How do you get a 3 month old baby boy to drink from a bottle?

Question

We have tried everything: Different nipples (silicone/latex), different liquid (breast milk, various formulas), warming the liquid, warming the nipples, different bottles (Avent, Playtex), from mom, from dad, lying down, sitting up, in front of the TV, outside, dressed, naked, and list goes on.
Everytime we try he screams bloody murder until he tires himself (and us) out. We are afraid he will dehydrate, starve, and mom is going crazy breastfeeding all day long! She is going to lose her mind shortly...
Background: Breastfed from 0-3 weeks, bottle/breast combination from 3-6 weeks (YES! He used to take the bottle no problem a month and half ago!), breastfed exclusively ever since.

Answer 1

I have had personal experience with this dilema on 2 different occassions. One was with one of my daycare children. She was 3 months old when she came to me. Dad had been working on getting her to take a bottle of expressed breast milk with only minimal success when she began coming to me. I was pretty confident that I could handle it since I had been caring for infants for many years and hadn't come across one yet who wouldn't eat when hungry. She quickly put some humble-ness in my opinion of myself! I, too, tried everything imaginable with this little strong-willed child. She would literally go all day long (mom was a teacher and dropped her off about 7:00 and was here to pick up by 3:30) with maybe 2 ounces getting into her tummy if I was lucky. After a couple weeks of this, I was at my wit's end with her when I tried putting her breast milk in a small sippy cup (the old fashioned kind without any valve in the lid). She would suck on it and I found I could usually get 4-6 ounces in her during the day if I held her with her back against my chest in a partially upright position. One day her dad gave her breast milk cold from the frig. She loved it and drank the whole 4 ounce bottle for the first time! I kept trying to give her the bottle and sometimes she'd drink some and sometimes not so I would put it in the sippy cup for her. When she was about 6 months old, she was using the sippy cup at my house, nursing with mom at home, and only had a bottle occassionally from dad (the only one who ever got her to drink from a bottle). My own grandson is 3 months old (born April 15) and he is breast fed. My daughter will be going back to teaching and I will watch him. We've been working on getting him to drink from a bottle and it hasn't been an easy process with him either. He likes to be swaddled so I put him in his swaddle blanket to calm him and he'll usually begin to drink from the bottle, but only an ounce or so at a time. He chokes on it since the milk comes out so much faster than nursing. They bought the slowest nipple they could find for him and that has helped a little, but he definitely has nipples he likes and the ones he doesn't go in the trash. My grandson is going through a weird nursing phase right now, he'll eat, usually only one side, become very social with smiling and cooing after being burped and then won't eat on the other side. An hour- 11/2 hours later all of sudden he remembers he wasn't done eating yet and demands instant results. So, my daughter is feeling like the baby is permanently attached to her and he has gone from sleeping 5-6 hours at night to waking up every 2-3 hours again. From my mom experience, I can assure her it is a phase, all babies go through it, and he'll outgrow it. But, I remember those days of being a new mom and I understand it is hard to believe at the time that those phases will ever end. A baby will not starve itself. Keep trying all the different things you've been doing. Eventually one of them will work.

Answer 2

Some babies just refuse bottles (even after having taken them when younger). You may find this link helpful: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html

In particular, you might consider just skipping the bottle and starting a sippy cup next month. Many babies will accept them even tho' they didn't like a bottle. In our case, my husband gave our baby expressed milk in a medicine dropper during the few times that I had to be away and baby wouldn't take a bottle.

If he's breastfeeding, he won't dehydrate/starve even tho' he's refusing the bottle. If mom is away from baby all day long and that's why bottles are needed, don't worry. Babies are very adaptable and your baby could just do what's called "reverse cycling" instead (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/reverse-cycling.html).

If baby is nursing all day long, it could just be a growth spurt and those only last a short time (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html). Other possibilities are that baby is a comfort nurser (http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/comfortnursing.html), or that baby is not an efficient nurser, i.e., latch/position aren't great and that's causing baby to need to be at the breast a long time to get enough milk. If that were the case, mom would be having pain while nursing though, and since you didn't mention that, I'm guessing that's not what's going on. Hang in there!

Answer 3

Keep breastfeeding..... sorry but it's always the best answer. Can you blame him? Who wouldn't want the real thing instead of silicone :)
Seriously.. my 5th child did the same thing. I was still breastfeeding, but I wanted a break every now and then. She wouldn't even take a spoon in her mouth until she was 7 months old.
It sounds like he just needs to feel his mom to be satisfied. It goes by so fast. I know it's hard, but mom will look back in what seems like second and wonder where the little baby boy who just wanted her to hold him and feed him is.
The point is.. breastfeeding is a very special bond. I know it's hard to do all of the time, but it really isn't going to be forever. Most babies are weaned around 1. Cherish your time together Mom. And have someone else clean, cook and change diapers... you'll have your rest that way.

