Bottle Feeding - Keene, NH

I was lucky and my breastfed daughter took to the bottle right away...and sometimes even prefers it to the breast, but I have a friend who has a son the same age and he refused to take a bottle. She tried different bottles and nothing worked. She ended up trying some different sippy cups and it seemed to work better. Maybe you could try the same thing and see if it helps. I know it was very stressful for her. I don't know if you have friends around, but if you do maybe you could try having them feed her since dad can't be around. If you are doing it they can still smell you and she knows "the goods" are right there. Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works :)

I guess you could keep offering it to her daily have your husband try when he is available if that is who will be giving her the bottle while your away. If you are no wher to be seen she should have an easier time

Hi S.,

I would think she's confused when it's you bottle-feeding her. Is there no one, a family or friend that can bottle-feed her? She knows you have milk in your breasts, they have acute sense of smell and she wants what you have. Are you bottle feeding her breastmilk or formula?
If formula, she'll definitely prefer the breastmilk.

Sorry this wasn't much help. Your poor baby must be really confused why she's not getting the milk she loves from you and you must be feeling really emotional trying to do what's best for your baby.

E. P.

S., can I make a suggestion?
Maybe with a 6 month old - you could not bottle feed at all. If she's 6 months old, you should be introducing her to solids, or perhaps you've already been doing this. I'm assuming that you are transitioning her to the bottle to wean, but in no time at all - she won't need a primarily liqued nutritious diet. I weaned my daughter with a bottle and at 3 - I'm weaning her all over again - except we've been working on it for nearly a year. I'm overdue with my second at the moment - and I intend (God willing!) to never introduce a bottle to him, but when he's ready - give him sippy cups. It's what I've seen so many other mama's do (just a little too late).
Really, do yourself a favor. If your daughter has been nursing this whole time - hang in there and experiment with sippy's with water, introduce nutritional cereals, crackers, and fruits/veggies and in no time at all - you'll be cutting back on breastfeeding.
good luck.

Have you tried having someone else give her the bottle? Most bf babies won't take a bottle from mom. Mine never have. They see/smell me and it is all about the boob. I would also leave the house when the bottle is tried. You sound like you could use the break, and if she knows you are gone, maybe more willing. Try this slowly. Follow your gut! If she gets really upset, it won't happen.
It also sounds as if she really still needs to nurse. Not just for the nutrient aspect but for the bonding time with you.
Good Luck! I hope with time she will learn to except feedings from someone other than you!

I started my baby on the bottle around 6 months and she would not take it from me - ever. Dad or someone else had to give it to her. Gradually I could give it to her but it worked best for me if I faced her away from me so she couldn't see me. Sort of had the back of her head resting on my chest and her butt on my lap. It was also shortly around that time that I could put her in her highchair and tilt the seat all the way back and she would hold the bottle and feed herself. It was a very frustrating thing at times. You say why won't you take it! Your hungry and it's food! You want to cuddle them. People thought it was mean to stick her in her chair and have her feed herself but it's the only way it worked for us. By 10 months we were cuddling and she was taking the bottle fine. Good luck! Don't give up.

If you are with her there is no reason for you to give her a bottle. You will just confuse her. She'll take a bottle fine when you are not there. She knows you are there and wants you to give her the good stuff!
Don't worry about her not taking the bottle- it's not your job to teach her. She can't learn from you unless you stop breastfeeding (and don't do that!). Breast fed babies won't learn the bottle from mom. It's just the way it is!
You can try asking a friend or neighbor to give it a try- but she may need to be pretty hungry and to have been without you for a while. Some babies won't ever take a bottle. They actually go on a hunger strike until mom returns. Some babies in daycare will do this. Your best bet is to stop pushing the bottle issue. If you are not there and she's hungry- she'll figure out how to use it.
Good luck and don't worry about it.
-S.

