Breastfed Child Refuses Bottle or Paci

Hey there! I tried 2 bottles, she didn't like the first one and she took the second on right away. It was the breastflow bottle that The First Years makes. It is said to be the closest thing to the breast. I introduced the bottle at 3 weeks, but I nursed everyday and she only took the bottle about once or twice a week. She never refused it, even though she didn't get it on a regular basis. I would pump and use my breastmilk. I never used formula, but from what I understand you should mix some with the breastmilk and gradually increase it until you are all formula.
She never took a pacifier and starting sucking her thumb. I tried numerous times to get her to take a paci, but she never would.
Good Luck!!

Hi S.,

What is your reason for going back to work so soon?

Contact your local La leche league Representative at

www.llli.org

Hope this helps.

All the Best. D.

Hi Sai. Congratulations on the baby and on making it breatfeeding this long! It is HARD work! It is so tough when they don't take a bottle. I'm not sure if you are trying to get him on a bottle AND formula, or just a bottle with breastmilk, but this is what I'd do in either case:

My advice would be to pump enough breastmilk for a couple bottles and leave the baby with whomever you are going to leave him with when you go back to work. For a whole day, if necessary. The baby will not starve himself to make a point. Leave a couple different kinds of bottles (my bf son only liked the Dr. Browns) and let that person (the newest nominee for sainthood) get the bottle in him. Do not come home until that person calls you and says that he or she has gotten at least 2 bottles into the baby OR it has been 6 hours since the baby has eaten. I would ge the bottle down first, and then if you need to wean him to formula during the day you can slowly start replacing bmilk in the bottle one ounce at a time with formula (1 more oz/every 2 days).

Daycare people (if that is what you are going to do with your son when you go back to work) are very experienced with this issue. My son goes to Interplay, and they got every baby except one to take a bottle, and that one they spoon/dropper fed until she was old enough to eat. Don't know if you are looking for a daycare in Pittsburgh, but they are SO flexible about breastmilk/formula/bottle/dropper/whatever feedings.... Just a plug for my favorite daycare!

Just give yourself some time because you don't want to have to be back at work and THEN start trying to get him on a bottle.

It will be ok! You're doing great, and the baby will be fine. We've all been there! :-)

Hi S.,
Freeze your pumped milk.. freeze, freeze , freeze .
now . ask a trusted , kind friend, grammy, sister [ any kind soul will do] to help you .
have the person come to your house . try to keep every thing the same , place your pumped breast milk in a bottle [ any will do ] now [ when baby is still happy] hand baby to ' the person' ..l-e-a-v-e your house ... do not call, do not disturb .. stay away until ' the person ' calls you ... trustme ; your BABY WILL eat ...baby will cry [ alot] baby will fight , baby will give in and suck on the bottle ... I PROMISE .
after this works a few times , you can then add some formula to routine, if needed due to babysitters and work..
I was 'the person' for my daughter .... It broke my heart , hence, it worked ..
simple; baby equates momma with food ...teach baby food comes from a bottle too ! babies are smart ; they will not starve !!!!!
good luck
t

Whooooooaaa...I just need to address a few posts here:
1) Do NOT NOT NOT mix his formula with "flavored water" or juice. It drives me nuts when people on Mamasource give DANGEROUS advice. First of all, diluting formula is robbing your baby of essential nutrients. Seondly, his intestines are not developed enough to handle anything "flavored" or juice-like (not until at LEAST 6 months). He could get a VERY upst tummy. PLAIN ol' breastmilk or formula is all they need until 6 months.
Secondly, there is a lot of literature out there (and on the web) regarding soy and soy formula. "They" are talking about "phytoestrogens" in the soy that can have serious effects, especially for boys. Google "Soy" and "phytoestrogens" and you'll get some info (don't just take my word for it).

Okay (whew) now to the problem at hand:

I am admittedly a little confused. You said, ...."until 1 week ago was only breastfed". Does that mean you are trying to switch to formula...has he actually taken it? Becuase I thought he hadn't...that's why you were asking for help. Sorry...I am probably just reading it wrong (I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer these days lol)

I agree with pumping your milk, and trying all kinds of bottles. Try the "Adiri" bottle(find it cheaper on Ebay). Also you can call your local LLLeague Leader and they will have some great tips (they helped me with this). Oh, and LEAVE the house when someone else feeds him. They can smell us around, I swear! ;)
Take care and good luck!

S.,

When you give your son the bottle, does it have formula or breast milk in it? If formula, perhaps try pumped breast milk...and put some on the bottle's nipple...the smell of something familiar may help entice him to the bottle.

Five weeks old is so young! I know you are anxious about getting him used to the bottle, but if you are trying to switch him from breastmilk to formula...and I don't know if you are...you may want to consider keepinghim on breastmilk, even with the bottle. Have you considered pumping at work, at least for a little while, so that the transition can happen when your child is a little older...even if it's just a few weeks older?

