Bottle Feeding

starbump

RoxieW wrote: »

I have the opposite problem lol - my 4 mth old loves the breast and wont take from a bottle. I have 2 other children and cant be attached to him 24/7 so the plan was to breast feed and bottle feed him expressed milk. However, he just chews on the bottle teat until he gets bored/too hungry - then screams for the breast. He refuses to suck a bottle teat although he'll suck on toys, fingers, my OH's nose lol! It's getting to the stage now where we need to do something about this but I'm at a loss! I've tried a whole range of bottles, plus cups and beakers with different teats - he just spits the milk out if it gets into his mouth in the first place! The only thing I can think is to completely bottle feed him so that he HAS to get used to it but that would mean formula as I can only express when feeding on the other side and it seems a shame to do this for the odd occassions when I cant be around.
Does anyone have any tips? I'm at a loss

It could be the bottle teats. I had this problem with my second baby. He uses a size 2 (medium) latex teat. He rejected all the more expensive size 1 silicone teats offered to him - unlike his sister.

*moggins*

I can't wait to have people ask me why I'm not breastfeeding when I have this baby, I am going to have so much fun messing with their heads when I tell them I'm a breast cancer survivor and how do they suggest I physically manage it

OrkneyStar

Firstly congratulations on the baby lil'p .
My story is: I BF DS. First week in hospital was a nightmare, as we both needed time to get the hang of it (also had a c-section scar, morphine drip etc, the works lol). I am glad I perservered and I felt so lucky to be able to BF him. Some of the Midwives were great, some were, well less great! In the end he was BF for 13 months (only supplemented with the odd bottle of EBM).
However, remember you have only been tryng to BF for a short time, and it is great you still think you might be able to. Keep on expressing (if you can) and also put the baby to your skin (even if no sucking happens). This in itself creates a great bond and may or may not lead to the baby wanting to suck! Also perhaps try this before offering the bottle, then bubs might be hungry ? Sorry if this sounds repetitive to you. The bottom line is it can be hard work, and whether you end up with bottle, breast or a mixture of the two, you are doing your best!
As for advice on making bottles, sorry can offer none .
All the best with your LO.
x

RoxieW

starbump wrote: »

It could be the bottle teats. I had this problem with my second baby. He uses a size 2 (medium) latex teat. He rejected all the more expensive size 1 silicone teats offered to him - unlike his sister.

thanks - where can i get these from??

starbump

RoxieW wrote: »

thanks - where can i get these from??

Tesco Value.

Latex is the brown rubber stuff. Silicone is the clear/transparent stuff. Actually, you don't have to buy the very cheapest but it does seem true that the more expensive brands only offer silicone teats. In my mom's local Tesco, the only latex teats are the cheap ones.

Jvic28

jinky67 wrote: »

And all this faff and confusion is why i chose to BF both of mine

this is all so confusing. I am breastfeeding but baby tomos isn't putting on enough weight so i have been told by the hv and gp to add 2 formula feeds a day instead of the breastfeeds. i have alsop been referred to a peadeatricion (no idea how to spell that). i have the formula, steriliser, bottles and a bottle warmer (which is basically just a flask and a large cup). we're going out tomorrow and i'll need a feed while i'm out. i can't express enough anyway so will need to make up a formula feed and am none the wiser. so confused. think i'm going to give in and buy ready made carton for tomorrow.

squashy

Jvic28 wrote: »

this is all so confusing. I am breastfeeding but baby tomos isn't putting on enough weight so i have been told by the hv and gp to add 2 formula feeds a day instead of the breastfeeds. i have alsop been referred to a peadeatricion (no idea how to spell that). i have the formula, steriliser, bottles and a bottle warmer (which is basically just a flask and a large cup). we're going out tomorrow and i'll need a feed while i'm out. i can't express enough anyway so will need to make up a formula feed and am none the wiser. so confused. think i'm going to give in and buy ready made carton for tomorrow.

How old is your baby? Is putting weight on but not following the centile line on the chart fully? Are the charts they are using based on breastfed or bottlefed babies?

I would honestly perservere with the breastfeeding, and do it on demand too. The more you nurse the more your supply will increase. Sometimes HVs and GPs can have a very old fashioned outlook. With swine flu (amongst other illnesses!) around the last thing you want to do is compromise your babies health when he is so tiny, if you can help it. Reducing human milk feeds will increase the chances of him catching any bugs that you may come across.

There is an organisation called La Leche League who specialise in helping woman breastfeed in line with the best research and methods to help you continue.

Sorry to hijack your thread OP

ethelsmum

I had my children 4 and 6 yrs ago and I used to sterilise all the bottles after tea - boiled the kettle while the steriliser was on and left too cool, made up 6 bottles, left to cool and then put in the fridge till needed. When out and about I used to either take a bottle with water in and then just had the milk powder or I would take a made up bottle in a insulated bottle bag thing from Boots and used to keep a small ice pack in there too to keep it cool.

I couldn't get the hang of breastfeeding my ds after a traumatic birth experience and remember OH's grandmother telling me I hadn't tried very hard - only 5 or 6 days after the birth! I was so upset. I ended up trying again to bf him when he was prob about 8-10 days old and did manage a couple of feeds but in the end went back to bottle feeding.

Jvic28

squashy wrote: »

How old is your baby? Is putting weight on but not following the centile line on the chart fully? Are the charts they are using based on breastfed or bottlefed babies?

He was born June 5th. He was putting on weight but very slow. He had fallen off the centile curve. Not sure if it was for bottle or breast but it's the one in the little red book you get. I've changed to bottle feeding, he only gets a breast feed once or twice a day. Mother and baby are now both very happy. He has put on 10.5oz in the last 6 days and put on 1lb 1/2 oz in the previous week.

Seen a pead today and now he is back on the curve they don't want to see us again.

I know they say breast is best but Tomos was miserable all the time and if I demand fed he would be no there 24 hours a day.