Rejects bottle from mum & dad

P

premama

Registered User
Hello,

My 6 1/2 month old seems to find it difficult to drink from the bottle when my husband or I feed her - she prefers to be fed from our helper. I'm still partly breastfeeding her (I've gone back to work so I only feed her in the morning before I go to work and at night when we put her to sleep and pump once/twice a day at work) but as my milk supply is getting low, I want to supplement the feeding with formula as she doesn't seem full after I breastfeed her. But every time I put the bottle near her, she will cry. My husband find that she cries with him too.

I guess it's probably the familiarity of our helper feeding her most of the day while we're at work...has anyone experienced this and what did you do to tackle the problem?

Thanks!
 
Dear Premama,

This is a very common problem. In fact we often suggest getting a third person to feed the baby the bottle if she doesn't like to take it from the mother.

Below are some tips that can be used if baby is reluctant to take the bottle:
  • Try offering the bottle before the baby is likely to be too hungry,
  • Wrap the baby in a piece of the mother?s clothing (blouse or nightgown, for example) while offering the bottle,
  • Instead of pushing the bottle nipple into the baby?s mouth, try laying it near his mouth and allowing him to pull it in himself,
  • Try running warm water over the bottle nipple to bring it up to body temperature,
  • Try different types of bottle nipples to find a shape, a substance (rubber or silicone), and a hole size the baby will accept,
  • Try different feeding positions. Some babies like to sit propped against the caregiver?s raised legs; others prefer not to look at the caregiver and will take a bottle better if they are held facing out, with their back against the caregiver?s chest,
  • Try to feed the baby while moving rhythmically ? rocking, walking or swaying from side to side ? because this may be calming to him,
  • Insert the bottle nipple into the baby?s mouth when he?s sleeping,
  • Keep trying, but remember that the baby can be fed the mother?s milk with a cup, spoon or eyedropper if the baby continues to refuse the bottle.

The method I?ve found is most useful with older babies is to make it a very different experience to breastfeeding. They would rather breastfeed than bottle feed so if you hold the baby in a similar way they will refuse the bottle ? showing you their preference.

If you want to increase your milk supply for the baby a quick and easy way to do it is by Switch Nursing. Switch nursing is changing to the other side when the baby no longer seems interested. Usually when we start feeding the baby is very interested to suck, when the baby slows down we change and get the baby to have the other side. On the other side after the baby starts to slow down we again swap sides - back to the first side again. We can continue swapping sides as much as we like and for as long as the baby is willing to continue to suck. It is fine to swap sides 8, 9 or 10 times in one feed.

At LLL we have an e-mail list which is for working mothers who are breastfeeding. You are welcome to join. The web site is http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/lalecheleaguehongkong-working/

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
My baby has the same problem, she is 3 months old. she also rejects bottle at first (me or the helper), then after struggling for a while, she will take it from the helper eventually, not me. I'm frustrated. could she have refux?
 
Reflux is when the muscle at the opening to the stomach, which normally keeps milk and food in the stomach until it is emptied into the small intestine, opens at the wrong times. This allows stomach contents to back up into the esophagus, the muscular tube that leads from the throat to the stomach. Adults experience reflux episodes as heartburn. In babies reflux can lead to vomiting, colicky crying, sudden waking at night, even refusal to eat. If your baby has these symptoms then I?d suggest a visit to the doctor.

If you baby has been happy breastfeeding and now doesn?t want to take a bottle it is unlikely to be a reflux problem. It is much more likely that your baby is just showing you her preference for direct feeding.

Bottle feeding usually goes more easily if the mother is out of the home ? not just in another room (somehow the baby knows you are still available if you are just in another room). Ask your helper to try the suggestions above and don?t let the baby get too hungry or tired before you try. Hungry, tired babies have no patience for trying new things ? they just want what they?ve always had.

Good look,
SARAH
 
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