Do you have a nursing mother advisor? The Nursing Mothers' Assn is a volunteer organization. I was assigned an advisor with each of my children, and they were so helpful when I had any questions regarding nursing...including weaning. This is the website: http://www.nursingmoms.net . This is a Philly-area organization. The website says, "NMAC volunteers offer support and counseling, free of charge, without judgement (sic)." I'm not affiliated with them, but they were helpful for me and a lot of other moms I know!

We had problems with my son and the bottle. I pumped, but it still was an issue at one point, and the anxiety I felt over it was not good for me or the baby!

Good luck!

Hi, S.!
Ditto to Suzie Y!!!! She is dead-on!

Also, if you haven't already, please read "Nursing Mother,
Working Mother". It is like the bible of working & nursing & know many moms who credit their success to that book.

The Adiri bottle may help you some, but if not, remember that there ARE other ways for baby to get milk other than from just a bottle. It may take more time, but if baby's hungry & the caregiver is caring enough, they'll be pleased to satisfy his hunger (syringe or finger feeding often works very well for "picky" babies).

If you live in the Allentown area, there's a GREAT LLL meeting this ____@____.com you don't, please, please go to your closest meeting asap. You'll get some invaluable tips & info!

Good luck, sweetie! Hang in there & enjoy your last few weeks at home with your son!

Wow, this gives me flashbacks. My youngest was the same way. Try all the bottles, he had one he preferred. That said, he didn't take a bottle without lost of crying until the day I went back to work. He wasn't exactly happy about it that day, but did much better than the entire month prior doing all the things you're doing. Keep doing what you're doing, and he'll figure it out pretty fast when he doesn't have any other choice! Mine was fine going between breast and bottle from the day I went back to work until he stopped nursing.

I sympathize. My kids were all breastfed and I had problems, especially with my first, getting her to take a bottle before I went back to work. The bottle that worked best for us was Avent. Others I know have had luck with the Dr. Brown's bottles. If you keep trying, he'll get it eventually when he is hungry enough, although I know right now it is frustrating. Just keep at it and keep letting other people try to. Mine seemed to do better with the bottle with someone other than me, I think because she could sense/smell the nearness of the breastmilk when it was me and wanted that instead? Also, are you pumping and using breastmilk in the bottle? If not, try that. You don't want to do formula if he's never had it before. That's a separate battle! Best of luck!

My simple advice is just patience. My first son had a cleft lip. I breastfed for 7 weeks, had to go back the 9th week. I tried every nipple because I wasn't sure with his lip he was having problems, different people etc for a week, he just screamed and wouldn't take it. Finally after a week or so, one morning I breastfed him after he woke up in the morning, then tried the regular normal bottle and nipple and he took it like he had always taken it, no fight, no fuss.

It may not be the same for you, but after a while he will understand what he needs to do.

My suggestion would be to pump and give bm in the bottle but maybe also YOU do it and hold the baby like its at your breast to simulate.

I had the same problem with my youngest. What eventually worked was mixing the formula with flavored water. She just didn't like the taste of the formula. I used Gerber's Splashers in the baby section of the grocery store. Of course, if you're giving him breastmilk my idea won't help. Maybe waiting a week before trying again will help. I know you have to go back to work soon but stressing over the situation won't help you or your baby. Good Luck!!

If it's anything other than your breastmilk in that bottle, your baby may be trying to TELL you something, probably along the lines of "I don't like this, Mommy, I don't want it, I won't eat it." Which I would actually take sides with the infant on here. YOUR milk is the best thing for him this young, the most nutritious and wholesome thing. Formula always has something missing, it's NEVER "just like mother's milk," that and the mineral ratios are always WAY too high, it's rampantly common for a formula-fed baby to develop some kind of digestive problem, AND American and Chinese made formulas tend to have toxic industrial cleaning agents from the factory lacing them, like melamine. So as I said, I side with the infant on this issue.

I also had the same problem with my daughter. It's a little daunting thinking only YOU can feed your baby, so I totally sympathize. What worked for us was switching her to Soy formula. I had tried multiple different bottles with various nipples, but nothing worked. As soon as we switched her formula, she had NO problems. Also the platex bottles were what we used. Good luck.

Hi S.,

Congratulations on your new baby. Have you tried leaving the house when someone else feeds your baby? If you are still there, even if you are in the other room, your baby may know that you are there and may refuse to eat. You should also try when the baby isn't super hungry - so that he isn't upset. I wouldn't worry about it too much - just enjoy spending time with him. He will adjust once you go back to work. Here is a link to an article that I wrote on breastfeeding and working which may have some good tips for you in preparing to go back to work. http://www.pumpingtips.com

J.

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