3 mo. old and refuses a bottle...any ideas?

Krystal - posted on 03/03/2009

my daughter went through this. she would only take the drop ins with the flat latex nipple that looks the nuk binkis. but i think some babies just dont like bottles. my friend had to quit her part time job bc her son would not at all take the bottle anymore. he was old enough to start solids so they tried that for awhile but that still didnt give her enough time to be gone for her few days a week to work. hope you find something that works for you

Vicky - posted on 03/03/2009

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I'm going to go buy a new bottle today and see if we can try again this weekend. My husband is only home during the day on the weekends and she only eats once while he is home in the evening so we can't try during the week. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. If you think of other ideas let me know! Thanks and Have a Blessed Day!

Karolina - posted on 03/02/2009

I have the same problem...she is now 3 months and refuses the bottle and everything else you can possibly imagine...i feel like i have given up hope.  I have tried every bottle...we have about 20 at home and she refuses the pacifier as well. I will have to give her cereal with milk on a spoon next month hopefully she will take that!

Ginette - posted on 03/02/2009

Another tip a friend gave me....try a brand of nipple called "Natural Latch". I can't remember what brand it is (maybe Gerber?), but it is supposed to be more like the breast than some other nipples. My friend found that her baby's latch improved after using this type of nipple.

Denise - posted on 03/02/2009

My daughter didn't like the breastflow or the adiri.  The only thing that works now is a triangular shaped bottle from gerber that i picked up at the supermarket as a last effort for bottles.  We spent a lot of money on bottles--good luck

Denise - posted on 03/02/2009

Hi!  My 15 week old has the same problem.  She took bottles of formula or bm up to about 8 weeks if I needed to get out.  Then she ultimately refused them--screaming her little head off until I returned. We have been trying to train her as I have to return to work on Thursday.  She hates the bottle but is starting to take a few sips up to an ounce.  She takes cereal on spoon unwillingly too but is getting better. I almost had a nervous breakdown at the sitter's house the other day cause my daughter wouldn't eat.  this weekend was a little bettter. Everyone-including her doctor told me not to worry and that a hungry baby will eventually eat. It breaks my heart to do this but I have to go to work.  I tried every bottle, nipple, medicine droppers, cups, etc.  We also tried having different people feed her with me there and when I was gone.  It just takes time I guess.  It is harder for the mothers I guess.  Best of luck!

Ginette - posted on 03/02/2009

I thought of another tip for you. It should not be you who tries to give the bottle, at least not at first. Your baby associates YOU with the breast, so if you are the one trying to give her the bottle she will just continue to cry/refuse until you give up and give her the breast. It has to be someone other than you who gives her the bottle at first - your partner / a grandparent etc. And you have to "disappear" while the bottle feeding is happening. If your baby sees/hears you at all they will probably continue to refuse the bottle, even from your partner. Eventually, if your partner is vigilent with their attempts, and especially if your baby is really hungry (I know it sounds cruel), she should eventually take the bottle. This is what worked for us - my daughter is now 15 weeks and taking a bottle most times without needing to do the soother trick.

Of course I have also heard other Moms say that their baby never took a bottle at all. Trying a sippy cup instead might work. Hope that helps!

Ginette - posted on 03/02/2009

The best thing to do is just keep trying. My husband & I first tried to give our daughter a bottle of breastmilk at 6 weeks and she took it pretty well. Then we didn't give her another one until 10 weeks and she refused it. Luckily she will take a soother, so we were eventually able to do the sneaky thing by starting with the soother and then quickly switching to the bottle. We now try to give her a bottle every day at the same time. If you go too long between bottles, you may lose all your hard-earned progress. Hopefully if you just keep trying they will eventually take it.

Christine - posted on 03/01/2009

My son is still fighting the bottle and I have been back to work for over a month.  When he even sees the bottle he starts screaming.  We have tried all bottles.  He makes up for it once I come home from work.  We have done medicine droppers and sippy cups as well but just down right refuses them.  So I feel your pain.  I started a little cereal just so that he is getting something when I am not home.

Kristen - posted on 03/01/2009

I went through the same thing with my son when I returned to work when he was 4 1/2 months old.  He would drink it from the end of a straw or from the sippy cup.  It took daycare about a week to get him to drink from a bottle. 


My son also didn't initially take a pacifier.  If you want him to take one, keep trying--my son finally took one the week he turned 6 months old.  It has sure made driving a lot more pleasant for both of us!

Kristen - posted on 03/01/2009

I went through the same thing with my son when I returned to work when he was 4 1/2 months old.  He would drink it from the end of a straw or from the sippy cup.  It took daycare about a week to get him to drink from a bottle. 


My son also didn't initially take a pacifier.  If you want him to take one, keep trying--my son finally took one the week he turned 6 months old.  It has sure made driving a lot more pleasant for both of us!

Jennifer - posted on 03/01/2009

I am going through the same thing my daughter will be 3 months on Tuesday and does not take a bottle or pacifier! I even bought the Adiri bottle and she just kind of plays with it. It takes practice I guess we just have to do it everyday at least once or twice, she'll eventually take it. I know whenever I am out with her and she has to eat I have to run to feed her! My sister in law said it took her about 3 weeks doing it like every other feeding for her daughter to get used to it. 

Vicky - posted on 03/01/2009

thank you guys! I'm going to pick up a breastlow tomorrow. cindy~she doesn't take a pacifer so I can't be too tricky =)



Have a blessed day!

Carrie - posted on 03/01/2009

this site has some good suggestions http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alter...

Tamara - posted on 03/01/2009

If for whatever she won't take a bottle, you can try using a straw cup. That's what worked best for my daughter. She hated the bottles but loved the straw.

Cindy - posted on 03/01/2009

I've been there! We started giving my son a bottle at 8 weeks so he'd be ok with it when I went back to work at 12 weeks. He absolutely hated it! We went through 11 (yes 11!) different bottles and nipples and tried a sippy cup. Eventually he just got used to the idea that if he wanted to eat while I was gone he was just going to have to take the bottle. I've heard from others that the Breastflow or Adiri bottles work well for BFing kiddos. I'd try the Breastflow first as the Adiri cost around $12 apiece.

Above all, keep trying. Have someone besides you try to feed her. Have them try having baby in different positions - even feeding while walking around the house, on the Boppy, in the exersaucer - anywhere you can think of. If she takes a pacifier, see if that brand of pacifier has a bottle that is shaped the same, sometimes they take those better because they're used to them. Try to sneak it in when she is just waking up and starting to suck - she may not realize it's the bottle at first. Squeeze a little milk out of the bottle nipple so she knows what's in there.

Be patient, it will happen. My son guzzles down bottles with the best of them now. Good luck!