Baby Needs Help Taking the Bottle

Neither of my babies took a bottle. We did stumble across that they would cup feed. Grandma finally took the lid off the bottle and tried that way and it worked. It's messy though and of course you loose some breast milk. You could use one of those little medicine cups. I would also begin to start introducing the sippy cup. That was what we did. He was drinking from a straw pretty early on too. Good luck!!!

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When I returned to work we offered the Platex drop ins bottles which alot of breastfeeding moms reccomend becasue te base of the nipple is larger....I also purchased the silicone nipples versus the latex ones they come with which is also sposta help. Also try a faster nipple perhaps he is frusterated with the slow flow.... at 5 months we were on the Med flow and at 7 months, maybe 8 we moved up to the fast flow. My letdown has always been pretty fast when nursing so my son wanted the fast flow....perhaps yours is the same.

Keep at it, make sure someone else offers the bottle other than you, as long as he is having enough wet diapers dont worry about it.
I would however not make as large of bottles for him especially since he isnt using them.
Kellymom.com advises that a breastfed child really only needs an ounce of breastmilk for every hour their mother is away...I give my son a tad more than that BUT not by much and at 5 months he ws not taking 5oz yet.

Remember babies esp. breastfed ones have a born need to suck....when he nurses he can turn off the milk and just suck out of the need for that comfort. After he eats what appears to be his fill or 2-3 oz I would just offer a pacifier....he will eventually move up in milk but just not yet.
You do not need to wean your son, you are doing an amazing job by still breastfeeding at 5 months - give yourself a pat on the back :)
In the next month you will start solids most likely and that will help him regulate his feeding time/amounts the way he wants them as well.

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Try this bottle: http://www.target.com/First-Years-Breastflow-Bottle-oz/dp...

In case the link doesn't work, it's a bottle by The First Years "Breastflow". I used it with my son 2 years ago. You might have to do some research to find a BPA free version. I used the old kind and wasn't concerned about BPA because I never heated the plastic in a sterilizer or anything. I used good old fashioned hot water and soap.

Keep trying till you find something that works for you and your baby. If your boy is hungry enough, he'll suck on anything you give him. Just be aware of some nipples that flow too fast because he might not want the breast anymore since the bottle nipple requires less effort. As a first time mom, it's hard to not get hung up on how much your baby is eating, especially since you can't measure exact amounts since you are nursing him. But keep this in mind: as long as your baby is thriving, and isn't lethargic or screaming with hunger, he'll be just fine. Now that he's 5 months, he'll also be getting nourishment from solids, so it's normal that he might drink less.

Let your baby be your guide. You're a great mom and you're doing your best for him. Try to not worry too much,and enjoy your little baby during this period in his life because it flies by!

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Dont worry about what he is taking at daycare. He will make up for his milk needs when you get home. He most likely is chowing down around 5am and again before you drop him off. Then he will snack throughout the day and will be pretty hungary when you get home, giving you more time to spend with him nursing in the evening and at night. Your daycare provider is NOT to be bothered if they have to feed him every hour if that's what he needs. They are being paid to care for him and meet his needs, not sit around while full babies sleep. As a daycare worker in the past, I knew it was my job to be "mom" for that baby while his real mom was working. Try the nuk latex nipples. Breast babies often prefer them.

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You're awesome for being so concerned about your baby and his breast milk. You got some wonderful advice and please do not listen to those suggesting artificial breast milk. I simply do not understand why anyone would suggest that to you when you are obviously giving him exactly what he needs. You know what's best, breast is best. :)
He will make up for it when you pick him up. You should pick him up and find a nice place to sit with him for a while and let him nurse for a while before driving home.

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Aaahhh, welcome to my world. Both of my kids were like this. They'll be fine. Both of them got the minimum they needed from the bottle and nursed the rest. What this means for you is a lot more nursing in the morning and when you pick him up and probably overnight as well. My daughter was used to the bottle before she went to day care and my son was not, but it didn't make any difference. They simply preferred to nurse. I will tell you that they will get used to the bottle in a few weeks and take more, but he may prefer to tank up when he's with you and nip along when he's got the bottle. Don't worry about him though, he'll be fine. It's your sleep and boobs that will suffer.

