Best bottle most like the breast for when I'm away from LO

[Beauchamp]

DD is EBF, nearly 6 months old. DH tried to give her a bottle around 8 weeks old, with no luck. He's tried maybe 6-8 times or so since then, all with no luck. We've used frozen/thawed milk and fresh milk. Nothing works! We use Playtex deluxe nursers with the Lansinoh bag dropped in. Maybe it's the nipple? We jokingly say that DD will only take her milk "straight from the tap", but it would be nice to not panic that she hungry and crying when I *must* be away, like at a doctor's appt or something.

Should I try a new bottle? If so, which one? Or is it just too late to get her used to a bottle?

[EmilyG]

It might just be too late. I've used the playtex delux with both my girls when they take a bottle and they've gone to it fine, but as suggested by my LC, we started offering one bottle a week at 3-4 weeks which is supposed to be after nipple confusion but before they've developed such a strong bond with the breast that they won't try the bottle.

Will she take a sippy cup with some pumped breastmilk to tide her over until you can get back to her?

[Razz2525]

I used to be a Dr Brown devotee but with DS #2 I really like the Weil Baby bottles (glass or BPA-free plastic). The nipple is like a real nipple in that it's not hard and squishes, for lack of a better word, in the baby's mouth. It's very pliable and he's had no nipple confusion between these bottles and my own. I did try the Dr Brown's once and he did *not* like the nipple at all.

[Ruthla]

You could try a sippy cup, or an open cup, or a spoon, or a syringe/dropper bottle, or make "momsickles"- frozen breastmilk served like a popsicle.

In a few months, the baby will probably be ready for solids, and will have something else to eat and drink if you need to be away for a few hours. Until then, do you really have anything that you "must be away" for? I've always taken my babies with me to the dr- and if I had a second adult to help me, they'd stay in the waiting room while I was examined, so I could nurse right before or after if the baby needed to.

[Hey Mama!]

Well you could always try the Adiri breast bottle. Hmm, they look a bit different then when I tried it. It was more breast shaped. Dd wouldn't take it but she wouldn't take any bottle at first, then reluctantly took the Avent bottles.

[littlecityfarmer]

We used Avent bottles when DS was an infant and I was still working full-time and pumping EBM. The nipple is fairly breast-like, and actually improved his latch!

I've also heard good things about the Adiri bottle.

How often and for how long are you away from your DD? At 6 months, you might even try giving a cup instead of a bottle--my DDs would never take a bottle on the rare occasion I had to leave them, but they happily drank from cups at that age. Have you started solids, yet? If you aren't going to be away all day, you might just try some soft chunks of squash, cooked carrots, ripe avocado, or similar texture...

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

You could try a sippy cup,

do you really have anything that you "must be away" for? I've always taken my babies with me to the dr- and if I had a second adult to help me, they'd stay in the waiting room while I was examined, so I could nurse right before or after if the baby needed to.

Originally Posted by EmilyG

It might just be too late.

Will she take a sippy cup...?

Originally Posted by littlecityfarmer

I've also heard good things about the Adiri bottle.

How often and for how long are you away from your DD? At 6 months, you might even try giving a cup instead of a bottle--my DDs would never take a bottle on the rare occasion I had to leave them, but they happily drank from cups at that age. Have you started solids, yet?

I had no idea it was okay to try a sippy cup at 6 months old! I figured they were for older kiddos. Maybe we will try this. Anyone use a ThinkBaby trainer?

Ruth...we've found that bringing DD with me to the doctor/dentist, etc, is not as good. If DH can stay with her at home, he has more ways to distract her, toys, Ergo, stroller, etc. Plus she *hates* the car seat, so it's nice to not have to make her miserable.

I don't go anywhere alone very often. Once to the store for vitamins, one doctor, one dentist. But I *would* like to get more of a break, maybe a whole grocery shopping trip alone. Just an insurance policy, sort of.

No, no solids yet here. I am nervous about starting for some reason. Afraid to do something wrong, I guess. Plus I wanted to wait until at least 6 full months.

[EmilyG]

I've never used the ThinkBaby trainer, but it looks like a good first sippy cup. With DD#1 I used the Nuby sippy cups, they have a soft silicone top much like the ThinkBaby and she would take those and not the hard plastic kind. Plus they're much cheaper!

[Katie T]

There is a bottle called breast flow it has one nipple inside the other to mimic letdown Target sells them if she wont take a sippy cup.

[juneau]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

DD is EBF, nearly 6 months old. DH tried to give her a bottle around 8 weeks old, with no luck. He's tried maybe 6-8 times or so since then, all with no luck. We've used frozen/thawed milk and fresh milk. Nothing works! We use Playtex deluxe nursers with the Lansinoh bag dropped in. Maybe it's the nipple? We jokingly say that DD will only take her milk "straight from the tap", but it would be nice to not panic that she hungry and crying when I *must* be away, like at a doctor's appt or something.

Should I try a new bottle? If so, which one? Or is it just too late to get her used to a bottle?

