Tricks to Get BF Baby To Take Bottle

[genet313]

So...DD is 4 months I'm going back to work in a week and she is now refusing to take a bottle.  She hasn't had many in the past, as she's EBF, but when she's had to take one, she's been OK.  This week, however, she's refused my mom (who will be primary caregiver when I'm at work) and DH.   With my mom she just became hysterical and finally gave in and took about 3 ounces in over 7 hours, but I don't want her to get to that point.  DH had no luck.

I'm trying to vary nipples, vary nursing positions, get myself out of the house, etc.  Nothing seems to make her comfortable.   

Any other tricks you have that might work?  Do I really just let her cry it out until she's just starving?

[lilac05]

DS1 preferred the cheapest, least "naturally shaped" bottles I could find. They were Evenflo, I think, but I think Gerber makes similar ones now. They were $1/bottle...too bad I found out AFTER I invested in several fancy pants bottles!

[stacyb1983]

We had this issue with C. We tried about 6 different bottles. She ended up liking the lansinoh brand.

Edit: liking is too strong a word. In the beginning she tolerated them more than any other. Once I went back to work it took about a week for her to eat a normal amount.

[sjh722]

One of my friends had a bottle refuser for 6 or 7 months. Her MIL finally got her son to take one by feeding him while he was in the car seat - they thought that maybe it being different enough from nursing was what got him to take it (vs. being held).

[rootbeerfloat]

Neither of mine were big bottle fans, but they got used to it eventually. I think to a certain extent you have to just push through, and there may be an adjustment period where she takes very little from the bottle (and cries). If there was a bottle she liked at some point, I would stick with that.

[lilac05]

At 4 months, you could also try a sippy cup. If you're patient and/or desperate enough, I've seen an open cup suggested, too.

[ngdgtco]

Unfortunately we weren't having much luck before I went back to work, so the daycare ladies had to tackle the issue. He took very little for a few days (I left him for shorter days so he could still nurse more) and was pretty upset, but he got the hang of it within a week and took them no problem thereafter. I wish there was a "trick" that worked for us besides time! Good luck. I remember how stressful it was.

[meggers]

May 23, 2015 21:23:03 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

One of my friends had a bottle refuser for 6 or 7 months. Her MIL finally got her son to take one by feeding him while he was in the car seat - they thought that maybe it being different enough from nursing was what got him to take it (vs. being held).

Daycare discovered that with one of the babies this week. They started feeding her while she's sitting the the stroller.

[Deleted]

My dd did not like to be held. She had to have her bottle in the rock n play and it had to be warmed up.

[azurely]

What kind of milk is she getting? We had a similar issue with C. My mom watches him too, and on our practice run day before I went back to work, she called me after six hours and said he'd barely eaten and was refusing the bottle but seemed hungry. I had sent frozen milk so when I went to get him, I took a bottle of freshly pumped milk. He sucked it down right away. Turns out I have high lipase and he refuses to drink my frozen milk if I don't scald it before freezing.

If it is a bottle issue, C is pretty tolerant and does well with most bottles, but my mom and H prefer Dr Brown's.

[water*drop]

DD would only use the lansinoh momma nipples. She also would only take the bottles if they were SUPER warm, and she didn't like to be held while taking them. She preferred to be in the bouncer or even just on the floor while the bottle giver sat in front of her so it was totally unlike nursing. She never ate much - just enough to take the edge off. The reverse cycling sucked from a sleep perspective, but she was happy, gained weight fine, and it was easy to pump enough to keep up with her since she didn't eat much.

Good luck. Bottle refusers are so stressful.

[chickens987]

One thing that's been suggested too is to give your mom a tshirt of yours that you've slept in. Have her wear it or use it as a blanket while she feeds her. Your smell may comfort her enough to take the bottle.

[lo]

Is there a certain brand of pacifier she likes? I noticed like the two whole times my baby took a pacifier it was a Mam brand. She never did end up taking a bottle, but she tolerated the Mam bottle the best.

[jaybird]

DD started refusing bottles around that age. What worked for us was dream feeding her bottles during her naps. When she started stirring and looked like she was about to wake up, I'd start the bottle. She would wake up already sucking on the bottle. I think she balked a bit the first few times then started giving in and taking it. From there, we transitioned to awake bottles.

[genet313]

lo, she rarely, rarely takes the Natursutten brand, so I doubt there's anything similar but I am looking.

azurely, we're giving frozen and refrigerated.  With my mom, she took frozen eventually, but of course after hours of holding out starving.  

DH got about 1 ounce of refrigerated in her today with a faster flow nipple sitting in the RNP, so you suggestions are already helping. Thanks ladies!