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ACK!!! 3mo is Refusing the Bottle!

  1. #1
    Thaimac is offline Registered User
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    ACK!!! 3mo is Refusing the Bottle!

    My 3 mo breastfed baby has started to refuse the bottle entirely. She took it without hesitation for the first 2 months of her life and now won't have anything to do with it. How can I get her to start up again? We've tried a big variety of nipples - Dr. Browns, Playtex, Medela and Avent. Also tried different flow rates of all the nipples. We've even tried a sippy cup. Every time we try I leave the house and get someone else to do it and still nothing.

    Thanks!


  2. #2
    hsjb is offline Registered User
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    We're having exactly the same problem with our 2.5 month-old! Ours had been taking the bottle roughly twice a day since he as about 6 weeks. Then over the weekend he decided that enough was enough and now he will scream until I give him the breast. The thing is, I find it so hard not to give in to his cries. I know that if I hold out and just persist, he will eventually take it.


  3. #3
    LLL_Sarah is offline Registered User
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    Below are some tips that can be used if baby is reluctant to take the bottle:

    • Try offering the bottle before the baby is likely to be too hungry,
    • Wrap the baby in a piece of the mother’s clothing (blouse or nightgown, for example) while offering the bottle,
    • Instead of pushing the bottle nipple into the baby’s mouth, try laying it near his mouth and allowing him to pull it in himself,
    • Try running warm water over the bottle nipple to bring it up to body temperature,
    • Try different types of bottle nipples to find a shape, a substance (rubber or silicone), and a hole size the baby will accept,
    • Try different feeding positions. Some babies like to sit propped against the caregiver’s raised legs; others prefer not to look at the caregiver and will take a bottle better if they are held facing out, with their back against the caregiver’s chest,
    • Try to feed the baby while moving rhythmically – rocking, walking or swaying from side to side – because this may be calming to him,
    • Insert the bottle nipple into the baby’s mouth when he’s sleeping,
    • Keep trying, but remember that the baby can be fed the mother’s milk with a cup, spoon or eyedropper if the baby continues to refuse the bottle.


    The method I’ve found is most useful with older babies is to make it a very different experience to breastfeeding. They would rather breastfeed than bottle feed so if you hold the baby in a similar way they will refuse the bottle – showing you their preference.

  4. #4
    turtle is offline Registered User
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    I had a house full of Avent bottles and then one day my daughter just went off them. I was told by a friend to try changing the teat, ie try another brand of bottle. I tried NUK and she took it just fine, so we switched right away. And I still have a house full of unused Avent bottles! Hope this helps...


  5. #5
    Thaimac is offline Registered User
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    Thanks all for the tips! I love the list! It looks very comprehensive! I'm off to buy Nuk nipples to see if they are the magic ones.


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