Just smile, hug your baby, and take her with you! I do. Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by juneau

Just smile, hug your baby, and take her with you! I do. Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

I am truly glad this works for you. For us, it does not. DH is not always able to keep DD happy in waiting rooms, and it creates a lot of stress for her to be in the car, and for me to hear her crying so hard, when I know if I just run out alone, a quick two hours or so for a doctor's appt, etc, she if better off at home, with her familiar toys, in her Ergo with "DaDa", etc. I could never bring her alone to something like the dentist and expect her to stay happily on the floor in her seat. She's just not that kind of baby. This is why I asked about some way to get her breastmilk to her in case she really needs it or my appt/waiting lasts more than two hours, just as a backup, insurance policy kind of thing.




For the sippy cups...I've been reading that the "trainer" cups, those with a silicone spout, are not great for EBF babies because if they didn't take a bottle, they won't take a trainer...do I have this backwards? I'm just wondering where to start-- ThinkBaby, Nuby, Klean Kanteen sippy? DD *loves* my travel coffee mug, which is cup-like. I guess we could try a plain old cup, but I don't see DH being very happy with that in terms of spilling.

[Anastasiya]

We use Adiri too. We love them, baby loves them. He refuses every other bottle out there, as did my other boys.

[DCMama01]

Originally Posted by juneau

Just smile, hug your baby, and take her with you! I do. Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

There isn't anything wrong with a baby being separated from her mama every now and then. It doesn't matter if the OP is going to the dr or to catch a friggin movie alone (the horror!), she asked for product recommendations for when she's away from her baby.

[pagodafish]

trial run on a few?

DS is also 6 mo and has only had a bottle a few times. We tried a couple brands out before he showed some interest in the Avent. It isn't ideal to have to buy several brands, I know, but it might be worth it for you?

Does he ever use a paci? If so, maybe you could find a nipple most like the paci he uses? OR, maybe you have some close friends or family that might let you take a bottle for a test drive? (using proper sanitation of before and after, of course)

[SFam]

Originally Posted by Katie T

There is a bottle called breast flow it has one nipple inside the other to mimic letdown Target sells them if she wont take a sippy cup.

we tried this one with my EBF babe and she didn't like it. she was only about 5 weeks old (i think! can't remember).

DD1 received a bottle of my milk only a few times in her life and she never really took to it when she did. I have found that with #2 (3 months now), I am more willing to leave her for SHORT periods to maintain my sanity. I've gone to the grocery store without her and it's so much easier. Anyway, for me, I'm ok with short separations as long as she's with her daddy and has been nursed beforehand. The other night I went to a movie with a friend for the first time in forever, nursed the baby beforehand and she slept the whole time I was gone.

Anyway, back to the subject, I think you may have to try a few different kinds until you find one she takes. I use the Medela bottle with wide nipples. I just used that because I have a medela pump and it's convenient to pump into the same bottle DH will use for feeding. They are not vented though so the nipple collapses. We have to pause to let air back into the bottle. I'd recommend a vented bottle for that reason, but it doesn't seem to bother my babe.

For sippy cups, we used Born Free.

Good luck.

[TXmom2]

We really like the Breastflow bottles, by The First Years. It takes DD about 20 minutes to finish a feeding which is closer to when she's nursing. All the others we've tried, DD finished way too quickly.
HTH....

[CalaRei]

Both of my babes hated the Breastflow bottles, even the one who is "good" at taking a bottle. We also tried some soft Nuby bottles, and some Playtex bottle with about 8 parts, where the bottom is supposed to vent. Our difficult-to-feed baby does the best with NUK nipples. We prefer the "standard" nipples on little glass bottles, but the large round plastic NUK bottles work in a pinch. Sometimes the "Soothie" bottle will also work, because it is the same shape as the paci he got in the hospital. (Grr.)

[haydn'smommy]

We tried the Adiri and he'll take them but not easily or well. And they do something weird with his latch and he will then latch very shallow on me and make a clicking noise and pop off until he's nursed a few minutes and gets it right. He does best with Gerber Nuk bottles. They don't seem to mess up his latch as bad, although he does suck them down quickly at times.

[EmilyG]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

DD *loves* my travel coffee mug, which is cup-like. I guess we could try a plain old cup, but I don't see DH being very happy with that in terms of spilling.

Can she drink (get liquid) out of a travel mug? Platex makes a sippy that is really pretty much the same as a travel mug. If you take the no-spill spout out of the inside, it sould flow out pretty much like a regular cup, but have a lid, or you could just get her her own travel mug for that matter.

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by pagodafish

Does he ever use a paci?

No, she's never really taken a paci. We tried a few times around 5 weeks, out of desperation, and she wouldn't have it. We have Soothie pacis and Avent airflow, or something. She will chew them in the car if absolutely necessary.

Originally Posted by EmilyG

Can she drink (get liquid) out of a travel mug? Platex makes a sippy that is really pretty much the same as a travel mug. If you take the no-spill spout out of the inside, it sould flow out pretty much like a regular cup, but have a lid, or you could just get her her own travel mug for that matter.

I've never tried to actually give her liquid out of the mug. I did see that Playtex baby "travel mug" at Target last night and DH and I laughed...I said it probably needed to be black and stainless like mama's travel mug in order to work. If it's BPA free and all that I would certainly try it.

We bought two Nuby No Spill Cups with a silicone spout, and hope those work.