My son is almost four months and so far is being exclusively breastfed. Since I'm with him most of the time, and I'm not going back to work, he's only been offered a bottle a few times. The trouble is that he won't take a bottle from anyone else. My husband has tried on several occasions, and my mom tried once. The baby just screams while it's being offered and refuses to drink. Once I get home, he will take an ounce or two from the bottle ONLY if I am the one giving it to him (go figure). Like I said, it's not a huge issue, but it would be nice to not have to plan my entire life for the next 8 months around baby feedings. Any suggestions??
I have 4 kids....... (they are now 30 to 21... so this was a while ago...)
My kids never WOULD take bottles... it was M. or nothing....... hubby tried to give bottles when I was working in the evening, but that didn't work........
good luck!
I suggest that you continue having others who are caring for him offer him a bottle. He will drink when he's hungry. I suggest that you not plan your life around baby feedings. It will not hurt the baby if he refuses to drink from a bottle and misses a feeding and once he realizes that this is the way it is he'll most likely take the bottle.
We went through that with grandchildren when watching them and they would NOT take a bottle. After much work over time their mother got them to take a bottle ( twins ) and each would only drink from a certain nipple so she had to get two types of bottles. Another grandchild refused and I had to call the parents home. I think if they'd been a bit older, not your son's age or younger, it would have been much better. You just have to offer it everyday maybe or have your husband feed once a day or so until he'll take it. I bet as he gets a bit older he will. Or try a sippy cup in a few months or so and he may do that better. If you're home and not working though it won't be so bad but you might like to go somewhere during his lifetime. :-) Just work on it.
My second would not take it. I still went for dates with husband. Grandma or babysitter would offer it, but she often went to bed without. So I would twilight feed when I got home to get her to sleep through the night. In a few more months you can offer cereal to get her by until you get home. Once she adds solids you'll have more options.
My boys never took a bottle, but by the time they were six months old I could leave them with my husband for longer periods because he could feed them pablum and they would drink water from a sippy cup. By the time they were 9 months old they were only nursing about four times a day. I imagine they would have taken the bottle if they were hungry enough.
Every baby is different.
So with me, I have 2 kids. I breastfed both.
My 1st child, would NEVER EVER EVER EVER, take a bottle. Though I tried ALL the different bottles and nipples available and all sorts of attempts as ALL the online tips say in those articles. NO. My daughter would NEVER EVER EVER, take a bottle.
So for you, at least your baby takes a bottle. From you.
My daughter wouldn't even do that.
Then my son. He would take a bottle. But then, as time went on... he wanted ONLY the bottle... and started to REFUSE breast.
Because, bottles are easier to drink from.
So I had to deal with that, with him. He'd actually throw a fit if I put him to breast. But would take the bottle eagerly. And I did have TONS of milk in my boobs and it was not a supply issue. And he was a champ at nursing from the day he was born. But no, he liked the bottle better. So then I wished I never used a bottle with him and only stuck to breast.
So those are my stories, with my kids.
Mine only took it with formula in it, like she knew it was wrong to get breast milk out of silicone nipples! Some people said their kids wouldn't take frozen and reheated breast milk, only fresher or refrigerated milk. And have someone else offer it always! Not just you, then they grow to associate feeding with mom. Leave the house and have them try it, if hungry enough they will eat! Maybe have them cuddle baby with one of your shirts or something that smells like you so they're more comfortable.
Practice. Its an extremely rare disorder that prevents babies from eating when they're hungry. Its just that most of the time they're pecking rather than truly hungry. So they'll voice their displeasure (wear themsves out by that), the sleep, be ticked off again... And THEN eat. But they do eventually eat. And do eventually stop being grumpy about it.
Although... Fair warning: babies often adjust their schedules to have things their way.
I was in school the first few years of my son's life. Which meant I had different schedules every quarter.
When I had daytime classes... He slept a LOT in the daytime, and was up a lot at night when I was home.
When I have night classes... He slept a lot at night, and was awake a lot in the daytime when I was home.
He'd eat for others. He just "arranged" it, so he didn't have to do it a lot.
