Refusing to use a bottle

ButterflyGarden

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 3:18 am

BS"D
My four month old daughter is mostly nursed. She's eating solids a I give her a bottle of pumped milk every now and then when it's not possible to nurse. She was fine using a bottle up until now. Lately however, she has started refusing to take a bottle. It's become a big problem because I can't leave her with a babysitter or even her father for more than an hour for fear she will not eat. Can anyone help?

supermom

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 5:58 am

Dont yell at me, but let her starve until you come home eventually she will take the bottle. let someone other than your huband but a relative take care of her and eventually you will see a miracle happen.

shopaholic

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 10:55 am

I agree with Supermom. My daughter refused a bottle, always. She went from nursing till 11 months to no nursing & having a sippy cup only. I also had a hard time leaving her but sometimes I didn't have a choice. Guess what? If she was really hungry, she ate. It won't do any harm to starve her a little.

supermom

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 11:36 am

I had one of my kids that were so stubborn that she starved herself for almost three days straight boy did she loose weight!!! She was heavy so a little bit of weight was okay Confused

. I couldn't nurse her anymore she was draining me out she was at that time ten months old and she was eating every hour on the hour. until I gave up gave her to my mother in law and in three hours she took that bottle. Rolling Eyes

like my mother in law told me never give a baby to a father or mother because they have to much sympathy on them and then eventually they give up. but a grandparent or sister/sister in law don't mind hearing the childs cry.

stem

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 11:43 am

Please don't let your child starve. If they won't take a bottle than you'll have to think of another solution. Neither of my kids took bottles and I was tied down to them for a year. After a while it gets easier when they can go 3-5 hours without it and you could go out for a few hours right after feeding.
I used to have to come home in the middle of weddings and bar mitzvas to feed the baby. That's life.

lucky

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 1:08 pm

Stem, true thats life. But in reality life also includes different things, like being in the hospital with another child. A baby has to be able to be left over. My sister in law couldn't be with her husband in the hospital(he was in for 3 days) because her baby was attached to her. At that point she was soo frustrated that she gave up nursing completely.

Someone I know, had to give up nursing (medical problem) but the child starved for days till we managed to get her to take a bottle.

Another time, we were giving my nephew formula with a dropper because he refused a bottle, and his mommy was not home.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 5:21 pm

My baby is 4 weeks and I just tried giving him a bottle and I also had no luck!! I go back to work in 2 weeks, so I hope he takes it!!
But they say someone other than the mother should give the bottle. So I have to try that....

raizy

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 11:00 pm

IF u are going back to work the time to work on bottle issues is now.... every day the time that u would be working give the baby a bottle. eventally she will come around.

in fact I made a strict rule if your child doesnt take a bottle . then dont send her to me.... it works 100 %

BrachaVHatzlocha

Thu, Jan 12 2006, 11:03 pm

my friend invited me out to something in a few days time. I said I have to first see if baby will take a bottle! we tried a few diff nipples. He wasn't happy but B"H he finally took one!! (it was a disposable one that the hospital gave with the formula I don't use...but you can probably reuse them, no?? if not hopefully by the time we finish them, he'll take a different nipple)

ElTam

Fri, Jan 13 2006, 1:35 pm

Most babies will figure out they have to take a bottle if mommy is nowhere in sight, although it may take them a little while to figure it out.

Even if you are going back to work full-time, the baby should be fine even if it chooses to eat very little while you are away. A lot of moms find that the baby will eat very little during the day and then making up for it by nursing like a fiend when you are around.

I'm a little troubled by the advice to "let your baby starve." A baby not taking fluids for days at a time could easily wind up in the hospital with dehydration. From what I know, for infants, more than 24 hours without liquids can be very dangerous. So, make sure you know the signs of dehydration (my pediatrician always said to check the baby's soft spot to see if it looks sunken in) if you find the baby is refusing the bottle

ButterflyGarden

Sun, Jan 15 2006, 10:31 am

bs'd
I'm using the bottles and nipples that she had no problem taking a few weeks ago. I tried giving her a bottle no go. My husband and even the babysitter tried to give her a bottle and both times ( I was out of the house) she just screamed herself to sleep.

amother

Sun, Jan 15 2006, 11:37 am

Quote:

My four month old daughter is mostly nursed. She's eating solids

solids at four months? isnt that a bit young? Babies dont need solids till AT LEAST 6 months. and even then its not alot. most babies need it around 8 9 months no younger. My baby also didnt want to take a bottle. Theres no solution besides not giving bottles. Yes this is hard, but if they wont take one, they wont take one!

ButterflyGarden

Sun, Jan 15 2006, 12:01 pm

Quote:

solids at four months? isnt that a bit young?

She was grabbing it off our plates and chewing the air at 3 1/2 months! Our pediatrician said he also thought she was ready so we tried it and she was a pro. I can't say I'm suprised though. She was holding her head up in the hospital and could roll side to side at a week. She's already trying to crawl.

happymom

Sun, Jan 15 2006, 12:03 pm

thats cute. my baby was crawling at 4 months kh. she had 8 teeth by 6 months, now shes 11 and almost walking kh.... its so cute. she also says a few words. like yuck and mama and HI and bye and dada. They grow so fast! YEt she wasnt ready for solids till 8 months. I guess every baby is different. she also refused to take a bottle. I just made sure to never be out more then 3 hours, so that I can nurse her.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Sun, Jan 15 2006, 5:09 pm

Ok, we tried several nipples and my 1-month old took the DISPOSIBLE one from the hospital on Thurs night. But when I went out last night he refused to eat!! My husband put him to sleep in the swing, so at least he wasn't crying for hours!
Today I had my mother come over (she babysits for me) to try to take a bottle...he refused. Then he actually took it FROM ME as he sat in his carrier. Hmm...now he took most of one from her. Phew! So hopefully he'll learn!

chavamom

Mon, Jan 16 2006, 1:46 am

My baby actually did the same thing tonight - I worked a 8 hour shift (gone for 9 hours) and she took 2 oz!!!!! Refused the bottle the whole rest of the time. I don't get it b/c she will take the bottle from me and she has taken it the other few evenings I've worked.