Going back to work but baby hates bottle

[LisaSedai]

I've got a just turned 3 month old and she gets really angry when we try to give her EBM in a bottle. At best, my mother and DH have only been able to get her to drink an ounce or two- but when I pump I will get 4 - 5 ounces out of each breast. We've tried avent, platex drop in, and nuk nipples. Is she too young to drink from a cup? Do we just keep trying different brand nipples?I have to go to work next week and I have an hour commute each way and work 13 hours 3 days a week.

[Sfcmama]

I feel for you mama! My dd never really took to the bottle but I never had to be away from her as much as you do. There are many other ways to feed a baby than with a bottle. Both kellymom and la leche have great info on their websites. My dd did really well taking little sips from a shot glass but I think I really just takes experimenting between the baby and the caregiver.
Good luck!

[sacridote]

I'm in the same boat. My 12 weeks of FMLA are up after next week, and DS still won't really take a bottle. He doesn't mind the nipple in his mouth but he won't suck. We've tried Avent, Platex nursers, and the Breastflow bottle.

DD (now 8yo) wouldn't take a bottle either... she did know how to make it work, and would take 1-2oz at daycare (she was there for ~10 hours each day)... but then would nurse all night long until 10 months, when the daycare finally agreed to give her EBM in a cup.

Thankfully, DS will be staying with his grandmother, and she is 5 minutes from my work. So if necessary she will bring him to nurse. (I plan on going to him to nurse at lunch each day.) However, at least my mom will be willing to try alternative feeding styles if necessary... So far we've talked about eyedroppers (or straw with one finger over the end), cups and potentially an SNS on her finger (which he will suck on)

Good luck to the OP! I'll be watching this thread for more ideas.

[Quinalla]

Taking an ounce or two at least means she is taking it somewhat, were you out of the room/house for those attempts? Some babies won't take a bottle with Mom around. How long since she had last eaten?

Since she will take some, she will likely take more as she gets hungrier and you are not around. Can you do a trial run of leaving her with someone while you go out for a few hours?

[Zoesmama]

My dd was the same. She did finally(after months) take the playtex drop ins but only with the silicon not the latex nipple. I even had got the breastbottle which she didn't like. Keep playing and trying the same ones, new ones. Mine eventually grew attached to bottles when she learned to walk and then didn't want to nurse.

I don't think most breastfed babies will drink as much expressed. You might get 4-5 oz but she may not drink that much when she nurses either. My dd waited until I got home which was fortunately only 5 hours. She of course was offered bottles ob EBM but her dad never got her to take much at all.

A friend is using the breastflow bottles. Her dd is doing well doing both but struggles when she knows mom is there or especially when its mom doing the feeding(when she out). She has a weird thing and now only nurses her after 5:30 and only when at home.

[Amy0417]

I didn't read the rest of the posts so forgive me if I repeat. Have DH and Mom feed her away from them. What I mean by this is having her back to their stomach. If they feed her in the typical "bottle-feed" position she's going to want to breatfeed and possibly start rooting on DH and Mom. Another bottle you could try is The Breast Flow by The First Years. It's a very slow flow bottle that mimics the breast. It worked well for my DD.

If none of these options work I would definitely try the cup!

[LisaSedai]

Thanks for the tips.

I did leave the house for the feeding attempts. 2 of the times DH tried were at the time of day she's always hungry. I'll tell them to try feeding her in the face-away position.

[eleonrauis]

We had the same problem when I went back to work when DS1 was 13 weeks (he's 2 1/2 now). After a few days he just adjusted and started taking more from the bottle, but he never did take as much as I pumped each day and I ended up with a huge freezer stash. He nursed frequently when we were together. We used the Playtex bottles with the silicone nipples at first and switched completely to sippies or straw cups around 9-10 mos.

[belltree]

Mine never took a bottle. The daycare and my dh cupfed him even at that age. It takes a bit of practice, but is not that bad.