3 Month Old Won't Drink from a Bottle

Are you in the room or house when someone else tries to feed him? My son would not take a bottle until the day I went back to work. Somehow he knew when I was in the house and would not take a bottle if I was aorund. If I was not in the house then he would take a bottle with no problem.

I had the same problem and i know how frustrating it can be. My daughter finally settled on the Drop Ina bottles from playtex but she will only use the yellow colored nipples, she will not use any clear nipples even to this day, even with a pacifier. I think it's worth a shot for you to try this bottle becuase the nipple is very similar to a real nipple. Let us know what happens.

Good luck.

Hi N.-
I had the same problem with my daughter aftr 5 months of this i tried the Adiri nurser with breast milk. She tried it right away and took the whole bottle. The Adiri bottle is the closest thing to a breast that i have found. It actually feels real unlike the other bottles that i tried that said they were just like the breat. Its an expensive bottle 12.50 but it was worth getting some freedom from the baby while still giving her breast milk. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
-J.
____@____.com

My daughter wasn't fond of drinking from the bottle when we came to the same situation (breast feeding mom needs to go back to work). I actually tried a very small cup, like the ones you get with over the counter medicine. As a baby, she drank from that and comsumed more formula or breastmilk than from the bottle. After a while she did finally drink from a bottle but trasitioned to a sippy cup early. Try the small cup, maybe that'll ease your frustration for now. I found info on the net about cup feeding. Hope this helps.

First of all, I was told that you can't be the one to give the bottle. When you are there he will only want you (although my daughter will now take a bottle from anyone in the world, even me, and we still primarily nurse). To start it, you definitely shouldn't be in the same room, he shouldn't be able to see, hear, or smell you at all. Have daddy or grandma, or someone offer the bottle when he is hungry. If he's hungry enough he will take it whether he prefers it or not.

Avent bottles worked wonders for us. It is so similar to the breast and it is a great transition. We gave breast milk to start. Once she was used to breast milk from a bottle, we were able to incorporate formula if need be. Just make everything very gradual so he can have time to adjust to each step.

If all else fails, including any advice here, I would call a lactation consultant at the hospital where you gave birth, or some peds offices have one on staff. They will be able to give you expert advice. Even though I tend to cherish and follow my fellow moms :)

I have been experiencing a similar problem with my 2 1/2 month-old -- a big problem because I am planning to return back to work at least part-time next month. I called our lactation consultant that we used during the first couple weeks after she was born, and she described how taking from the breast is vastly different from taking from a bottle, since a baby has no control of the flow from a bottle. The gagging and then screaming (my daughter was doing the same) is basically because your baby would drown from the bottle (the milk is going down the wind pipe as she is swallowing) if it isn't removed. Our lactation consultant recommended that we try the Playtex Naturalatch system of bottles (with disposable liners) because the Naturalatch nipple is most similar to the breast. We've only tried these new bottles a few times, but she seems to be getting the hang of it. She still needs to break a few times before finishing most of the bottle, but there is no more gagging and screaming involved. We are in the middle of a 24-hour period of bottles only to make sure that she learns to take the bottle. Then we will probably go to a half-bottle/half-breast schedule. I was so shocked that my baby basically "forgot" how to take a bottle, as she was fine with it a month ago. The lactation consultant suggests that perhaps its because my daughter senses my anxiety about returning back to work, so she wants to stay close to me. Good luck!

Try Avent. It is the closest to mothers breast. I hate to say it but he may never take a bottle, i have friends who had to stop working because of that. My son is now 6 1/2 months old and still wont take a bottle, i work PT as well and had to adjust my work schedule so that im only away from home for 4-5 hours at a clip. He may also hate the formula, pump if you can so that at least he tastes the breastmilk in the bottle. Also, it is best if someone else gives him a bottle, he definitely wont take it from you if you are still nursing. Good luck!

The key to weaning without engorgement is to do it gradually. Eliminate one feeding at a time, and stick with the new schedule for at least 3-5 days (1-2 weeks is better) before eliminating the next. Also at the beginning get someone else to feed the formula; when Mommy offers a bottle, not only is it confusing for the baby, but it's confusing for Mommy's body!

As for bottles, did you try NUK . . my son didn't care for bottles when i returned to work. I'm still nursing so I needed a bottle that was similar to my breast ///

Does he really need a bottle while you're gone? Do you work PT as in 5 half days or PT as in 2-3 full 8 hour days a week? Could you nurse him on your lunch break? We had several exclusively BF kids at the daycare that I worked at in college who waited the full 8 hours for mom. However, they were a bit older than your son. Does he like to suck on a finger? Some tubing taped to your finger or using a Medela Supplemental Nurser System taped to a finger may work. One of mine switched with ease. My middle child refused all bottles. And I never bothered with my 3rd. Good luck!

Also, formula tastes terrible when they know what breastmilk tastes like. He may hate the taste. If you're working half days, I'd send a bottle of breastmilk, but tell her not to push it if he doesn't want it. He'll just adjust his schedule so he nurses more when you're available.

I had this problem with my first one and I had to go back to work.
The way we got passed it, my mom took my daughter for the day. She gave her bottles of breastmilk but held the baby against her without her shirt. She still had the same sensatin of skin against skin. It might work... you never know.
Good luck!!

My third son was having a very tough time with the bottle as well. The only one he would give any real attempt to at that age was Breast Flow which I got from Target. At 5 months though he is trying the Avent and Breast Flow much better. It's almost like he decided he was ready though nursing is still his first choice.

I have a 9 month old that is nursed as well. The only bottle that I have found that he will switch is MAM. Target online is the only place I could find it at. He would rather nurse but if he is hungry enough he will give in and take from this bottle only. Also around four months he was very fussy with the bottle because his teeth were starting to hurt him.

The only bottles my daughter would take when I was breastfeeding was Avent, don't know if you have tried this brand but it's worth a shot!

I had the same problem with both my son and daughter they both loved the breast and did not take a bottle easily. My husband finally came up with a solution because I had to go out and left my daughter and some breast milk with him. He drew some milk up in a straw and gradually let the milk out by releasing his finger from the other end of the straw. My daughter finally realized that she was getting milk this way and she started sucking on the straw, at that point my husband put the bottle in her mouth and she figured it out!
Good luck!