Answer 4

well its not easy and is it really worth it? Mom should have a support system around her so that she can concentrate on being 100% committed to baby and bfing. Being a parent really is being selfless and bfing means putting even that much more effort as well so she needs to decide what is making her so nuts and how she can deal with it before she goes crazy.

Bfing is more than just eating its a relationship, nurturing, and closeness and that is what your baby is trying to get as this is what he knows. Can you blame him? I would suggest that you help mom clean the house, make dinner, do laundry, and such so that she can get the adequate rest she needs which is likely why she is so ready to go nuts.

Also remind her that he still has a few growth spurts to go through as well and he very well could be going through one now if he is demanding to be fed every other hour around the clock. This too shall pass and more quickly than she realizes.

My suggestions are this...

Allow her adequate sleep...if baby is going through a growth spurt allow her a nursing vacation which is simply laying in bed with baby and allowing him to nurse as needed and she can rest comfortably and doze. Sleep is a major factor in not losing your mind while bfing.

Get a wrap. Some babies really need that closeness and some moms just really need to feel not so bogged down so the solution is to wear your baby. I did it and it worked like a charm. Look up something called a Moby Wrap and buy her one asap. Baby will sleep and mom has hands free to do as she pleases with no fussing baby.

IF your baby takes a binky (pacifier) find a nipple in that shape and buy the corresponding bottle for it. This will up your chances of getting baby to take a bottle.

remember to warm up breast milk or juice to roughly the temp of breastmilk as this is what he will likely take. Not real warm and not cold though. If your unsure what that is take a thermometer put it in a glass of cold water and then continue adding warm until your thermometer reads about 99 degrees. You will be surprised how "not warm" it really feels but this is about how warm bmilk is.

Now the key is getting him BEFORE he is starving. If baby is crying its already too late. You must get him before he is giving you cues to eat. Guesstimate and do it roughly 20 minutes before his time you think he may eat. This will allow him not to get frustrated too quickly and not be a bear off the bat.

And finally mom your doing awesome! Bfing is the very best thing for you and your baby and while we get discouraged and have difficulty keeping our sanity sometimes you will get through this and be soo glad you did it.

Mom I am available via email and phone for consultations and support. Please email me at [e-mail] for more indepth personal help.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Uh oh. You're going to take some flack for the "mom is going crazy breastfeeding all day long" comment. Brace yourself.

As for how to get him to take a bottle: just keep trying, but no more than 10 minutes at a time. He'll get too frustrated. Is it formula or breastmilk in the bottles? Try pumping breast milk into a bottle and make sure to heat it (in hot water! NEVER in the microwave!) to the same temp that it normally comes out of mommy. And again, just keep trying.

Answer 6

Forget the bottle! It's not working and it is stressing everyone out!

Get a 1/4 teaspoon measure. My 3 mo old son swallows about 1/8 teaspoon at a time. During a nursing strike, I let him suck his thumb and used the spoon to get formula or breastmilk in his mouth.

Send mom to visit http://www.lalecheleague.org . It should help with her sanity.

Hang in there!

Answer 7

The three month is unaccapable of this yet. Muscle is still building in the babys arms. Hold of on the regular cup for a bout 8-11 months. Use a regular baby bottle and place it on cover on the baby. It should hold it for the baby to keep sucking from the nipple without touching the baby bottle. Also pre-make the bottles so all you have yo do is warm it.

Answer 8

I am assuming you are feeding him breastmilk in the bottle. If not, use a breast pump and use extracted breastmilk in the bottle. Also, try having someone NOT associated with your baby's breastfeeding feed him the bottle.... i.e., your baby may be associating breastfeeding with the person(s) who have been around during the breast feeding. He may simply be naturally thinking "breast" when he sees his mother (or his father/grandmother/ect if they have been present during the breatfeeding).

It is also not unheard of for a baby to only breastfeed twice a day. You may want to breastfeed first thing in the morning, then only bottle feed during the day (whether he takes the bottle at first or not), then breastfeed in the evening. Eventually he will learn how to bottlefeed. Your baby will get the milk and nutrients he needs if he only breastfeeds twice a day until he gets used to bottle milk during the day (given to him by someone who hasnt been around him during breastfeeding).

Answer 9

Babies get used to breast feeding. I would use a wide nipple but he will eventually take it. I had the same probllem with my son. They wont let themselves starve. Just keep trying with out breast feeding and he will eventually take it.

Answer 10

get one of them nipples that are suposed to be like the mother brestfeeding thay go in the mouth jsut right and stuff. but give him the bottle and keep trying he will not let himself starve when he gets hungry or thirsty he will drink babys are not stupid