Bottle Feeding - Darien,IL

Honestly, starting later makes things harder--usually if you know you will need to offer bottles at all it is helpful to start within the first month or two, but not until nursing is established (between 3 and 4 weeks old) and it is often best to have someone other than mom offer the bottle. My husband started an evening bottle at 3 weeks with both kids and that worked well. Some babies also really prefer one type of bottle and nipple over another (my boys had to have the wide base for the nipple, like Avent). Breastfeeding is so good for your baby so it would be a shame for you to feel you need to stop. Not every baby will take a bottle, though, so you might have to get even more creative. Sometimes imitating with a bottle is harder for them and they actually will eat from a cup, medicine dropper, spoon, or small medicine cup. Most babies will eventually take a bottle, so keep trying. Have your husband try feeding him when he has half-nursed and is not starving or upset, open his shirt so he can get skin-to-skin contact to make it more soothing, and make sure that the breastmilk is lukewarm/body temperature. If you do not need bottles for you to go to work and it is only short periods of time, you at least have the option of nursing really really well and keeping your trips to three or four hours. In a few more months you can introduce a sippy cup and start some baby foods, which might make short time away a lot easier. Good luck.

When I tried to breasfeed I was concerned about this issue too. It turned out I didnt really produce any milk so I never personally had the issue but my best friend gave me advice before it happened. She weaned hers by making sure the nipple of the bottle was warm, dipping it in breastmilk, and still exposing her breast, so the baby could lay against the warmth, but instead of breastfeeding put the bottle in the baby's mouth. She did tell me it was a balancing act to get all those factors done quickly, but it worked for her. Eventually she stopped pulling her breast out, then didn't have to dip the nipple in breastmilk, and finially didn't have to warm the nipple anymore because the baby was used to it. Also I would try different nipples/bottles. I went through about 6 different kinds before my baby really was comfortable with one (one she had to suck so hard it rubbed the roof of her mouth raw and she bled). Good Luck! Hang in there!

I have posted several times about my experience with getting my daughter to take a bottle. I will tell you up front it was not easy. She was about 3 months old and did not have a choice as I was returning to work and Daddy was going to feed her pumped milk.

My first three days were hellish. I was putting in shortened work days because I was running home to end her "strikes" which were lasting over 6 hours. On the third day, Hubby took her to the doctor to confirm that there was nothing physically wrong with her. The doctor confirmed she was healthy and should have been able to drink from a bottle.

We were told not to indulged her "nonesense" and this has been the best advice ever.

We were told not to BF for the next 5 days. She went 14 hours before taking her frst sip. We had to take turns both trying to get her to take the bottle as well as leaving for a bit as the screaming was aweful and like nothing we had experienced up to that point. During the evening, the first sip was less than an ounce and she passed out in her crib - exhausted. Needless to say, she did not sleep long and was hungry very soon. We tried again with relatively the same success. It was a long process but eventually she started to take more and realized it was the same stuff. When I fed her, I wrapped her in Daddy's shirt or I wore one myself so I smelled less like me. It seemed to help.

Once she was taking the bottle like a champ, I had to keep her guessing when the breast was coming for the next week. After that we settled into a fairly happy routine, but this whole process took about 8 to 10 days.

IMO, it will not get easier as the baby gets older. You were on the right track with going bottle only, but you need to out last the baby. Three days does not seem to have been enough.

I would advise using pumped milk. I think it gets more complicated if you add formula to the process. We did not use formula until about 9 or 10 months as that was when my milk started to wane since I was reducing the number of times I was pumping at work.

I think you were definately on the right track. Do some tag teaming and get some extra support. I really wish my parents could have been here to help provides breaks during the screaming.

Good luck.
~C.

Just take things slow and keep trying to introduce the bottle. You've seen that trying to force him to do it isn't going to work. Babies know what they need. Crafty little boogers aren't they?

I had to work backwards to get my son from the bottles he was used to in the NICU to the breast and our middle bottle was the Playtex nurser with the brown nipple and the drop ins. That way you can squirt a little warm breastmilk in his mouth so he knows why you are putting this other nipple in his mouth.

hes 4 months. you can easily have him drink from a sippy cup with the "no spill" valve removed, an open cup, or a dropper. some kids never take a bottle. some parents have to buy like 10 different bottles to still not find a bottle that their kid will take. Dont worry he isnt going to starve and soon hell be eating some solid foods so he can have those if you are going to be out and hes refusing to drink. Dont worry this is totally normal

my youngest would not take a bottle either, when I was ready to wean him from the breast. I ended up nursing him 4 months longer and finally he would accept the bottle instead of me. My first three sons nursed til they were 7 months old, the youngest went to 11 months. Different kids, they are MUCH older now & are all great boys, very healthy.