Baby won't take bottle. Help!

[Random_Hegdehogs]

Hello everyone.

I'm a new mother. My little girl will be 8 months old this coming Friday.

I am planning to go back to work or school soon, but there is one big problem: my breast-fed baby will not drink from a bottle. She will happily chew on the nipple and let the milk or formula run out of her mouth - very aggravating. I have been teaching Baby to drink from a sippy cup, but it seems that fluid coming out of the cup startles her and she stops drinking.

Trying different nipples is a common suggestion. I have tried several (Avent, Dr. Brown's, Playtex) with no luck and going through every possible nipple would be to expensive.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there some sort of trick I'm missing? I'm getting frustrated.

[MommaC]

Don't forget the experts: call the lactation consultant at the hospital where you delivered. Sometimes a speech-language pathologist can be helpful with that too.

Have you been waiting until she's good and hungry? Hunger would be a motivating factor. Are you the only one trying to give her the bottle? Many times babies won't take the bottle from Mom (simply because she usually breastfeeds). If she doesn't take it, don't sweat it. She's not going to let herself starve. When she's desperately hungry, she'll take nourishment from wherever it comes. But I'm not an expert.

[fuzzy]

I know this is gonna sound kinda funny but has anyone else ever tried feeding her with a bottle? I've heard that sometimes it takes someone other than you to get her used to feeding of the bottle;I think it's cause she's so used to being breastfed by you that you coming at her with a bottle is wierd..I don't know if this will be any help but good luck!

[Random_Hegdehogs]

Thank you both for the replies. :-)

My husband has tried to give the baby a bottle a couple of times. The kid cries, hubby gets frustrated and gives up. My SO *hates* to hear the baby cry. We've had arguments about it. "Shut her up!" "It's 1am. I've changed, fed and rocked her for 30 minutes. Let her cry it out." (I'm don't like hearing our child wail either, but after awhile I burn out and need a break.)

My mother-in-law has had better luck. I wish she could teach hubby whatever it is she does.

[akcsjcfaciec]

what is in the bottle breast milk or formula? is it warm? if it is formula she might not like it my 9 month daughter who I could not breasfeed decided last month to quit takinfg the formula she just wont drink it. My doctor did not like to do it but she is having me add baby jar food or rice cereal to the milk so she will eat it.
( she was really losing weight) try her with warm breastmilk in the bottle something she is used to. (oh note with the doctored formula I am using a tupperwear type tippy cup or the variable flow advent bottles.it will not flow from a regular bottle) try to figure out if she just does not like it or if it is a issue with the bottle. i only add enough of the rice or jar fruit or vegies to give it taste . It also makes it so it does not run so fast out of a tippy cup.

[kaiya23]

If you've been breastfeeding, give her the same stuff. Pump it, and try to give it to her warm. I would keep trying to get her to take it from someone else, as that is what she'll need to do when you go back to work. I think Gerber makes a nipple that is supposed to be as close to a breast as possible...it may just be one more to try. Make sure you check the release speed on each nipple...We used the Playtex dropins and had to look for the slow release nipples at first, then as she got older we changed to the fast release.

As for adding cereal, we did it more for filling her up and getting her used to the taste, but we gave her one teaspoon of cereal for an 8 oz. bottle of formula using a fast release nipple WITHOUT modifications. Day care won't let you add that per state regulations though, as they consider it a choking hazard.

[Beth924]

I feel your pain, I have a soon to be 4 month old and I am having trouble getting him to take the bottle as well. I've bought just about every bottle imaginable - and nothing. My friends say to wait until he's 4 months old to start; I am just worried that I'll have to go back to work and he will not be on the bottle!!!

I've tried breast milk in the bottle, formula in the bottle and nothing!
Very frustrating.

[MommaC]

Beth--have others tried giving him the bottle? And when you try the bottle, how hungry is he? If he's starving or not hungry enough, he may not take it. I know that doesn't sound "helpful" per se, but it's something to think about. Don't stress about it. He's not going to starve himself. Everything will be fine given time.

[Mommy2Beans]

I had the same problem with my now 9 month old DD. She would NOT take a bottle. Not with breast milk, juice, formula and not with anyone else giving it to her. She just wouldn't do it. We started her on a sippy cup at 6 months. She wasn't really happy with that at first either. I started giving her an ounce of breast milk with her lunch just to get her used to it. I would sit it on the high chair tray and let her find it. At first all she would do was chew on it but now, she's a pro with her cup. The only kind she really likes is the Nuk cup. It has a really soft nipple and is easy for little hands to grip. Another option that has worked for a friends DD is the Breastflow bottle, I think it's made by Learning Curve? It has two nipples and is supposed to mimic nursing (I think it was around $5). It may be worth looking into. Keep trying though, babies are creatures of habit. If you keep trying eventually she'll get used to it.

[JeneeH]

Great job nursing your baby this long. Keep up the good work. Since baby is already 8 months old, I would bypass the bottle alltogether. Then you won't have to worry about weaning her off of it. My son liked the soft spout cups in the beginning. There are many kinds and the Nuby is very cheap. Many breastfed babies will not take bottles from their mommies. They know the real thing is close by! You may even have to take a walk or run an errand and let your husband and daughter figure things out. Are you around when your mother-in-law gives the milk? Of course, expressed milk is your best first choice, but some babies would rather have formula in the cup. Try not to get too stressed about baby starving while you are at work. A good childcare provider will probably have your daughter drinking from a cup in no time. They have delt with issue many times before.