Help..baby won't take a bottle

Metranil_Vavin

As per the title, my 6 month old has suddenly started refusing to take a bottle.

She has been exclusively breast fed, but in the last couple of weeks has taken a few bottles of expressed b/milk and a bottle of Aptamil so we thought all was well. but

Next week I am due to go on a 2 day work trip to France, and all of a sudden baby won't have anything to do with a bottle so I am starting to panic

I was intending to take my breast pump on the trip with me and pump regularly to keep the supply up so I can resume breastfeeding when I get back. I am not due back to work properly until June, so have a couple more months to breastfeed all being well.

We are using the Tommee Tippee bottles and also have Avent - both of which she was ok to take when I went in to work a few weeks ago.

I am going to try her with a bottle of expressed this evening to try and figure out if it's the formula she is objecting to, or the bottle, but I won't be able to stockpile enough b.milk for OH to give her over 2 days, so really need her to take formula or I'm not going.

Any tips/advice? I've been told to try lots of different bottles/teats etc, it's just all ver expensive buying bottles she may not take.

I have tried b.feeding and then introducing the bottle but she is having none of it, have also tried being out of the room whilst OH feeds her but no go.

I only ever intended to breastfeed for 6 months and refuse to feel guilty as I feel I have given her a good start, besides which she is going to have to take bottles from June when I go back to work part time.

littlemisssunshinee

Hello
I've had the Nuk bottles suggested to me - my LO was never bothered but a few mums whose babies wouldn't take any other bottle would take these. I can't remember which teat it is but it's meant to actually work the same way as b feeding.

B milk is sweeter than formula so it might just be that. The cartons are usually sweeter than the powder - so you could either try cartons or I have a friend who mixed the powdered with grape juice (then reduced this until baby would just take the formula). If your baby has suddenly gone off the bottle I would suspect the milk rather than the bottle so personally I would try that first.

She also might take it from a beaker rather than a bottle.

I know how stressful it can be so hope somehting works

peachyprice

Another vote for Nuk, if you haven't tried those already. I successfully mixed fed all of mine with those teats, it's to do with the shape of the teat and location of the hole meaning they have to use the same technique as BF. These are the ones they gave me in SCBU.

You should be able to just buy the teats though and use them on the bottles you already have.

Metranil_Vavin

Thank you Yes when we mad up a bottle the other night from powder she wretched It does smell horrible, I don't blame her for not wanting it.

So have been using the ready made cartons instead which smell much better and seem to have a more 'milky' consistency..I'm wondering if the wretch-episode with the powdered formula has put her right off?

Off to try again now..dreading it

Metranil_Vavin

Thanks for the NUK recommendations. I shall send OH out for some!

dibuzz

My daughter wouldn't take a bottle, she was seriously ill at 6 months and lost a lot of weight so the doctors wanted her to have follow on milk to build her up.
We tried everything and the only way she would take it was if it was in a baby cup, she was happier with a banana flavoured milk from Boots but it was 20 years ago so no idea if they still do it.
She might be picking up on your anxiety to get her to take it and realise you will give in and give her what she really wants if she refuses.
Babies can be very manipulative even at that age

wendz86

I could never get my LO to have milk from a bottle. She went straight from bf to cup at a year old.

Advise i was given though was to put them in a bouncy chair or similar as they won't associate it so much with bfing. Also if someone else eg dad tries to feed them they may be more likely to take.

If she has done it in the last couple of weeks I am sure she would give in.

cte1111

As she's 6 months, have you tried her on any solids yet? That would help to reduce her dependence on bf.

skintchick

You could try a cup like a Doidy cup, or just a small cup, or a sippy. She can handle that and might prefer it.

Their main nutrition is still milk until they are 1, so just try a few different things.

Would she take a bottle if distracted? Try TV or someone else reading to her, facing her out on your lap, and see if that helps.

Gillyx

I'd recommend mam bottles, the teat is flat, the way the nipple goes in babies mouth when feeding.

Good luck it must be very stressful xx

Guineapigsqueaks

Hi

I went from exclusive breastfeeding to bottle feeding at around 6 months with my DS because I was going back to work. My DS wouldn't take the bottle for the first few feeds, even though it was given by Dad with me out of the way (sobbing in the bedroom because I was giving up breastfeeding). Turned out DS liked the orthodontic shaped teats, I think this was because, so long as you put them in the right way up (!), the milk sucks in to the roof of the mouth like breastfeeding. Standard teats seemed to make him gag and give up because it was hitting his throat straight away, this is a particular shock for breastfed babies who are used to working harder for their milk, it comes out much faster from a bottle! I can't remember the brand I used, but the NUK ones others have recommended are the same shape as the ones I used. Also, I think latex teats (brown) are better than the clear, silicone versions as they are softer and more like the nipple breastfed babies are used to. I used SMA Gold, DS didn't seem to have problem with taste/sweetness. If Dad wasn't around to give bottle, I used to wear Dad's fleece top so DS couldn't smell my milk so much, until DS had adapted to the change.
Hope that helps.
Guineapigsqueaks x
PS. Once I made the change to bottle, I made it pretty quickly. DS didn't really have a chance to realise he might have a choice or express a preference! And absolutely don't feel guilty, six months is great. You'll get it sorted.