Hi S.,
Babies are smarter than we give them credit for. Babies nurse for more reasons than just nutrition/food. They also nurse for comfort. Breastfeeding is the best thing for your baby. Sometimes nursing seems to last forever and it can sometimes feel like a chore. But, babies are only babies for one year and then they are a toddler. I hope you are able to enjoy your time with your baby.
I would try her once a day with a bottle. If she doesn't take it then maybe you can just nurse her. Is she taking other baby foods at this point? any cereals? When is Dad home? Can he ever give a bottle when he is home? or is it inconsistent (when he is home from work--or is he away)? If you don't have anyone to help you or take over for you, sometimes just nursing is the easier thing to do. A lot of moms say they want someone to help. Unfortunately, moms end up doing most of the caregiving with babies and children. So, you have to do what is easier for you. If you do have someone available to help out, you can have them try to give the bottle. You could also try facing the baby away from you with a bottle or some babies will take a sippy cup, but not a bottle. Try to use the time that you are nursing so that you can also do something for you at the same time. Maybe watch tv, read a magazine or listen to something on the radio. There are some great podcasts on the la leche league web site and on itunes-- called mommy's milk (in family and children section) if you have a computer you can listen to any of these on your computer.
You have what it takes to take care of her right within you! Keep nursing as much as you can! Enjoy your beautiful girl!
M.

I know your pain. It is so difficult getting them to take a bottle. I started a lot earlier than you are, and from what I have read, it is best that you keep trying now and don't put it off any longer. The secret in the end for us was the Playtex drop-ins system latex nipples. We tried several other kinds of nipples before that, even the ones shaped like a pacifier. The baby (now 5 mo) still cries for dad with the bottle, but never for the daycare person, who is who figured out this kind of bottle in the first place. You could also try having a friend or neighbor try the bottle and you leave the house. That would help the baby get used to having to eat another way, and she would know that she couldn't just nurse. If you just go to a near-by café or something, you could feel like you're close enough to rescue them from an emergency. Good luck. It is difficult. It is so hard to make the baby cry when you could just nurse... Congrats and take care.

Why go to the bottle? Try giving her your milk in a cup. It may take a bit longer, but it'll work. It'll be one less thing to wean from later.

In an ideal world, you wouldn't have to teach your daughter to take a bottle, but if you are going away, she's going to have to be able to eat, so she's going to have to learn something new. People generally don't like being forced to do new things, and babies express their displeasure by crying. You aren't torturing her, so please don't feel guilty. If you get wickedly stressed, that is going to make things worse.

A couple of suggestions: try getting her to take the bottle before she's really hungry, so about an hour or so after you nurse her. Then she can play with the bottle a little before she's so hungry she's hysterical. If you can get her to drink from the bottle at all, reward her by nursing her. Then she learns that she gets what she really wants after "giving in" a little bit.

If she just screams when you put the bottle in her mouth, try putting a little sugar water in instead of breastmilk (One tablespoon of sugar in about 2 oz of water). A tiny bit of sugar won't hurt her at all at this point, and it might be interesting/yummy enough she's willing to suck to get more. Do that a couple of times in a row so she learns how to suck on the bottle and she might be more willing to eat from it too.

Finally, I would do this for every feeding. So: nurse her, a little while later try the bottle, and give it a good try, if she's not interested, put her down and stop trying for a while. When she's hungry again, nurse her enough so she's full but not so she's stuffed, wait just a little while, try the bottle again, etc.

I obviously can't promise that any of this will work, but persistence really is key.

Finally, - is she eating solids? If she really won't take the bottle and you are in a time crunch because you are going away soon, she will be fine on solids for a couple of days. Breastmilk/formula can be mixed in with cereal/fruits and veggies, etc.

Good luck!

Hi S.,
You've probably already heard this, but just in case...
My advice is to continue breastfeeding during the day and have your husband or someone else bottle feed her at first. Eventually, it is likely she will take the bottle from you, but, for now, she wants what she's used to.
Hope that helps,
N.

How are you holding her? Try placing her back to your front. Basically, away from your chest. That way she can't see your chest or smell you. It's a less bonding position but it works for what your trying to do. Also, can you try having someone else(friend, neighbor) start this process with one bottle a day. You can be in the next room and if she still doesn't take the bottle you can then come in and feed her. Also, it doesn't need to be done during the day. If dad is home at night, try it then. She may be so groggy at night that she is less paticular where the food is coming from.
Hang in there!

Keep persevering! My second cried a lot when taking the bottle initially and did not eat the same amount as when he was nursing, but we just kept at it and now he is an old pro. With both boys, we tried every type of bottle to find what worked best for each. Both boys prefered different nipples, so you also might try that. They will eat if they are hungry enough. Good luck!

I nursed my twins until 14 months old and I had the same issue going to a bottle. I would suggest (if you aren't already) to pump milk and give her your milk in the bottle instead of formula at least in the begining. Also, try different kinds of niples and bottles. She is used to your breast and it is going to take some time for her to ajust. Good luck and best wishes!

