Won't Take a Bottle - Gray,ME

Have you tried the Madela bottles with slow-flow nipples? Or just slow flow nipples in general. They have a differnt shape than normal nipples and the milk actually comes out the top front of the nipple instead of the end of the nipple. These came with my Madela electric pump, but you can order them separately online. My daughter would only use these specific nipples. I even tried other slow flow nipples that look similiar with no success.
The other suggestion about expressed breast-milk was good. When I went back to work and didn't have enough time to pump enough breastmilk, I mixed expressed breast milk with formula one to one.
Good-luck! Have patience.

My older son had never taken a bottle when he started day care at 3.5 months. He went to home care and after I confessed our bottle failures the lady (who had been in business 25 years) said "don't worry, there are tricks (held in certain ways, not held, rocked, talked to, etc)". Sure enough, he did take a bottle from her (much to my surprise and relief). Although he never did eat all that much at day care and would cluster feed evenings after I picked him up. Then once he started solids and I started supplementing with formula and then milk the intense feeding evenings stopped. So, if your child care provider is confident and you can stand it, I bet it will work out for you if you just give it a go.

Are you trying formula or expressed breast milk? She might not be willing to take formula.

Not only frustrating, but nerve-wracking, isn't it? I went though something similar last year with my daughter. Reading your message brought me back, and I sympathize. I remember trying everything - including leaving the house for a couple of hours so that she had no choice but to take a bottle from my husband.

It isn't much consolation, I know, but as I was told: babies will not let themselves starve. If a bottle is all she'll get, she'll figure it out sooner rather than later. Someone else posted something about having a patient, savvy, understanding child-care provider - that will also help.

I was also advised by three different lactation consultants to try Avent nipples & bottles. Avent are the nipples my daughter finally took. If you haven't tried them yet, it might be worth a shot.

Good luck!

Have your husband feed her a bottle while you are out of the house and not wearing your sweatshirt, it smells like you and your milk, which is what you don't want. Keep trying more nipples, there are so many out there. I like the Avent nipples.

Hi K.,

I had the same problem with my daughter appx a month ago. She has been at daycare for 3 weeks now and is drinking from the bottle just fine.

Her daycare provider (which is a friend of ours) had to feed her the bottle. Day 1 she only drank 1.5 oz all day. I was so worried that it wouldn't work out. Day 2 that amount doubled, she drank 3 oz. Day 3 & 4 were rough. Day 5 she drank about 6 oz. By Tuesday the following week, she was doing just fine with the bottle and drinking with no problems. We did try changing nipples from Avent to a smaller nipple and that seemed to get her started. Once she started drinking OK we switched back to Avent because that's what we have plenty of from my first daughter.

I think someone besides yourself with no scent of Mom needs to try to feed your son and just keep at. It's hard to know they're having a difficult time and hungry but he will be hungry enough that eventually he adjust his suckling and take to the bottle.

Good Luck,
K. D.

K.,
I hear your frustration! My dd was the same way- absolutely refused! When I sent her to care, her provider tried and tried and it took a couple of months of all day refusing to eat, and alllll night nursing, before she finally caved in and took a bottle. But she still would only take enough to sustain herself and nurse all night. As long as your child care provider is patient and understanding and persistent, and your dd is still gaining weight, you may have to ride it out. Is there a way to arrange a time for you to go and nurse her during a break? I imagine it's tough to arrange that as a teacher, but being flexible that way could help as well. Another thought- Adiri Natural Nursers are a great bottle shaped just like a breast. Something to try.

Medela has a bunch of "supplemental" feeding products,and products for "special needs." I'd check out their page and see if a lactation consultant in the area can help you pick out something that will help your baby learn to take a bottle.
Did you try the "breast technology" bottle by Learning Curve - The First Years? That was the only one my daughter really liked. It has a double-nipple thingy that feels a bit more like a natural nipple.
Also, a friend of mine never got her daughter to take a bottle, and ended up trying a sippy cup.
Good luck to you!