Taking a Bottle

Leave the house and have your husband do it. If he knows you're around then he will naturally prefer you to the bottle. I doubt its the nipples. He probably doesn't see the point to taking a bottle if you're right there.

Let someone else give him the bottle he know's by now that you are the milk supplier and will refuse to take it from you he can smell your milk and want to feed off of you.Leave the room while dad or someone else introduces the bottle to him he may fuss but that is ok if it gets to bad and he refuses try again after he calms down he accepted before he will again.

If you are breastfeeding, it is quite possible that your baby will not take a bottle from you. To get him to take a bottle, you must not be in the room and he must be hungry. I don't see any reason to try to get him to take a bottle on a daily basis, unless you need a break from breastfeeding. If you are trying to get him to take a bottle to transition him to daycare or so that you can have a night out, it is fine for him to practice, but if you are not there and he is hungry, he is going to eat! He is just saying that he would rather have you and not the bottle.

First of all, have you contacted your local La Leche League leader? This is just the sort of thing they can help you with! You can find her here... http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html Are you giving the bottle or is someone else? Sometimes it's best if the mom isn't even in the room. Also, are ;you going back to work? If not, think about how often you'll be gone, if someone can use something other than a bottle (syringe, spoon, cup) it might work. Remember in just a couple of months you could use a sippy cup (maybe even now). With my first daughter I was very concerned about getting her to take a bottle, but she never did and then all of the sudden she was eating other foods and I didn't leave her (or want to) much anyway, so it was no big deal. With my second daughter, I didn't really even try. My best advice, if you really need him to take a bottle is to just try everything, anything that works for him is fine, it doesn't have to be a bottle or what is typical as long as it works for your family! Good luck and way to go breastfeeding!

K.

My son did the exact same thing. He has not taken a bottle since he was 3-4 weeks old. He is now almost eight months. Most breastfed babies usually will prefer the breast. I gave up trying with him as I am a sahm. I pretty much came to the conclusion that until he is weaned, I can only be away from him in 3-4 hour increments. Now, if you have to get him to take a bottle because both of you work, I would just be persistant. He'll eventually "get it." My sister used to spoon feed her baby breastmilk, and her babysitter had to do the same thing. Eventually she took a sippy cup at five months. Good luck.

I feel for you! Sounds so familiar!! My now 3 1/2 year old went thru the same thing at the same age! I was worried I wasn't supplying enough breast milk, so I was pumping and giving bottles to her. Well, they suggested stopping the bottle feeding all together and strictly nurse for a while. So, at 4 months we tried the bottle again and she wouldn't take it at all, we tried all brands of bottles. The last bottle we tried was the playtex nurser bottle with the drop in liners, (which was my least favorite) it was more work for the warming up stage. After maybe six brands of bottles this is the ones that took. We had to be persistant and keep trying, each time it got easier. They say they will eat when they are hungry, he will finally take one when he is hungry enough! I would get so frustrated at times, I didn't want to be the only one for her to depend on. I new I needed a break. I pray lots of patience for you!

Keep trying!! That's the key! Use breastmilk, in a bottle (I like Advent or Playex) and let someone other than you feed the baby--when he's hungry! But if you don't need to do it, then don't stress over it either. If he doesn't take a bottle, he may go straight to a sippy cup at about 6 months. I nurse my son (#3 for me) and that's what he's done. He never really took to a bottle at all.

The same thing happened to me! I was really stressout because I was leaving town for two nights. What we had to do was keep trying everyday to get him back to accepting a bottle. Within a week, at the most, he accepted it. It may help if your hubbie or someone else gives it to him while you are not around. Good luck! It can and will happen, but it may take some time and patience.

One of my girls refused bottles, pacifiers or anything other than me for a year! We tried all the little tricks I read below. Every different bottle, someone else feeding, not offering her anything but the bottle for over 24 hours....I don't remember what all BUT in the end it wasn't worth all the battle to me. I just figured she knew what she wanted and liked and she'd not be on forever! I made a decision to enjoy the short time (relatively) that I had her full attention. If you HAVE to go to work and he HAS to take a bottle; I pray some of the advise you've recieved works out. If it isn't mandatory - enjoy it - they grow up SO FAST!! - Mommy to four almost 5 and lovin' it!