Help - my 7 month old refuses to take a bottle! Post Reply

[movingmummy]

I was wondering if anybody could recommend a professional I could speak to to help me get my 7 month old to take a bottle - I have been trying since she was 6 weeks old and she flatly refuses - i'm feeling incredibly tied! I've bought many different types of bottles etc to no avail and am now at the stage where I'd like some professional advice so if anybody can recommend anybody it would be greatly appreciated.

[workingmum62]

I saw Katherine Fisher when I had problems breast feeding (baby Tongue tied) and she was fantastic. I believe she also helps with the transition to bottle feeding. The only issue is she's down in Croydon but in my opinion worth the journey! Contact details and more info: http://www.greatvine.com/katherine-fisher

[ding]

OMG....I saw Katherine Fisher too!!! Diagnosed my baby withing seconds of walking into the room (tounge tied). Don't even get me on the subject of Tounge tie and the NHS.......i am so angry as i had problems feeding my baby for months before i saw Katherine. I visited at least 10 feeding clinics and the final answer i got was....we don't know....but if you pay to go private......

As for the refusing to feed....it could be many reasons and really depends on your baby and her reactions when you feed her (does she breast feed?) my baby would take an ounce and then scream and push the bottle away....but carry on crying from hunger. As you can imagine it took hours to feed!!! it turned out to be many reasons (most diagnosed by Katherine).
First there was tounge tie so baby couldn't latch properly, also had thrush in the mouth from antibiotics i had during labour. We then discovered that baby had bad reflux so that the milk was uncomfortable to swallow.

I don't know if any of this helps....but these were my many reasons for baby refusing a bottle

[ClaphamNCT]

If you are local then please come along to the NCT Balham Breastfeeding Cafe every Monday morning between 10am and 12noon. It is always staffed by two qualified breastfeeding counsellors who can help with all sorts of feeding concerns and you will also receive a warm welcome from branch volunteers. It is a drop-in, open to all and free. Venue: Balham Salvation Army Coffee Lounge, 38 Balham high Road, Sw12. www.nct.org.uk/clapham

[IheartNZ]

Hi I know how you feel, my daughter refused flatly to take a bottle and it stressed me out so much that I thought I was never going to be able to get her to take one.
Then I tried the Nuk range. There is one particular Nuk teat that she took, straight away, its the flat ended one. I think it was the only type left that I hadn't tried. Sounds simplistic but worth giving it a whirl if you haven't - I know this brand has a good reputation with teat-fussy babies.
Good luck

[kitbull]

Mine didn't take the bottle either. We tried loads of different ranges of bottles and teats, different people giving the bottle, different temperatures etc etc and nothing worked. At 6 months I then had to go away for a day / night and she kicked up a massive fuss just taking very small sips from the bottle. 24 hours later she finally gave in and took a whole bottle - we decided then just to bottle feed from then on! I haven't got any professional recommedations though unfortunately. Good luck!

[NYE31]

Geraldine Miskin is also very good, I will try & dig out her number but you could try googling her.

My baby had to take a bottle pretty much from birth as he was tongue tied (not diagnosed by C & W), had a very arched palatte, my nipples were the wrong shape & size (too small) none of which were diagnosed by NHS. I struggled to breastfeed & ended up expressing & then feeding him from a bottle. I did this for the 1st 12 weeks & then started to increased the ratio of express to formula. I sought private help as the health visitors weren't any help & it took ages to see the NCT breastfeeding coaches.

I would agree with all the posts that there are lots of reasons why babies don't take bottles or breastfeed so definitely get some private help & keep trying.

Good luck

[NYE31]

http://www.breastfeedingexperience.com/

http://www.greatvine.com/geraldine-miskin

[Abi_88]

Hi

I too recommend Katie Fisher - I thought she was really brilliant. She's really easy to speak to and seriously knows her stuff (she also writes for a baby magazines). She also spotted my son was tongue tied and had me referred to Kings straight away (my GP said this would have taken ages if I'd done it through them).

