Breastfeeding has been and continues to be such a wonderful experience for me. Living away from family means that there is rarely a time that I am away from my boys. That means there is never a need for my youngest to take a bottle; which is great by me because I love breastfeeding him.
On a recent vacation home to visit our families a new challenge presented itself: what happens when mommy wants to go out but baby won’t take a bottle?
I never had this issue with my oldest boy. So I never even considered that giving a bottle of expressed breast milk would be an issue this time around.
The day after we arrived in Nova Scotia I decided to take advantage of my husband being home with us and go to the gym, instead of working out in the basement. Before I left, I pumped enough milk for the little man and assumed everything would be fine. Not the case.
While in the gym I received a text message from my hubby to say that the baby was refusing the bottle and was in hysterics. When I got home I was greeted by a very distressed husband and a ravenous baby!
At first I thought that he was refusing the bottle because we were in a new place and he wanted something familiar, so a few nights later my husband and I went to the gym while my mother watched the boys. Again I left a bottle of expressed milk.
Again I received a text message to say that he would not take the bottle and was very distraught.
We purchased new bottles, new nipples. We tried feeding him a bottle in every position possible. Nothing seems to work!
My mom suggested that every day I pump one bottle of milk to give to him so he gets used to the bottle. I know that sounds simple enough but with a 2 year old and a 3.5 month old, it is certainly easier said than done.
I love our ‘quiet time’ when he nurses, it’s time that I can sit with him and take a break from the busyness of the day so if he doesn’t need to take a bottle I don’t really want to give him one. However, I also don’t want him to be so unfamiliar with a bottle that he works himself into a screaming fit when I am away for a few hours.
I am not sure if this is a common issue for breastfeeding moms? If so I would love some advice! I am hoping that he will eventually become agreeable to taking the bottle but for now we continue with ‘the battle of the bottle’.
My name is Mary Ellen Marsh. I have a 16 month old little boy named Brody and am expecting our second bundle of joy in March, 2011. I am a registered dietitian by trade, but I am currently a stay-at[..]
Hi! we had that with our daughter too and so did a cousin of mine. Basically for ours–we switched her to a sippy cup early on–and showed HER US drinking from a regular cup and then (pretending) to drink from HER sippy cup–then all of a sudden at 7-8 months THIS worked–she now drinks from a sippy cup with no issues.
As yours is soooo little–try this–as this is what worked for me when she was 3-6 months and started to take the bottle from my husband, lick it and then kick it to the floor.
He asked me to pump in the morning–leave before she wakes up and then let him offer her the bottle full of mommy’s milk–that worked best.
I didn’t refridgerate it AT ALL–that apparently somehow changes the taste for her–though my doc disagreed–the kid won’t take milk that has been in the fridge!!
Also we started to mix breastmilk into baby cereal once she hit 6 months because at least she was consuming it then.
Again at the 3-5 month stage–either I’d leave way earlier than she’d wake up if at all possible–OR I’d scoop her up in the morning, nurse her–don’t let him wake up–just stick him on the boob–and let him suck you dry!! Then put him back to bed.
NOW for US–that worked amazingly well–MUCH better than all the rest–and it usually gave me 2-3 hours out without having to worry.
However, we did get away with putting breastmilk into bags–and freezing it–(no refridgerator time–just into the freezer). When he’d need milk for her–he’d take a bag out–we’d freeze it into 2-3oz sizes–as she would never drink more than that at 1 time.
Her best bet to take a bottle–was if she didn’t see me at all–OR if I sleep nursed her and then put her back to bed so she’d sleep later–and that mostly worked. I HOPE that helps you!!
I’ve heard that finger feeding is closer to breastfeeding. I wonder if a baby who doesn’t take a bottle would finger feed?
This was the most challenging aspect of breastfeeding for me. I tried every trick, every bottle (I even ordered the expensive Mimijumi), every sippy cup. I waited the recommended 6 weeks, and everything was fine, but then at 3 months, my son vehemently refused the bottle. He has only recently started happily drinking from a sippy cup, and he’s almost 17 months old. I’m looking forward to reading these tips and tricks, although I suspect some kids are more inclined to drink from a bottle than others.
Thank you for your responses ladies! I will keep you updated with our trials!
I am going through this as well. I have always given my baby an occasional bottle of breast milk and we’ve never had a problem. In the last month or so I’ve wanted to start a bottle a day, as I’ll be going back to work soon. He is ten months old. We tried formula and he hated it! He just refuses and pushes it away and gets very upset. We have tried breast milk in the bottle too, but now he barely even tastes it before getting enraged so I don’t think it matters what is in there! I have been mixing the formula in his cereal, and he eats it so I don’t even think it is the flavour. He just seems to want liquids only straight from me. I don’t know what to do! I really want to have some freedom again, as well as fearing what I’ll do when I go back to work in 2 months!