11-week-old refusing bottle

Hi, all --

My son will be 11 weeks old in a couple of days. I've been
breastfeeding him since he was born, and every now and then (like once
a week or week-and-a-half) I've had someone else give him a bottle of
EBM when I couldn't be around. About three weeks ago, though, we
noticed that he didn't take as much from the bottles as he used to,
and then last week, we left him with a sitter for a few hours one
night, and she reported that he totally refused the bottle and
wouldn't eat at all. Since then, we've been trying several times a
day to get him to take a bottle, and he steadfastly refuses.

We've tried breastmilk, formula, and a combination of the two. We've
tried them at room/body temperature and cooler. We've tried latex
nipples and silicone nipples, in all different shapes and sizes. And
we've tried a nifty Avent sippy cup with a restricted flow and soft
nipple he can suck.

We've also tried different people giving him the bottle, but he won't
take them from me, my husband, or anyone else. And we've tried at all
times of the day, as well as before, during and after his normal
breastfeeding sessions. But nothing is working.

I've read that the ideal time to introduce bottles is 6-8 weeks, but I
guess we didn't give them regularly enough during that period, and now
we're in trouble.

Any advice?

Liz

"Elizabeth Fuller" wrote in message
om...
We've
tried them at room/body temperature and cooler.

When my daughter started doing the same thing at roughly the same age and
after the same set of circumstances (first bottle at 6-8 weeks, but not many
bottles in between), I had to make the milk *warmer* than body
temperature--much warmer than I'd have imagined. So you might try warming
the milk *above* body temperature (room temperature is really quite cold!)
and see if he's more accepting. Remember, when your baby drinks it straight
from the tap, the temperature is a steady 98.6 (+/-). As soon as the milk
passes through the bottle nipple and during a bottle feeding, the
temperature steadily decreases. Remember, too, that the temperature of your
skin is actually a degree or more lower than your internal body temperature,
which means that something that feels exactly the same temperature as your
skin is actually already cooler than body temperature.

Good luck and HTH!
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [19mo] mom)

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"Use repeatedly for severe damage." -- Directions on shampoo bottle

Daddy: You're up with the chickens this morning.
Aurora: No, I'm up with my dolls!

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

Elizabeth Fuller wrote:

I've read that the ideal time to introduce bottles is 6-8 weeks, but I
guess we didn't give them regularly enough during that period, and now
we're in trouble.

Any advice?

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but my baby never took a
bottle, despite our trying all the tips we read here. He'd chew on the
nipple, but wouldn't suck. The best we could do would be for my
husband to use the bottle as a squirtgun to get the milk in the baby's
mouth.

After a while we gave up, packed up my pump, and it's turned out to
not be a big deal -- I work at home and don't have much of a social
life, though, so YMMV.

--
Sara, accompanied by the I-know-what-I-want-and-that's-not-it barnacle

Elizabeth Fuller wrote:

last week, we left him with a sitter for a few hours one
night, and she reported that he totally refused the bottle and
wouldn't eat at all.

Do you need him to take bottles regularly? I wouldn't
stress over him not taking a bottle for a couple-hour outing
- it means you don't have to worry so much about pumping!
Caterpillar (4.5 months) will go 5 hours without a bottle
some days, although she rarely goes more than 3 without
nursing, even at night.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt

My baby would take bottles much better if they were the older faster
flow nipples - worth a try.

KC -
buy or rent Whittlestone Breast Expressers at:
http://www.alittlestore.com

(Elizabeth Fuller) wrote in message . com...
Hi, all --

My son will be 11 weeks old in a couple of days. I've been
breastfeeding him since he was born, and every now and then (like once
a week or week-and-a-half) I've had someone else give him a bottle of
EBM when I couldn't be around. About three weeks ago, though, we
noticed that he didn't take as much from the bottles as he used to,
and then last week, we left him with a sitter for a few hours one
night, and she reported that he totally refused the bottle and
wouldn't eat at all. Since then, we've been trying several times a
day to get him to take a bottle, and he steadfastly refuses.

We've tried breastmilk, formula, and a combination of the two. We've
tried them at room/body temperature and cooler. We've tried latex
nipples and silicone nipples, in all different shapes and sizes. And
we've tried a nifty Avent sippy cup with a restricted flow and soft
nipple he can suck.

We've also tried different people giving him the bottle, but he won't
take them from me, my husband, or anyone else. And we've tried at all
times of the day, as well as before, during and after his normal
breastfeeding sessions. But nothing is working.

I've read that the ideal time to introduce bottles is 6-8 weeks, but I
guess we didn't give them regularly enough during that period, and now
we're in trouble.

Any advice?

Liz

KC wrote:

My baby would take bottles much better if they were the older faster
flow nipples - worth a try.

But be aware that you may be at higher risk of bottle
preference. Since he's not a bottle fan, it might not ever
turn into a problem. But if it became one in the future,
you can't swap out for faster-flow breasts.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt