refusal of a bottle (even with breastmilk in it)

Kelly - posted on 01/10/2009

Have you tried sippy cups? My 4 month old is learning the sippy cup even though he fortunately takes the bottle.

Erica - posted on 01/10/2009

I am on my third child refusing bottles and the sippy cups with the straw built in worked great! With our babies being great at sucking, the liquid comes up and out of the straw very quickly!

Daryl - posted on 01/10/2009

i should have read this before i made my post, but i'm having the exact same problem. It sucks cause i leave her with my MIL for a night out with my husband and i'm worried that my mother in law is stuck with a crying baby the whole time.

Nicole - posted on 01/10/2009

My son is 6 months old and since I have started back to work I have had the same problem of him refusing to take breastmilk, whether it be in a bottle or sippie cup. He is on solids now and on the days I go to work, he only misses one nursing session. Lately, he has been skipping the feeding while I am at work and waiiting to nurse until I get home. Is it okay for hime to go 6-7 hours without a feeding during the day? I have read everyones responses and will certainly try what you have suggessted for others. Thanks

Debbie - posted on 01/10/2009

my baby will take a bottle if you hold her facing out with her head against your chest. this way she isn't expecting to nurse

Staci - posted on 01/10/2009

At 8 months he is probably more interested in biting the nipple than sucking on it when you give him the bottle.  Try the Nuby brand bottle with the sippy cup square nipple on it.  My daughter used to take the avent and breastflow bottles and then at 6 months refused every bottle out there but this one worked like a charm.  It opens and drips out when it is bit down on so it works well with the developmental stage if they are teething.  Plus it has handles on the bottle so they can hold onto it and guide it to their own mouth which is so fun for them.  Most of all, just be patient with him when you introduce it, they can sense the urgency in you if you feel like they HAVE to take it and they will refuse.  Also, if he starts to cry and fight the bottle, put it aside and skip that feeding.  Don't force the bottle on him or he will view it as the enemy.  At the next feeding he will be hungrier and more willing to try.  I also had to give up the actual feeding off of the breast for a full week when I introduced the bottle.  She had to learn that milk can come from somewhere else.  If I alternately gave her the breast she would refuse the bottle and wait for the breast to come back....

Kandi - posted on 01/10/2009

Have you tried a sippy cup instead? Our son refused all bottles and went right to a sippy cup. He preferred the cups with the soft spouts to start and later switched to the playtex sippy cup. Our daughter would take a Dr.Brown's bottle after much trial and error. By 8 months, she refused bottles and went to the soft spouted sippy cups and shortly thereafter, to the playtex sippy's which she still uses at 2.
Good luck!

Shannon - posted on 01/10/2009

My son refused breastflow bottles.... absolutely hated them. WE went through Nuk, Soothie, breastflow, playtex both standard and wide mouth, and finally he took Avent ones... good for me since I use them already for my pumps....

I hate to say it since I am really not a fan of letting the child cry till they finally give in, but keep trying.. eventually he will have to give in if he is hungry.. also, do you try yourself to give them?? If so, that mayu be part of the problem. Until about 3 weeks of using bottles, I couldn't even be in the room... daddy, grandma, and aunt etc had to give them or he would refuse them.

Whatever you try to do... good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you.

Carrie - posted on 01/10/2009

At that age, he might just be willing to wait it out.  since he can have solids if you're away for just a few hours pehaps that's a better solution.  If you get desperate he can drink it from a spoon too.  (if he won't take a sippy)  I agree that trying a sippy (holding it for him) might be a good idea.  we had the most luck with the straw type sippies.

Kristen - posted on 01/10/2009

I had the same problem. I actually started giving my son soy formula in his sippy cup (he started using a cup instead of a bottle at about 5 months) and he'll drink that (won't drink any other kind of formula). Have you tried using a cup instead of a bottle? Some breastfed babies preffer a cup instead.

I agree, the breast flow bottle is great too, that is one bottle my son used a lot before the cup.

Kristen - posted on 01/10/2009

Have you tried the Breast Flow bottle? It's made to simulate the breast and baby has to "latch on" the same way. Milk doesn't flow until the baby sucks. It's the only bottle my son will take (also with breast milk in it...)