Breastfeeding to Bottle Feeding

Switching from the breast to a bottle is a difficult transition for a newborn. your best bet is to first of all have someone else feed the bottle. You feeding the breast and the bottle will only confuse your daughter. Also since she is likely to cry a good deal this might be a good time for you to run some errands, get out of the house and take a break! It may take a few tries and a few days but she won't starve because of missing a feeding or two. Just be patient and eventually she will figure out that both contain food.
Good luck!!

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There are a lot of suggestions, but I didn't see trying a non bottle method. You can have someone feed her with something else, as she's 5 weeks it won't take much, to get her used to getting food from another source. At 5 weeks she is still developing and making natural breastfeeding, so using something else might give you less problems down the road too. I personally used a syringe and finger fed, but I've heard of using a spoon or a cup or whatever you think might work. Remember, people didn't used to have these sorts of things, and just because they are there doesn't mean that is the best way for your baby right now. Sometimes as moms we really have to think outside the box. I also highly second the trying every day, it is something that takes practice, it's a learned skill, they use their tongues completely differently for a bottle than they do for a breast (which is why finger feeding worked for us, it feels the same and uses the same motion for them). Finally, I will say if none of the things people have suggested help you, call your local La Leche League leader or go to a meeting (especially an evening one with working moms). They have tons of experience with working moms and moms who just want to use a bottle sometimes. There might be some suggestions there that you won't see anywhere else, and if nothing else, it is incredible support!

K.

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I don't necessarily have a solution, but maybe some words of encouragement.
It seems to me that some babies are just more prone or able to take a bottle. My three boys were exclusively breastfed, but I tried to get them to take a bottle for babysitters, or other necessary occasions. My first did great, second did not and probably only had around 5 bottles his entire first year, and my third has had only 2 bottles (he's only 12 weeks), but he takes one easily. That being said, I think if we had worked at getting him used to it, my second child would have eventually taken the bottle well. It just wasn't worth the effort for me.
Perhaps in a few weeks she will take it better. I tried my littlest one's first bottle around 7 or 8 weeks. However, continuing to try may help her learn to take it, just as when you start feeding solids, it usually takes about a week or two (at least it did for mine) of daily attempts until they really get the idea of how to eat off a spoon.
I think at five weeks, it's possible she may still be building her latching on and sucking skills. So, if the bottle suggested by someone else doesn't work, or you don't want to keep putting out money on different types of bottles, I think continuing to try a bottle once a day or more will get her used to it.
Another thought is that if you are trying the bottle when she is ready to eat and very hungry, maybe she gets frustrated trying to learn this new skill. Maybe if you stopped halfway through breastfeeding to try the bottle she would be more relaxed and able to try it.

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Try the Breast Flow bottle. It was the only bottle my daughter would take--but she took it immediately. You can buy them at Babys 'R Us.

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My first son would only use plain old regular nipples ( I have Evenflo brand ) and the Avent Naturally nipples. I'm nt sure I'd not feed her when its time for her feeding at this young age, but maybe try offering her a bottle after she's started breastfeeding? Good luck.

My Daughter loved Avent bottles...I did too, they are easy to clean because they have a larger mouth. The nipple is more natural shaped and soft.

Each child is different, but just keep trying. I thought both of my children would never switch over, but then afterwards I thought I'd never get them off! haha. So the biggestest suggestion is to keep trying and try not to get frustrated. With my daughter I remember I had to make it really warm, almost hot, for her to take it. Then I would also suggest using the Playtex bottles and squeezing the liner so some milk goes in her mouth. She may not know what the bottle is for. Also, you may have already tried this, but have someone else give her the bottle. She knows that you are the source of her food, so when you try to give her something else she knows better :)

Try using a nipple with the smallest hole possible. I think I used Dr. Brown bottles with size 1 nipples. Also, have someone else besides you try feeding her as upright as possible, sitting up with her back against their chest as opposed to cradled in their arms. With breastfeeding, she may be used to the milk only coming out with each suck. With a bottle, the milk just drips continuously with gravity and each suck she takes might be giving her more than she's used to. Using a smaller hole and using a position so the bottle isn't dripping milk down continuously may help to mimic the breastfeeding flow.

My daughter was really stubborn & tricky. I introduced the bottle when she was about 5 weeks also, but it seemed like months before I was able to feed her from a bottle. At first I had to leave the room completely while my husband fed her. Then after a few weeks, I could be in the same room, but I couldn't talk or make any noise. Then eventually I was able to feed her a bottle when we were out & about. It took some time & patience, but she got the hang of it and we never had to change to formula. Also, the only two nipples that she liked were the Medela ortho nipples and the Nuk latex nipples (both slow flow). Good luck and enjoy this phase of your baby's life, no matter how stressful it may seem at times.

