Help! My daughter won't take a bottle!!!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dana M on September 5, 2010 at 5:25am

First, make sure you use bottles with a slow flow nipple. We use vent-aire
and they make 2 different nipples, a fast flow for over 7 months and a slow 
flow for under that. 

Second, if possible, have someone else give her the bottle while you are 
either gone or in another room. If she sees or hears you, she will know that
you are there and could nurse her. Sometimes this can frustrate the baby
If they would rather be nursing. 

Also, as hard as it is, make sure you stay calm. Children very much play off
of their parents emotions. You will be much more likey to keep her calm if
you and anyone trying to feed her stay calm even if she is not. I know that's 
hard to do though!!

Good luck! You will not be stuck in the house with her forever. I know it feels
like it, but it will get better!

Permalink Reply by dentalgirl on September 6, 2010 at 9:12pm

I had the same problem...I felt like a prisoner and cried in frustration! Try EVERY day giving a bottle and don't give up! My daughter finally took the platex drop ins with the latex brown slow flow nipple. You need something with a wide base like the breast. Try when she's happy and prop her on your lap with your legs up bent and her facing you. Distract her with a toy above her and put the bottle in her mouth. Eventually she'll just start sucking it! Now she is 5 months and sees the bottle and grabs for it and shoves it in her mouth!

Permalink Reply by madiha bekali on September 6, 2010 at 11:15pm

i have a same problem with my baby girl 14 weeks old, i spent one week now trying to give her bottle but she won't and when i force her to take it ,she seems like vomiting everything that's make me too nervous and then i prefer to give her my breast.

Permalink Reply by Bonnie Brown on September 8, 2010 at 4:15pm

I started trying to give my baby a bottle when she was 7 weeks, and my daughter also refused angrily (we both were very stressed after the first session). So, as I do with many questions, I went online to gather ideas.

One piece of advice really helped. It was to never try to make feeding a battle ground. Start giving her a bottle with very little milk in it (maybe 1 oz) between feedings, maybe 30 minutes before she normally feeds. This gives her a chance to get used to the shape and feel of another type of nipple. Be patient, she may just play with it or flat out refuse it like mine did. At least she is not hungry at this point, and as she tastes milk she may get hungrier and decide to try sucking on it. It took maybe a week and a half of a few sessions per day to have her finally take the full amount I put in the bottle. I think this was because I gave it closer to her feed time and she just decided to go ahead and take it. She did not look as relaxed as she does when nursing, but she was taking the bottle none the less.

The other important thing I realized (as you did) was that all bottle nipples are not created equal. The first few I tried were Parent's Choice, Breast Flow and Avent. The baby would refuse both Parents Choice and Breast Flow immediately (she'd get a look on her face like "ew" and spit it out), but Avent she would hold in her mouth as milk dripped out. I decided a little progress is better than nothing, and I became persistent with Avent. So after trying to get her to take, she finally ended up drinking a full ounce from the Avent bottle. They are quite pricey, but they are worth it if they work.

Lastly, I agree with the others with the slow flow nipples. Breast fed babies drown in the faster flow nipples and it is not pleasant for you or the baby.

She is now 11 weeks, and will take a bottle when we are out, but she still prefers breast and sometimes will "hold out" for mommy. I think it's just something that takes practice, and really, there is nothing more comforting than being close to mom while eating. One thing I did learn was that with the next child, I will make sure to introduce the bottle earlier so that this is not as much of an issue. Nothing you can change now.

Permalink Reply by Serilla O on September 8, 2010 at 9:06pm

Yes you are supposed to start introducing a bottle at 3-4 weeks at least once a day to get them to not have nipple confusion and so that they will take the bottle more regularly later on....for your next child I suppose, keep that in mind...

To get her to take the bottle now - the best thing is for you to have dad or someone else feed the baby and you be gone. Sometimes even if they know you are in another room they can sense it and will wait. So get out of the house. If she gets hungry enough then she may take it.

I used the closer to nature bottles and when I started introducing the bottle there was no confusion at all, I also heard that nuk bottles are really good to avoid nipple confusion as well. So you may want to try one of those. Hopefully those ones you ordered will do the job too.

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Andrea Travis on September 10, 2010 at 9:12am

The reason why shes crying is because you have created what is called a titty baby. My daughter was the same way, so i gave in to her and i'm still breastfeeding her at 7 months. Trust me it gets alot easier. As soon as i get done breastfeeding her i can do whatever i have to do for at least 2-4 hours depending what i need to do. Stay patient and youll see things will go alot smoother.

