Advice on how to get my baby to take a bottle

[jupiterfruitcake]

I would like to have ds 4 months okay taking a bottle of expressed bm when I"M gone occasional evenings to play soccer. I'm desperate to get away once in a while. Anyone with advice about how to convince the little guy that a bottle is fun?

Background- About 2 weeks ago, I had him taking a bottle from me, although reluctantly. Dh has never been able to get him to take a bottle, which defeats the purpose. Now, he absolutely refuses the bottle from anyone. It may be bcause yesterday I made the mistake of thawing bm and not smelling it first and after he started to suck and refused I smelled it and discovered that it was sour smelling. I tried to thaw other bm but the same thing happened- it became icky smelling as soon as it was thawed and heated up. So I figure can only give him freshly expressed or this happens (no idea why), which isn't a problem except he won't take the bottle at all anymore! I'm afraid this experience has made him decide no way.

Sorry this is so rambling- my 3.5 year old is climbing my fridge so I'm hurrying!

Please help!

[RedheadbyChoice]

Hi sugar!

Sounds like you've got a lipase issue with your EBM. Read here about that and what you can do about it: lipase in EBM (http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246)

Have you tried different temps? Different bottles? Even a soft-spouted sippy? What about using a soft, flexible cup?

Here's another linky for you: alternate feeding methods (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html)

When you leave babe, is there anyone else, besides DH, who would be keeping babe? Could you see if that person would be willing to come to your place, while you leave for 30 minutes, to see if they could get babe to snork down some EBM? When DH has tried the bottle, are you still in the house? Some moms find that they must be physically GONE for babe to take it.

Or, what about some slightly slushy EBM, that someone would feed him with a spoon?

[jupiterfruitcake]

That slushy EBM idea sounds neat! I'm going to try that one for sure.

Yes DH has tried to give babe a bottle with me in the house, with me gone, etc. It always ends up in crying and frustration for the little one.

I've tried different bottles and there is one that he has accepted before, just no longer. TRrying different temps is a good idea too.

I am to the point where I am going to have to ask my mom to give this a try while I go outside or something. But will it be bad if he cries hysterically for a while? What if he just refuses and he goes on for like half an hour and then goes to sleep or something? That happened once with DH while I was gone and I felt so bad.

[RedheadbyChoice]

But will it be bad if he cries hysterically for a while? What if he just refuses and he goes on for like half an hour and then goes to sleep or something? That happened once with DH while I was gone and I felt so bad.

IMO, yes, that would be bad. And if I knew that he'd be crying for that long, I'd find a way to deal with his inability to take a bottle longer and not leave him.

[jupiterfruitcake]

IMO, yes, that would be bad. And if I knew that he'd be crying for that long, I'd find a way to deal with his inability to take a bottle longer and not leave him.


I think so too, so that's what I"ve been doing. The one time it happened was because I had gotten him to take a bottle a couple of times, so I figured he would take it from DH. I was wrong. I can work my schedule around making sure he gets fed and loved and everything. I just want advice on how to gently work him u p to taking a bottle. I don't want to be an absolute slave to his schedule for the whole time I nurse him (I'm planning on at least a year).

Anyone else with ideas or experiences with this?

[RedheadbyChoice]

I can work my schedule around making sure he gets fed and loved and everything.

But of course you can, I have no doubt of that! :)

I just want advice on how to gently work him u p to taking a bottle. I don't want to be an absolute slave to his schedule for the whole time I nurse him (I'm planning on at least a year).

Anyone else with ideas or experiences with this?

Bold is mine.

I think it's all in how you look at it. I feed my babies on demand (and I'm currently nursing #4, Meredith is almost 15 months old) and I can say that not only am I able to get out of the house often, as she got older, but I don't feel like I'm a slave to her at all. It's that I'm the one who GETS to feed her. Not has to, but gets to----it's a philosophy, IMO. She won't be small forever, and neither will your little guy. At 4 months, he's still nursing very very often. That will change as he gets older, absolutely.

You may end up using a sippy, rather than a bottle. Or, slushy EBM. Or, he may not ever want to take EBM any other way than straight from the tap. Would that really be the end of the world? Or just a blip in your plans for the year? The time that our babies need us intensely, compared to their whole lives, is so very very small. Of course, when you're in the trenches, it seems like it's forever! :hug: Mine didn't have bottles, but as they got older, I found that I was able to nurse them, and then leave them with MIL or DH for an hour, and as they got even older 2 and 3 hours, before I was needed again.

You've made it for 4 months, momma, that's wonderful! And babe will be able to have solids in a few months (after he's at least 6 months and can meet some developmental guidelines) and that will give you a bit of free time as well, as dad (or your mom) could give a smidge of that, as well as EBM if you're needing to be gone. He'll be a different creature at 6 months and 8 months and 10 months.

There *is* absolutely light at the tunnel, momma, there is!

[jupiterfruitcake]

But of course you can, I have no doubt of that! :)



Bold is mine.

I think it's all in how you look at it. I feed my babies on demand (and I'm currently nursing #4, Meredith is almost 15 months old) and I can say that not only am I able to get out of the house often, as she got older, but I don't feel like I'm a slave to her at all. It's that I'm the one who GETS to feed her. Not has to, but gets to----it's a philosophy, IMO. She won't be small forever, and neither will your little guy. At 4 months, he's still nursing very very often. That will change as he gets older, absolutely.

You may end up using a sippy, rather than a bottle. Or, slushy EBM. Or, he may not ever want to take EBM any other way than straight from the tap. Would that really be the end of the world? Or just a blip in your plans for the year? The time that our babies need us intensely, compared to their whole lives, is so very very small. Of course, when you're in the trenches, it seems like it's forever! :hug: Mine didn't have bottles, but as they got older, I found that I was able to nurse them, and then leave them with MIL or DH for an hour, and as they got even older 2 and 3 hours, before I was needed again.

You've made it for 4 months, momma, that's wonderful! And babe will be able to have solids in a few months (after he's at least 6 months and can meet some developmental guidelines) and that will give you a bit of free time as well, as dad (or your mom) could give a smidge of that, as well as EBM if you're needing to be gone. He'll be a different creature at 6 months and 8 months and 10 months.

There *is* absolutely light at the tunnel, momma, there is!


You're right of course. I have a 3.5 year old I nursed for over a year, so I've been here before, but like you said, when you're in the midst of feeding every 90-120 minutes, it seems like a lot.

I always forget that I'm only a couple months away from starting solids, and I forget how different babies this age are from month to month and even from week to week. I also had a very rough pregnancy with bed rest and hospital stays and stuff so for me it's been more than a year already that I have had very little personal life. I lose perspective occasionally!

6 more months or maybe a little more is really just a blip in the big scheme of things. Still, I'd like for him to take a bottle or feed in some way other than from the breast. It would just make me feel better knowing someone else could feed him if it became really necessary.

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement!

[RedheadbyChoice]

Keep at it, and keep trying seems to be the consensus---hopefully one of the methods will click with him soon.

I had bed rest as well with my last two, and I remember that feeling of wanting to get the heck out of Dodge. :D