My Baby Won't Take a Bottle of Breast Milk

Taste the milk!!! We discovered when my daughter was about the same age that the milk tasted horrible and this is why she was refusing it. She too had taken a bottle with no problem when I pumped and had my husband feed her right away. I learned that my milk tasted sour in just a few hours after pumping because I guess I was making too much of an enzyme called lipase which breaks down fat and it made the milk taste bad. I began heating the milk until small bubbles formed and then cooled in fridge. Baby took the milk no problem. I did this for her whole first year after I went back to work. The milk is not actually bad- it just does not taste good. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

First of all, stick with ONE bottle. She will get confused, and will refuse to eat. She will eat if she is hungry enough, believe me......Just don't switch around the bottles.

Try giving her formula from a bottle, she relates the smell and taste of breast milk to you, I know there is so much taught and said about brest feeding, but it's a rear occassion to get an advice request about babies not taking the botle or not sleeping, from parents who bottle feed their babies, when you bottle feed dad can be involved, feeding a baby it's exclussively for the mom it's for both mom and dad. My advice to you is to see if your husband canget her to take formula froma bottle and go from there. J.

my daughter did the same thing at the same age (she's now 9 MO.) i was sing born free bottles and nipples, and thought she just had a bottle aversion. i finally tried medela with the medela bottles and she took to it after a few minutes. she is pretty much BF with a few bottle of expressed here and there when i need to go out. its the medela nipple i think that really saved me.

I can relate to you! My son, who is also three months old, started doing the same thing. It's been so frustrating. We finally found a pediatrician who listened to us. She took one look at our son and said he was allergic to milk (we are waiting for the results on the allergy test we did). Our son is formula fed, so we immediately switched formulas. It's only been 48 hrs, but what a difference. She also suggested playing soft music when we feed him, making sure the environment has very little stimuli. Our son had a touch of thrush, which makes eating somewhat painful, so he was prescribed special mouthwash. I think we will also try to rule out acid reflux, if this new formula doesn't help. I know you are breastfeeding, but maybe you can try eliminating dairy. hang in there, I know it's so hard, we have been suffering for the past month.

My 6.5 month old daughter just went through this as well. During her first few months, she would take a bottle fairly well because I was pumping pretty regularly. Now, it's been a few months since she's had a bottle and she absolutely refuses. She has the MAM pacifiers and we saw that they sell MAM bottles, where the nipple is just like the pacifier.

We bought one last week, and it worked!!! I would suggest trying to find a nipple shaped like her pacifier and see if that works. The other thing my mother tried with my daughter, was syringing some milk in at the same time as giving a bottle so she tastes the milk and attaches to the bottle, if that makes sense?

I hope this helps!

Well, at least she will take a bottle from you. Some babies don't even take a bottle from Mommy.

Now, it's just having her adjust to having a bottle from someone else. Sometimes, they say that because an infant knows Mommy via "smell" as well... that having a t-shirt that you wear often (not washed), and then give that t-shirt to the other person that you want to bottle feed your baby... may help.

Breastfeeding is arduous. Yes, babies feed sometimes even every hour, or they cluster feed. And during growth spurts, they are hungrier and need to feed more, and their intake increases too. So, maybe your girl is going through a growth-spurt right now as well... 3 months is a typical spurt time. Thus, if she is having a growth spurt, MAYBE that is why she will not take a bottle from anyone else right now. Perhaps, wait until a more opportune time to adjust her to a bottle from someone else. I don't know, maybe that may help.

For me, when I had to incorporate bottle feeding for my son... I used the "MAM" brand baby bottles... it's REALLY great. I love those bottles and my son had no problem transitioning to it. You can find it on www.amazon.com Just type in the search word "MAM baby bottle." It also has great reviews.

Have your Hubby keep trying... even if you are there, she can probably sense that Mommy is around.

If you supplement with formula for those occasions when you cannot be there to nurse her.. .just be aware that it can impact your breastmilk supply...lessening it. Especially if it becomes a habit. No matter what, breastmilk is supply and demand. Direct nursing is always best for keeping the milk going. And if she gets used to Formula... and prefers it... she may just want that, and will wean from breast. I learned that first hand- For example: with my son, there came a point where I had to supplement with formula... he had a voracious appetite even though I had enough milk for him... then, after a time.. . he just preferred formula and bottle feeding.. .and then he just didn't want to nurse anymore. Bottle drinking is just easier and goes by gravity...and it was quicker for him, and he just got used to the bottle. So there is that situation as well.

Until she adjusts to a bottle.. it may take time. Until then, you may need to adjust to that, shortening the time you are away. As she gets used to a bottle.. then perhaps you can feel better about leaving her for a little bit longer. But, at this age...it is still feeding on demand... whether by bottle or breast. And gosh, sometimes they just need to feed pretty often.

