How to handle infant who refuse a bottle

It's not uncommon for a baby to refuse a bottle after being breastfed exclusively for the first months. Here are some tips to help your baby make the transition:
Don't be the one to try it first. The shift may prove easier if someone else, such as your partner, introduces the bottle. Your baby can smell your milk from at least 20 feet away, so it may be best to remove the temptation, even by having you leave the house.

Entice your baby with the bottle nipple. Try warming the nipple a bit with warm water and even putting a little breast milk on it. Allow your baby to play with or chew on the nipple to get used to it. It may also help to choose a nipple that's similar to your baby's pacifier, if he has one.

Offer lots of love. Provide as much affection and physical attention when you give the bottle as you would when breastfeeding.

Try different times or positions. Bottle feeding may go more easily if you feed slightly later than you normally would, when your baby is really hungry. Holding your baby more upright than when he's nursing may also help break the expectation of breast milk.

Offer a cup. If your baby continues to reject a bottle, try a cup instead. This is a messy and not always productive task with a 4-month-old, so it's best for just occasional feedings. Hold your baby upright and tilt the cup slowly and carefully. Some moms continue breastfeeding (without expressing or supplementing with formula) until their babies can manage a cup well, around 6 to 8 months.

I just read this moments before I read what you wrote-- It was sent to me for my 4 month old son but what's a couple weeks LOL I hope it helps at all :)
B.

As I'm sure you know, many infants younger than your baby were cup fed, mostly to avoid nipple confusion. I would say go ahead and give him the cup. My kids started with their cup around 6 months, so give it a go. Can't hurt to try!

S.,

My daughter had the same problem, so when I visited her I told her to take a drive and do something for a couple hours, then I would get my Grand daughter ready for be and try to give her the bottle that she had been resisting so much. Firts I made sure that she did not get to fussy (by waiting to long for her bed time)-then I sat in the rocking chair with a bottle filled with formula, I snuggled her to my chest as my daughter would while breast feeding and placed the nipple to the bottle close to her mouth allowing a drip of the formula to touch her mmouth, all of the sudden she had a grip of the nipple, which by the way seemed to be the hardest part in the weeks prior to this evening. I tried not to get to excited so as not to startle her and before I knew it she drank the whole bottle and fell asleep in my arms. My daughter could not believe her eyes. The next morning I asked my daughter to try the bottle again before her breast, she did and the baby did take it from her, although she was a bit more fussy about it, then if the baby still wanted to nurse a bit, my daughter would for a few minutes, this went on for about 3 days, and then little Desiree was a happy bottle fed baby at 5 and a half months old.
Good Luck, remember your baby will pick up on your emtotions so relax!

S.,
I breastfed both my children and gave them pumped milk when necessary. I also gave them both sippy cups to learn with around 5 months. My son is 10 months old now and just recently weaned himself from breastfeeding. He only drinks from a large sippy now and mastered a small one around 6 months. I put my pumped milk in sippys and he had no problem. He's very independent now and doesn't even like to be fed. He wants to feed himself and drink from his own cup. I believe it's better in the long run because neither of them had to be weaned from a bottle. As far as the actual sippys I started them on the small two handled Playtex that has the rubber spout and a Nuby brand that was really soft. I have found the Nuby was ok but leaked more and my son preferred the Playtex. You can find either in any grocery store as singles or in 2 packs. Just give your little guy some practice time and he'll get it before you know.

best of luck,
Cris

my daughter is the same way all I do with her is put her formula in a sippy cup and she drinks it that way. I would try him with a sippy cup. The one I use for my 7mos daughter is a nubby the top on it is just like a nipple from a bottle it that work for her. I would try that and see if he will drink it from that. I hope I help. Enjoy the wounderful life of motherhood =)

A.