Breast to Bottle Transition Help

I know this doesn't help now, but starting earlier with the bottle is easier. My daughter didn't take a bottle til she was 6 mos old. I know this is frustrating, I came home every 2 1/2 hrs to nurse her (crazy). My best advise it to try all kinds of different bottles and nipples, she may decide she likes a different kind. Its also better if someone else gives her the bottle, she will never take it from you. I finally had a very patient sitter get my daughter to take the bottle. She sat in the chair I usually nursed her in and rocked her. As she was getting sleepy she put the bottle in her mouth and she finally give in and took it! Good luck! With my next baby due in June, I am going to start pumping at 2 weeks!!

This is exactly what we went through with my five month old. We tried every bottle out there. There are a TON of suggestions, but here's a few. Try feeding her the bottle when she's sitting upright (this did the trick for my daughter after three weeks of refusing the bottle!). Have your husband wrap the bottle in your nightshirt. Try syringe feeding the breastmilk. Good luck!

I have two thoughts.
One is to try different positions when bottle feeding. Some babies think they can only eat (from you or a bottle) in a nursing position (ie, with your husband holding the baby at the same angle that you nurse him). But some babies will reject a bottle this way, and will only take a bottle in a position that is completely unrelated to nursing (ie, they think the nursing position is only for nursing, and trying to do something else while in that position is confusing). For example, try having your husband have the baby sitting in the bouncy seat, swing, or even the car seat when he offers the bottle. Also, but some breastmilk on the outside of the bottle nipple, so that she gets the taste on her tongue as soon as the bottle goes in her mouth.

A totally different line of thinking is that babies can learn to wait for you to come home - taking a bottle while you work isn't actually required. Moms don't panic if a 3 month old baby sleeps for 8-10 hours at night without eating (in fact, we celebrate). So no need to panic if the babies goes this long during the day without eating. The downside to this is that the baby will probably want to nurse all evening and will keep waking at night to nurse, because she's not taking the bottle during the day. But, it's called reverse cycling (you can look it up on kellymom.com) and some women find that it works for them.

A friend of mine had to nurse and bottle feed in the same sitting in order for her baby to get the "feel" of the bottle - after a few minutes of nursing, she would slip the bottle in her babies mouth - eventually it worked just fine!
For our transition, I had to have my husband give the bottle. I even had to be quiet and out of the room so my son wouldn't get distracted by me.
She will eat when she is hungry. Pinch the bottles nipple so milk is coming out of it - this will help since the baby will gravitate towards the milk.
Good Luck!

Like others said it's easier if you start earlier, but there is nothing you can do about that now. We started early with my son and then my husband went away for a week and then was sick for a week, so my son didn't get a bottle for 2 weeks. When I tried again after that he totally refused it. I didn't give in because I knew he could drink from a bottle and was just being stubborn, but it still took 2 weeks of trying once a day to get him to take it. In your case I'm not sure how much you want to force it since she's never taken a bottle before.

This site has some good links for getting a baby to take a bottle and for alternatives if she won't take one http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html. I remember how frustrating it was, but you'll figure out a solution that works for both of you. Good luck!!

My 8 mos old granddaughter nurses from the breast and the bottle. Just keep offering the bottle to her. It might help if you're not around at all until she's used to the bottle. Or it might help if you're the one that gives the bottle to her. She will eventually accept it.

My daughter, the baby's mother, fed the bottle to her from the beginning.

My 4 month old will still cry and refuse the bottle for up to 45 minutes, then finally goes with it and once he realizes it's breastmilk, will drink down the whole 3 ounces. He's 16lbs and he only gets 3 ounces every 3-4 hours while I'm gone... he will not eat more than one bottle because he'd rather wait for my return. it's notmal, don't worry... she will eventually eat or learn to wait for your return.

I went through this with my 4 month old. The week before I went back to work, I would pump and then immediately give her the bottle while it was still fresh. I did this once a day. It was slow going at first. I had to squirt some of the milk in her mouth-each day it took a little less time. You may also have to try some different nipples as well. Her first week at daycare was a learning experience but she did take it without problem after a couple days. She drinks 6 oz every 3-4 hours with no problem now.