3 1/2 month old refusing bottle Post Reply

[camillavautier]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can give me advise.. My son is 3 1/2 months old and we have been giving him a bottle of formula every night at 10pm from the last 6-7 weeks. All of a sudden he is refusing to take the bottle. He fights it, he cries and is generally upset. At first we thought it was that he could "smell" me if I was in the room so my husband fed him and it worked better. Now we still find it hard (although a little easier) if Im not around for the feed. When I have tried to feed him it has always ended up with me bfeeding him instead..

[JBG]

This may seem obvious but have you tried changing the teat to the next one up - i.e. faster flow? I remember my little boy getting extremely frustrated when we left it too long to move up to the next one.

[happyhippo]

Heating the bottle so the milk is very warm may also help.

[Abi_88]

Hi

I agree, in that you should definitely play around with the temperature, my little boy would only take it when it is really, really warm (practically hot!).

I had a similar problem with formula and think I went through about 4 different brands of formula, every couple of months he'd go off it, so maybe change the brand? Also, for a while he wouldn't take powdered formula, so we were on cartons for a couple of months... Maybe you could also try a different bottle?

Also, check if there is something wrong with his mouth, as I know people have problems with bottles with teething and he's obviously not teething yet, but maybe there's something else wrong? Also, has he had any jabs or antibiotics or anything recently? My boy had some antibiotics which put him completely off milk for 3 weeks.

Anyway, just a ramble, but hope some of it helps!

Abi

[camillavautier]

thanks for all the advice. we have tried different formulas and warming the milk and it is a little easier but he's still v tricky to feed.. I might try another bottle and see if that works, currently using Dr Browns..

[Raspberry-Sorbet]

I think that perhaps it's not the bottles or warming milk etc although undoubtedly with some babies those factors have an impact but instead, he has worked out the difference between the feeds now that he is 3 1/2 months and not a newborn. He has chosen you over the bottle! I introduced a bottle at 6 months with both of my daughters and it wasn't easy - eventually, they both took it. My youngest is 10 months now and loves her bottle yet a couple of months ago only a bfeed would do! These little people are so different, there is no magic answer perhaps apart from continued perseverance of whatever you are already doing. Before you know it, he'll be 1 and eating chicken casserole. That's my logic if I ever start to worry about something! My elder daughter is nearly 4 and I have a scary feeling that before I know it, I will be discussing teenage antics!

Try singing to him to distract / relax him. "row row the boat"
is like secret baby code in our house- fixes all problems!

[AbbevilleMummy]

I was just wondering why you feel he needs to have a bottle at night time when he breastfeeds fine the rest of the time?

If it's because you feel that he may sleep longer, then now that he's 3.5 months, his stomache should be big enough for him to take what he needs from your breast throughout the day and evening to last him through the night.

It's not that I'm an avid pro-breastfeeder or anything, it's just that if breastfeeding is working for you and your son, why mess with it?

I found with my baby that if she was given the choice, she would always want breast. Therefore when I decided to move over to bottles at around 7 months, I had to stop breastfeeding altogeher.

I have friends whose babies refused milk altogether at a very young age, so at least you're not in that boat! My advice would be to not sweat the small stuff. If he wants breast at 10pm, let him have it. In a couple of months time you'll be battling with weaning etc and you'll long for the days when you could just pop out your boob!!

[metoo]

Hi,
I don't want to depress you but my first son never took a bottle at all! He had moments I admit, and like you it was via my husband not me but even his nursery gave up!
When I took him at 6 mths they showed me a vast array of teats they were going to try out with him as they were very used to teat refusal (I believe them) but he steadfastly turned away. They resorted to spoon-feeding him.
The final solution was a sippy-cup! It wasn't one of those with a valve which controls flow - I don't know if it's still sold any more, I suppose it just dripped/slow-poured into his mouth rather than having to make an effort to suck. (does that make sense?). I think he didn't like the hard teat against the roof of his mouth?? I still breast-fed him but the guilt-trip eased off as he weaned onto solids as I knew he wouldn't die of malnutrition. Apparently breast milk gushes out, and doesn't need such a strong suck and even the softest teat is no rival to a nipple!
Keep trying with teats and maybe a cup (even a variety of cups).
Good luck!

[camillavautier]

Hi all,
Well Im wondering now if perhaps he's old enough to go through the night without having a midnight meal.. The last few nights he actually falls asleep and it's impossible to wake him up .. Unless I give him the opportunity to bfeed, which he then happily takes and falls asleep in my arms.. but he's not crying for it. Is it too early to drop the late night feed?

[Widger]

My son dropped his last feed at around the same age so it may be that he doesn't want or need it. But for me after about three weeks he started waking up in middle of night again. We introduced bottle after a three week gap of not having it and he became really fussy - l breastfed the rest of the time. At four months he knew exactly what he wanted and it was only milk from me. I persevered trying out bottle during the day at one feed alternating between breast and bottle, then he took it. Good luck.

[topmama]

Hi,
My son was breastfed and started sleeping from 7pm-7am at about 4 months when he started sucking his fingers. I had always found the 10pm feed hard since he was always very sleepy (so hard to wake a sleeping baby when you are tired) and he always seemed unsettled after so I stopped waking him. I breastfed him and continued to express at 10pm and so would offer him the expressed milk (about 100ml) from the night before after his 7pm feed, sometimes he drank it all other time he didn't. He didn't put on that much weight that month (but he still slept well) and when I started weaning him his weight was fine. He is 2 now and a good sleeper.

I did the same with my daughter and she still woke 1 or 2 time a night until she was 8 months and I introduced a bottle and formula which she had no problem accepting!!

They are all so different. I think there isn't a right or wrong way you just have to try things out and not get too stressed when things don't go to plan. In a few months you will have something else to worry about.

[camillavautier]

Hi - thanks, that's actually given me the courage to try and let him sleep through the night tonight.. Let's see what happens