I know it's not easy... just keep trying here and there.

Good luck,
~Susan

It sounds to me like she's figured you out!! Babies are so smart! This also happened to me with ALL FOUR of my kids! they were all breast fed, and i'm a SAHM so they didn't get bottles often unless i was going out. Well, by the time they were a cThey started out accepting bottles once a day, but by the time they were a couple months old, they knew they could scream for the breast whenever a plastic nipple touched their lips. I either had to force them everyday and let them cry, or, stop and give them the breast and adjust my schedule and life to them. For ME, my adjusting worked. But for your lifestyle it may or ,may not. Either way, as long as shes getting her nutrients and is growing well and Your family is happy, thats what you should do. If nothing helps then try having someone do the feedings who will not be swayed by crying. It sounds to me like a battle of will power. Which is totally normal!!
be prayin for ya!

Hi C.,

This sounds very familiar! We just got thru this "phase" - and I consider myself lucky, my baby is 8 1/2 months old. I *figured* when I went back to work that he'd be so hungry that he'd take a bottle! Well, I was wrong. He had previously taken a bottle only on 2 occasions. So our nanny had been putting my milk into his cereal, but it wasn't enough. I was so stressed on my 1st week back to work! I bought a few of the bottles that advertise "Easy for baby to take who is breastfed" kind of thing.. and he had nothing to do with it. So I tried the gerber (small nipple kind - looks nothing like the real thing) and he took it. I "heard" that babies r us will take back used bottles that didn't work out for babies, but I'd call to confirm that. Save your receipts. If so, then you'll save alot of money at least while you're on your quest to find the right one. I never left my baby until now & I know how hard it can be. But just remember, you're giving her the absolute best gift of all in your milk, & I commend you for it! It's such a short time in their lives.. keep up the great work. S.

As the mom of a just recently turned 2 year old girl I hope that I can convince you to enjoy this time. She is only a baby once... and you will miss this time!

I know you feel like you want your life back and the free time to go and do things but your life has changed... you are a mommy now!

So go get your toes done, see a matinee, meet a friend for coffee... just feed your girl before you leave and when you come home.

This time will be gone before you know it... :)

My 5 month old did the same thing. If they get hungry enough, it will work and they will take a bottle from someone else. Maybe only 2 oz, but it will be something. Try to do this once a day and pump during that time so that she gets used to it. Also, try the Nuk brand bottle/nipple. That's the first one she would take and now she'll drink out of any nipple. My sister-in-law had the same problem and recommended Nuk and it worked. Good luck!

This happened to us around 2 1/2 months with my daughter and what helped was going up to level 2 nipples. Also, she was a princess and needed her breastmilk pretty warm!

Dear C.,

No, I don't have any suggestions. She is 3 months old and that will not last long. Just be patient and work within the rules that she has set up. She needs you now. Just feed her well before you go, then get back before she needs more feeding. She is number one now. Give her the time, and things will work out more smoothly. THEN you can leave for more than three hours. Amen , C. N.

My baby won't take a bottle unless it is the PERFECT temperature, anything less she will refuse it. I don't know if you tried that yet but good luck, it's frustrating!

I had a similar situation w/ my 2nd daughter and a friend recommended trying the Playtex nurser bottle w/ the super soft brown nipple (not the clear one.) It really feels much softer and closer to the breast. Since the bottle has a disposable bag in it, you can push some milk out of the nipple hole by squeezing the bag. That way you can get her to taste the milk which might encourage her to try the bottle. Good luck!

It took us about a good 2 weeks trying with at least 1-2 bottles a day for all 3 of our children before they finally took the bottle. It was quite stressful and worrisome for me every time but I knew that they had to learn or they would starve because I had to go back to work. They usually cried for a good hour before they would finally give in and take the bottle. As hard as it is, you just need to keep trying. Luckily for us my husband was quite patient with the whole process and they crying didn't seem to bother him quite as much as it did me.

C.,

This may sound silly and/or you may have already tried this but how warm is it. My daughter takes the bottle of breastmilk providing it is at the right temperature. If it is too hot or too cold she refuses it and cries hysterically. She is a picky baby when it comes to that.

M. P

have you tried slower flow nipples or faster flow levels? my son would only take the Dr. Brown's bottles and he prefered a slower flow nipple.

