Bottle refusers - help, tips and success stories

[Mrs_T]

I had huge problems getting my LO to take a bottle (even though she took one fine for 3 months). I found that in RL there was little to no support and advice out there for this even though loads of people seem to go through the same problem. So, I thought it might be useful to create a thread full of helpful tips and success stories to help others going through the same.

(Please note: we all know breast is best, but there comes a time when many mums want the option to be able to offer a bottle or are ready to move on from breast feeding. Please respect that when posting on this thread.)

Tips:

- try different bottles / teats (latex instead of silicon / different shapes / sizes)

- try expressed breast milk / different formulas

- try offering the milk at different temperatures

- try different people offering the bottle, particularly when you are out of the house so your baby cant smell your milk

- try putting something tasty on the teat (a touch of golden syrup or lemon curd for example - remember no honey for under 1's)

- try offering milk from a sippy cup, doidy cup, or for desperate measures from a spoon or syringe

- get firm - offer a bottle and if it is refused, baby has to wait til next feed to get breastfed. For younger babies, wait at least 15 mins after the bottle refusal before offering the breast.

- distraction - have TV on / someone else singing to baby or dancing hysterically - if it doesn't distract baby, it'll probably take the stress of the situation away!!!

- keep calm - if you're nor relaxed, baby will pick up on this.



My success story:

Lily started refusing bottles at 3 months. We tried different bottles, teats, sippy cups, the doidy cup, different milks, temperatures, feeders all with no luck (don't be put off though, these things might work for your baby). I was getting really stressed out about it and feeling down about being so tethered. So I gave up trying for a month or so. I was poorly one weekend and due to being sick so much, my milk production came to a halt. Lily got so hungry she took 6oz from a tommee tippee bottle. That week I offered her a bottle every day and she'd mostly take 1-4 oz with a bit of a struggle, then the point blank refusal returned! So we went down the 'get tough' route. Every afternoon feed, she'd be offered a bottle. If she refused it, she'd have to wait to her next feed. We had 2 afternoons from hell - I felt so so guilty. Then day 3, she got the message and began to take the bottles again. We would also put something tasty on the teat, which would get her going and once she'd started drinking, she was fine (no longer need to do this). Last week, she started refusing again so I tried out a nuk bottle with a latex teat that I had in the cupboard. She took to this straight away - I wish I'd tried this one earlier. Now, when I bring the bottle in for her, she's literally grabbing it out of my hands! Within less than a month, she's gone from hating bottles and point blank refusing them to only bfing during the night. (Granted we did have months of battling previously and months of not even trying!!)

So my 3 fave tips ... Nuk bottles with latex teats, tasty something on the teat, get tough!

Please share your tips and success stories too!

 

[dalismom]

stalking! thanks for this!

 

[seaweed eater]

Stalking! Some days mine takes it with no problem, and sometimes nothing in the world will make him take it same bottles, same situation, always fresh milk. I'm stumped!

 

[Mrs_T]

It's so frustrating isn't it! Have you tried the latex teats at all? I think that was the most successful aspect for Lily - I was reluctant to spend more money on bottles, but wish I'd tried these ones earlier!

 

[san fran shan]

My girl just started doing this even though she has had bottles since day one in the nicu. I also breast feed when I can but with two its super helpful that other people can feed her. She's quite the drama queen. My husband discovered that walking around and gently swaying distracted her enough to take it. I will be getting tough with her because even if I only breast feed she HAS to take bottles to top off with formula because I don't make enough milk for two. Her stubbornness is making it take even longer to get them both fed which is discouraging.

 

[Mrs_T]

Thanks for sharing San Fran shan! I bet that's doubly annoying when you have 2 to worry about - at least your little boy isn't refusing too! Hope it gets better soon - the swaying is a good idea!

 

[korndogger123]

I ebf but came to an emergency where I needed surgery. I told the surgeon I needed at least a month to get her to take a bottle. (I had already pumped a stash for when I go back to work but forgot that she has to drink it!).
I started with a bottle I was given at my baby shower, the tommy tippee, she hated it. So, I got out another one I received in the mail from a formula company (similac) she tolerated it so I thought, "good, we are good to go this only took a week!"
For the next 2 weeks daddy would give her a feed in that bottle when he got home from work.. she took it "okay". I wanted more than one bottle (those were expensive) so I picked up several bottles over the weeks to see if she would take a cheaper option.. she took them all "okay" (just enough to take off the hunger pangs not enough to satisfy) Well, about 2 days before surgery we went to the store to get diapers and wipes and I noticed they had a "drop-in nurser" bottle on sale for 2 dollars so I figured why not
Opening the box, I loved it and had high hopes for it. The nipple looked like mine lol, and had a lot of "boob" around it. I loved I could push all the air out the bottle, I figured my boob doesn't have air she might like that aspect
I decided to have OH give her a bottle right away and she took to it like a champ, she loved it. I noticed the way the nipple was it mimiced the way she breastfed almost to a T. We are back to breastfeeding as of yesterday but when I go back to work those are what I am sending with her to my moms... I just hate I have to buy liners for them!

