11 Week Old Suddenly Refusing Bottles

Hi K.,

contact the La leche League at

www.llli.org/ or 1-###-###-####

Hope this helps. D.

Hi K.,

Unfortunately there is no specific answer for this. I remember being in a similar situation when I had to go back to work when my daughter was 10 weeks old. Rest assured (she just turned one), your baby will eat. The first couple of days were a bit rough and my little one was not happy to take the bottle, but by Wednesday of the work week she was nursing from the bottle without problems and she has been switching back and forth from bottle to breast without problem ever sense. I can imagine how worried you are, but remember this...once hungry enough he will eat, it will just take time for him to get used to it. He will not starve and he will be okay. One thing that did help was finding out just how warm the milk had to be. It seems my daughter preferred warmer milk from the bottle than she ever got through breastfeeding, so work on the temperature. We also went through multiple bottles (pre-BPA scare) and settled on the Avent since she seemed to take to the nipple much easier. I still use the Avent nipples but with the Sassy BPA free bottles. I wish I had a magic answer, but it seems from everyone I asked myself prior to returning to work and from my own experience that hunger (and no mommy available) is the best motivator. Good luck.

P.S.: Do not let someone else's opinion of returning to work make you feel guilty. It is hard enough returning to work when you have to without having someone else tell you to quit. First few weeks are tough, but after a while things settle down and then going home is without question the best part of the day!

My son was the same. Some parents had success using the Nuby line of products. Also check to make sure that he does not have an ear infection or thrush. (Thrush is little white spots on the tongue or gums, it is essentially a yeast infection.) That would make it hurt. If he's nursing just fine, probably not the issue.

Babies can smell your milk from a surprising distance, so the suggestions offered regarding making sure you are gone during a bottle feed are very good.

My little guy never really took to the bottle. He would take just a little bit during the day to tide him over, then nurse about three times in the evenings before bed. It sucked. We also had lots of ear infections and thrush issues, so it made it uncomfortable for him. He was fussy and crabby, and it was tough on everyone -- us, him, and the daycare staff. Hopefully, he will just adjust, but I wouldn't be nursing him much this week, sometimes you just have to make it so that the only way to be fed is from the bottle.

I am having much success with the Nuk bottles and Nuk nipples. My expressed milk also has to be almost hot for my baby to drink it. If you are returning to work and need quick solution I would try adding more bottles to his routine now, and try not to nurse in the case where he refuses. I am not suggesting you starve him, but if he's hungry enough he should take the bottle.

Hi K.,

In my home daycare, I watched a little girl who had the same problem with bottles. She was 3 months old when I started watching her. We tried everything---every kind of bottle nipple, sippy cups, droppers, spoons---you name it. The thing she did the best with was the dropper, but it was very slow. She did manage to get enough in her, though, that she was still gaining weight. She tried really hard with the bottle and was so good about it, but just really couldn't seem to get the hang of the bottle nipples. She would nurse as soon as her mother came in to pick her up. And like yours, she had even taken a bottle when she was younger. Her mom finally got her employer to allow her to work from home via the computer. She was fortunate to have that option. The little girl is 10 months old now and her mother told me the other day that she never did take to the bottle.

Please let us know how this turns out.

Best to you and your son!
K.

Quit working and take care of your baby is the obvious solution... though it is probably not what you want to hear. Are you really about to leave your three month old baby??? There is no job that is more important than the one you signed up for when you became a mother, and no paycheck that can measure up to the rewards you feel as you watch your child grow into adolescence and adulthood as a healthy and wholesome human being, due to your loving care.
Good luck.
N

Hi K.,

Your baby probably knows that you are close by - so he is refusing. Don't worry, when you go back to work and he is with your caregiver, he will do fine. He may have a rough day or two when you go back, but he will adjust to taking your milk in his bottle and he will do fine. Here is an article for you to read on working and breastfeeding - it has some great tips: <http://www.pumpingtips.com&gt;

J.
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This may sound funny but it worked for my cousin. Try a sippy cup. Have Dad try it first. When he tries it, try to be in a different part of the house or out for a walk. Sometimes if they know you are there or near, they will still refuse.

Anyhow, hope this helps. Best of luck with your little one.

Every child is different and trying many of stuff & worrying will only stress your baby out. He will want to eat & he won't starve himself. While you are use to a routine that includes several feeds through the day he may just prefer Mommy. In my LeLeche support group there was one boy who would only take a mid-day meal to tide him over, another that would take from any bottle anywhere, and my daughter that would only take a bottle if I was not in the room for at least 15 minutes before my husband attempted to feed her. Also it is not fair for someone to tell you to quit work & raise your baby. They do not know your circumstances & as much as I wanted to stay home with my daughter, reality was if I didn't work the mortgage wasn't getting paid. Your son will be fine & he will eat when he needs to, after all you will only be gone 8 hours which means he will have 16 hours to catch up in a worst case scenario. Hope this helps.

I know this sounds early but, give him a sippy to try. Some breast babies do not care for the texture of the nipple because its not as supple as the real thing, nor the same temp. The sucking that is used on a sippy cup can be used by a smaller baby then most people think. I wouldn't waste my time or money trying a ton of different nipples.

Sadly the only thing i could think of was postponing your going back to work a little. It is so important for you to figure this out for him and not a daycare. You would have the kindness and patience...not them. I know that sometimes it is not an option though.

When my twins were 3 weeks old I started giving them a bottle a day (of formula before bed). Around 4 months old they started refusing it so I upped it to 3 bottles a day (the other two of pumped milk) and that seemed to keep them interested. On the other hand, if he'll take a sippy now I would do it. You have to switch anyway at a year.

I have the same problem but it is with a 12 week old in my daycare. She totally refuses the bottle and every bottle I have tried. We have had her for 6 weeks and she is stubborn all right. We end up feeding her with a medicine dropper and she likes it go figure. Good luck do try every nipple and bottle hopefully you will find one he likes.

Do you have a different bottle you can try? I used the playtex nurser a few times which he was fine with but then all of a sudden didn't like it. I now use Dr. Brown's, Born Free and sometimes the Medela bottles. Also, do you warm the milk or are you trying to give it to him cold? He might not like that. Just a couple thoughts. good luck.