It sounds like you have gotten some great ideas. As a childcare provider I just want to encourage all of you to tell all new moms to introduce the bottle from the start. If I get the chance to talk to a mom that is pregnant and planning to nurse and go back to work I try to remember to tell them this. I've been a provider trying desperately to get some 3-5 month old babies to eat and listened to nothing but 6-8 hours of solid hungry screaming for up to 2-3 days before the bottle was taken. It breaks your heart and your ears and your nerves! :)

Goodluck I bet anything that having someone else do it with formula would work.

S.

If you are not opposed to using formula, you might want to try to introduce that in bottle instead. I have of children who wouldn't take mama's milk out of anything besides mama. However, they were fine switch hitters between a formula bottle and mama. I was fortunate that Jack didn't seem to mind. We introduced him to the nipple at 3 weeks with the bottle called, Adiri natural nurser. They were expensive, but we did find it to work. He eventually switched to the cheap ole gerber bottles. I had orginally picked them up b/c they worked with my pump, but decided to give them a try and he liked them fine! Good luck!

There is a new product out there that is a nipple guard-it is a rubbery type item with a cut out for the baby's nose and it protects "your" nipple from rubbing. It also has the texture of a bottle nipple-you may get the message to the baby with this item. At least it is worth a try.

My oldest son only breastfed for one month before I dried up. I used Avent bottles (with the wide nipple) to teach him how to latch on (since he was a preemie & had never learned to latch on before I used the Avent). You could try the Avent since your baby wants to latch on like breastfeeding.
To introduce formula (if you are going to use it) you can use a syringe with a thin long tube & tape it to your breast so when your baby nurses He/She also gets a taste of formula.

God bless!

It helps if you aren't the one feeding the bottle because they know you have the good stuff. I used Avent bottles and both of my kids used those great.

Neither of my kids would take breastmilk from a bottle. They would however take a bottle with formula in it.

Just keep trying and don't give. You will find out what works best for you and your baby!

I just want to encourage you to NOT GIVE UP ON THE BOTTLE!!! My first was the same way, and I pretty much couldn't leave him for more than a couple hours at a time because I was the only one he'd eat from. I'm a SAHM, so it was feasible, but didn't allow me much of a break for a whole year. The longest Iet him go was 9 hours without eating, but he was a stubborn little guy! :) With my second, I introduced the bottle at 3 weeks and now make sure to give him a bottle every few days so he remembers it (I'm still breastfeeding though).

Some ideas to try (which have probably already been mentioned ~ I didn't read all your replies): Keep trying different bottles and nipples. Put sugar water on the nipple so that she'll try to suck on it. Get it a little warmer (mine likes it pretty warm, but obviously not too hot!). Feed it to her in a bouncy seat or swing so she doesn't associate it with nursing. Have other people feed it to her and leave the room (it's amazing how in tune they are to your presence). Keep giving it to her even if she fusses. My second one will play with it for awhile but eventually start eating. It may take awhile (the longest we went was 45 minutes but that got better fast) but it's totally worth it in the end.

Good luck and keep trying! :)

T., I do in home day-care and have had this issue. You are doing the right thing trying the different bottles. Is someone else giving her the bottle, your husband, grandma, a neighbor. Babys are smart little things, if she knows her food source is around, why would she take that plastic thing? Are you giving her pumped breast milk or formula? My suggestion is keep trying to have someone else feed her. Leave the house when you know she'll be ready to eat. The best bottle I've found is the Playtex, sometimes you have to go to a little faster flow nipple.

Good Luck.

M.

I can tell you from experience of number four child not being willing to try the bottle at this age (I didn't have the heart to fasting her very long to get her to take it), that if it is not an absolute necessity, this may be a battle not worth fighting. The baby will either take it, or there will be too many tears, and a very unhappy baby. Some will take it a little later, like 5 mos like my son did, so just keep trying it in a gentle way every 3-4 weeks.

Just a suggestion but you might try using Preemie Nipples. I breast fed both my boys and when my milk started drying up I had to switch them to the bottle. They didn't know how to suck on the regular nipples so my Dr suggested using the Preemies, they are shorter more like Mama's. It worked!!

T., congratulations to you on your efforts to continue breastfeeding. Some babies who are breastfed do well with cup feeding. For instructions see the bottom section of the following: http://www.helid.desastres.net/?e=d-010who--000--1-0--010...

Hope this helps!