My 2 1/2 month old is still refusing the bottle. I asked for help here before and I received some great responses but I am still desperate for help! I have tried tommy tipsie, playtex nurser, medela and born free bottles. My husband has tried the bottle when I am not home and he just cries and cries. I go back to work in two weeks and I am really worried. Everyone reassures me he will not starve but he cries for hours and really doesn't eat but a half an ounce or so. Has anyone had this problem and what ended up working or helping. I am thinking about leaving this Sunday for the day and seeing if my husband can just keep trying and working with him all day as if I am at work. We have given in to him and I end up nursing him because he cries and cries but eventually I will be at work and won't be here to save the day! Anyone that has had this problem that could help would be great! Thanks!
Thank you ladies for all the great advice! He ended up taking the born free bottle! Which worked great for me because that is what my son liked and I have a ton of them :) I left all day on a Sunday, brought my pump with me and left my husband and son to figure it out and they did! It took him at least 30 mins - 1 hour for each bottle but he has now since became a pro and we have been able to successfully nurse and bottle feed for a few weeks now. Thanks again!!
I had the same problem with my daughter and a couple of the responses i got on here were to try the Breastflow brand. She took to those while she rejected about 4 other kinds of bottles. They worked for my breastfed baby. Give them a try...you can find them at select Target stores.
If you are home, technically you shouldn't be trying to offer bottles anyways. If you are there, you should nurse. When you are physically away - THEN offer the bottle. Baby will know the difference right away of course, but if you are completely gone from the house and gone for at least 2-3 hours... baby may be willing to try expressed breastmilk from another caregiver.
When you nurse him you aren't 'giving in to him' - you are doing what a breastfeeding Mother is supposed to do. He's not manipulating you - he is telling you what he needs as expects his Mother to give him.
Baby may outright refuse formula - which is common because the smell and taste of formula vs breastmilk is like the smell and taste of cantaloupe vs rancid chalky liquid.
My lactation consultant said to cut my DD off for 24 hours, even when you are there. She will take the bottle, and she will learn that she has to take the bottle.
You may have to rinse and repeat periodically, but it worked with mine.
Good luck.
could it be his a little tongue tied? i mean i would not think so because he i attaching to breast but just a thought? my son would have a hard time with the bottle and food issues both do to tongue tie.
I had the same problem with my youngest when I went back to work. I had a bunch of different bottles and I would send all different kinds to daycare each day and they told me which ones he did well with and which ones he didn't. He wound up using the Playtex Nursers. It took him about 2 weeks to take all of his bottles at daycare (I was working 2 days a week, so only 4 days). I had planned on doing a "trial run" like you are talking of doing, but I never did it and just let him figure it out at daycare because I couldn't stand to hear him cry.
Eventually he would take bottles at daycare without a problem, but he never really did that great at home--especially with daddy. I just learned to stop worrying about it--it helped that he was my 2nd kid!--and realize that he wouldn't starve. He also got better at home once he could use a sippy instead of a bottle.
Don't let anyone make you feel guilty if you decide to let him "cry it out". Nursing is a wonderful experience, but you also need time to get away and let your son learn that you are not the only source for food. My little guy wasn't fully weaned until he was almost 15 months old and while I don't regret nursing that long, it was a huge time commitment and big source of stress in my life.
Good luck! Your son will figure it out :)
u may have to change the formula the formula your giving him is not your breast milk. Also you may have to pump n save to feed him if you can't find a formula he likes. It has nothing to do with the bottle. By or use the bottles that are normal looking or have a tilt to them either or use nuk nipples they are normal round nipples but they have an indent where the nipple meete the base and in the nipple is a whole. This nipple resembles your breast when its in the babies mouth and they suck. u need to use the nipple with the whole up. the whole in the base helps so they don't get air and the nipple it self has three wholes around the tip just like your breast. There the best. you can only get them at buy buy baby or baby's r us. Also try simialac sensitive for fussyiness and gas. Also when it calls for one scoop two oz. use 2 in half oz of water to one scoop it sorda waters it down and the baby may take to it better. Good luck!! But you may have to pump and store too. there is one other thing if you can't find a formula that suits him than you may have to talk to the dr, in getting a scripot and go through the human breastmilk bank to have them ship you breast milk if your not willing to pump n store.
First of all, if you can postpone your work start date a bit longer, I'd consider that. Second, why is he being allowed to cry for hours when you're able to nurse him? Third, someone can give him pumped breastmilk with a spoon, sippy cup, medicine device or bendable plastic cup. Most babies adapt if they're held a lot when mom's not there but some refuse to take a bottle and wait for her. Fourth, can you nurse him once during your work day at this early age? He will adjust but I wouldn't push it until you have to. Even 1/2 ounce here and there can get him thru if you let him nurse a lot before you go and then when you return. This will work out, L., but keep his suffering to a minimum, and yours too, by making sure he's being held/carried etc. a lot while you're gone and power nursing him before and after. Best time to pump is after a morning feeding, by the way. Good luck!
I'm not aware of the history. Is your baby refusing the bottle because he's previously breastfed? If that's the case, then that's EXACTLY how my son was, and after trying many brands, the one which he ended up taking is one made by The First Years. It's called the Breastflow, and most closely mimics breastfeeding. Give it a try. It still may take maybe a try or two, but I'm telling you- out of them all, this was the only one my son would take.
Good Luck!
I would suggest getting a small 2 ounce bottle and put a regular nipple on it. The nipple looks like the plain ones on bottles from years ago. I would start with a regular flow, unless he gags on the volume. If he does, use the slow flow. Give him this to play with while it has nothing in it. In a couple of days, when he's comfortable putting it in his mouth, put a 1/2 ounce of breastmilk in it. Let him figure out this is a feeding method. If that isn't working, sometimes having the person giving him the bottle, walk around with him facing out works.Something about the movement gets some babies taking the bottle. If all this fails, you might want to contact the LC at the hospital you delivered at. She can give you some pointers. Let us know how this turns out. S.