Hi C.,
I have two thoughts.
First of all, I so understand the need for mom to get a break (even if the "break" is going to the supermarket alone) or to just need time for things that don't include baby.
The piece that I'd like to mention has to do with remembering that each stage passes. Nothing is a permanent condition, especially with infants. For a new baby, there is nothing greater on the planet than being in the arms of mom. Each stage with an infant/child has its demands that keep changing, and that do require moms to make personal sacrifices. Please also hear that I do understand the need for your time away, and in no way do I judge that! It's actually healthy for moms to make sure that they are taking care of themselves as well. My encouragement would be to consider that this stage will not last forever. In no time at all, you'll be looking at a toddler reminiscing about those cuddly little baby days. It might be worthwhile to consider taking a little more time to just take in this time with your daughter. In the next 6 months, your daughter will be eating solid foods, which will make things easier, as people will be able to give her meals not from a bottle.

As for the bottle - I was wondering who gave her the bottle before when she was accepting it? Are we talking about strangers (anyone not mom or dad) now giving it to her?
Perhaps Dad (or whoever) could make a routine around the bottle feeding - putting on sweet music, or singing a lullaby - something that would feel good to your daughter. That's just a thought that came to me now. I didn't actually go through this, as my son didn't use a bottle. This meant I could never be more than a couple hours without him. I took great care of him, but not the greatest care of myself. I'm learning a lot about "balance". =)
I can really appreciate your time needs, and at the same time, if you don't find a great solution, just remember that this will pass.
All the best and congratulations on your new baby!
M.

I am in agreeance w/ Lea...and she isn't a SAHM, like you are...you are VERY BLESSED to be able to nurture and care for your child. God CHOSE YOU of all others, to be that comfort and nurturing source, in only the way that other mothers can understand. Please do your best to not be frustrated when you only have a small window of time until this season passes you by. Your son will flourish and thrive w/ your closeness and non-frustrated attitude/perspective.
I've never left my son for more than three hours, thus far and he's nearly 14 months. Not that you need to do that, I'm just making a point. Over and over, I read how moms HAVE to give BOTTLES so they can can have 'me time'. I say, when you have a baby, this tiny, too, there's no 'me' in 'mommy'. It's just a SHORT, short time!
Praying for good things! Take Care..

My second daughter wouldn't take a bottle at all. It was crazy. I nursed her for a year and we went strait to a sippy. She took the sippy without a problem. I just couldn't leave her for an entire year. I even flew my Mom in town to see if she could care for her for several days just to get her to take a bottle. She would smell me and that was that.

Good Luck and sorry I couldn't not help. Oh and my youngest just turned two and she will only drink out of a regular cup now which is really nice. She is so careful not to spill.

My son did the exact same thing at that exact age. Don't give up, it took almost a month to finally get him to take the bottle. I tried about 10 different bottles and the one he finally took was the BreastFlow bottle. I thought he would never do it, I was so frustrated. I had other people other than me give it to him and he finally did take it from my friend - but like I said this was after weeks of trying. Once he took the bottle though, I was able to go back to my Dr. Brown's bottles a few days later and he didn't even seem to notice. Good luck!

Hi C.: Since I've just gone through this I know it's frustrating. I think what helped me with my 5 month old son is that I kept trying. I started when he was 2 months old and had very little success till just recently. So when he was younger, I would try consistently but not everyday and I would make sure to stop before he started to cry about it. I think the difference is that he was still just a little baby at 2-3 months and it wasn't until later when he started putting other things in his mouth that I started trying more persistently.

I also tried different bottle types but I don't always think that's the problem and it's expensive to do that. Trust me! My husband kept saying "you bought another bottle" (I was getting desperate because I knew I had to go back to work soon). You can't always take them back either after they've been used.

I would say keep trying at least once a day or every other day and stop before she starts to cry and then when she starts to put other things in her mouth try a little more persistently.

I think it's a matter of timing like many things in life!

G. T.

she smells your scents mom when your feeding her she knows your voice, she just feels comfy around you , have the dad or partner keep trying, she will take it eventully , it will take 3 days & nights for her to get used to another person giving it to her, do not feed her during these 3 days, or she will go back to doing it again.

Good Luck

Maybe try giving her the breast first so she is not starving and frustrated when you start the feeding, then try to switch to the bottle mid feeding or at the end of the feeding until she gets use to it. Hope that makes sense.

we had the same problem & discovered our babies had outgrown the low flow nipples. try med. flow & see if that helps.

My friend went through this. Just keep offering the bottle and evetually she'll accept it. My daughter also wouldn't eat well unless I fed her. I think this just takes time and persistance. Best of luck

Hi, we had the same problem for awhile. It became a battle. My husband would feed her a bottle, and she would throw a fit. We would just close allt he window and let her throw it....eventually she would give in and take it. Once and awhile cry between the feeding, but she would eat. Try to have your husband or someone give her a bottle every day (just one) so she learns to be accepting of it. I know it is kinda a pain to pump, but really worth it when you need to be away!