4 month old refusing bottle- stressed!!!!

[Beee]

Hi ladies
My 4 month old dd has been ebf since birth. We had issues with dd1 taking a bottle so decided to give ebm by bottle once a day from 2 weeks old so we could avoid the problem happening again. For the first couple of months she'd have a bottle no problem, but then she started getting fussy/ refusing the bottle. She now literally screams if a bottle is put anywhere near her mouth.
We've tried 4 different types of bottle, tried me feeding her, hubby feeding her with me there/not there, my mum trying to feed her while I go out of the house but nothing works. It's very frustrating as it means I can't leave her with anyone as she won't take any milk. I'm not back at work until November so I'm not too concerned about that yet but it's things like I'd love to go to the hairdressers to get my hair coloured n cut etc but I can't.

Any tips would be gratefully received! Thanks xx

 

[Pink Sarah]

My lo did this for a while and then suddenly was happy to take it again. Don't know why! I have found though that if he is tired or not feeling 100% (teething etc) he is less keen and sometimes i have to give him some milk from me and then sneak the bottle in his mouth and then he happily drinks it! Might seem a bit pointless to some people as I could just feed him but once I've warmed that milk I don't want to waste it

 

[AK89]

Aww we've been/are going through a similar thing... It was about the same age that she started fussing with it too. Our LO doesn't so much scream or anything, she just messes with it.. Sometimes she'll have the first half and then start messing with it. I thought it was because I didn't keep it up giving her once a day from the start but if it's happened to you too then probably not! I think they just become a lot more aware around that time and realise they like the breast much better!

I don't really have any advice other than keep it up. Keep trying her with a bottle as often as possible. If you're pumping, make sure you pump every time she has a bottle (if she has it) then you can give her that next time and your supply's not dipping. If you persist she WILL start taking it again..

My DD is just very hit and miss these days. Sometimes she takes it no problem, sometimes doesn't entertain the idea, sometimes she has a bit then stops. I know it's a pain being the only source of food for your little one. I used to stress about it quite a lot but somewhere along the line I just stopped caring as much! And also she stopped feeding so often which was good. She now goes about 3 hours between feeds, or much longer if she's out and about (she's too busy to be bothered with feeding!) And I'm in the process of weaning her at the moment too so am hoping we'll be able to substitute a meal or two with solids in the not too distant future.

I know that might not be what you want to hear as you're a few months behind us, but I'm sure that time will fly, and in the meantime just keep it up with the bottle as often as possible!

 

[AK89]

How long does she go between feeds?

 

[Lemonade]

We had the same thing at 4.5 months. She took the occasional bottle of EBM (occasionally formula) happily from 3 weeks and suddenly compeletly refused. We tried everything too (different brands, other people giving it) but persevered with offering the bottle and she eventually started taking it again a few weeks later. She was teething at the time, so I chalked it up to that, but I'm also wondering if maybe babies get choosy around that age? Maybe they realise that they have a choice and they would prefer the breast!!

 

[Beee]

Thanks so much for your responses. She's so variable to be honest. The longest she's ever gone is 4 hours. Just lately she's been waking up every 2 hours again in the night. I breastfed dd1 for 15 months but really don't want to do it that long with dd2. Ideally I want to wean her onto formula by the time I go back to work in November. I tried again last night n she took maybe 1-2 oz (with a battle) before refusing any more. It's my 30th birthday next weekend and I'm supposedly going out for a girly night so hubby will have to feed her, either expressed milk or formula and I'm dreading it xx

 

[AK89]

Aw I know the feeling... I've been out a couple of times and to be honest she's always been fine with her bottle though the night! Not sure if it's cos she's still half asleep..? Just try not to worry too much.. I know that's easier said than done though. Last time I went out she was awake most of the night I think just cos I wasn't there and I'm the one who does all the night feeds. As soon as I got home (at 4.30am!) she fell asleep in my arms.. I don't think I'll ever go out again!! Haha..