Five Month Old Not Taking a Bottle

It sounds like she is upset with the changes and/or uncomfortable with the daycare provider. Is there another person who can try and feed her?

Hi M.. I am a daycare provider and have been for 32 years. Many years ago I took care of a 6 month old girl and when her Mom went back to work the baby refused the bottle for me. I was exasperated at the thought of her not having anything to drink all day. Her mother didn't seem concerned as she breast fed the baby in the morning and as soon as she got her home at night. One day out of total frustration I lay down on the floor with the baby and stuck the bottle in her mouth and she drank the entire thing. I was doing a happy dance. I think she thought that when she was being held in the natural position that we would feed the baby she thought that she should be getting the breast. Sounds crazy but it is worth a try. Good luck. I feel bad for our U.S. partners. I am Canadian and we now get 1 year paid leave for our maternity.

L.

I went through this too. I bought various bottles and one eventually worked. It took my son a while to get good at it, however. The one that eventually worked was the "old school" playtex (the kind with the flat nipple top and bag that you have to insert inside of the hollow bottle). I also bought one of those $20 bottles that look like a boob (from a nursing store). Just keep trying. She'll figure it out.

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If I was you I wouldn't thank to much about it when she gets hungry she will eat it is her way of telling you that she isn't happy with you go back to work.
Hang in there mommie it gets better.

If she never started to take a bottle prior to 5 months, she may honestly not take one now. She may do better with a sippy cup too. Keep trying is the best advice and if she doesn't take a bottle, she will probably reverse feed--meaning that she will feed more with you and nurse more at night. That may just be the way it goes for a while until she starts solids and gets better with a sippy cup. My little one never took a bottle either no matter how much we tried. We just got to the point where it was better not to struggle and make everyone upset and we just followed her lead. If she is peeing, she is hydrated and if she is still nursing with you, excellent. No need to go to formula either--you don't want to start messing up your supply on top of all this right now! Just hang in there! you can look on lalecheleague.org or kellymom.com. Others have been in your situation too and their babies are happy and healthy!!!

I'm assuming your pumping. My oldest daughter never took a bottle and my youngest wouldn't take formula. If you are pumping and its the bottle she doesn't take try other bottles/nipples first. You could also try sippy cups. We did this at 4mo with my oldest using Nuby cups with the soft tops. If its formula she wont take, try a medicine dropper to get her used to the taste of it. Make sure she has a bib on! :)

change to a different bottle/nipple.

Hi M.,

My daughter (now almost 9 months) has refused a bottle since she started getting teeth around 4 months. If she is already eating solids, then have the daycare feed her while you are gone. She will power nurse when you pick her up (see if they will let you nurse her right there), and she will learn to power nurse before she gets dropped off. As long as she is peeing consistently she is absolutely not dehydrated and you don't have to go rushing off to the hospital or doctor...they will just send you home (been there done that!!).

I would let the daycare people keep offering her a bottle or sippy cup of milk or formula. If she is drinking a little she will either continue drinking that amount, or she will get used to it and drink more.

Yeah, my friends daughter went straight from breast to sippy cup. However, my son took well to Breastflow bottles/nipples. I think Target sells them, I ordered them on Amazon though. I never had a problem w/ nipple confusion or anything, just skip the first stage on the nipple and go straight to stage 2 if that's what you decide.