Hi,
Definitely nurse your baby if she won't take the bottle! Don't go all day without feeding her, that simply is not an acceptable way to get her to take the bottle - sounds like you got some bad advice.

Try holding her in different positions - other than how you nurse her. Try lots of different bottles - some babies have a definite preference. My breast-fed daughter likes the Playtex premium nurser (drop-ins) the best. They are a lot like the breast - she takes them WAY better than Avent! She only gets a bottle every few days or so and she does really well with them. I've heard lots of nursing Moms say the Playtex bottles worked the best.

Try starting to feed her the bottle when shes not starving. Bedtime is a good feeding to start with, then if she starts taking that bottle, start offering it to her at other feedings If possible, have someone else/Dad give the bottle at first - some babies will never take a bottle from Mommy, but will take it easily from someone else. Just keep trying it with her everyday -0 it may take some time, just be patient. If she starts really screaming - just nurse her - she needs to eat and should n ot go a full day without.

You can try a sippy cup - Nuby makes a silicone nippled sippy that is nice and soft - much easier for my 6mo to use/start with. You may have luck with that.

Best of luck to you!!!

Have you tried a different nipple? We used Playtex latex nipples fast flow and he seemed to like them best. It took two weeks for him to start taking a bottle. Also try different formulas. The one we ended up using was enfamil and he liked his formula cool or room temperature, not warm water. Just keep trying different things ... even a soft sippy cup.

I too had problems getting my daughter to accept bottle feeding.... What kind of bottle are you using? Sometimes you have to try a million different bottles/nipples(expensive - I know). I had success with Gerber Comfort Latch bottles & nipples. I had to order them direct from gerber (you can check them out on their website) ... if you try these they all have really fast flows ... so get the slow flow nipple because it is like a medium flow (which is appropriate for a 6 mos - but at 15 mos my daughter still prefers the medium flow... I think it is similar to my flow of BM).
I really dont recomend just letting her cry all day to get her to accept a bottle. I would definately nurse her in that case... you dont want to risk dehydration.
Start with one feeding a day and offer a bottle. Her least favorite feedings. I would avoid nap time nursings until she accepts the bottle. Also... wait until she is hungry, then offer it.
Definately offer it everyday.
Good luck, it wasnt until my daughter went to day care full time that she accepted a bottle!

My husband travels every second week, so him giving our six month old daughter a bottle regularly was not feasible, plus we have just moved here from overseas, so no family or friends around to help.

I found this worked for me, being on my own a lot:
Breast feed half a feed first, then try a bottle to finish up (not the other way around or she'll learn that crying stops the bottle and gets her the breast!) Warmed bottle helped so it was tepid like breastmilk. I used only formula in the bottle rather than breast milk at first so she understood the bottle was something different. Once she started taking the formula bottle, I switched it to breast milk. I fed her the bottle with her lying down on a pillow (not the boppy) and I did this on the floor rug rather than the couch where I breastfeed so it was a totally different environment and I sang to her and shook toys in front of her to entertain her and she didn't seem to realise she was taking the bottle. She only took a little a first, but now she takes the whole bottle and I've been able to drop that breastfeed.
Good luck

hi S.,
i have the same problem with my son. he REFUSES formula. i have found that if you pump your milk and put in 1 oz of formula at a time in with the breast milk and then gradually increase the formula mix and decrease the breast milk that she should begin to acquire a taste for formula. hope that helps.

My daughter is now two years (25 months). I breastfed her exclusively until she was 6 weeks. At that time I was pumping regularly in the morning after the first breast feed because that is when you are most full. I was stocking up well in the freezer. We used the Playtex bottles with the drop-in liners. They worked great.

My advice is to start with one feeding a day. Since my husband can't breast feed and he works all day, we did it with the bedtime feeding. That way I could have a break and he could then do the bedtime routine of putting her to bed and spending time with her. If I were you I wouldn't take the breast away at all feedings just yet. Let her get comfortable with one feeding on a bottle.

Yes, don't give in, but by only starting with one feeding you are also not denying her food at any other time of the day. Once she takes to the bottle and is comfortable then you can start introducing it at other feedings. Just pick one to start. She might be surprised at first when you offer it at another feeding, but if she's used to taking it another time of the day she'll eventually adapt. That's my best advice. It may take awhile, but stay consistent. She'll learn. I remember it was a tough few days at bedtime when we started a bottle until she learned that the bottle was ok. But I started at a younger age than you with a bottle.

