Infant Refuses Bottle - HELP!

Updated on November 05, 2010
D.B. asks from McKinney, TX
11 answers

I breastfeed exclusively. Since I will be returning to work soon, we have started offering our daughter a bottle once a day to get her used to it. (No formula--I pump). Per the advice of a lactation consultant, we started when she turned 3 weeks old. The first day she was confused , but the 2nd day was better. By the 3rd day, she took the bottle fine. This lasted one week. The day she turned 4 weeks old, she started refusing the bottle. She just sits there with the bottle in her mouth. She acts like she has no idea what it is and does not suck at all. She does this until she gets irritated at which point she screams and cries. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this issue? I don't think I need to try a different nipple because she took this bottle fine for the first week. I never try to give it to her, it's always my husband and one time my mother and I make sure I'm not in the room. Please help! I don't know what I'm going to do if she won't take a bottle when I have to go back to work.

Additional info: We use the First Years Breastflow bottles--that is the one she took fine for a week before she started refusing bottles. I don't think I need to try a different bottle since she took this one fine just last week. Also, I do not give her the bottle---my husband gives it to her and I leave. Unfortunately I work 30 miles away from home so I won't be able to nurse during the workday. I don't go back to work for another month, but I am trying to get her used to bottles now so it won't be an issue later. It's frustrating since she was fine last week and now screams at the sight of a bottle this week.

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B.M.

answers from Dallas on

D.,
I had this issue with my daughter also. Unfortunately, she was never a big fan of the bottle (she's now 16 mths), but she didn't starve once I went back to work and it was a super easy transition to sippy cup. I had a caregiver that was persistent and kept offering it and she eventually got the hang of it. I tried every bottle and nipple and it didn't seem to matter. It did help if it was REALLY warm- you gotta think it's coming out of the breast at body temp. It also helped if I warmed the nipple. Good luck and don't fret! Just stick with it.

More Answers

E.D.

answers from Seattle on

First things first. Take a nice hot bath and just let go of the past couple weeks. Talk to your husband and mom about setting up comforting routines for feedings. They should be different than the ones you've created, but incorporate the same elements: songs, pleasant talking and encouragement, fluffy blankets, a nice soothing place to sit. Then, in a few days time, try again. Leave the house for several hours. See if your mom and husband can be there together, so that they can use each other to take breaks if they need to.

When baby becomes hungry, have them try, gently and without pressure or expectation, to give her the bottle. If she refuses, immediately stop and go do something else. If baby enjoys being bounced, sung to, tickled, bathed or taken for a walk, then have them do that. A little while later, casually try again. Make it fun and pleasant. They should be confidant and relaxed. Again, no pressure or expectation. If she takes it Great. If not, that's okay too. There is a difference between a hungry baby, a really hungry baby and a starving baby. When she is hungry, she will be cranky but when she is really hungry she will be more likely to take the bottle. She will not starve.

If she doesn't get enough milk during the day, she will make up for it at night. There are ways to work through that. I chose to co sleep because then I could stay in bed while nursing my child. I slept through the feedings and woke up rested. If that's not an option for you, you could try putting her crib, bassinet or co-sleeper in your room, so that she has a separate space but is still near by you so that you don't have to interrupt your sleep only to have to work in the morning.

If she still rejects the bottle, after a few sessions like this, certainly try different nipples/bottles.

If she really never takes a bottle you can dropper feed or spoon feed sometimes.

Good luck, you guys will be able to make this work. Bottle rejection is totally normal and is just a sign of a baby who knows what she wants.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.A.

answers from Reno on

Oh totally had this happen with my little on when I went back. It turned out the milk wasn't warm enough. Try making it a little hotter and seeing if she'll take it. Also, you can try squirting a little milk into her mouth from the bottle nipple and seeing if that gets her going. Also try putting her on the pillow you sleep on while you feed her from the bottle:)
Hey it's way hard to pump and work, but it is so worth it. I made it to one year( it was really really really stressful at times) so don't beat yourself up if you feel frustrated or things get tough. If you want to chat email me ok:)

1 mom found this helpful

C.M.

answers from St. Louis on

First I suggest having someone other than you feed her. She's probably confused because she smells your milk but you aren't feeding her the normal way.

Second, I'd try different bottles/nipples.

Third, breastfeed her first for a few minutes so she's not starving then switch over to the bottle.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.P.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter did this as well. She took a bottle once a day for about 3 weeks, then one day just decided to stop. We tried everything from different bottles, to different people feeding while I left the house. She would completely skip a feeding to not take a bottle. Finally at 5 months I switched to a faster nipple and she sucked it down like no tomorrow. The breast does flow a little faster than the slow nipples, so maybe this is your issue too. For us, it turned out to be the playtex bottles with the bags that she drank from in the beginning, just a faster nipple. Worth a try. Good luck and congrats on the little one!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Not all infants will take a bottle.
My daughter did not... at all.....
My son, did.
I breastfed both exclusively.
For my son, I used the "MAM" brand bottles... which you can get from Amazon. It is not in stores.
It is widely used in Europe.
It is BPA free and does not accumulate air bubbles in the bottle as the baby drink. Thus, no gas.
It has a natural nipple...
My son loved this bottle, as did I.

And yes, some babies get nipple confusion. Or they just do not like bottles. And, some babies will take a bottle and still breastfeed. And some babies once taking a bottle, won't want to breastfeed anymore... because drinking from a bottle is easier... since it is just by gravity.

Not all babies, will know how to take a bottle, nor want to. My daughter was like that.

all the best,
Susan

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A.D.

answers from Dallas on

You have some great advice from Ephie below. But I have one other suggestion try a different bottle. My son hated the Breastflow bottles. We switched to Born Free and never looked back. There are soooo many offerings for breastfed babies when it comes to bottles why not try something different?

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K.P.

answers from Dallas on

My first born would not take the bottle. When I finally went back to work my mom spoon fed her breast milk while I was at work. This is probably not an option for you. Just a word of encouragement, hang in there and she will eventually take it.

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M.S.

answers from Dallas on

We had a similar issue but finally found The First Years Breastflow bottles: http://www.learningcurve.com/breastflow?icid=ddmenu&l...
Our lactaction consultants were amazed by how much the latch to the bottle matched the correct breast latch.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

My niece never took a bottle and she did just fine when my sister was away in fact she never got grumpy while she was gone but the second she walked in the door she would nurse like crazy. Are you working a full 8 hour day? You would be thrilled if your baby slept 6-8 hr stretch at night so I would just expect that if she doesn't take it during the day while you are working that she will be up and want to nurse a lot during the night. Do you work close enough to her daycare or your home so that you can go nurse her at lunch time?
oh and I agree with Meredith the breastflow bottles are the best you may want to try them it was the only bottle my son would take.

B.K.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi D.
Reading this brings back the memories of going through this with our son.
I would stict with it as it is a very good sign that she took the bottle for a whole week.Try to be strong,in control and not give in.(I know this is hard)
Continue to let your husband do it for the first day or two and then you also try.
I would recommend that you start introducing more bottles.
The first day one bottle,the second day two bottles etc. to lessen confusion.
Maybe she, as all babies do ,prefer the breast and she knows that she will eventually get the breast.(don't forget the intelligence of our little ones lol)
As you are planning to go back to work you should be aiming that she gets the majority of your breast milk from a bottle.
Try to keep breast feeding to night time.
Best of luck
B.

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