Frustrated... 3 Month Old Suddenly Flat Out Refusing Bottle!!

After reading your other posts I would say that this is a good thing. If you are worried about your supply the best thing for it is to nurse, nurse and nurse some more! If your son is having plenty of wet and poopy diapers than I wouldn't worry about the bottle right now. Just let your little man nurse as much and as often as he want. That is natures way of increasing your milk supply. I know this could be frustrating, especially if you feel like all you are doing is nursing the baby but this is perfectly normal seeing how 3 months is prime growth spurt time for you baby. In a few days his feedings will probably space out a bit more as you will be producing more milk for him at each feeding and he'll be able to go longer between feedings. Even if you aren't feeling full or able to pump a lot (or anything at all) doesn't mean you are not providing plenty of food for your little one. If he is gaining weight and having plenty of wet and poopy diapers then chances are you are just fine and don't really need to supplement. A baby wanting to nurse a lot and often is not a necessarily a sigh on a low supply nor is a baby who eats a bottle after nursing. The way a bottle works, even a full baby will eat from it becuase it just pours into their mouths and they are forced to swallow. I suggest getting someone to come and help you with the older kids while you spend time snuggling your baby skin to skin and nurse as much as your little one wants.

As to the worry about taking a bottle for those emergency times when you are not around do not fret. A hungry baby will eat eventually if they don't have access to mommy. Just leave a bottle for the baby and leave the house. Make sure you take a cell phone with you so you can be reached if things get too crazy for the baby and you need to come home.

time to be a tough Mom...no matter how hard & heartbreaking it is.

You are going to have to develop the fortitude to outlast him, & eventually he'll take the bottle. You know he's hungry, you know he needs supplement....therefore it's up to you to be strong. I know it's heartbreaking to listen to a child cry, but parenting is not always a breeze. You are just going to have to continue to offer that bottle & do not give in! If he won't take it, make sure that bottle is the next thing offered. I wish you Peace, Luck, & Patience.

As for trying all of the different types of bottles/nipples - pick one & stick with it!

He's telling you he's bonded with you and only wants momma! I know you want him to take to a bottle, but think of it this way: from here on out he's going to be growing and working towards leaving you to be on his own.
Why not just have a little patients and nurse him more? Trust me, your supply with increase with him nursing more. Our bodies are amazing that way! :)
Congratulations on nursing, your son is proving to you that its natures perfect answer to a little babies hunger! :)
Stop supplementing. USE what you have- two breasts that are ready to increase milk supply if you only let them.
This time where your baby WANTS and NEEDS to nurse only lasts for a short time, please enjoy and take advantage of it.
If an emergency happens and you aren't able to feed him, he won't die. He'll eat something before that happens. But until then, why deny him the comfort and love that only a breast from his momma can provide?

i'm not sure it's appropriate for mothers to admonish you to continue nursing only when obviously you ARE already nursing to the point of no milk and much worry. i agree that your son will likely take a bottle before starving but that doesn't mean you will be okay with him being hungry in the meantime. you are aware of course that stress leads to his distress as well as affecting your milk production, so the most important thing is to figure out how to make that go away. taking a bottle from someone else with you right out of the room and when he's hungriest is a good place to start. you can express some milk and give that to him in a bottle so that he doesn't immediately associate the bottle with 'yuck! not mom!' and then start mixing the formula slowly into it. if there's no one around to help with feeding, then you try starting with the bottle when he's hungriest and then offer him the breast to finish up. you don't have to do it until you're both wound up and hollering, just start off with it, and maybe stop the nursing from time to time and offer the bottle again throughout the meal. don't push it, don't get upset if he refuses or bellows. just start with it and keep quietly offering it off and on.
don't freak out, hon. he WILL learn to take the bottle. it will just take a little detective work on your part to figure out what method will work for your little guy. breathe, and hang in there!
khairete
S.

I had the same situation with my daughter. She absolutely refused every bottle, formula, breast milk at any and all temperatures starting at about 2 1/2 months. On the rare occasion I left her, she would rather scream it out than take a bottle. If she was really really hungry, she would take a few sips from a Avent bottle, but not enough to comfort her. It was very frustrating and no one had a solution that worked. At her 3 month check up, the pedi told me that it's not an uncommon problem and that many mothers have the same issue. He suggested trying a soft spout sippy cup without the stoppper. That worked a little better. It was a complete mess! And she wouldn't take a whole feeding, but she would drink enough that I could go out for short periods of time. At the very start of 5 months of age, she took to the sippy cup EXTREMELY well and I was even able to add the no spill stopper back to the cup. I don't know if this helps. I hope you find an answer, because I know how frustrating and stressful this issue can be.

I agree about letting him nurse as much as he wants...it seems crazy, but when he's nursing on you when you're empty it tells your body to make more. (And I'm sure that's the LAST thing you want to hear when you are so frustrated and worried. But I did find it to be true with my little guy.) Also, I recommend dropping the bottle issue with him for a week and then have someone try when you aren't home. It's amazing what a break from pressure and stress can do for a child. I did it with bottles, listening to stories, learning to read, all kinds of things. Good luck just cuddling your little guy and relaxing as much as possible. He wants skin time with you. Please note you are assuming it will get harder as he gets older, but try and reconsider that. Once he's bonded with you and the stress is off, he might surprise you! We're thinking of you! D.

Hi R.! I agree with Suz - try to reduce the stress if you can. Easier said than done, I know. I had the same problem last year when my son was 10 weeks old, and I was about to go back to work. I got some great advice on here; maybe if you click on my profile you can find my original request and the replies. I think it was around December 2008. I would pick one bottle and a fast-flow nipple and stick with it - I did the same thing as you, switching around from bottle to bottle, and I think it confuses them. Also, try giving him a bottle in different places - in the swing, in the baby carrier, in the car, walking while facing him outward, anything to change it up so that he doesn't associate it with past stress or frustration. My son never did take back to the bottle, but we did have moderate success with sippy cups around 4-5 months. You can also feed him with a medicine dropper or spoon in an emergency - it takes a long time, but it works in a pinch. Good luck - I know how hard it is.

No advice on the bottle. You could try using a Lactaid. It is basically a bottle with tiny tubes you tape to your nipple. By this he is getting the formula from the lactaid, he thinks he is nursing and it stimulates your breasts to produce more milk. There are also things you can do to increase your breast milk production. Eat oatmeal every morning, take fennugreek and drink lots of water. These both help to increase production. HAve you seen a lactation specialist about helping to increase production?

Regarding nursing issues:
1) Are you drinking enough water? It's essential to keep well hydrated while nursing. You should be drinking a 12-oz glass of water (not soda, not fruit juice, WATER) every time you nurse.
2) Have you tried supplementing your diet with nutritional yeast?
3) Have you spoken to a La Leche League representative?
4) Bottle rejection
a) what behavior is he doing when he refuses the bottle?
b) are you holding him for bottle feedings just as you would for breast feeding?
c) have you tried smearing a taste of breast milk on the bottle nipple when trying to feed formula?
d) Formula: having you been using the same one all along? If not, how many different formulas have you tried? When was the most recent change?