PLEASE HELP! Baby Won't Take Bottle!!!

Try rubbing the nipple on the roof of his mouth, this will trigger a reflex to suckle. Good luck! Also try different nipples?

Well, if he's suckling at your breasts and still gaining weight, pooping and peeing, he's probably getting more from you than you think.

Right around the 3-5 month mark is when our bodies get into the 'groove' of breastfeeding. The engorgement lessens or goes away, our letdown intensity decreases. For many women they figure their milk is gone, so they stop breastfeeding. The fact that you're getting only an ounce or so when you pump means nothing - your baby is a FAR more efficient nurser than a machine.

What I suggest you do is go to your doc's office and weigh your baby. Then nurse him and weigh him again. *That* will give a better indication of how much your baby's getting.

I've never given any of my baby's a bottle, but I've heard that often Mom has to leave the HOUSE before baby will take it. Good luck!!

Ugh. I feel you on this one.

It's great your baby is taking bottle from your husband. - If it's at all possible, try to leave the house and have someone else feed him. If you're around, baby is frustrated that he can't get milk in the way he is used to/wants. He can literally smell you, and just wants you.

I tried to give my baby expressed breast milk so that I could have some space from time to time, and eventually so that I could leave her to work. She did not want it.

But here are the suggestions I picked up along the way:

- Create new routines. If you've been breastfeeding in a specific chair, for example, find a new place that's for bottle feeding. Create warmth, intimacy, and connection in this new routine. Develop new tools - a new song, a different holding position, a new place, etc.

- Keep on testing new nipples. I met a women who found the "right" nipple after her babe had rejected 13 different nipples! She found the winning nipple in a random Podunk store, and her baby just liked it. She went back and bought them out!

- Wear high necked tops that hide as much of your chest form/scent as possible. You want baby to not have to see his favorite comfort/food right in front of him while you're offering him something he doesn't like.

- If you offer bottle, and baby doesn't take it, don't keep trying. Put down the bottle and do something else. Say, "Okay, we'll try again later. Let's go for a walk/tummy time/whatever." Try not to get frustrated or upset (it's hard!). Remember, your child is peeing and pooping. He's putting on weight. Also it's a tricky transition and you're loosing something you care about. It's upsetting, but NOT the end of the world. He'll be okay, and you guys will figure it out. So, try to relax and drop all expectations. Just breathe into it, "We'll get it. Are you ready today? No? Okay. We'll try again later." A hungry enough baby will (usually, usually, usually) do what they need to do to eat.

If he simply won't take the bottle, you can try giving it to him by spoon, or by dropper. Eventually, you can mix it in with rice cereal.

Get support. Remember, our hormones are pretty wild right after birth and when producing milk/weaning. So try to be gentle on yourself. Your doing great mama. Good luck!

If he has output, he has input. You say there are a lot of factors in your choice, but if you don't want to fully quit, there are options, including stopping the pill and consulting an LC about it. I'm not giving you a hard time, just pointing out that may be it's not as dire as you think. His crying might also be related to gas or colic.

Something you may want to try is having someone else give him a bottle. My friend uses Tommee Tippee (or however that's spelled) for her otherwise nursed baby.

A., others are giving you ideas. I'll add some EMERGENCY ideas - if you can't get him to eat, this is better than the hospital and dehydration. Sometimes when babies get too empty, they stop feeling like eating. That is where you DON'T want to get. You can use an eyedropper and stroke his throat to get him to swallow to keep him from getting totally empty. Also, you could try getting an orange juice nipple and put some rice cereal in the bottle with the milk. Sometimes a different texture can make a baby accept it just because he forgets to scream because it is so different. I know, I know, most docs say wait til 6 months and don't put cereal in a bottle - I'm talking about desperate times call for desperate measures.

Good luck and hope this passes quickly!
Dawn

Can you just stop the birth control pill????
That is what, stopped your milk and created problems.

I didn't use any while breastfeeding.
But you can still get pregnant while breastfeeding, so you have to use alternatives.
The "Today Sponge" maybe??
Look it up online.
No hormones.

He needs to feed.
He is so young.
No all babies will take a bottle.
My daughter never did, though I tried.
My son would.
Each baby is different.

I would stop the birth control pill.
If he does not take a bottle or feed he can get Dehydrated, real quick.
You gotta use a baby medicine dropper, and try feed him that way.

This is not good.
He has to feed.
Even if that means Formula from a medicine dropper.
That is what a friend of mine had to do.

First, DONT FEEL BAD - you are doing a great job with your baby! My doctor always said that if a baby gets one day of breast milk, then that is a wonderful gift for the child's body. My thought is that maybe you can put some of your milk on the nipple of the bottle to 'fool him'?? Or maybe he is coming off of a growth spurt and not needing as much has he used to?? And is the bottle's nipple size appropriate: is the nipple too fast and giving him too much so he chokes or is the nipple too slow and he has to work too hard to get milk??

The only thing that worked for me was to strap baby in the stroller and then hold the bottle at arm's length. She had to be very hungry in order to take it from me. It only worked at about 6 months, since I was still breastfeeding but wanted to give a bottle occasionally, like when out with friends. It also worked best if it was NOT breast milk, but formula or highly diluted apple juice. It was actually apple juice that she took the very first time she accepted a bottle from me. Good luck, this is very hard, but I am sure he will eat when he gets hungry enough, especially since he will take a bottle from daddy. But my girl would only take a bottle from anyone if I was not in the house at all at first. They know what they like best!

Don't let him suck on the breast at all and only offer the bottle. My son refused to latch on when he was born, and refused the bottle for two days. He lost about eight ounces but gained it right back once he started eating. It really won't hurt him to go a few feedings and not eat. Don't be depressed, you'll be fine and so will he.

