Breastfeeding and Bottles - Pittsburgh,PA

My daughter was very, very stubborn - even for a 4 month old when she started daycare. Even the ladies in the infant room said they had never seen a baby so stubborn - she wouldn't cry UNLESS they TRIED to FEED HER! I tried every bottle I could think of!

You have a couple of extra options I didn't have at the time. At Babies R Us they have a bottle that looks a lot like a breast called Tommee Tippee that I'd give a try. Also, try Playtex bottles - they offer a variety of nipples and in the end the bottle my daughter FINALLY took was the original Playtex bottles with the flat topped brown nipples. I did notice that the nipples are now round on top. I *think* what she liked about the nipples was that 1) They had a flexing in/out motion when she sucked on them and 2) they were softer and more flexible than any clear nipple I ever found. Hopefully the new Playtex round top nipples are still as flexible and provide the some in/out motion the flat topped ones did.

I ended up going to the daycare at lunch everyday to feed my daughter because she just refused to drink a bottle! Eventually I bought breast shields and forced her to nurse with those on my breast (which was a struggle for a while) but she finally caught on - after a lot of angry tears!

A few tips to help babies learn to take a bottle:

Try breast shields to get baby onto a bottle. The baby won't like it, but it can help them learn to take a bottle nipple.

Do NOT warm the bottle to the temperature that you would a normal bottle fed baby! Your breast milk is only "luke warm" so a bottle shouldn't be any different in temperature.

Make sure there is breast milk all over the nipple before they start to suck so they can taste it and smell it. Sometimes the "correct taste" will encourage them to try sucking on the nipple even if they don't like the way it feels.

IF you use any salve or lotion on your nipples and your baby is used to it, try putting the same thing on the bottle nipple.

I hope this helps you and I wish you luck!

1 mom found this helpful

You know, they say that the baby picks the bottle, not you... this rang true for my daughters, but my super high maitenance son was sooo different. We tried every bottle under the sun. Finally I got fed up, threw all of them out except the Dr. Browns bottles (which I hate bc they're a pain the the you-know-what, but they really are the best), and it was tough love for a while, but now my son finally has the hang of it. I went through the whole bitter bottle battle too. Just hang in there, read some of my previous posts regarding this bc I got a TON of useful advice, and stick with your guns. Your son will get it eventually. Try getting someone else to give him the bottle... I also used to pump first so there was nothing left in my breasts, so if I gave in and let him nurse, he'd know he still wasn't getting what he wanted, then he would finally go back to the bottle and eat happily. Good luck honey! I know it's tough, but he'll get it... and you'll both feel much better when he does :) Best wishes! OH, also, I got a really great email from a LC regarding switching to bottles, if you'd like it forwarded to you, let me know :)

Try BreastFlow, my son took to them right away. Also, have your husband try to give the bottle, not you. Leave the house (warning him that this might be a struggle) for about 30 minutes or so, so that your husband can give it a good effort, but so that he doesn't get overwhelmed if it doesn't work the first time. Or have your mom or a girlfriend try. Someone that is confident in trying may have more success. Good luck.

We also used Playtex drop ins. I know there are so many to choose from. Just get one at a time, and see if he takes it. I started with the Playtex drop ins because there are a few different nipples that will work with the one bottle, so I thought it would be easiest to experiment if I started there. Good luck!

I'm having the same issue, my son is 5 months and when he was still in the hospital he took a bottle effortlessly (we had to supplement with extra feedings because of jaundice, but still breastmilk) but now he acts like he has no idea what to do with it and just ends up with milk everywhere. I read somewhere, I thought it was on this site, about the Adiri bottle, which is really soft like your breast. I found one at Babies R Us and I'm actually going to try it today. I'll let you know how it goes!

I wish I could give you a definitive answer, but I think it is just babies preference. I breastfed all 3 of my kids. My first 2 (now 4 and 5) would only take a latex nipple - the brown ones. I assumed because they were softer and more boob-like than the silicone - clear ones. My third, which I am just now introducing to the bottle at 5 months, prefers the Born Free bottles. Unfortunately, I think you have to just keep trying until you find one he will take. Maybe if you go on the different manufacturer websites you could get some free samples.

