My 7 mos old son has been breastfed since birth and it was so hard to get him to take a bottle but we eventually did it! I went back to work (full-time from the house) in mid-May. Since then, our nanny has been able to feed him w/a bottle and it was going great. Over the past 2 days, he's not interested in taking the bottle. He's not fighting it like he used to but he only drinks about an ounce and then he doesn't want anymore. He just chews on the nipple and just doesn't want anymore. He started solids in mid-May also and so far that's going fine. We tried to give him breastmilk in the sippy cup but that's not working either as he just bites/chews on the spout. Any idea what might be happening? From what I understand he needs to keep drinking breastmilk and we can't cut it out. I do breastfeed him when he wakes in the morning and before he goes to bed. Sometimes I'll breastfeed him around 4/4:30pm. But just this week, he's just not interested in the bottle but he's not crying like he's starving. What to do? What to do?
I want him to keep taking a bottle because I like to be able to go out during the day while someone else can feed him (like on the weekends). I'm afraid if I start nursing him during the day (since I work from home) that he won't take a bottle anymore. I read on a previous post that it might be an ear infection or teething problem but he doesn't seem to have any other odd symptoms. And we've been trying the bottle when it's time for him to eat so I don't think he's full.
My baby is only 10 weeks old, so I don't think I have a suggestion for you, but I was wondering- How did you get him to take a bottle the first time around? We're struggling with that right now and I go back to work in 2 weeks!
Time for a cup. My children preferred the cup to the bottle. I would just work with them on using a cup and be prepared for the spills.
My daughter did the same thing at 7 mos - suddenly wanted nothing to do with the bottle one day, and it lasted several days. Our ped advised switching to formula, just to see if she'd take it, and though I was hesitant, it worked like a charm right off the bat - she LOVED it (which, after pumping 2-3 times a day at work I found a little ironic). So I continued to breastfeed in the mornings and at night, and she drank formula during the day. We switched to organic whole milk after she turned one, and she's now a very healthy, happy little 2 year old.
Hi Tisia,
My son went through a brief spell of this a couple of months ago (he is 12 months now). He would drink hardly any formula but he was still eating well. He only did this for like a week or two and then he went back to normal. Has this been going on for awhile now? I just made sure he was still having plenty of wet diapers to make sure he wasn't dehydrated.
Hopefully it is just a phase he is going through..
A.
new teeth can sometimes take a long time to come in
have you tried a new bottle? my son was very picky about the nipple.
it could just be that he's in a lull between growth spurts, or is more interested in teething than in eating. if he's still eating SOME, and drinking throughout the day (even an ounce every now and then), i wouldn't worry. my second daughter ate very little while teething...but then more than made up for it later! lol
oh! you could try a regular cup, since there isn't anything to chew on.
My daughter is now 11 months old and when she was cutting teeth EVERY time, she would do the chew on the bottle, or spoon, or anything else you put in her mouth and show little interest in sucking down the contents. This was before you could even see any signs of the teeth -- she never showed ANY other signs with the teething and was just her normal self except the chewing. Don't stop the bottle -- I understand the need for some freedom (I am pregnant with No. 2 - due Nov. 6th)!
My older son nursed and when he had ear infections you never knew it. So if he starts to seem bad about anything else check with the doctor.
The teething thing was the first thing that came to mind however before I saw that you already considered it. If their is very drastic changes, mood swings, lethargy of course check doctor, too.
It is very hot out and we all eat a little differently in hot weather. Maybe it's nothing much at all.
Plus check your eating habits. Have you eaten anything different? That goes into the breast milk. Anything spicey, acidy? Well, that's all I can think of. My second son wouldn't nurse at all. All kids are different. Good luck!
S.
It's only 2 days so I would not really worry about it too much but at 6 months he does still need to be receiving the majority of his calories from breastmilk so I would keep offering the cup or bottle. If his intake of milk really decreases and he keeps this up it may be necessary to offer the breast during the day to assure he is getting enough milk. Although it is nice to know he will take a bottle or cup if you need to be away from him, keep in mind that baby's rarely will starve themselves if they really are hungry. Babies go to the breast for more than just the nutritional aspect and so it may just not be worth it for him to drink from the bottle if he really wants the closeness of being with you. I would keep offering and wait it out a few more days.
My son did the same thing at about your sons age. I'd bet he's teething. Chewing on the bottle was the only sign my son displayed...and I wasn't sure at the time that he was teething. Then all of a sudden, there were little teeth!
As long as he's getting enough solids, you don't have to worry about him starving. I'd try a different bottle.
Or...do you hold him while you feed him the bottle or does he do it himself? My son became seriously independent and wouldn't take a bottle from us once he learned how to do it himself.
Forgive my unorganized rambling thoughts...coffee hasn't kicked in yet! :)
Each child is different and they do things for different reasons. I had the same thing happen to my son at the same age. I switched him over to the "sippy cup". Personally, I think he was just lazy, wanted to get filled up fast. He was always hungry. The cup satisfied both of us.
He really liked the sippy cup with the 2 handles so he would just grab on both sides and "pour", rather drink.
Just a suggestion, as I said all kids are different.
Tisia:
try a cup or a spoon.
P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
My older son did this when he had teeth coming in or an ear infection. I'm betting teeth since all the chewing. I was concerned and took him to the doctor and she assured me that my son wouldn't starve as long as we kept offering him the bottle. We just would make smaller bottles as to not waste the milk.
Good luck.
My son refused a bottle, too. It was very frustrating, because I was working full time (pumping), and then I would come home and he's want to nurse ALL NIGHT. It was extremely hard on me.
What we did is to go out and try different bottles, and especially different nipples. What ended up working for us was a newborn nipple (even though he was out of the newborn stage). That flow was apparently more like my own. He didn't like the old nipple we were using on the bottle because it was a stronger flow and harder for him to keep up with. Once we changed nipples, he happily returned to taking a bottle again! (Whew).
I'm not saying to try a newborn nipple, because maybe your milk flow is different than mine. But do try other nipples and/or other bottles. It took us a month to find the right one, but it was really worth the trouble.
My son continued to nurse and take bottled breastmilk, and we succeeded in extended breastfeeding him. I think it was the best thing I could have done for him.
Good luck!
My son started refusing bottles at this age too. In our case we NEVER got him to take one again. I was working full time and this was very stressful for me. Eventually I just had our sitter incorporate as much pumped milk into his food as possible and nursed him whenver I was home. That seemed to be fine for him (he was thrilled to nurse - just wanted nothing to do with the bottle). He eventually did take a sippy but he would never drink milk "in quantity" like he would have from a bottle.
During the week I'd come home and nurse him at lunch, in addition to nursing early in the morning plus right before I left for work, immediately upon my return, and before bed. (plus a nighttime meal). So... I basically made my peace with it and figured he was probably getting enough while I was gone. He continued to nurse a couple times a day until he was 21 months old and is about the healthiest kid I know, which I partly attribute to this.
Good luck! It's stressful when they don't do what you want, but I would go off his cues and make sure you incorporate as much pumped milk into his food as you can.
You may try to post on www.kellymom.com
Don't be afraid to start him on a sippy cup. Many breastfed babies have bottle issues. It will take some practice, but he will take it if he gets hungry enough. My SIL and brother have had this trouble with my niece and they have had to be a little pushy about withholding the solid foods at dinner time until a certain amount of formula was taken. Not fun, but just be persistent! Good luck!
Both of my kids ate less when they were teething, and would bite on the nipple and just not eat much. You may also want to check him for an ear infection; this was the other reason they'd not want to eat the bottle, though neither would get a fever or any other symptoms of an infection.
