I have a 9-week old boy, and we are having a TOUGH time getting him to feed from the bottle. I am nursing full-time, but we try to feed breastmilk from a bottle once each evening to get him in the habit so that one day (!!) we can actually go out and get a babysitter.
We started the introduction at 3-4 weeks, but only did it once a week at the 10pm feeding. I don't think he was awake enough to really learn this new skill. Now we feed at the 7pm feeding, but he is not a very willing participant.
Does anyone have any tips or ideas? Thanks!
Hi S.,
I have a 3 years little girl and I breast feed for almost 6 months. The thing that worked for me its that when I start to get her use to the bottle, someone else has to give it to her. Because if she see me, she will be craying. The first two nights was really hard and then step by step she was getting use to it. But it took I while for her to accept that I give her the bottle.
Hope that will help you.
A.
Hi S.!
The only way we were successful in getting our kiddo to use the bottle was for my husband to feed him and for me to go away, upstairs or outside, so that the kiddo couldn't see or hear me. It just took time and lots of patience. We also tried a couple of different nipple types. He was most successful starting with the Nuk flat on one side kind. We transitioned him later over to Avent bottles and nipples.
Good luck!
-V.
You can try a Dr. Brown's bottle. They are really great. Have someone besides you feed him. Stand up and walk around while you're trying to give him the bottle. I have no idea why this one works, but it does.
try the bottle in the am or after a very long nap - when the baby is more hungry and more willing to take it. this worked with my little girl. when he gets the hange of it then you can change to a pm time.
We're having the exact same challenge. I look forward to any good advice, as well.
The best thing I found to help me out with feeding was the book Baby Wise. I know you are thinking, I do not have time to read, but it is a very easy to read. It is about $12.00.
I had my son sleeping through the night and eating on a schedule by 2 to 2 1/2 months by following this book. It was like my Bible at one point. You should check it out. My son is on such a tight schedule that we have had no problems with breaking him from the crib to the bed and so on. He is almost 3.
S.,
My trick was to introduce it at the first morning feed when they were at their hungriest. I would pump first and give them the freshly expressed milk which is the perfect temperature and very yummy. There was no temptation for me to give in because I had no milk left, as I had just freshly pumped. Hope this is only one of many ideas you get, and I hope it helps. Let us know what works.
Hi S.,
It is like learning any new activity...we never get it right the first few times we try it! Your baby is still very young and as he grows he will be able to switch between bottle and breast easily. For now, perserve, be patient. It will all change in a flash even though you may be "swimming in it" now! A great milestone is to make it to 12 weeks, little ones seem to be a bit more capable with the new muscles and such...things settle down a bit.
Take Care,
R.
First...congratulations on breastfeeding. You are doing a wonderful thing! It's not always easy...but the rewards are so great.
My advice would be to not wait until the baby is really hungry. Maybe try the bottle about an hour before he is scheduled for his next feeding. That way he doesn't get so frustrated because he is starving. The other thing...try a different type of nipple. Maybe he doesn't like the one that you are currently using. One other thing you might want to try, try nursing one one breast then switch to the bottle instead of the other breast. That way the baby isn't starving and may be more likely to accept the bottle. Good luck!
Hopefully you are using the playtex nursing bottles which is very similar to the breast. Try feeding him/her a few minutes past his/her feeding time, and make sure there's milk on the bottle's nipple.
I hope this works for you.
S., try letting your husband give your son the bottle when he is really hungry and not just snacking for 5 minutes. Your son may never take it from his nursing mom whose milk he can smell. If not your husband then someone else besides you (grandmother?) And, you might have to do it more than once a week because I started that at 6 wks and at 4 months my daughter absolutely refused to ever take a bottle again. Good luck!
S. G., Atlanta, GA
I too had the same problem with me son. He just wanted mama. I have heard from several people this is a boy thing. The only bottle he will take is the Playtex ones that use the baggies with the brown nipple. Good luck!
Good morning,
I have the same exact problem with my 4 month old daughter. Go to Babies r us and get several different types of nipples and see which one your baby prefers. My husband has also found that feeding our daughter right as she is waking up really helps. We call it the sneak attack!!! Good luck to you!
My 4-month-old son was the same way at 2 months. Try different types of bottles - borrow some from other moms if you can. My son does not like the silicone nipple, only the latex nipple from playtex. Keep trying! It will work out!