Also, your daughter is just about at the age where you will be introducing a sippy cup. Since she is six months if a bottle isn't successful at all it doesn't hurt to try a sippy cup -- if your doctor has given you the go ahead to introduce it, of course. But it's a learning curve with that too, and the fluid comes out very quickly... they have to learn control pretty fast. I know a few moms who put the breast milk/formula in the sippy cup and never used a bottle again. My daughter, though, refused breast milk/formula in a sippy cup. She had to have a bottle or a breast for that. Again, check with your doctor.

Good luck!

- Jeannie W.

S.,

When my son turned 3 months (he's 5 months now), I started attempting to bottle feed him (with breast milk) for times when I might have to be away from him. It was difficult because I am alone with him most days (and some nights) and my husband was a bit reluctant to bottle feed (due to the baby gagging/crying).

I tried to bottle feed him when he was really hungry (too hysterical), when he wasn't (uninterested), having him face away from me, as well as placing him on the boppy and I reached over the couch (so he wouldn't smell my milk).

Just like introducing anything new, it just takes time. I would suggest offering your baby 2 ounces or so (too minimize waste) once or twice a day. She may play with the bottle and/or out right refuse it and that's okay. She'll get used to it in time, just try not to stress. In my case, my son started to accept the bottle and then I would let him nurse if he was still hungry. Sometimes he was inconsistent (taking the bottle one day and not the next). Now, when he has a bottle (which is rare), I just bring him up to my chest like I'm going to breastfeed and give him the bottle. Two things that surprised me through this process that you may or may not find interesting:
1. My son takes the bottle better from me than my husband!
2. He's more of a slow poke eater when he's given the bottle (burp often by the way) than when he's nursing.

I hope this helps. Hang in there, it will happen. I can't give you a time frame for when my son started bottle feeding because he was hospitalized (with RSV) and I stopped trying until he was healthy again. But a month seems like plenty of time to accomplish your goal. Good luck!

What a smart baby you have! She would rather have Mom than an artificial bottle. For that, be thankful. Some babies never end up taking the bottle, you can cup feed her or syringe feed her so that she gets the milk. If Dad can't give the bottle, and she won't take it from you, that would be the best choice. If the nursing/feedings are going well and you simply want to introduce the bottle, that is fine. If it isn't broken, don't fix it theory comes to my mind. If you are doing all of this to make the few days in June go easier for a sitter, I would say it is not worth the aggrivation and fusteration. Only you can decide that. I would suggest trying different types of bottles/nipples and try to hold the bottle very near your breast, and try it when she is sleepy and may simply give up fighting.... Again, I would rather not go through this torture and let your sitter offer her the cup feeding or even bottle. She very well may take the bottle from someone other than you, have Dad practice and you leave the room and see what happens. ALso it is important to leave something of you behind when you leave her, like a night shirt you sleep in so that she has your smell. Good luck, your daughter sounds like a smart one! -P. Pace

ive got to agree. trying to force her to take the bottle isn't always going to work. try introducing it when she is happy as something to play with. skip the sugar water and maybe try some very dilluted juice(then again juice is a lot of sugar too)
or
you could always try giving her your milk in a sippy cup?

Hi! I too had a difficult time getting my son to take a bottle. I had to go back to work when he was 16 weeks old and he needed to learn how to take a bottle for daycare. He would never take the bottle from me or my husband no matter how hard we tried. He would take it from my mother and eventually from the daycare provider. My suggestion is for you to nurse your baby when she needs to eat and have someone else try to give her a bottle. Don't wait until she is starving. Give her fresh breast milk if you can (I swear my baby knew the difference). Your baby will learn. Give it time and don't give up!

Oh dear, please don't do that again :( I don't know who told you that's how you get a baby to take a bottle, but that person was wrong. It's incredibly cruel to the baby :(

Getting a baby to take a bottle is a tricky thing, it's not guaranteed, and it should be approached with kindness and love. Offer her a play bottle between meals. When dad is home, let him try to give her a bottle of expressed breast milk.

Some babies simply don't take bottles. My daughter never did, and she didn't eat solids before her first birthday either. My third baby took a bottle for a few months, but won't now. He's nine months old now, and when I need to get out of the house, daddy tides him over with solid food and baby yogurt.

I too had a difficult time switching to a bottle w/ my 1st child. She would NOT take it no matter who tried to feed her.

I simply started her on a sippy cup when I couldn't nurse her. She didn't mind that at all although it took a little while for her to figure it out.