the bottle and she still refuses, then you may want to try feeding her with a medicine dropper(you can find them at Walgreens or CVS).
Hope that helps. Good luck!

Just keep trying regulary and dont pressure her. She has to 'learn' how to do it and it will take some time. Awesome that you are breastfeeding her which babies know is the best so a bottle isnt as inticing but it will come with time. Dont switch around the nipple a whole bunch as that can be confusing. Also be sure to burp her A LOT because the flow from a bottle is so fast compared to the breast. Relax and it will come. I also used glass bottles with my son because there are concerns that plastic isnt safe.

I would also recommend the Adiri Natural Nurser bottle. I had some success with that when my daughter was about 6 weeks old. She is 12 weeks now and we haven't tried it on a regular basis though so if it works, keep doing it relatively often so she stays used to it. I have seen it at Babies R Us and Peppermint Natural Baby Boutique. I don't think they carry it at Target or WalMart.

You might have to actually leave the house before she'll even consider taking a bottle. Maybe take a walk or run an errand or two. Another tip I've heard for babies who don't want to take a bottle is to make sure the setting where they're being given a bottle is totally different from the one in which you nurse. So if you nurse her in a rocker in her room, make sure dad gives her a bottle on the couch in the living room (just as an example).

You may have to try several different bottles & nipple types. When my 2 year old son was an infant he went through a phase of bottle refusal, and what actually worked for him was moving up to a medium flow nipple just for him to accept it. Once he was accustomed to the nipple (it was a NUK), we moved back down to slow flow and stayed there, since he was still being breastfed. With our new baby, she also hates taking a bottle, but we've had some luck with the Adiri bottle. I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Good luck, and be patient. Your baby's no fool... she knows mama is best! ;-)

We went through the same thing with our daughter. I went through every different brand of bottle I could find. What finally worked was the NUK brand with the shaped nipples. I brought them home, and one day when she was in a playful mood I brought out just the nipple and let her play with it and get used to the feeling in her mouth. Then when she was in a good mood (not so hungry that she's complaining) I let Daddy give her the bottle. She balked a little, but eventually she got it. It will probably take several trials with her screaming and crying, but don't give up! If she's a hard sucker, try using the faster flowing nipples or poking a couple of holes in it. My daughter would get frustrated if there wasn't enough milk coming out. Good Luck!

Went through the same thing when my now 1 year old was twelve weeks. It was a month of struggling with/trying different bottles/nipples. I/grandma/dad would always offer the bottle first at certain feedings and work with her on it for at least 30 min. If no luck, I would nurse her. Finally after a month we finally found success with the playtex drop ins with the latex nipple, fast flow. Good luck!

The first time my daughter took a bottle (she's 8 now) she did it like a natural. Hate to admit I can't remember when my middle (he's 6 now) handled the bottle, but I can say the 1st time my baby (now 5 months) took a bottle, he sucked and then let the milk drain out of the side of his mouth - every bit of it! But, we tried a different nipple on the bottle and he did better the 2nd time, and by the 3rd time and 3rd nipple, he did great. Try a different nipple and just keep trying. I agree with the previous poster that she just needs to learn.

Maybe try a different type nipple on the bottle, make sure it is soft, does milk seem to come out of the hole in it, or is it an extra little whole. Try this first.

my little one who is now 6 1/2 months went through a similar situation. at first she had no problems going between breast and bottle but then she got acid reflux and refused the bottle for 1 1/2 months. we tried every kind of bottle imaginable. finally someone on this site told me to try Adiri bottles (www.adiri.com -- there is a store in plano that sales them. check the website for the distributors) they are made more like the breast. however, they are expensive ($13 a bottle). at first, I only got one to see if she would take it and she did. another thing that made her take the bottle more willingly, was to make it really, really warm. I am surprised she likes it this warm. today, she nurses and goes between bottles well. once you get her taking the bottle, make sure she gets at least one bottle a day. hopes this helps, I know how frustrating it can be going through this transition

My oldest daughter (now 4) never would take a bottle. We tried several different types of nipples & bottles, but she would not take any of them. The nurse at our doctor's office said her child was the same way & a sippy cup worked for them. I followed her advice and it worked. I bought the Gerber Fun Grips, Soft Starter, Spill Proof cup and she took right to it. I guess because it is not an imitation nipple and something totally different.

So at 3 months, when I had to leave my daughter she took her breast milk from a sippy cup. I'm sure it sounds silly, but if you don't find anything else that works, give it a try. Another plus for the cup - I never had to break her from the bottle because when I weaned her she went right to a cup. YAY!

What type of bottles are you using, we found that the playtex nurser system worked the best for transition from Breast to bottle. It is shaped similar to the breast and just as soft if you get the silicone nipples. I hope this helps.

possibly try mixing a TINY bit of juice with mostly water. maybe giving her something "new and different" to get her interested in the bottle... if that takes, then start with breastmilk, even try formula if you HAVE to. some babies make the switch easy, some will not make the switch no matter what you do. try a different bottle/nipple. maybe try when she's NOT so hungry, she's less likely to get as frustrated and may be more willing to try. good luck!

Probably not what you want to hear, but some breastfed babies just don't take to the bottle very well. My daughter (13 months and still nursing) has refused any and ALL bottles, which has been tough but we've managed. Date nights have just been on hold for a year (hee, hee), but we're looking forward to the day we can get a way for a few hours :)

Good luck to you!