Permalink Reply by Lindsay on September 10, 2010 at 9:13am

My daughter was the exact same way. In the hospital, the nurses make you feel like your baby will not nurse at all if you give them a bottle before they are 4 weeks old. I even cheated and started trying to give her a bottle at 3 weeks, and she still refused. My daughter is very stubborn...she never did take the bottle. Even when I wasn't home, my husband, my mom, and the babysitter all tried to get her to take one, and she would just scream. Eventually, we were desperate, so as silly as it sounds, they had to spoon feed it to her just to get something in her little belly. I just had to make sure that I wasn't away for much more than 3 hours and i would nurse her right before I left and right after I got home. Eventually, when she was a couple of months, I was able to get her to drink through a straw, but never a bottle. But, I didn't have the patience to keep trying multiple times a day for weeks either. So, hopefully you have the patience to stick with it and hopefully some of these ideas that the other ladies are giving you will work! I know that for next time, I will introduce the bottle RIGHT AWAY! Good luck to you!

Permalink Reply by kgray on September 10, 2010 at 9:21am

I had the same problem. I tried introducing the bottle around 8wks and my son would not take it. It took about a week for him to finally give in. The first couple of times he took the bottle someone else had to give it to him, in fact I had to leave the room. The only nipples he will take (even now he is 12wks old) are the Born Free level 1. I tried to switch to level 2 and he had a fit. From now on I will try to give him atleast one bottle a day. This past week I have been nursing him rather than bottle feeding. When I tried to give him a bottle he refused it.

This is my second son. I never had any of these issues with my first. Good luck! It is very frustrating!!

Permalink Reply by Courtney on September 10, 2010 at 11:28am

We have tried the NUK bottles but she is still not accepting them. We have tried when she is happy and not hungry and she just plays with it. We got one of those medicine bottle things that holds about 2 teaspoons that we will be trying soon as to not waste all that breast milk. Maybe she will take that and maybe when the new bottles come in maybe they will work. They are the breast flow ones...I will keep you guys posted and thank you for all the suggestions.

Permalink Reply by maria hunter on September 10, 2010 at 1:28pm

I feel your pain. I had to go back to work when my daughter was 12 weeks and we literally tried every bottle out there. They say if you plan on using a bottle that you should introduce it anywhere from 4-6 weeks, of course we waited till about 10 weeks though. Sometimes you have to try more than once too but have you tried the Playtex drop-ins? After every bottle even the more expensive ones that was the one she ended up taking. What's funny is that was the first bottle we tried and when none of the other ones work we thought we would try again and sure enough that was the end of our headache.

Permalink Reply by Rachelle Krause on September 10, 2010 at 9:31pm

My daughter was the same way and at 8 months she still wouldnt take the bottle tried several different ones. I finally took her off breastfeeding it was a rough couple days but she eventually gave into the bottle. Now she is ok with the playtex nursers. I love breastfeeding but I understand why you wouldn't want to anymore. My son nursed for 17 mo didn't like the bottle either and shortly after that I had my daughter and I nursed her a little over 8 mo. Good luck with everything!!!!

Permalink Reply by Christina Hall on September 12, 2010 at 12:37am

I breast fed both my kids and in the beginning you can feel trapped, specially 10wks they are still eating every 2-3 hrs. Its just a matter of one of two things eather A be proud of being a mommy and feed your child no mater whats up (I blanket if its a more crowded areas, or went back to my car) some places even provide a kind of living rm (couch rocking chair) for mommys now. Or B is know your babies eating habits and work around it. Like I said it is still a bit early, but once the feedings get a little more spaced out its better. My friend actually had the same problem in fact hers ending going straight to a sippy. But something she found that helped some was when she found a bottle that he liked she put water or diluted juice(flavor), you can do boob milk too, and let it be kinda like another toy that way he was seeing it and getting familiar with it. Maybe brand wise your thinking to big try cheep and easy, some times the best things are the simple things. Um have some one else give it to her she smells so she wants you, leave the rm leave the house if you need to. Make sure shes not at peek hunger point when you try, if its coming up on feeding time atlest have it ready. (plz no offense with the comparasion) Babies are kinda like dogs they sense your emotions if your tense and stressing over it shes going to get that vibe from you, so make sure your chillaxed. And most of all be patiant. It is something new, if you feel your self losing it stop for the time being and try again later (again its a vibe thing), upset babies are not interested in new things. One last thing its a long shot but it cant hurt to try. Trying giving her you for a few and then giving her the slip. I know it goes against the earlyer comment but I figure it puts her in her comfy zone, you should be reasonably comfy, change the position as little as necessary. like i said that ones kinda a long shot, but every baby is different so hay y not. Plz update on progress and good luck, speekin of hungry babies G2G, hope you find what works for you Tushco

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page