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My son weaned from the breast at about that same age... he was almost but not quite 6 months. He had begun solid foods and to prevent another immediate pregnancy I went back on the pill which dried me up very quickly. We had tried to use expressed milk in a bottle so we could use a sitter (my mother) so my husband and I could go see a movie or something all along beginning about 3 months, but he completely refused it every time. No matter what we did. When I began to dry up, we happened to be at my mom's visiting for New Year's. He had been very fussy and cranky, because I wasn't producing as much and he was hungry, so he was wanting to nurse almost constantly. So we made some formula, put it in a bottle, and left. My mom gave it to him. By the end of the day, he was a bottle fed baby. No more breast.

You didn't say how much he is nursing when not at daycare (in the mornings and evenings, and thru the night). As long as he is getting what he needs during the times you are able to breastfeed, then perhaps he is just waiting for the breast that he knows is coming after daycare is over... Not that it is a conscious thing.. but he may be taking the majority of his feeding during the evenings when he can nurse. I have heard of that happening.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but if he is getting adequate milk "after hours" so to speak, and you are okay with that, then I'm not sure you need to be so worried about the bottle issue.

As far as his 'ability' to drink from the bottle, I don't think that is any problem for him. He just doesn't prefer it. If he were not being breastfed later on (or in the mornings before going to daycare) then he would probably start drinking a lot more from the bottle. I am not suggesting that you stop nursing, that is for you to decide about. I am just saying that if he were not getting it from you, he would drink it from the bottle much better.. so I don't see any need to fret over it.

hth

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My daughter was breastfed until she was 11 months and at 12 months she took a bottle for the first time. Keep at it.

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I was going to say the same thing the last poster said. Breastfed babies only need about an ounce per hour that you're away. 5 oz in one sitting sounds like too much. When my 11 month old gets a bottle, he only take 3 oz at a time. The makeup of breastmilk changes as your baby gets older unlike formula which stays the same. So 3 oz of BM for a 2 month old will be different caloric wise than 3 oz of BM for a 5 month old.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

Your son might do something called reverse cycling where he is waiting to be with you to nurse. It might mean he nurses more at night. It sounds like he takes just enough to hold him over until he's with you. If your son is having plenty of wet diapers then he is getting enough. It's unlikely he'll starve himself and he might even start taking more as he gets used to being in daycare.

Here's another thought. Have you smelled/tasted your breastmilk to make sure you don't have a lipase problem? Your milk would have a soapy/musty smell. The milk is completely fine to drink, but some babies don't like the taste. That happened to me with my daughter and she never took bottles after 4 months again. You could also try a sippy cup. I like the Nuby straw cup. My daughter did great with it. I think she started taking it at about 6 months.

Good luck! I know how frustrating it is having to leave a baby who won't take bottles.

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Hello there my son was the same way we found that The NUK Bottle worked the very best..He just chewed and chewed on the others..Hope this helps good luck

MY first daughter who is now 20 was put on the bottle part time at exactly 5 months of age. She was not happy about it but I gave her to my neighbor for the day and then she finally took it many hours later. From then on she knew how to back and forth between the two. Don't worry by next week or two he will take 5-7 ozs as he should. He is learning.

Can you take breaks and go nurse him? Best solution.
If not try a barley formula, please do not use one of those horrible canned things.
Check out Weston Price Foundation for other suggestions for his food.
best, k

In addition to the other responses make sure that the nipples you are using have a fast enough flow for baby's needs. He may be ready for a stage 2 or 3. Congratulations!!

First of all, congrats on exclusively bfing for 5 months. That's so awesome!

I would have the daycare providers try a cup instead of a bottle. He obviously doesn't like the rubber nipple. A sippy cup might work.

Also, even if does not drink 5 oz, I would not worry about it too much. Breastfed babies often make up for it later when mom gets home from work. He just may want to nurse longer in the evening or at night.

BTW, my two breastfed babies never took a bottle. When he starts solids, too, it'll be even less of a concern. They can mix extra water in his food, and you'll be certain he's hydrated.

Good luck!

My youngest daughter was the same way when it came to a bottle. My Mom spoon fed her milk at six weeks because she would not touch a bottle. By the time she was five months we had her drinking from a cup. You may have to try a sippy cup instead of a bottle.

Hello. I experienced something similar when I returned to work at 6 months old. My daughter would barely drink 4 oz from 9-5. Our pediatrician suggested we feed her cereal 3 times a day since we used breast milk to mix it. Also, I started giving her a 4 oz bottle in the evening before bed. The downfall to this is she started enjoying the bottle more than me so the breast feeding ended around 9.5 months. Good luck!