To help him to take the bottle I had to put him in front of Cbeebies (!) and give it to him whilst moving, ie, distracting him as much as possible! He has also always had his milk very, very hot.

My daughter was also a pain to get onto the bottle, and I second the NUK bottles, you do have to buy the latex teats though.

Does your baby take a dummy? When mine were being difficult we'd pop a dummy in and then quickly swap it for the bottle, it nearly always worked.

Also, make sure you've tried different brands of formula, my son would go off his every 6 weeks or so, so we'd change the formula.

Good luck!

[yorkshirepudding]

Hi

I know just how upsetting/frustrating/tiring it is having a baby who won't feed...my first child flatly refused a bottle and went nuts when he saw it - he got so wound up over the mere sight of bottles that he refused to breast feed everytime he saw the bottle and then ended up in a spiral of not feeding (and me losing my milk completely). Only thing that sorted it was Nuk bottles and latex teats. Apparently he was one of the very rare babies who can't cope with silicone and was so sensitive to it it was like an allergy. As with some of the other posters, I would absolutely recommend you try nuk bottles with latex teats and also warm the milk slightly before you try him with it.

Best of luck, fingers crossed he starts accepting the bottle soon.

Jx

[bamse]

You have my sympathies as its so stressful trying to get tem to take a ottle. I agree re the nuk bottle. My son wouldn't take a bottle until he was 6 months & I bought pretty much every bottle on the market. As he was so old by the time he took it I didn't really care if it was a bottle or sippy cup & the nuk is a mix of the two.

I couldnt for the life of me get him to take the bottle from me though. We had a lot of battles!! I ended up leaving him with my mum as I had my best friends wedding to go to & she's the one who finally got him to take it. I dropped bf that day as the thought of him refusing to take a bottle again was just too exhausting.

Good luck, I hope it goes well.

[emsken]

Have you tried a beaker ?! Never know she might like it!

[schoolgatesmum]

Agree with trying a beaker. None of mine ever had a bottle - I went straight from bf to a beaker. If you can it makes life a lot easier later on as there's no battle to wean them off the bottle (and I think the advice is that you should stop using a bottle once your child is one).

[frazzledworkingmum]

I used a lady called Brenda Hart (www.brendathenanny.co.uk), it was a couple of years ago so not sure if she is still around. It sounds impossible but we had one 90 min home visit (and about four days of email correspondence to strengthen my resolve) and I basically got her to take the bottle. Actually waiting until seven months has advantages as at least when they do not take the bottle you know they are getting food and fluids through their food. I had tried from 3 months and had been through every bottle and teat ( including nuk) to no avail and was about to return to work so was feeling pretty desperate. Not cheap but the best money I ever spent. She also gave me great tips on sleep and I finally got my daughter to sleep through the night. Good luck, I know how frustrating and tiring this process can be.

[sparkletiger]

I feel for you as I had the same issue. First baby tried for ages and gave up. Had 2 work days age 4 months and she just would t take it. It was hot summer but she held off all day. Had bought and tried every bottle and tag inc the nuk ones. Even one that looked like a boob (costing £20!). In the end I accepted it. She was able to drink out of a doidy cup and other beakers. I was glad in the end as many friends then stressed that they couldnt wean their babies off the bottle. I continued Breastfeeding til age 2.5 and she drank from beakers too. I tried to give my second a bottle a few times with no success. Felt less stressed this time and accept that Breastfeeding is worth it. She's 14 months and can drink happily now from a tommee tipped explorer beaker (great and non spill) but loves Breastfeeding. I realise second time round that she is tied to me thru feeding for actually a very short time in the grand scheme and I'm happy (mostly) to do it as I feel it's best for her and actually pretty easy. Good luck but unless you absolutely have to have your baby take a bottle go with the boob and eventually she'll drink from a beaker.

I also rate Katherine Fischer. We got her to visit us at home with first baby when I was finding it hard to feed. Best money we ever spent!

Good luck and you're doing a great job x