Getting EBF to bottle feed

[dannielle87]

Help! We have tried just about everything to get LO to take a bottle with very little success. I have to return to work in about 2 weeks and she's going to need to eat.

[Libby]

Try having your SO feed the baby while you aren't there, but with a piece of your clothing near. We tried baby wasn't that hungry and that did the trick. When she was hungry it was hard for her to learn a new skill. We also went through 5 types of bottles before finding the right one. Good luck! I know it's stressful

[ninergirl52]

Try leaving the room/ house with someone else offering the bottle. Also have that person not hold lo like she is being nursed (this was a HUGE help for us). Dh holds lo facing out or in any position other than how I hold him. Make sure lo is hungry, she will be more likely to take the bottle if so. Lastly try a slow flow nipple. My lo finally took a tommee tippee bottle. GOOD LUCK!!!

Edited for words.

[dannielle87]

Libby and ninergirl52
Thanks so much for the advice. I've had DH try and feed her with me in another room and a few different nipples. I will try some more, maybe the tommee tippee. I'll also have DH hold LO different than I do. I hope this works. This is getting very frustrating.



Edited: can't figure out tagging

[ladybird]

We've had success with the slow flow Playtex nipples and Ventaire bottle. I got the variety pack of nipples from Amazon and then was able to pick out the one that I thought was closest(ish) to my nipple shape after LO has been eating for a bit. She took the first one I picked, but it was nice to know we had the other options to try if needed.

Also, LO initially would NOT take the bottle from DH. After several tries with him, I finally tried giving it to her and she immediately took it from me. After a few minutes, I was able to hand her over to DH and she continued the bottle with no issue. I feel like maybe she just needed things to feel normal to begin eating?

She's had a bottle several times since. It usually takes her a few minutes to remember how to drink from a bottle, but she's been able to take it from whoever is giving it to her.

[jessa1228]

H is feeding DS downstairs and I'm upstairs typing this as we speak. We've been giving him a bottle once a week and so far he's done pretty well, although last week it took almost 15 minutes before DS would take it. He starts daycare on Wednesday so I'm thinking about giving him a bottle every day now.

dannielle87 good luck! I know some babies are very picky when it comes to bottles, your LO might be one of them unfortunately.

[jax1182014]

This came up at a breastfeeding support group I go to. The LC suggested that the mother leave because it's easy to hear the baby cry and see your husband having a hard time then give in and breastfeed. But it's important to have the father build his own feeding relationship with his baby. The LC also suggested the playtex nipples like a previous poster mentioned. They are the slowest ones on the market according to the LC.. Hopes this helps

[Deleted]

Mom may have to leave the house completely or baby can hear and smell them.

Try a bottle nipple that is similarly shaped in diameter and length to moms nipple at the end of a nursing session. Or choose one a totally different t shape shorter and thinner or fatter.

Try milk colder than your think baby would like. Or try milk Warmer than you would think remember body temp milk is hot. Also try warming the bottle nipple under warm water

Try giving bottle in same position and location that mom would use with nursing. Even dad draping his arm with a shirt of moms or pulling up his sleeves or shirt a bit to give some skin to skin while giving the bottle. Or try making it totally different from nursing go outside car seat stroller bouncy chair or baby facing outward not in regular bottle giving position. Sit baby more upright.

Nurse a bit and then give the bottle cause it's hard to concentrate if you are starved. Try different times of day when half awake or not at a usual feeding time.

Try a few different types of bottles. Don't go totally nuts though trying a different one in a different way every day. If you have a bit of success with one thing try to stick to it for quite a few days cause babies are creatures of habit and need to get used to the shole idea

[wildflower810]

Just coming in to say hi @amyg!!! So glad to see you over here!

[lissydee]

each one of my kids had instances where they wouldn't take a bottle. It wasn't the bottle or the nipple...it was just them protesting the fact that it wasn't the breast. But when they were hungry enough, they ate.

They did prefer the milk warmer though until they were about 7-8ish months when the temp didn't bother them so much. So I would start there. Also, I only glossed over the other posts, and I didn't see it mentioned I don't think..but if the issue persists beyond other bottles and nipples being tried, then maybe your milk has a lipase issue.

