Trying to Get Baby to Take Bottle

Hi M.,
I'm D. Dyer. I live in Gilbert and also have my first baby girl and am returning to work here shortly.

Did you try munchkin bottles and nipples? Also, Avent bottles are good that is what I use. Some of my friends had the same problem and you have to just keep trying different bottles and nipples.

Write me anytime ____@____.com. I'm always looking for new moms to get to know!

Take Care,
Deb

Hello M.,

I am the mother of 3, all are breastfed babies. I am currently nursing our 3 week old son. I have found that it is best to introduce baby to a bottle early and by someone other than mom for the first time. My son took the bottle day one at hospital, but didn' t like it. When I go the store with him I pack a glass bottle of enfamil (2oz) and when he becomes hungry i feed him with the bottle instead of breast. I have found this to be much easier than going to a public restroom and nursing in a stall. He takes it beautifully. When I had my second daughter 21 mos ago and had to return to work, my nanny was the first to offer the bottle to her. She put breast milk that I had pumped into a 2oz glass bottle and fed it to her, she was about 2 1/2 mos old. She took to it very well. I think the key is patience and timing. Your baby will take when she is hungry, but if she knows you are there to offer her the breast she will let you know her preference. Wait till she is hungry but not upset and have your husband offer a bottle to her of breast milk. Make sure you aren't in the room, I would leave the house and get some time alone in at the store! Try this and don't be so quick to give up, if this works you can supplement with formula, I reccomend Enfamil Lipil, it is most like breast milk. Don't let your doctor discourage you. Let me know if this works, or if you have any other questions or concerns.

Try holding the bottle close to your chest, and attempt to go back and forth between the two.

Well it is tough. I had the same problem with my daughter. I had to go back to work and my daughter had still not mastered the bottle. I work 10 hour days and when I would come home I would nurse her. So she learned that if she waited long enough that she would get me. My doctor told me to keep trying all the things that you have done and not to nurse her when I got home and not to nurse her on the days that I worked. Eventually she will get hungry enough and she will take the bottle. It took two weeks of listening to her cry which was really hard,but it paid off in the long run. I did not go back to work until she was 5 months old,so I think that your baby can learn at this time. My daughter learned at 5 months and has not had any problems with the bottle since. Hopefully that will help you. I know how hard it is and do not worry it will get better.

Hi M.,

I can imagine it is hard enough to have think about leaving your little one at daycare, let alone the worry that she won't get enough to eat! Are you planning to wean her from breastmilk entirely or are you going to pump? Sometimes breastfed babies do not like the taste of formula - at least for the first while. My best girl friends baby would not take a bottle from her or her husband - but she took one from me the first time I tried. I think it was because my best friend and her husband were so anxious - and babies can totally sense these things. Is there anyone, a family member or a close friend who could try? Perhaps even a friend or family member who could look after your baby for a couple of weeks to make the transition to daycare easier? I don't want to get too personal - but is it possible that your instincts are telling you that you are not ready yet to leave your baby with other caregivers? I hope that's not saying too much. I just know that it is hard not to follow your parental instincts even when they are not that practical. Anyway, I hope it all works out for you.

T.

Hi M.,
I had the same problem you did - I breastfed exclusively and then attempted to give my daughter a bottle at approximately 9 weeks. She hated it as well, but I was determined to make it work as I did not want to use formula. So, we went through about 15 different nipple types before we found one she would take. The successful one was a Playtex orthodontic nipple, it is not as small and skinny so she seemed to like it better. Anyway, the other main thing is to make sure you are not the one trying to give her the bottle - let your husbad do it each time until she seems fine with it. Have him feed her in a different position than she is used to nursing in, so she doesn't associate it with that. Maybe he can sit her up more or something - the other thing my husband found successful was walking around with her while he was feeding (I know it sounds weird but I think it distracted her). We have a dining room that goes into a kitchen and back into the dining room, so he actually walked in circles while she ate. Once she got the hang of it (after a few days), then he didn't have to jump through hoops to get her to eat. She also didn't want to nurse any less, which was my fear with the bottle in general. Once I went back to work, I pumped two or three times a day while at work, and then my husband was able to give her that milk the following day. Don't listen to anyone who tells you it can't be done - I now have three kids and it worked for all of them. I didn't introduce a bottle to any of them before 9-10 weeks, and they all adjusted just fine, but it definitely took a little coaxing for a few days. Good luck and feel free to email me with any other questions.
R.