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Help! My LO won't take a bottle.

KoalagirlKoalagirl
in My baby was born in May 2011
Please help! I've been BF my LO but would like him to also be able to take a bottle for when I go back to work. I finally got around to expressing last night (and take my hats off to those of you who've been doing it loads - sooo time-consuming!) and then got my OH to try and give him the bottle. Peter didn't look impressed but it seemed as though he was taking the milk so I went away and left my OH to it. However, he kept spitting the teat out and crying so eventually I had a go with the bottle as well. That's when we realised that he wasn't really taking any of the milk at all - he had just been playing with the teat and had only taken half an oz in 20 mins! I tried for a bit longer with the bottle but he was getting really upset so in the end I BF him instead.



Two questions - firstly, I put the rest of the milk back in the fridge as he'd hardly had any of it but I don't know if I can use it again today? I've read that you should throw any leftover milk away? Secondly, I'm going to have another go with the bottle tonight. Has anyone got any tips on encouraging him to take it? He's 7 weeks now.

Replies

  • fizzlebiscuitfizzlebiscuit
    I can't be much help, but the first time we gave a bottle to our LO he refused it. My DH persisted for about 20 minutes whilst I hid downstairs, but he was having none of it. Lots of crying and screaming. He was about three weeks old then. But the second time we did it, he drank it all. So do try again. The second time we tried, my DH gave it to him when he was definitely hungry - I don't know if that made a difference. Was your LO due a feed when you tried it?



    Did you warm up the milk, or did you take it straight from the fridge?



    I think you are supposed to throw away the milk, but it's such a waste image I'm not sure though - see what other people say.
  • emmabonemmabon
    Aurelia sometimes refuses the bottle even now. We just try again in 10 mins after we've calmed her down. I hate wasting expressed milk but if its been heated up i don't like to use it twice. Although you can smell when breastmilk is no good...its rank!



    Emma.xx
  • Lambchop80Lambchop80
    Once it's been reheated breastmilk will be ok in the bottle for up to 7 hours as it has it's own antibodies in it to stop it spoiling. However if you put it back in the fridge it can't be reheated so I'd chuck it tbh.



    Which bottles are you using?
  • -Bliss--Bliss-
    Keep trying. It may take several goes before he takes it. We've yet to introduce a bottle but did with DS1 fairly early. He took it no probs early on but then started rejecting it after a few months! We had to try quite a few bottles to find one he would take. He finally took to Breastflow bottles, these enabled him to feed in the same way as with the breast. I've also heard good things about MAM and Nuby bottles working for breastfed babies.



    Also i saw the breastfeeding expert who did the Live chat yesterday on here recommended the Medela Calma bottle, as this encourages baby to feed as he will feed on the breast.



    Hopefully he'll take to the bottles you have though. It's supposed to be better if dad or someone else feeds them so they don't know mum is available! Good luck. We're going to be trying in the next few weeks! let us know how you get on! x
  • KoalagirlKoalagirl
    Thanks for all your advice and reassurance. Well we planned to try again last night but didn't manage to get around to it in the end. Peter has one of those days and was feeding nigh on constantly all afternoon and evening - there just wasn't time to express! He normally only has a day like that every few weeks though so will definitely try again tonight.



    I'm using the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles at the moment as they came with the breast pump I've got. Thanks for the advice about different bottles though. If he doesn't take to these ones I will give those a go. I've also heard good things about Dr Brown bottles?



    I'd only just expressed the milk and put it in the fridge a couple of minutes before my OH walked in and got handed the baby. So I didn't bother warming it up but thinking about it, it probably was a little colder than he was used to. Is the best way of warming to stand the bottle in a bowl of hot water?
  • Lambchop80Lambchop80
    Yes, just warm it in water. Keep an eye on it tho, you'll be surprised how quickly it'll heat up.



    Like the others have said it's best if hubby does feeds while you're out the room so Peter can't smell you, also get hubby to try turning Peter into his body so he's in much the same position as he would be for breastfeeding.
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