How Do I Bottle-feed My 2 Month Old??

Updated on February 27, 2008
C.R. asks from Magnolia, TX
6 answers

i have a 2 month old daughter who has been breastfeeding. i was trying to give her a bottle here and there so that if i need to leave her with my husband any time she will be able to eat. she has begun to refuse the bottle and will not take it at all. i don't know what to do because i cannot leave her at all since she will not eat. when i try to give her the bottle she gets so angry and gags on the nipple. she will cry and cry until i give up and nurse her. it's not that i have to give her the bottle, it's just if i ever want to leave my house alone it's something i have to do. how do you convince an infant to take the bottle when they want to nurse? does anybody have any suggestions or ideas for me?? (i have tried the playtex drop-ins nipples and just the regular basic nipple.)

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So What Happened?

thank you everybody that responded to my question. i'm going to try to leave the house and have my husband give her the bottle. i know she's not going to be a happy camper but i've realized that it will take time and hopefully she'll get the hang of it. thanks again!!

More Answers

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J.R.

answers from Austin on

The only way most of my kids would take a bottle was if I wasn't around, and definitely not if I offered it!!

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C.W.

answers from San Antonio on

Have you tried using different nipples? My daughter had a hard time with the Drop Ins nipples because they were just too big for her. She does well with some of the smaller ones, specifically the vent air nipples (I think they are made by either Playtex or Gerber.) Sometimes it is just a matter of trial and error. Also try different flow nipples; slow flow can be different from brand to brand. Hope this helps!

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A.L.

answers from Beaumont on

They say that the Avent nipples are closest shape to the breast. Also, is she getting breast milk or formula? She may not like the formula and/or the breast milk may not be warm enough. (Son is 9 months and won't eat the formula unless it's warm.) Also be sure you have the slowest flow nipple so it doesn't come out too fast. Just be very prudent when it comes to the bottle, I gave 4 month old son bottle too many times and he came to prefer it. He weaned at 4.5 months. I was very strict about not using the bottle very much with daughter and she didn't wean until 11 months. So once she gets used to it, only use it when you REALLY have to go somewhere, and you can't stop in , feed her, and continue on. I did that a lot- ran a few errands, stopped in and fed her at Grandma's, then went back out and finished errands. With son I left him with breastmilk and bottle for longer periods and he started to prefer it.

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M.W.

answers from Houston on

I have been lucky that my 4 month old son is not picky. He will take formula or my milk from a bottle but not if I try to give him the bottle. On occasion he will take one from me, but he looks at me like I've lost my mind. I would suggest you find a time on the weekend maybe and leave her with Daddy for a bit. Maybe a time when you know she will be hungry but not famished (you don't want to torture them). Go for a walk or get a coffee and have about an hours "me" time and see if he can feed her. Once he can get her to take one (and you may have to buy one of every kind of bottle and nipple they make and test them all on her), I would have him give her a bottle regularly -at least a couple of times a week. My son will not go to sleep taking a bottle from my husband, so he takes him and feeds him a 6pm bottle almost every night. That gives them some time together and I can cook dinner easily. And see if he can cuddle her kind of like you do when he feeds her. I will warn you, though, that a friend of mine never git her daughter to take a bottle. She went directly from breast to cup and was exclusively breast fed for the first 9 mos or so. Good luck!

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B.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Has your dh try? This is what we had to do b/c my baby would smell me from anywhere in the house. I had to leave. You may have to continue bf for a few months and try again later when she's on solids. gl
BTW I finally cut my baby cold turkey at about 13 months b/c I was so tired. She adaptive well b/c she was eating baby and table foods.

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L.S.

answers from Houston on

I have a 3 month old and like the other mom that responded, she is not picky, I have actually had the opposite problem in the fact that my daughter loves the bottle more than the breast. But I do have a 16 month old and she kinda had the same problem you have. I waited until she was really hungry. Then I gave the bottle to someone else and I left. If you are around, your baby will smell you and know you are there. If he/she still has a problem, then keep trying. Also, for a side note, check to make sure the nipple is a slow nipple, they make slow and fast. I was trying to give my oldest a fast nipple at 3 months and was wondering why she was gagging. I was pretty much drowning her. Not really but you know what I mean, the flow was more than she was used to. I hope this helps some.

L. S.
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