My daughter has refused to take a bottle. We tried to give it to her between 3-6 weeks, which is what is recommended, but she won't take it. We have tried 3 different nipples, I've tried leaving the room and just letting her dad give it to her, I've tried to give it to her, I've tried everything I know to do. I kept thinking she would eventually get the hang of it, but she is not. Now she has to learn because I am going back to work sometime within the next 3 weeks (it is a financial necessity as my husband is in school so right now we are living on one part time salary) and I am at my wit's end and getting very frustrated. Any advice?
2006-09-15 08:38:13 · 5 answers · asked by mountain_laurel1183 5 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
She will eventually take it. How long have you been trying? How many times you try and the amount of time you spend trying it each time has a lot to do with it. Try several times a day, not just her normal feeding times. Don't wait until she is starving to introduce the bottle to her. This just frustrates them and they will absolutely refuse. Then they just get worn out from crying and throwing a fit and just fall asleep or spend hours screaming until you break down. I don't know how God managed to stuff so much hard-headed determination into such little bodies but he sure didn't skimp in that area did he? The key is to just not get upset, because your baby will know. They can feel tension in the air and their behavior only reflects your own. Keep trying, patiently, you can do this. There has never been any documented cases of babies starving to death with food right in front of them. So don't worry, it just takes time, and a whole lot of patience. I have been there and feel for you! Good luck.
2006-09-15 08:47:59 · answer #1 · answered by trebobnagrom 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well, I'm kind of in the same boat...
But what's worked okay for us so far is not having her held as if you're going to nurse her. Maybe have her lie on your legs and give her a bottle that way. That is the only way that my DD will take a bottle, and she will only take enough that way to stave off hunger.
PS-- some babies might not ever take the bottle even when they're starving. Most babies will if they get hungry enough, but certainly not all. My first wouldn't take a bottle for 2 months after I went to work, and I was working 8 hour days, so she was going about 9 hours without eating anything. She just ate a lot at night and slept a lot during the day. That's called "reverse cycling" and is pretty normal, though not terribly common. http://www.mother-2-mother.com/reversecycling.htm
2006-09-15 16:38:27 · answer #2 · answered by I ♥ EC 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'll probably have to leave the house. I don't know how they do it, but they know when you're there. I had the same problem with my daughter. She would only take it when I was not in the house, period. After a few weeks she got used to it, and by 8 weeks, had no problem taking a bottle from ME!
2006-09-15 15:45:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Obviously, there's two senses working when your baby is eating. Touch and smell. Obviously, she doesn't like the touch of the bottle compared to the breast. Are you putting baby formula in the bottle? Try putting breast milk into the bottle. Then, place a drop of breast milk on her lips. Let her taste it. Then, see place the bottle on her lips. See if she then takes it. You're basically fooling her into believing it's the breast.
2006-09-15 15:47:40 · answer #4 · answered by Scott D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You were breastfeeding? Did u try the avent or the playtex vent aire natural shape?
2006-09-15 15:40:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