Breastfeeding is hard!! Don't feel bad about it!

The way I got mine to take the bottle (I also started very early because I had to go back to work almost immediately) was to just kind of keep trying until he was hungry enough to take it. If you don't nurse him for a few hours, he will more than likely be hungry enough to try the bottle. It sounds horrible, but by the end of the first day he was taking it. By the second day, he wouldn't stop in the middle to nurse. It's not like you will be starving your baby. It is really hard, but will definitely work if you keep at it!

I am so sorry for you!! I had something similar happen to me with both of my babies. They only bottle I found that they would take is the playtex natralatch dropin nipples. They are not silicone, but latex, and it seems to make a huge difference. They are hard to find, but I have found them at Target, Winco, and Kmart. My kids will only take latex binkies also, so it has something to do witht he material. I think its because it is softer and bigger so it feels more like mama. If you haven't already, I would give these a try. I wish you luck!! Let us know how it goes and good for you for feeding your baby however you can. In the mean time, try using a syringe or dropper while the baby in on the breast and give the formula like that. It should work and give you both some relief. Take care and stay strong!!!

I agree with some of the others if baby is pooping and peeing and gaining weight then you are probably producing more than you think. After a few months I get nothing from a pump, but my kids obviously get plenty of milk as they are round a gaining with lots of poop and pee.

Hi--
I agree with the folks below that say it sounds like you are making more milk than you think you are. Do you want to completely wean him or just increase his food intake? If he'll take a bottle from your husband then can you just nurse him? There are lots of ways to increase breast milk supply that are natural---I had to use them and they worked for me. I am not trying to change your decision, but offering you ideas IF you want them. Please let me know and I can help on that front.
As for the bottle, my kids never took them either. At six months they'd drink water from a sippy cup, but never took milk. I saw a bottle at One Step Ahead that is shaped more like a breast---that's the one I would try. Also, if you decide to give up breast feeding altogether (even a little bit of milk gives him the immune support he needs, so even if it's just a little it's still really good for him) but you can always make your own formula. It's less expensive and better for baby. Powdered brands aren't really very healthy (especially ones that have soy and corn in them). So if you are interested in making your own formula I can help you there as well :-)
Good luck!!!!!!!!
J.

Lord, never had that happen and you seem to have already tried everything I thought of.

Have you tried having your husband feed him?

I ended up getting prego when my baby was six months, and it zapped my milk. I was devastated (I'm a crazy breastfeeding freak). I simply could not keep up with the demand of baby and new pregnancy...the milk just wouldn't come (and I had a great supply prior).

Anyway, I'll spare you my whole story, but I had a similar issue with my baby not taking a bottle. We had tried a bottle, and I tried to get my baby to take it for a week. I was about to lose my mind because she was obviously not getting enough liquid (not peeing a lot, not much in there when she nursed, and was very fussy).

We found Breastflow by First Year. Within 30 seconds, literally, she was drinking from it. It requires the same suck as breastfeeding and is perfect for breastfeeding babies. They even get to pull the nipple in further like they do when breastfeeding. I would definitely try that. You can get it at Target (and probably WalMart). It is different than a normal bottle, so you might have a bit to get used to, but it's SUPER easy to use. It felt like a life saver for me!

Seriously, go buy some of those Breastflow bottles by First Year. I almost cried when my baby FINALLY drank out of a bottle.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Breastflow-Starter-Kit/...

I think Lesley is probably right – you are producing more milk than you think. I remember after a few months of breastfeeding, I was much less engorged, and stopped producing little fountains when my daughter gave her hungry cry. But she was always happy and satisfied after nursing, so all was well.

Even pumping may not reveal how much milk you are producing. Many women don't give as much milk to a pump as they do to a warm, cuddly baby. If you persist with the nursing, you may be able to increase your milk supply as your son's needs increase.

Have to consulted with a lactation specialist? Your nearby hospital may have a team on staff.

All four of my babies did this. I wasn't quitting nursing, I just needed to be able to leave once and a while and for whatever reason my milk does not come out when I pump.

Needless to say, here is what I had to do. I made sure I did not change formula or the bottle. I chose one and stuck with it. These little guys get nipple confusion so easily so changing is harder for them. I would also keep your nursing up for a while during your attempt to introduce the bottle. Even without as much milk, your baby enjoys the closeness and even the little bit of milk you have is better than nothing. I have never let my babies cry it out, it just breaks my heart so I would never encourage the "they will eat when they are hungry" theory. Although it is true, it is just too much for me.

All I can say is, after a couple of weeks to a month of sticking with it, your baby will eventually take to the bottle easily and you can slowly pull the nursing out of the picture. It's hard, but they come around if you are just patient with it.

Try not to let it get to you, he really will take the bottle. Good luck!

HI A.,

This happened to me just two months ago when my baby was 8 months old. She was exclusively breastfed up until that time and I needed to wean her because I was going back to work and needed a little more independence.

She would put up the same fight it seems your son is whenever we would try to give her a bottle. I tried all types of bottles/nipples/etc. and the best ones that worked for her were the Playtex Ventaire and drop in bottles and nipples. They were the softest and widest and I think they were the most similar to breastfeeding that we had tried. Walmart (Parent's Choice) and Kroger (Comforts for Baby) make generic copies of the Playtex bottles and nipples so it is more affordable.

My mother in law also came out for a visit around that time so it helped having her there to do the bottle feeding so I could get out of the house and my daughter wouldn't "hold out" for me because she knew I was there.

Good luck, it will happen. Babies know how to take a bottle they just need some practice! Hang in there.