Have you tried different temps of BM? Some like it really warm. Different positions? Some kids only like a bottle if they are facing out or others like to mimic BF position. I would do a slow/med speed nipple.
Food- hmm what about finger food like puffs? Will she put those in her mouth? ALso maybe try different temps for foods.
How long have you been trying- I only ask because sometimes teething makes a difference.
Have you tasted the BM you give her? I ask because my first two kids hated the bottle. They would eat a bare minimum and nothing more. Kid 3 started out doing ok, then suddenly hated it. I did a taste test of my previously frozen milk. It tasted like vomit even when it looked and smelled fine. Turns out I have high lipase milk. Now I just feel guilty for trying to feed my kids vomit milk (fwiw, the milk is safe and nutritious, just nasty tasting). Anyway, it took some time of consistently non-nasty bottles and also using a completely different type bottle because I think she associated the other bottles with nasty taste. We use the lansinoh momma bottles.
For solids... Just keep trying if she doesn't hate it. She'll figure it out eventually.
Post by marshmallowhands on Jul 11, 2013 0:24:49 GMT -5
My DD2 was refusing a bottle. I tried 4 or 5 different types before asking a lactation consultant. She recommended the Lansinoh mOmma bottle. It worked for us! The nipple is slow flow and it's the most "breast-like" one I've seen.
Post by gretchenindisguise on Jul 11, 2013 0:26:29 GMT -5
Yeah, I wish I had more thoughts, but I'm out.
definitely bring it up to your pediatrician. I think there is a difference between a 6 month old refusing a bottle for two months after previously being good for 4, and an 8 month old refusing for 4 months, after previously being good for 4 - kwim? And same for feeding table foods - it doesn't seem that unusual that a 6 month old wouldn't get table foods - but it's a bit more unusual that an 81/2 mo old doesn't understand table foods. i don't think the table food thing is totally rare though - I'm sure others have had this too.
The bottle thing though - and seeming just unable to get it is odd. You just apparently have the perfect nipple for her!
(ps - maybe bring a bottle in - or video tape it so you can show the doctor what she does with it).
Post by redarmadillo on Jul 11, 2013 2:30:44 GMT -5
This probably wont be any help at all but i had the exact same issue. Bub took a bottle fine, then refused until he was about +/-9 months old. And we tried everything and what felt like every type of bottle out there. All he would do was chew on the nipple or let the milk bubble out over his chin. It was really frustrating because i went back to work and he reverted his feeding pattern to 3 times during the day and every 2-3 hours at night to catch up.
Same with the solids, seemed interested but just not that into it once he had it in his mouth. Long story to say - yeah it sucks. I eventually got a speech therapist in, as previous poster mentioned, and in his case he definitely didnt have any aversions or issues (he was happy enough to bring things to the mouth and explore just not in swallowing). So she suggested to just keep offering. Different sizes, textures, etc. Basically exactly what you are doing. Start with something new each meal and then offer a favourite - something she will try/eat a bit of.
Eventually he got it - he is finally using a bottle, bypassed sippy and went straight to a straw cup no problems. And food is a struggle - he is still more interested in playing with it than eating but he gets enough.
Like i said, no help at all, but it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Good luck!!
Post by wildfloweragain on Jul 11, 2013 5:56:10 GMT -5
We had this problem with one of ours at about 8-9 months. We had a little success with a medicine cup, then more success with a straw in a cup of bm. That transitioned him into using a straw sippy cup in time to go to daycare.
Good luck!
Oh he also does have tongue tie at the top and bottom. It ended up not being a problem. We didn't have anything done because he nursed fine. He's 6 now and still no problems with the tongue tie.
at 8 months? After 2.5 months of trying? I guess this is a possibility but if not now, when? She salivates like mad when we eat, tries to get our food, etc etc.
We started DS on food (BLW) at 6 months. He ate for about a week and then refused all solids until almost 10 months. I think it was a combination of him getting teeth and not being ready.
I don't think its surprising that she can't take a sippy yet, she is still pretty young. How often do you try the bottle. We couldn't get DS to take a bottle till close to 6 months and by the end we had to be very very vigilant about trying. Also, DH was the only one that could feed him and he had to be topless in order to do so. I think he liked the skin to skin of bfing.
Does she thrust her tongue a lot? This could be one of the issues going on. K was slower to move on to solid foods than c and most of it had to do with textures, but she also thrust her tongue for longer which is something that gets in the way of them being able to eat the food, keep it in their mouth and swallow.
If worse comes to worse, day care could always give her breast milk from a spoon. Definitely more time consuming but at least she would get the nutrients. Although I just saw she's not good with a spoon either, so that may not work.
Isaiah was much younger (4.5 months) when I went back to work and he stopped taking a bottle for my H or ny other relatives. He went the first 2 days without eating anything at day care (although they tried multiple times). I was terrified. He would nurse like crazy at home. Then the third day he took about 1.5 ounces for the day, then slowly started drinking more and more until by the second week he was taking all his bottles no problem. We had tried everything at home but I think it just took him some time to realize that the bottle was okay. So she might just "get it" when she goes to day care?
Of course, at her age, I would definitely have the doctor rule out anything medically wrong first.
Both my kids had the same problem, my daughter more than my son. They were both about a year before they were consistently eating cereals/purees and my daughter never took a bottle. We had to spoon feed her until she mastered the sippy cup and even then we had to start with one with out a valve. They were both 90% percentile kids so the doctors were not worried. Now they are great eaters and healthy kids. I think they just did not like the feel of the food and the bottle.
You might want to have her evaluated for feeding issues. DS refused all bottles- always. And he did prefer me to other vessels for BM (a common ASD trait) but he was all over solids. I planned to start solids at 6 months and he would grab at bananas and pretzels if I snacked while feeding him starting at about 5 months. DS did best with a small open cup which was a bit messy. We also used a clean turkey baster to get BM into him in an emergency.
She shouldn't need to be up twice nightly to feed at 8 months. Mention that to her pedi as well- it could be an important clue or somehow related.
I know you said you tried a lot of bottles - have you tried the MAM bottles? The nipple is more flat and they have a lot of good reviews from BFing moms saying they were able to make the transition much easier with these bottles. If you've tried them, nevermind.
I don't know that it's a tongue tie issue. K has a pretty serious lower tongue tie and does just fine with a bottle and purees. But he's 10 1/2 months and won't pick up food and put it in his mouth yet. But then again, he won't put anything in his mouth except his hands....not even toys.
I would continue to do what you're doing and then bring it up again at her next well visit. As long as she is gaining weight, I don't think it's an "OMG, get her to the pedi yesterday" type of situation.
Post by hopecounts on Jul 11, 2013 12:20:04 GMT -5
Is her thyroid enlarged? Sometimes with hypothyroidism the thyroid enlarges in its effort to produce enough thyroxin and if it is it could be causing her difficulty in swallowing.