I work nights, so my husband is home alone with our 11-week-old. I nurse her through the day and pump at work. She will not drink expressed milk from a bottle - and we've tried several kinds.
Any tips from moms who have gone through this would be appreciated!
Thanks to all for the wonderful advice. This past weekend, my hubby took the baby away all day and it worked wonders. She gobbled up two bottles, and still took a bottle from him the next day even after I had nursed her! So hopefully, we are over that hurdle. :-)
Have you tried a cup, spoon or medicine dropper? It may be slower...but it may just do the trick.
For what it's worth...I worked & pumped with all 4 of my kids. And it was quite "normal" for all of them to take 8 oz or less from bottles the whole time I was gone (up to 10 hrs at a stretch), as they waited for me to get home so they could get the milk "fresh from the tap." I learned to cope...that is a lot of why we ended up co-sleeping.
I feel your pain and worries--my daughter gave me the same problem and I tried every bottle on the market until I found one online that she ended up using--check it out at www.adiri.com it's shaped just like a breast and is very soft. they're expensive but so worth it to know that your child is being fed! I found them on ebay (new of course) at a decent discount. Good luck!!
I would try a different nipple style. My son did not like the round nipples, but I found when I expressed milk and then used the flatter style he would take it. It may have been more life like.
Have you tried different nipples? I have heard that Advent makes one that mimicks a breast the best. Also, the milk should be warm and he could try putting a little milk on the nipple and rubbing it on her lips to get her to try it. Maybe you could have dad place something of yours on himself or wrap the baby in a shirt that smells like you. Your scent may calm the baby enough to try it.
You might want to try a sippy cup. My cousin was not able to get her son to take a bottle when he was little. However, he would take a sippy cup. It is a bit more work for the person feeding the baby but definitely worth a try. Once you start getting him to take the fluid from a sippy cup, you may be able to get him to switch to one of the bottles.
Good luck.
It took us about 2 months to get my daughter to drink expressed milk from the bottle. I started pumping when she was around 10 weeks so she would get used to someone else feeding her, and her dad would have a chance to do a feeding. For the first few weeks she screamed almost every night and really put up a good fight. It really just took a lot of patients... we tried different bottles, nipples, chairs, rooms in the apartment.... but I think she really just wanted to breast feed and wasn't going to stop without a fight. Keep trying I think she will get it soon, tell your husband to relax as well because I think they can sense when you are nervous or upset about things :)Good luck!!
E.,
All I can say is Keep Trying. She will eventually take a bottle. It's hard and trying at times... but she will. I went through the same thing when I was heading back to work. My daughter didn't take the bottle for about 1 week, only trying about once a day. I tried EVERY bottle out there and to tell you the truth I don't really think it's the kind of nipple, it's just the "it's not mommy". My daughter did take the softer brown nipple at first but soon switched to the Avent hard clear nipple, since that's what we had from our first.
I do think both of my girls took it from my husband ranther than from myself.
You might also want to try your husband giving her a bottle on the weekend "during the day". Maybe she's starving when she wakes up and just gets too frustrated. ??
Good Luck!
- A.
I also had this problem with my first son with my second I found the nuk bottle nipples and he seemed to very well with them. I would give it a try because it is shaped more like a pacifier and it seems to be easier for them to get used to. Don't worry I know alot of people who have had the same problem your not the only one.
They have a bottle now that's by The First Years, called the Breastflow bottle, it's made to mimick the way the milk comes out of your breast, have you tried that bottle yet? Also when your hubby is giving your daughter a bottle, remind him that he needs to be relaxed because she can sense if he is anxious and everything. Also, during the day, when you have her, keep a blanket or a small burp cloth on you the whole day so your smell will become attached to it. And when your hubby gives her the bottle, tell him to put that blanket/burp cloth right next to her so she can smell it.
HTH!!!
My daughter would not take a bottle either! When I went back to work at 3 mths she refused the bottle. I would nurse her whenever I was around and then pump at work. The first thing is to make sure he has the milk very warm. My daughter would not take it cold!
In order to get her to take the bottle, I had to start pumping when I was home and then give her the bottle as soon as I was done pumping. When I gave her the bottle she was fine then I would give the bottle to her dad so she would start getting used to him feeding her. It did take about 1 week if not a little more too actually get her used to this but eventually she was fine. Now she will take the bottle or nurse without hesitation.
The other thing I noticed with her dad is that he would be way to stressed out and get annoyed. He didn't have the bonding time that I did with her. When you nurse her you are relaxed and calm...make sure he is the same way even if she gets fussy. He needs to make the connection that he can also be her source of food...not just you.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
Hi E.! I'm a pediatric nurse and Lacation Consultant in Montgomery County. Hopefully I can help you guys a little.
This is very common to have problems getting a breastfed baby to take a bottle. Some babies just take sips from a bottle and sorta "wait" until mom gets home to eat. Keep trying different bottles and nipples. I would try a plain straight nipple, and a Playtex nurser (the kind with disposable bags). As a last resort you could use a sippy cup (NOT the "spillproof" kind, because she will not suck on that either). If you can get her to take small feedings she will be fine and will eventually get used to her new schedule. Babies only take small amounts ta the breast anyway, studies show milk volumes of 2-3 ounces per feeding. Dad should remain as calm as possible and hang in there.
Good luck!
My daughter, now 4 yrs, was very stubborn about taking a bottle. What we did was exclusively offer bottle during the time I would be at work, even on the days I was home, to make her get used to it (I was also in healthcare and worked only a few days a week). So, for me, I nursed her in the evening and night, but when I left for work, or it was the time I should be leaving for work, it was bottle only until it was time for me to be home. It was 3 very long exhausting days, but she finally took it when she was very hungry, very tired, and very thirsty. When she took a few bottles in a row, I resumed normal life and nursed her if I was home and pumped at work. As with all parenting issues consistency and perserverence pay off.