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/lipase-expressedmilk/

[lissydee]

oh and some bf'd kiddos never end up taking a bottle...period. Even when the milk is fine. And they reverse cycle. And as much as its a pain, its fine and they can still thrive being EBF'd this way.

[Deleted]

Jan 24, 2015 21:25:56 GMT -5 lissydee said:

each one of my kids had instances where they wouldn't take a bottle. It wasn't the bottle or the nipple...it was just them protesting the fact that it wasn't the breast. But when they were hungry enough, they ate.

They did prefer the milk warmer though until they were about 7-8ish months when the temp didn't bother them so much. So I would start there. Also, I only glossed over the other posts, and I didn't see it mentioned I dont think..but if the issue persists beyond other bottles and nipples being tried, then maybe your milk has a lipase issue.

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/lipase-expressedmilk/

Yes definitely try fresh milk And if they'll take that not take frozen milk you may have a High lipase problem.

Mine ever took bottles but soft spout sipper cups small open topped cups with help and straw cups were used at an early age.

[gldnbearz]

Jan 24, 2015 21:27:14 GMT -5 lissydee said:

oh and some bf'd kiddos never end up taking a bottle...period. Even when the milk is fine. And they reverse cycle. And as much as its a pain, its fine and they can still thrive being EBF'd this way.

lissydee - can you explain reverse cycle?

[lissydee]

Jan 24, 2015 23:36:01 GMT -5 gldnbearz said:

Jan 24, 2015 21:27:14 GMT -5 lissydee said:

oh and some bf'd kiddos never end up taking a bottle...period. Even when the milk is fine. And they reverse cycle. And as much as its a pain, its fine and they can still thrive being EBF'd this way.

lissydee - can you explain reverse cycle?

so say they don't eat at all during the day while at the sitter or at day care.  Then they nurse all evening and night when back with you.  So they only eat/nurse with you as opposed from a bottle/with another person feeding them.

[Deleted]

Yeah reverse cycling is like instead of sttn and not nursing for 8 hours at night but eat normally the rest if the day some babies hold out for nursing and refuse bottles. So they do it the reverse and do their 8 hours of not nursing while at daycare and do their nursing when they are with mom. It's hard to deal with although easier if you cosleep and just sleep and nurse at the same time thru the night.

[dannielle87]

Thanks ladies. Unfortunately another night with very little success. I got a couple different nipples to try. I've been trying with fresh milk, so I don't think it's a lipase issue. The reverse cycling scares me some because I feel like 12-14 hours is way too long without food. I go back to work in 11 days, we'll just keep trying I guess. How long do you try before giving in and letting LO have the breast?

[Libby]

Jan 25, 2015 6:06:09 GMT -5 dannielle87 said:

Thanks ladies. Unfortunately another night with very little success. I got a couple different nipples to try. I've been trying with fresh milk, so I don't think it's a lipase issue. The reverse cycling scares me some because I feel like 12-14 hours is way too long without food. I go back to work in 11 days, we'll just keep trying I guess. How long do you try before giving in and letting LO have the breast?

Just wanted to say we tried playtex drop ins slow flow, tommy tippee, advent and finally found comotomo which is much slower than any of the others. It is shaped like the breast and you can squeeze it to mimic a letdown. Maybe it will work for you too? Super easy to clean also! The playtex was the fastest of all that we tried. I thought it was a defective nipple, but it wasn't. She could not do paced bottle feeding even though it was angled and allowed her to be more upright. Every baby is so different and what they like and it may change as they grow! Playtex does make a 4 pack of different nipples to try on Amazon for pretty cheap that come with one bottle.

[dannielle87]

Guys! We went over to MIL's tonight to have her try and LO took 4 oz from the bottle! We had success with the nuk and only when MIL would stand with LO. Then when we got home DH got her to take an ounce and I got her to take one more ounce. Now I'm afraid to offer the breast anymore.

[Deleted]

Don't worry too much. Most day cares have lots of experience with getting babes to take bottles from strangers. It will be ok