Taking a Bottle - Billings,MT

What we had to do is just keep trying every day. We tried different bottles until we found one that he seemed to be most comfortable with, but even then, it took a while to get him to really do it. I pumped a "practice" bottle every day, and eventually he learned to take it. I had to keep giving him his practice bottle daily, though, or he would stop taking it. It was a lot of work to pump that extra bottle on top of the milk I had to pump for him to eat while I was at work (I only work 2 days a week), but it was the only way to do it!

Well I feel your pain! My son stopped taking a bottle when he was roughly the same age. He'd been given one bottle daily (in addition to being breast fed) up until that point so I have no idea why he suddenly stopped. We tried EVERYTHING. Different bottles. Different people. I always left the house when people were trying to feed him the bottle but it didn't matter. We had people who would walk around the house while trying to feed him in order to distract him. Nothing worked. Out of desperation, we even decided that if he was hungry enough, he would eventually give in and take the bottle. Wrong again! He went almost all day without eating and then I couldn't take it anymore so I gave in and breast fed him.

Then, when he was 12 months, me and DH had to go overseas for a wedding so we left him with Grandma and Grandpa. My mom used juice at first (something you obviously can't do at 9 weeks) and he would take a little at a time. She just kept trying and then finally he would take a whole bottle of diluted juice. Then we slowly started adding milk to it (I now, sounds gross, but I guess it's like a smoothie with fruit and yogurt!) until he was drinking milk out of a bottle. I know you're supposed to be weaning them OFF the bottle when they're one instead of just getting them to take one - but it helps me to know he can have some comfort when I'm not around.

So my point is this - try different bottles if you want and I would definitely say have your DH or someone else (not you) try to give her the bottle, but just be persistent. Keep trying even several times a day. But don't try to push it. If babies sense they're being pushed in to something ,they fight it even more. So be non-emotional about it. If she pushes the bottle away, try one or two more times and then just be done with it for that "session". I bet eventually she will take one. Good luck!

This is probably obvious, but have you tried different bottles/nipples? We have tried to consistently give our 9 week old son a bottle since he was born, and I've noticed he's not thrilled with certain bottles. His favorite is the Playtex Vent Aire, if you are curious. He wasn't too keen on Soothies, but is getting better at taking them. GOOD LUCK!

first of all, don't stress out about this. she will learn to use a bottle, especially when she's hungry. have your husband give it to her and you leave. leave the house, go to the grocery store or take a walk. she can smell your milk and that's what she wants. i would suggest putting her for a nap and then leaving so that when she wakes hungry, dad can give her the bottle. after he's done it once, have him give her her nighttime bottle before bed every night. by the time you go back to work, she will understand that when mom isn't there, this is how we eat.

I used the Breastflow bottles, got them atTarget and BBRU. They are very like the breast, and then have your husband, or better yet, someone else try the bottle while you are out of the house. Even if she won't take the bottle, when she has to go to daycare, she will. Babies won't starve themselves, and while it might take a while to adjust, she will do fine. When I had to travel for work, my son went on a strike at home. He REFUSED a bottle. I thought I was going to have to fly home, since he hadn't eaten anything in 15 hours. But the moment he got to daycare, he guzzled one!
There were others at daycare that wouldn't take a bottle and would wait for mom, but they did eventually adjust. Good luck, and just relax (easier said then done!).

I agree with Dena and Nicole.

My daughter refused to take a bottle from anyone for the longest time. We tried everything to get her to take one before she went into daycare. Different bottles. I would leave the room. I would leave the house. Arianna wouldn't even take a paci. (Now she is because of the weaning process, but each baby is different!)

When she started daycare, my daycare provider actually held her like she was being breastfed (her one arm was tucked behind the provider's back while the other was held to her side). She took the bottle. Sometimes she would fight it, but realized that she was being offered breastmilk, and would chow down.

Don't give up! Babies do learn.

I know you'll find a solution!

Sincerely,
P.
Mom to Alex and Arianna
www.Mamas2Mamas.com

I think the best advice I ever heard is for YOU not to try giving the bottle. My boys wouldn't take bottles from me, because they "knew I could do better." But they would take a bottle when Grandma was watching them and they were hungry enough. It didn't work as well even when I "disappeared" for a few minutes while Dad tried to give them a bottle, only when I was really gone, and for a long time.