 

[Baby Bell]

Thank you for posting this. My OH is at this minute trying LO on the bottle at the moment for the millionth time! We have yet to have success.......I'm getting so down about it, I would just like to go out for an hour or two on my own. Going to try some of your tips......some we already tried/ trying.
Wish us luck lol

 

[san fran shan]

I tried those with the drop in liners mainly because I am sooo over washing bottles! I was using dr browns with 5 parts to wash. I tired one bottle on my girl and she did fine with it so I bought the whole system with 5 bottles and hundreds of liners. And guess what the babies did? Hated them, lol!! Amazing they can still be picky even when they are crying like they haven't eaten in weeks!

Mine started out on narrow based nipples so I think that's why they couldn't figure out the wide base.

 

[Mrs_T]

Korndogger - I've hears good things about the drop ins too - glad your LO likes them.

Baby bell - good luck - hope something above helps! I also got really down about it at one point. Eventually I did just go out for a couple of hours of me time thinking she'd just have to wait if she was hungry before I got back - I'd manage 3 hours and she'd be fine, even though if I was home she'd have been screaming for milk before then!

 

[purplelou]

We have tried all kinds of bottles/teats with no luck...LO acts like we are trying to choke her! We tried all people, positions and distractions but no joy. Today we tried a doidy cup for the first time, and she's just taken about 100 ml ebm!!! I put her on the breast after and she slurped away happily, but there were no tears, choking or spitting out! This is reassurring because I go back to work in April and I was panicking that my baby would starve!
Having just read about lipase in milk..I am now worried that my frozen stash might be no good!

 

[Mrs_T]

Woohoo!! Glad she liked the doidy

 

[korndogger123]

We have tried all kinds of bottles/teats with no luck...LO acts like we are trying to choke her! We tried all people, positions and distractions but no joy. Today we tried a doidy cup for the first time, and she's just taken about 100 ml ebm!!! I put her on the breast after and she slurped away happily, but there were no tears, choking or spitting out! This is reassurring because I go back to work in April and I was panicking that my baby would starve!
Having just read about lipase in milk..I am now worried that my frozen stash might be no good!

Lipase in milk.. that was me lol sorry! I am sure your stash is just fine!!

 

[dalismom]

We have tried all kinds of bottles/teats with no luck...LO acts like we are trying to choke her! We tried all people, positions and distractions but no joy. Today we tried a doidy cup for the first time, and she's just taken about 100 ml ebm!!! I put her on the breast after and she slurped away happily, but there were no tears, choking or spitting out! This is reassurring because I go back to work in April and I was panicking that my baby would starve!
Having just read about lipase in milk..I am now worried that my frozen stash might be no good!

how do you work te doidy?? they just slurp it? im soooo tempted to try that!


also, do your bottle refusing babiea take a paci,, mine won't and hasn't figured out how to keep his fingers in his mouth yet they go in, they just don't stay lol

 

[Mrs_T]

We have tried all kinds of bottles/teats with no luck...LO acts like we are trying to choke her! We tried all people, positions and distractions but no joy. Today we tried a doidy cup for the first time, and she's just taken about 100 ml ebm!!! I put her on the breast after and she slurped away happily, but there were no tears, choking or spitting out! This is reassurring because I go back to work in April and I was panicking that my baby would starve!
Having just read about lipase in milk..I am now worried that my frozen stash might be no good!

how do you work te doidy?? they just slurp it? im soooo tempted to try that!


also, do your bottle refusing babiea take a paci,, mine won't and hasn't figured out how to keep his fingers in his mouth yet they go in, they just don't stay lol

Yeah, kind of...Lily tended to stick her tongue in to start with and almost lap it up! They r quite cheap and a good learner cup even if your LO doesn't take milk from it. Worth a try it say.

Lily won't take a paci / dummy either.

 

[dalismom]

thank you! does lily suck her thumb at all? im kind of hoping that my lil guy will!

 

[Kelly M]

Hoping my lo's strike is only temporary! I'm ridden with anxiety about the whole situation! Trying all of these tips, so far no luck but we'll see. GL to you all with your sweet and stubborn babies.

 

[dalismom]

Hoping my lo's strike is only temporary! I'm ridden with anxiety about the whole situation! Trying all of these tips, so far no luck but we'll see. GL to you all with your sweet and stubborn babies.

good luck to you too!

 

[seaweed eater]

Nope, mine doesn't take a pacifier either. He likes to suck on other things...fingers, toys...just not artificial nipples made for sucking!

 

[Kelly M]

Nope, mine doesn't take a pacifier either. He likes to suck on other things...fingers, toys...just not artificial nipples made for sucking!

My ds won't take a paci either! What is it with these kids? I'm trying very hard to accept the fact that he won't take bottles but I'm crushed. It's devastating as it was going so well up until a week ago. My whole life has to change now but I'm just going to have to get used to it I guess! Lo is quite happy and that's what matters.