4 Month Old Wont Take Bottle - Petal,MS

Updated on July 29, 2010
A.W. asks from Petal, MS
5 answers

I am a teacher and have been home nursing my baby for the last 4+ months. I will be going back to work next week so I HAVE to get my baby to take a bottle. He began daycare Monday and completly refused all bottles. They were able to feed him 2 ounces of rice cereal/breastmilk, but it made him constipated and upset his tummy. That was the only intake he had for 8 hours, and would barely nurse when I got him home. We have tried the first years breastflow (which he took with NO problems when I went back to work the last 2 weeks of school, but wont take it now), playtex vent aire, playtex drop ins, and avent. He wont even put the nipple in his mouth! I dont think it is so much the nipple as he knows it is not mama. I started using a small blankie on the side of his face that he holds onto while nursing. Maybe the blankie will be a comfort connection. I am worried about him getting dehydraded. You mamas always have great advise so thanks in advance :)

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the advice! He still wont take a bottle or sippy cup, BUT the dr said by this age they are capable of sleeping 8+ hours (not eat or drinkning for 8 hours) so ts ok if he goes all day without eating as long as he eats well at night. He is happy all day even when I pick him up he is happy and wants to play before eating, so for now Im not going to stress. He will start solids soon and is taking some breastmilk/cereal from a spoon.

More Answers

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A.P.

answers from Huntsville on

I feel so bad for you. I have done this with both kids. At 8-10 weeks i went back to work and I thought both would starve. My son who is now 3 never took a bottle, ever. I spent over $100 on bottles too. He just got used to my schedule and nursed around it. I would nurse him before work, sometimes i would run to daycare through the day and then when i went to pick him up I would nurse him before going home. They used spoons and medicine droppers too. With my daughter (now 10 months) she also refused and finally we found the old school playtex nurser nipple(like previous poster suggested) and that worked. What also worked was having someone else in my home feed her. Before she got hungry but was getting close to time my mom would take her and give her the bottle while i was in another room. We did this for a week and it finally worked. Best of luck to you but know that you are not alone.

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S.H.

answers from Hartford on

My baby refused a bottle at 5 months. The only way he will drink outside of breastfeeding is either via a regular cup or a straw - and he's not proficient at either even at a year. During a couple of nursing strikes due to teething, I tried mixing my breastmilk with applesauce (sounds appetizing doesn't it) and fed it to him with a spoon, but that only worked for 1 nursing strike and not the other.

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

My son had the same problem. He refused a bottle until he was 10 months old. I had to have the daycare give him breastmilk with a medicine dropper. He was always a good solids eater - but didn't take to the bottle competley until I stopped nursing at 11 months. I found the old school Playtex nipples (for the drop ins) on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Playtex-Natural-Action-Nipple-Fast/.... They are the ONLY nipple that my son will take. Good luck.

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J.O.

answers from Chicago on

The blankie idea is great. I would keep trying different bottles too. Also I know he is little but try a sippy cup that uses a straw sometimes they will drink from a straw also you can try spoon feeding the breastmilk to him. You can also check out the LeLache League website for more ideas. Good Luck!
J.

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J.F.

answers from Fayetteville on

My son was a bottle critic and we ended up buying one of each bottle on the market both store and on-line until we found one he would take, much to my horror and the pocketbook it was the very last bottle and nipple we tried and cost $6 a bottle and they had just introduced them on the market but it was one he finally took. It was the Nuk brand and it was the only one he would ever use.

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