Hang in there - she just prefers you now, but she can adjust. Two quick recommendations. Have your husband or someone other than you feed her a few times (in a row if possible - maybe in the evening) when you are NOT in sight or smelling distance.

She may realize that there is no other source of food and take the bottle more easily. Then you can work on giving one to her. Also, when the bottle is given, squeeze a bit of the milk onto her mouth so she knows what is in there.

You might also try another type of bottle. They do have preferences even that young! I found luck with the Soothie (cheap) bottles with my daughter, and my son really liked the Born Free bottles (expensive taste). Buy a few different ones and try to see which she prefers.

My daughter stuggled a bit with this too (and NEVER took a pacifier, neither one of mine did). Eventually she became a pro, and one day decided she liked the bottles better (about 9 mos),,,, I was more sad about it than she! Enjoy the little ones.

I am not really an expert on this-at one point my oldest was hospitalized and her only choice was the bottle and my second was strictly breastfed. However, I did nanny for a woman who had a hard time with her daughter on this. Her daughter refused the bottle and she was going back to work and she would try numerous times to give her the bottle to just give in and breast feed her. It took the womans mother coming to see her and sending her and her husband out of the house for a couple of hours to fix the situation. She told me when she came home her daughter was taking the bottle and I never had a problem with her drinking from the bottle. The baby's mother would come home and feed her after I left. So it will be hard for you, because she knows you and knows that you give her milk-so it may take someone else giving it a try.

I agree with Dena. Pump your bottle. They leave the house for a while just before she gets hungry. Let someone else give her the bottle (if you're around, she will want you). I found that when my daughter knew I was gone, she would take the bottle from my husband. Also, try different bottle types to see what she prefers. My ped. also suggested that we give her a bottle at least once a week, even if it was not needed, just to keep her used to taking the bottle.

Another thing that worked for us was to cut the hole bigger in the nipple of the bottle, or poke multiple holes. Breast milk comes out from many holes and my (I don't know about yours) let down is very strong. My daughter was used to not having to work so hard to get the milk. The multiple and bigger holes made it easier for her to get the milk out of the bottle. Hope you find something that works for you. :)

I had similar issues as you describe. One thing that worked well for me was to not wait until my daughter was totally starving to give her the bottle - it only frustrated her more. We tried it a little at a time when she was just mildly hungry and she got used to it slowly.

I might also suggest the Adiri brand bottle - it is a bit more expensive (and slightly annoying to fill), but it is shaped like a breast and feels like a breast, and my daughter took to it right away when my husband fed her, after rejecting several other brands.

And yes, be sure to leave the room or house if you can - babies are smart and will always just want mom!

my day care provider suggested me and my husband at the time, sleep with a blanket or burp rag or something like that. The item then smells like you and the person attempting to give the bottle can put it againt thier chest to make baby feel better. My husband even had to get a shirt out of the laundrey from the day before once, worked like a charm. good luck!

Are you trying to give her the bottle? Most babies will not take a bottle if they know the real thing is right there. Also, try a variety of different nipples. She may like another one better. Finally, my oldest skipped bottles. At four months old she stayed with Grandma a few hours while I was at a wedding. After she refused to take a bottle and cried for more than an hour, Grandma pulled out a sippy cup and that was it for bottles.

Hi, B..
Any luck yet? Older babies prefer to suck on mom. That's why a bottle won't work. In my book "Balancing Breast and Bottle," we recommend starting a bottle by 4 weeks (like you did) and then practicing frequently with a breastmilk "snack." Since you're passed the 4 week mark, here are a couple ideas. What nipple are you using? I usually try the Dr. Browns narrow neck nipple first. If you buy replacement nipples, they work with most breastpump bottles. Also, when you introduce the bottle into your baby's mouth, make sure it isn't dripping. Allow her to suck on it first, then tip it up so the milk can flow. There's a whole chapter devoted to this topic in the book. I hope by now you've had some good bottlefeedings.
A., mom & IBCLC
www.BreastandBottlefeeding.com