Breastfed Baby Won't Take a Bottle

Hi J.,

I have 3 kids, 1 of which is only 8 mos old. I had to switch her to formula due to me getting pregnant & losing my milk. When I switched her, I used the slow flow, vent air platex bottles with the wide nipples. That way it is more like the breast. She refused it a few times, since she wanted the breast, but she eventually took it. If you haven't tried that, maybe you should. If you have, all I can say is to try, try again. She will eat if she's hungry enough. Good luck!

One thing you might want to try is using a nipple shield while you breastfeed. It is made of silicone like the bottle nipples and your daughter may be reacting to the material. I had to use a shield for the first four months of breastfeeding my daughter due to latch issues. During that time she would take bottles of expressed milk periodically. Once we started nursing without the shield, all she wanted was the real deal! Also we had more luck with the Nuk bottles that had the same nipple shape as the pacifiers she occassionally used. Good luck!

Advice I heard from a long time LLL leader/lactation consultant:

Have the baby with his back to your belly facing out. Bring the bottle around and rub the nipple by his cheek. When he instinctively roots, pop it in his mouth and tip it up. Mom should not be anywhere near and you should try when the baby is not hungry, but not full.

I haven't tried it, but I figure she has to know what she's talking about.

If you are around, baby may hold out for you. At 3 months, baby is likely aware that you are there, even if you are not in the same room.

My baby will only take a bottle if she is good and hungry and then will only drink enough to take the edge off.

It is pretty normal, she just prefers fresh milk at the breast. It is not an indication that she won't take it if she is hungry.

Baby can also be started on a sippy (Born Free Trainer Cup is easy to suck on). I always used the Medela bottles and nipples. My baby HATES the playtex vent-aires. Both the Born Free and Medela are BPA-Free. I don't remember about the Playtex as she doesn't use them anyway.

My pediatrician recommended a bottle weekly to keep baby familiar, but as your baby does this, I don't think you are going to have a problem.

my dd who is 22 months only would take 1 bottle in her whole life either and we tried LOTS of different bottles and nipples then finally gave up and while she was real little I just couldn't be away from her for more than a few hours at time, it was a bit inconvenient at times but it passes :) Some other moms were talking about this and one suggested a special kind of bottle that is just for breastfed infants...its called Adiri and is available on amazon.com. Good luck to you!

I used Born Free bottles with my son. They have different nipples for different ages and they are BPA free, and he has never had a problem with gas or burping up.

The First Years makes a bottle called BreastFlow, which worked beautifully for us. At 3months, you should stick with slow flow to avoid choking her.

If it were me, I'd wait until she's really hungry, leave and have my husband feed her. If she knows you're around, she'll hold off. What she wants at this age is not just nutrition, but the comfort of her mommy.

Hi J. I breastfed all three of my children. I did the breast and the bottle for the older two and went well, but the younger on was diffuclt. What I did was, I kept expressing my milk and didn't give her the breast until she took to the bottle. I hope it goes well for you and keep breast feedng her your doing a good job. J.

I had the same problem with my now 9.5 mth old baby girl. Like you noted, my baby occationally took a botlle early on, but then just started refusing them when she hit about 2-2.5 mths. Also, my flow was fast, but that didn't translate into her taking fast flow nipples. She refused every bottle/nipple combo I tried--and I tried just about all of them. I finally got her to latch on to the Playtex dropins RUBBER slow flow nipple ( the brown ones). It took her some time before she'd drink a full bottle. I just gave her 1-2 oz at a time in preparation for daycare. I have to warn you, the first few days she was in daycare, she didn't really drink much--she's very stubborn. But by the end of the first week, she was taking bottles of about 3 oz. My tips: try to get off early for the first few days to nurse her because she's not likely to drink much from the bottle; don't waste a lot of milk initially--send multiple 3 oz bottles until she gets the hang of drinking from them then step up the ammount gradually; warn the daycare provider so they know their are going to have to work with her; and once she starts taking the bottle, maintain the bottle schedule on days she's not in daycare--at least for the first few weeks. Good luck and know my baby survived this transition and is doing well!

I have one idea... Believe it or not, a little baby can take milk/formula from a cup (like a medicine cup or shot glass). Have another adult give it to her this way at a couple of feedings and see if she gets used to another adult, then transition to a bottle. It is a little messy, but do-able. This is what I did with the advice of a lactation consultant when my milk was slow.

I also would use a rapid flow nipple so she gets some without much effort. Also try a dropper or cup to get some milk in her mouth and then sneak the bottle in.

I doubt it is the brand or style of bottle or nipple at this point, but it's the mere fact that you are not nursing and she is angry about it. Just leave the room and let someone else try. I know it is hard when she is so little, but eventually she will drink if she is hungry. I don't like pacifiers, but it might be called for here so she doesn't get hysterical while you are trying the bottle.

Hi J.,

Don't worry. Everything will happen in it's own time the right way.

Call a lactation consultant at ###-###-#### at Chesapeake General Hospital Women's Health center

or La Leche League of Tidewater at ###-###-#### or 1-800-525-3243

Hope this helps. Good luck D.

Have you tried leaving the house shortly after nursing her and then let dad play and hold her or put her to sleep so she knows he is there and then have him offer her a bottle a little bit later before she is starving and you aren't around and she hasn't even heard your voice or your footsteps. My son didn't have a problem taking the bottle if I wasn't around but somehow he knew if I was around that I would nurse him and if he thought there was any chance of that he would refuse the bottle too. I think babies at that age know more than we realize. I had to go back to work when he was 6 weeks old. Good luck.

It sounds like you are doing everything right -- I'd just keep on trying to let Dad give her a bottle (Maybe have him feed her first thing in the morning when she is probably really hungry and make sure you are nowhere near by). I went through this off and on with my son. He wasn't crazy about taking a bottle from his Dad when I was around, but when I went back to work, he took the bottle just fine from the babysitter. Then a few months later he started refusing the bottle again and I panicked, but then a short while later he took the bottle just fine. I've tried all different types of bottles, cups you name it, but my kid has just gone through some stages.

Good luck.

Same thing happened to me. I was told I should give him a bottle 1 time each day, but just way easier to breastfeed. When he started refusing (the little ones get smart very fast!) I started offering a bottle for one feeding each day. I would just be persistant. It seems cruel to not offer the breast when you know he is hungry and won't take a bottle, but if you don't have it in you to call the shots now as a parent when will he stop being cute enough for you to take over? It'll never happen! When he refuses the bottle don't offer the breast. If he skips an entire feeding then fine. You won't hurt him. You will hurt more than he does! I also utilized my hubby or friends whenever possible. I would actually go outside. That baby can smell you up to 20 feet away!!! Eventually your milk supply will drop enough to frustrate him during feedings and he will make the connection between the bottle and being satiated. I also mixed expressed milk with formula in the begining. Good Luck! It will work out and remind yourelf when you want to cry, "This too shall pass."

The USA is stupid when it comes to baby care. Other nations allow mothers a one year leave for having a baby because they realize how important it is for the child's health and security to nurse at the breast of his mother. In a way your baby is smart to refuse the bottle. Is there any chance you can stay home a few months longer? Breast is best for at least 6 months. AF