We didn't give a bottle to our son at the start because of nursing issues...now it's 4 months later and I'm stuck. He will drink from a bottle on occassion, but not a regular basis. I offer every day but he usually doesn't take much if anything. I wait to nurse him for 30 min or so, but then find that if I wait longer, it messes up his eating for the entire day / night. I know that it's better to have someone else offer the bottle, but we have a 3-year old, too, so dad is usually with him after work and I don't like to disrupt that time....finding time to try bottle w/ toddler is hard, too.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
I'm currently trying the Playtex nursers w/ latex nipples - that's what I found in my web searching that folks in my position have used successfully.
He will be home with me, but I'd like a break & also he'll have to go with someone else when I volunteer at brother's school this fall...older son learned bottle at daycare, so I'm at a loss.
I dont' have any advice since my 16 month old never took a bottle. It was hard. We had to plan things around his eating if I couldn't take him or didnt' want to. As far as volunteering I was worried about that too but I just manipulated his feeding so I fed him right before I headed to the elementry school each week. Good luck.
Usually they will take a bottle from someone other than mom as long as you arent around.
Good luck, is all I can say. I never got mine to take to a bottle and here I am at 15 months still nursing and still tied down with her. However, she'll now drink water from a straw cup, so we don't nurse in public anymore.
My little one would NEVER take a bottle! I bought her a soft spout sippy cup at 5 months and it was messy, but it's all that she would take if I wasn't home.
None of mine ever took a bottle. With my first I tried *desperately* to get her to take one, but she won that battle. I didn't even bother with my younger two.
I figure it's only a year and once they're eating solids I'm able to get away for up to 3 hours during the day, a little longer if they're down for the night.
Took us a few days and someone else offering but now mine will do it without fussing/refusing. I had to go back to work at 12 weeks so it was bottle or starve honestly. Of course he is going to refuse from you- he can smell the tap! It took some of my friends leaving their houses for a few hours and hubby giving to resolve! Good luck!
I know you do not want to disrupt daddy time for your three old, so how about trying this weekend? Maybe see if a friend wants to go shopping or get coffee or whatever for a few hours. Surely baby will take bottle from daddy if mommy is not there. I would do that both Saturday and Sunday so baby has a couple of times where he has no other choice but to have a bottle. You and hubby will have to work together to train baby what you want him to do. :0)
Best of Luck to you!!!
Try the Breastflow bottle by First Years. It was the only thing that worked with my daughter when my milk dried up when I got prego and she needed to be on a bottle. She took to this one fast. It is the same suck as breastfeeding (I know of no other bottles that actually have the same suck!). I highly recommend giving it a try and seeing how he does.
My daughter is 6 mnths and is finally taking a bottle... but onl on her terms
1- i can not be ANYWHERE wher she can see, hear me
2- my husband (or whoever) can not sit anywhere i usually nurse (like couch) maybe has to do with smell???
3- the milk or formula must be cold... hates it warmed up
took 6 months to figure all these conditions out... but last night i was able to go get my hair cut!!! woooo
mine never took a bottle she went straight to a cup with a straw it was around 5 months thats how she took her breastmilk if it wasnt straight from me : )
my second was the same way, not bc of nursing issues but bc for me the second time around it was just so much easier to stick him on a boob then pump and store etc. I have my babies right beside the bed in a little co sleeper and so I would just scoop him up and feed him and chill, but when I did want to get him on a bottle, he wasn't feeling it! So I just had to limit my time away from him to a couple hrs or so. When he was six months I would make up rice cereal with breast milk or formula and give it to him. If I needed to be away, I would have it set up that my mom or MIL would give him the rice with breast milk or formula and that would hold him until I got back. It worked great and then after he was used to getting some food by spoon, he started getting better about a bottle. By 7 or 8 months he would take one, no problem. He actually was really good about holding his own little bottle etc, once he decided he would take them! He also transition perfectly to a sippy at a year. So maybe in a few more months yours will be more open to it, once you introduce food. Good luck! I know it is hard, but it won't last forever :D
I would try having Daddy do the first am feeding of the morning. Also even during daddy time with the 3yo, daddy and the 3yo could give baby a bottle together. My daughters sit in rocking chairs with their baby dolls with me while I nurse, and we all "nurse" our babies together. I'm sure your 3 yo and daddy could still have time even with baby there...
My now 4.5 year old never took a bottle. Not once. He nursed until he was 14 mos. I know that probably doesn't help, but some babies just won't take one. The good news is that once he starts cereal/baby food, he won't be nursing as often. Good luck!
I should add- I tried very hard to get him to take a bottle. I tried every brand known to man, other people and myself trying to feed him, etc....and it wouldn't work! The last time I tried, he literally took the nipple between his gums, and pulled so hard that it detached from the bottle and the breastmilk spilled all over! I gave up after that.
Mine wouldn't take a bottle either - and daddy worked far away and so wasn't available to try. What I found that worked was to put him in the bouncer and just try - I think I tried at the lunchtime feeding. The bouncer worked for him - it had to be totally different from when I BF him.
My older one never took to the bottle- I just nursed her, but each child is different. Keep trying! Good Luck!
