I love my son more than anything but I am having trouble getting him to take a bottle. He is 6 months old and has been exclusively breastfed. I am wanting advice on how to get him to take a bottle of either formula or even breastmilk. He did it for awhile during the beginning of the Fall semester but now all he wants is the breast. Any suggestions?
Thank you all for your suggestions. He ended up just all of a sudden taking a bottle of diluted juice. I started out using the Playtex wide Ventaire and he liked that and he also liked the Elan bottles. I sat him on my lap and he took he bottle. He will not take it lying down. I guess he figures if he is lying down he should get the breast. Once again thanks for all teh suggestions. This site is awesome, I only wish I had found it sooner.
I am trying to do the same thing right now with my four 1/2 mo. The best bottle I have found is the Evenflo Elan bottle. She seems to like that one the best.
Have you tried using a nipple that is shaped like the breast? I think playtex makes some of these. I know after breastfeeding my boys that these were the only ones they would take until they finially figured out how to shape their mouths in order to suck out of a regular nipple.
Keep trying different bottles and nipples. Start with the slow flow then work your way up. At 6 months my boys were more interested in what was going on around them and pretty much weaned themselves.
It's not entirely necessary to wean completely to the bottle. I nursed before work and afterward with my younger two and they handled it just fine. My 5 year old even comfort nursed until well over a year just so he could have that time of warmth and nutruring with me.
Hi K.!!
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate!!! First of all, congrats on nursing for as long as you have!!
I have a 9 month old daughter that i am in the same predicament with. just this week, i found the MAM bottle- it is the only one she will take.
good luck
When my son was 2&1/2 months I had to put him on a bottle immediately. I talked to a lactation consultant because he wouldn't take it. She told me not to cradle him like he is used to. Hold him facing away from you or in a seat of some kind or any other way you can think of. Maybe even have someone else hold him. Don't try it when he is real hungry because he will get frustrated & it won't work. I started out with my breast to settle him some then gave him a bottle & got great results.
I breast fed all 3 of my kids and my oldest son was the hardest to wean to a bottle. This is what my doctor told me to do...put him up to your breast and let him start nursing, slowly ease the nipple of the bottle (it should be warm breast milk) into his mouth, slowly extricate (easier said than done) your nipple from him, keep him close to your body. He will finally start taking the bottle without you having to go thru all of this. Hope this helps.
There are a zillion tips and tricks to get a baby to take a bottle when they prefer mom. Some that I remember are: let someone else give him the bottle when you are not in the room, offer the bottle in between feedings when he isn't super hungry or try different nipples/bottles/sippy cups. A very good breastfeeding site with tons of info is www.kellymom.com
Good luck!
