I have been almost exclusively breastfeeding my 11 week old baby. He took a bottle easily at 3-4 weeks, but then we didn't continue with a daily bottle. I have to back to work in a week and he is fighting taking a bottle (lots of crying for a little guy who never cries). He will take a bottle when we are out at a restaurant, but not at home, so I don't think that it has anything to do with the bottles that we have (Dr Brown's). Can anyone give me any ideas to make this an easier transition for all three of us? My husband will be with him when I am at work.
It's hard for Mommy to get baby to take a bottle when they expect the real deal from you. Have Daddy do it when he's there and baby should get used to it easier.
J.
Mother of 4.
Have Daddy try while you go to the grocery store or something. And from the stories I hear at LLL meetings babies seem to come in 2 groups-- the ones that want bottlefeeding to be as much like nursing as possible and the ones who want it as different as possible....so tell Daddy to expirement! I also had to change which bottles we were using around 3 or 4 months, he took FirstYears fine until then, then stopped and we changed to Nuk-- I've heard other people say that they had to change bottle brands around that age too....
i agree that your husband should be the one to feed, and not to let baby hear you in the room. i was also exclusively breastfeeding til 7 weeks then we started one bottle consistently everyday and we never had an issue. i would start a bottle today and do at least one or maybe two a day til you head back. good luck! you can do it!
the easiest thing is for you to not be around. You you are there he will want to nurse from you but if he has already accepted it out in public then perhaps if you just go for a walk and let your husband try after you are gone. Then the baby will say "hey ok bottle from daddy because mommy isnt around" good luck
We had a similar problem when we didn't keep up with the Dr. Brown bottles with our daughter. If you do decide to try a different bottle, I'd suggest Playtex DropIns with the laytex nipple (you have to buy the nipple separate - it comes with the clear silicone type). That was the only thing my daughter was willing to take, after trying about 8 different bottles. Good luck!
Are you trying to feed him the bottle? I have always found that they won't take it from me because they know our smell from breastfeeding and want the real thing...but if you have your husband feed him the bottle, maybe that would help...just keep trying...it will work out!
Have you tried letting someone else give him a bottle when you are NOT around? My daughter hated a bottle and I was going back to school and needless to say had the same concerns. My doctor told me to go as she would eat when hungry. She would take 1-2 bottles during the day IF I wasn't around (actually came home one day and when she sensed I was there she pushed the bottle away). Now on the other hand what she did was switch her day and night eating around so she nursed every 2-3 hours at night but I didn't mind that (what is sleep anyway). I wouldn't have changed anything since I enjoyed the closeness too and the first time she was really sick she was 5. I'd do it all over again.
The best of luck to you . It will work out.
I agree with the other two posters. You cannot be anywhere around when baby gets a bottle. Just let your husband work through it while you take a few hours out of the house.
Hi J., I can so relate. My baby also refused the bottle. She had a bottle as a top up feed from birth but we had to stop due to colic and when we tried to wean her at 3 months, (as I just did not produce enough milk), she refused the bottle. We tried everything, from different bottles, different teats, different formulas, expressed milk, different people feeding her with me out the house, leaving her to go hungry, different environments, everything you could imagine and she never did fully accept the bottle. We ended up feeding her with a sippy cup with the anti - leak valve removed. You have to be careful how much you pour into their mouth at a time though, so they don't choke. We also fed her milk with a teaspoon (can you believe it!). We did keep trying with the bottle and she will now take a bottle - took her between 5 and 6 months to accept it though, so hang in there and just keep persisting with the bottle, he will take it in the end. Good luck : )
