Help!! My 14 Week Old Won't Take the Bottle Anymore!

My first son went on bottle strike around 3 months (he's now 23 mo.). I had just gone back to work and he decided that he didn't want the bottle any more. When I did get him to take the bottle he would only take it if it was breast milk and wouldn't take formula bottles. I called my doctor and she told me to try feeding him with a spoon which I found to be ridiculous. So I waited it out, I would pump instead of nurse since he had to have bottles. I tried giving him a bottle often and he eventually took it. If you stick with it, he will realize that he has to take the bottle. Also, I did try changing bottles since in his first month he took the advent bottle and then wouldn't I ended up using playtex. Hope this helps.

My oldest son stopped taking a bottle at 10 weeks. Dr. told me to give him whole milk in a sippy cup. Nuk with the soft top is what I gave him.

M.:

I see this a lot in my practice. I have found that there is always a reason - what we need to do if figure out the reason and we can then solve the problem.

Certainly the cold does not help. Breathing is much easier while breastfeeding.

You could try a cup.

You are welcome to call me for assistance.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

M.,
I feel your pain. My son did the same thing at 3 months old. For the first three months I would breastfeed him and give him EBM in a bottle without a problem, as could my husband and mom. However, at three months he refused the bottle--he cried two hours straight once with my husband. I think I looked on mammasource and found a similar question and many mothers said their breastfed baby did the same thing. I'm afraid it comes with the breastfeeding territory. Since I am a SAHM, I just gave up on the bottle along with going out at night--as that is the time he really wants to nurse to sleep. My son is now 8 months old and it is a little easier to leave him because he eats solid food which takes the place of the nursing.
Maybe try continually offering the bottle and he will start taking it again. Good Luck.
K.

He is probably too old for his bottle. My boys were 1 year and 11 months when I stopped giving them their bottles. He's growing up and ready for a sippy cup!

My son went on a strike around 8 weeks. I bought several different nipples and he took to the third one I tried. I think they just become more aware of their likes and dislikes at that age. I was also breastfeeding at the time and he had been taking a bottle since 1 week of age.

I would try a different type of nipple. Maybe he's starting to get picky....little stinker! My daughter would take whatever bottle was given to her, but my son would only take the flat nipples. I had such a problem getting him to take the bottle at one point, that I went to the store and bought an array of nipples and tried them until I found one he liked.

We had a lot of difficulty with our little girl and the bottle. I am still breastfeeding at 9 months (gets pretty easy when they eat solids!). She never took really well to the bottle, but I think a lot of our problem was it was not warm enough. She seemed to like it just under feeling hot. Being our first, we assumed this would be too warm for her, but it my breastmilk is actually quite warm. So I would try to get the temp close to your breastmilk temp. We also tried a lot of nipples and ended up with Dr. Browns working the best. She took really well to a sippy cup at about 6 months. Because she is now a sippy cup master, we gave up the bottle for good, so remember, it's only a short time they need that bottle anyway!
PS - we also had to often reheat the bottle part way through the feeding to get her to take a full feeding....she is a picky little thing!