We had a similar experience too! I found that my son was much more willing to try out the bottle when it was his idea--thus, one day it was on the table and he was sitting at the table in his high chair and he picked it up and put it in his mouth. He had been refusing it for weeks, but when he had control he liked it. We had Avent bottles, but I'm not sure it would have mattered.

Its not the bottles. Its the nipples. Unfortunately every kid is different (each of my boys liked different nipples). I recommend going to the store & buying one of each kind & trying them out. Also, have some one else feed him while you are out of the house. If he knows you are any where nearby, he will probably refuse. Finally, it unfortunately may not work for a while. I breast fed both my boys & neither of them was willing to take a bottle until about 9 months.
Good luck.

Hi J., I started using playtex when my oldest was about 2months old at the advice of my Doctor and used them forever after with my other two! I really like the nipples, the drop in liners (less air) and the ease of the system. You don't have to boil the nipples once you do it the first time, when your done with bottles you just throw the nipples away and store the bottles & caps so you can use them again for your next baby or even loan them to a friend! When you start your son on bottles you should have someone else give them to him when you are not in the room...it will be a bit easier. Best wishes

Rachel offers the best advice - purchase several different varieties and see which your son takes to best.

The hardest part for us was finding one that resembled my shape, but my son was 8 weeks old when I went back to work and didn't have a choice. My sister's daughter would only take to the latex Platex drop-ins.

Have you also tried having someone else give the bottle when you're not home? That worked best for us initially. Babies know their Mom's scent and may be confused. If someone else is offering (and you're nowhere near), the confusion may be eliminated.

Being able to take pumped breastmilk out with us to run errands vs. stopping and having to nurse certainly made life much easier. Good luck!

breastflow works really well for us but my baby won't take it if i'm at home.

at 6 months i would do a sippy cup if they refused a bottle, but try a cup that you can take the leak valve out. thats how i got my 6 onth olds to use a cup

I exclusively BF like you with the occassional bottle while we were out of the house. I'm one who is not comfortable BF in public. We used playtex drop ins with the silicone nipple. This worked best for us. We rarely used the bottle probably once every couple of weeks. I just scheduled the time I was going to be away or out of the house with baby right after a feeding so I didn't have to use it as often. I had no problem with myself feeding the bottle she didn't complain at all. I never understood that issue. And congrats to you for BF so long keep it up!

Have you seen the Adiri nurser? It is actually shaped like a breast (for real) and is supposed to help transition from breast to bottle. It's a L. pricey though. I used mostly Avent bottles with my first and Playtex nursers (the ones with the drop in liner) with my second, though she was such a piggie it really didn't matter to her what she was eating from, as long as she was getting fed! The adiri and the playtex, at least to me, most closely resemble a breast. Also, try having someone else (eg, dad, grandparent) give him the bottle, at least at first. He associates you with the boobs, and may refuse a substitue from you! Good luck!

My sister-in-law always used they platex nursers with the inserts. All three of her children were breastfed and she would use these bottles so my brother could help feed or when I would babysit. They seemed to work prety well. You squeeze the air out of the insert before feeding the baby so there isn't excess air. I think they still make those. My nieces and nephew are late teens now. Good luck.

Try the Breastflow bottles at Babies R Us. If they still make them.

I had the best luck w/ the old fashioned Playtex bottles w/ my breastfed babies. The nipple shape is very similar to that of a real breast.
There's also a Breast Bottle (which looks like a boob!) which we had great luck with with our son.--I believe that Babies R Us sells them.

Keep in mind that your son may be too "smart" to take any bottle & may hold off until you return so that he can have the real thing. If that's the case, don't worry! He won't starve! You could also try sippy cups or specialty products like "feeder cups", "finger feeders" or even spoons or medicine droppers.

Hope that helps! Congrats for still nursing, btw! That's awesome!!!!!!!!!

I have a 4 month old and we had a lot of trouble with her taking a bottle as well. I just recently tried the NUK brand, supposed to be shaped similar to the breast when they are nursing. She is doing great w/ it, its shorter and wider than a lot of other ones. I hope that helps and that you L. guy takes a bottle for you.