How to get a 4 month old to take a bottle

Valerie - posted on 09/26/2009

offering when really hungry or sleepy...in a fully awake state will fight you the most...also what nipple/bottle are you using? position? might prefer the nuk nipple and a lying down position...

Carla - posted on 09/25/2009

I also love the breastflow bottles from first years. I couldnt get Aaron to take a bottle at all until I bought these today, he took 3oz first try and then another 3oz later. I will try him with more tomorrow, I only put 3 in because I thought I'd be wasting the milk as usual, lol. I had tried him previously with tommee tippee closer to nature and avent.

Michelle - posted on 09/25/2009

hi there,
my heart goes out to you, this can be a really distressing and frustrating time.

We've had to move our 19 week old onto bottles of formula as i need to go into hospital for an operation on my arm (i dislocated my elbow when i fell down the stairs three weeks ago) i'd agree with the other girls who've suggested getting some else to feed the little one and also to begin with her first feed of the day, this is whats worked for our wee one. Last week you were lucky if she'd take 1 oz of milk... this week after a lot of patience and very helpful friends she taken three bottles of 7 oz's today!! i'm so chuffed i could cry!
Best of luck and fingers crossed for you
xxx

Robyn - posted on 09/25/2009

well i had to go back to work when my youngest was 3 1/2 months old... so i didn't have a chance but to bottle feed and i didn't get help with the daddy on feeding a bottle so i had to be the one to feed her from the bottle... but they say that the moms should get daddy or someone other than herself to keep from confussing the baby on the bottle and breast.... my little didnt really get confussed..... and doesn't have a problem with latching on to one from another.... but i would try different brands of bottles or nipples.... they say that the nuk is more like moms nipple... in a way i dont see that.... i tried those kind she ate from them... but you could tell she didn't really like it.... so i have found that the best bottle and nipples are the playtex drop ins more like mommy to me... and she has no problem with them.... good luck hope that helps

Brandie - posted on 09/24/2009

my 3 month old will not take a bottle either and i go back to work in 2 1/2 weeks. i am worried! we were giving her once bottle a week since birth, then around 10 wks she just refused one day.

Miranda - posted on 09/24/2009

I also breastfed my daughter and never really attempted a pumped bottle until she was about 6 months old. She hated it!!!! She liked pacifiers though, so I used the medicine pacifiers (I'm not sure if you know what I'm talking about but they sell them at WalMart and they're cheap...just a binky with a little cup thing on top. lol) They don't hold much at all but i would just refill it over and over until she got the idea of sucking and getting it from a nipple..and after a few days, she was fine having a bottle! Good luck.

Jessy - posted on 09/23/2009

Thanks for the question. I too have been trying to get my son now 5 months old to take a bottle. I have read through all of the posts and am hopeful that some of the different sugguested bottles might work - I just love that circle of moms helps to answer these kinds of questions for us all....

Cassandra - posted on 09/23/2009

Quoting Charmane:

How to get a 4 month old to take a bottle

Hi:
I breastfeed my 4 month old. My husband was supposed to give our daughter a bottle a day to keep her used to the bottle. He has failed to do so & now she won't take it.
I would like to avoid the struggle and force her to take the bottle by offering nothing else until she does.
We are slowly introducing the bottle each day, but she won't take it.
Any ideas on how to get the bottle of breastmilk back into her life??

Mandy - posted on 09/23/2009

why are you giving her a bottle?

Jordan - posted on 09/23/2009

You CANNOT be anywhere near her when it is time for her to take the bottle. I had to go to school when my daughter was 3 mo old, and if she even had the slightest hint that I was still in the house, she wouldn't take it. I also found that the Breastflow bottles by First Years (I see someone else has found these to be useful as well) have a very short nipple and work great. Some other bottles have long hard nipples that caused my baby to gag. Good luck!

Kilee - posted on 09/23/2009

there is a new bottle out call the Adiri. It looks and feels much more like the breast vs. the other bottles. I also breastfeed my 4 month old and just started with this bottle.

Alexandria - posted on 09/23/2009

im trying to get my 10 week old to take a bootle and he refuses no matter if daddy gives it or even uncle or grandparents

im going to try a few more different nipples then im done ill wait till he takes a cup

Debbie - posted on 09/23/2009

Just keep trying. I never tried a whole bunch of nipples, I just tried it everynight. It took a bit but once she figured out that the milk from the bottle was the same as my breast, she was fine. Now she freaks when she sees the bottle and tries everything to get to it! lol

Kristan - posted on 09/23/2009

try the Playtex "drop in: bottles. my daughter took best to those nipples.
other then trial and error... idk what to tell you.

its hard.... been there!

Charmane - posted on 09/23/2009

She no longer likes/takes her soothie .... gosh.
I've tried a few different bottles/nipples... I guess I need to try different ones? Wow, this is tough!

Jenny - posted on 09/23/2009

I went through the same problem. I experimented with different bottles. One that really worked for me is called Breastflow by the first years. I bought mine at babies r us for about $4. Its wonderful it has the same let down effect that they experience through breastfeeding and is soft much like a breast. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Erin - posted on 09/23/2009

If she's sleeping through the night, try the bottle for the first feeding of the day. She'll be the hungriest then and more likely to take it. Also, make sure it is your husband or another person feeding her. Why take the "fake" when the real thing is right there.

Another possibility at her age is to get a soft "nippled" cup. Unless you're feeding her while you're eating (like I am doing right now), put some pumped milk into the cup and let her "play" with that while you eat. Just a couple of ideas. Good luck.

Julia - posted on 09/23/2009

My daughter never took a bottle but at about 3 or 4 months I was able to get her to start taking a sippy cup of my milk. I would go and get a couple different styles (try the soft spout ones first). My daughter's favorite ones were Nuby and Avent.



Good luck and I hope you can figure something out.

Susannah - posted on 09/23/2009

does your baby use a passy???? If so try to find the same brand nipple for the bottle that she uses for a passy..... if that dont work try introducing it to them more than just once a day..... they also have this bottle at amny babies r us store that is shaped just like your breast.... they really work ...they cost more than a pack of bottles they are only sold individual....... they are called ADIRI ...Good Luck and Happy Mothering

Kimberly - posted on 09/23/2009

I am going throught the SAME EXACT thing. I am at a lose for words with my situation. My husband drove my daughter 30 minutes each way twice a day this weekend while i was away. She is 4 months too and refuses.

Megan - posted on 09/23/2009

Sometimes it helps to try different types of nipples. It's the same thing with pacifiers you have to go with what the baby prefers. My oldest only liked the the bottle nipples with the bumpy/bubble things on them he wouldn't touch any other kind even though he was mostly breastfed as well, and for pacifiers he only liked the scented soothies since he was in and out of the hospital a lot for the first few months and that's what they gave him there. Now my younger one isn't so picky he doesn't care what it is as long as he gets food or has the comfort. Most of it is just trial and error.