Help with Getting 4 Month Old to Take a Bottle

Hi there, I had exactly the same problem and Adiri worked for us. He absolutely loves it and it is a great transition bottle. My 5 month old gets so excited now when he sees it.

Try soaking the nipples in breastmilk over night to make them taste and smell better. My 8 month old son won't accept hard nipples, only the soft "standard flow" ones designed for newborns.
N.

My son was also breastfed and the only bottles he liked were the Playtex natural latch latex nipples. The silicone ones didn't work as well for him, I think because they are harder and don't stretch like a nipple would. Good luck to you!

My daughter refused a bottle until about 6 months old. I spent a ton of $$ trying out different bottles/nipples. I tried some advise from a friend. I layed her on the floor proped up with a boppy pillow. I sat behind her and held the bottle for her which she finally started to hold on her own. Not sure if this will help, but it's worth a try. Good Luck!

Hi J.,
I used Adrini for my son for about 4 weeks until he would take Dr. Brown's bottles. They worked extremely well because they are the closest thing to the breast that I have found. Google Adrini because they are expensive bottles but some websites have them for significantly cheaper than others. Good luck!

The only bottles my kids would take were Avent.

J.:

I have seen a number of families to assist with this. Interestingly there has always been a reason for this behavior and once we were able to sort it out the babies took a bottle.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

WE used platex bottles. I have also heard of children who will not take a bottle from mom. A friend of mine had to leave for the weekend in order for her baby to take a bottle at all. This may be something you could try.

Hi J.,

Also try leaving the house while someone else feeds your son -he knows if you're there. Our first never took a bottle...we tried everything..I think I waited too long to introduce one. Once she was around 6 months we got her to take a sippy cup with handles and I would put my milk in there.

Good luck!

If it is possible, in addition to trying different bottles and nipples you also might try sending someone else in with the bottle.

We use the Playtex bottles as well. At 5 weeks, my Mom gave my son (who is now 5 months old) his first bottle, and he took it like he has always had a bottle. I was in the room, silent..and amazed how well he took it. He actually seems to get more milk via bottles than from me.

We tried every bottle we could get our hands on, and our son kept rejecting them. It turned out to be a temperature issue. He would not take anything below body temp. Good luck!

I just wanted to wish you luck. We had the same problem with my daughter and she never did take to a bottle but she finally did take a sippy cup. However she was at about 7 months at the time. Since I was a SHM until then, we never used bottles - which was probably our problem. I know it is frustrating - just hang in there. Things will work themselves out.

We never had an issue with a bottle, but the only pacifier our daughter ever would take was a soothie. They also make bottles out of it. It is more like the breast. Here's also a bottle that I always thought would be great if she fought the bottle and the lacation consultant thought that it was neat too.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2409201 - It's from First Years and it is made with breastfeeding babies in mind for being able to go back and forth.

I hope that you can find one. I think the idea of having someone else give a bottle is a good one, another thing is to make sure that they aren't sitting in the chair that you nurse in b/c that's what he'll want.

H.

I had the same problem with my daughter. I tried several different types of bottles. FINALLY found one that she would take. Playtex Nurser System, they took the plastic liner inserts and had a wide nipple. These were a life saver for us. I definitely recommend them.