Breastfed baby won't except a bottle of expresses milk

[Kateb89]

My baby is 12 weeks tomorrow. I am exclusively breastfeeding which has been going quite well. Unfortunately I have to go to evening classes twice a week and I had been expressing so hubby could feed whilst I was out. During Christmas I didn't give bubba any bottles and now he is point blank refusing them :(. Any advise ?

[Muminspire1]

Hi there, My 2nd daughter did exactly the same, but she was more older at 6 months when I had to go back to work. Dad found it difficult, however at the time she was weaned and could eat anything offered with water until I returned to feed her breast milk. She refused powder milk as well from the bottle and my own milk in a bottle, at the time it was difficult for us and I had to go part time, but she continued to thrive and did not loose any weight. All babies are different, I am expecting baby no 4 and planning to introduce bottle much earlier and do combined feeding so that when it is time for me to leave her hopefully it will be a different outcome. Good luck

[adeline123]

My daughter refused to use a bottle despite trying lots of different teats, I gave up in the end and gave the expressed milk by cup. It took a while for my partner to become confident it doing it but now I have an 8month old who loves drinking from cups and does not need weaning from a bottle. I helped my husband learn this method by leaving him the milk and equipment and going out. I found he struggled more when I'm there. Us mums have to learn on our own so my husband did also. I worried about how things were going while I was out but daughter and daddy learnt their own way of doing it and although its different to my way whatever works to get the milk in is OK by me.

[leamice]

Have you tried going up a teat size? I had same problem with my son, he started refusing bottle after a few weeks of not having one. I heard my bottle feeding friends talking about changing teat size and had a lightbulb moment lol! I hadnt even realised you could get different ones haha! I think as standard bottles come with size 1 teat- but when they become better suckers they get frustrated with the slow flow. Size 2 is 3-6 months (I think) so try that if you haven't already. Xx

[nkcl]

Both my two were the same. With number one we just persisted when I wasn't there but with number two we ended up giving her tippee cups when she was having baby rice. She was more likely to take from the cup than the bottle then. I gave up and concentrated on weaning and then tried again at six months and she took the bottle fine. I think the problem is separating need for food from comfort.

If your LO is hungry she will take the milk eventually, when she realises that is all that's on offer! Worrying for you, stressful for hubby but she'll be ok. She'll be desperate for a feed when you get home!

[Lizzie13]

Most breastfed babies won't take a bottle and that is completely normal. It doesn't really matter how early you try introducing them. Babies have to use a completely different sucking action with a bottle and many of them really struggle with this. Most babies ( no matter how young) will take a cup and even new born babiesin hospital are now cup fed and not bottle fed if mums are trying to breastfeed. Hope this helps