https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:23:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-220845 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:43:21 +0000 T.H.O.U. 220845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: we started giving her "sips" of water from straws maybe around 4 months. It literally was just a few drops at a time. By the time she was about 6 months she would suck out of a sippy </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-220721 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:29:38 +0000 MsMini 220721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sawyer eats every 3 hours-ish right now (between 2 1/2 - 3 hours). For dinner it might work out okay (unless we are doing moroccan - dinner at our favourite moroccan place is a 3 hour seating, plus driving), my hair takes about 4 hours usually (cut and colour + highlights). </p> <p>I don't feel as bad leaving him with DH, but I think it would be stressful for other people (like sitters or grandparents). I am thinking I might be donating a good chunk of my stash though, because I have several hundred ounces stored.</p> <p>I know I am lucky to be in Canada, and to have a year to sort it out, but it also decreases my motivation to "fix" it I guess. I can't imagine how stressful I would find it if I had to go back to work early like you guys do in the states. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-220714 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:22:43 +0000 pinkcupcake 220714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have any advice, but I'm having this problem as well. I just went back to work part-time last week, and LO (almost 5 months old) just isn't having the bottle. The hubs is watching her while I'm at work, and he said it usually takes about an hour to get her to finish a couple ounces :( She typically only has about 4-5 ounces while I'm gone (so about a 9 hour stretch). He brings her to me during my lunch break so I can breastfeed her, so I know she's getting one big meal there, but it's so stressful knowing she's basically starving herself while I'm gone :( We're using DR Brown bottles right now, but I ordered a few different ones off Amazon so I'm hoping a new bottle will make a difference. </p> <p>I think if you aren't going to be away for an extended period of time, it probably won't be a huge problem... my LO can go up to 3-4 hours between feedings, so that's usually enough time for me to get my hair done, go out for dinner, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-220698 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:16:02 +0000 MsMini 220698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cvbee: I might give the cup a try if the next couple attempts fail. </p> <p>@Thehistoryofus: Thanks for the straw tip, I couldn't quite figure out how you would teach a baby to use a straw! How old was your LO when they started using the sippy/straw cup? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-219854 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 06:55:24 +0000 T.H.O.U. 219854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: he won't let himself starve, and will take a bit from the bottle if he was really hungry</p> <p>This is so true! Plus once they are around 5-6 months feedings really start to be spaced apart more (even up to 4 hours) plus you can feed solids. </p> <p>My LO learned how to use a sippy really early on so it may not even be a year before he would take milk from someone else. It seems a lot of kids get the hang of a straw. I started with her where I would put my finger on the top of the straw and drop the liquid into her mouth from the bottom of the straw. Now that she knows liquids come out of straws she sucks on them fine. </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-219842 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 06:41:53 +0000 cvbee 219842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wanted to say that I think that Nico is walking down that path. I was out for yoga last night and when DH put him to bed, Nico only took 2 ounces. And that is usually his 2-boob feeding time. (Which has got to be more than 6 ounces). </p> <p>To make up for it, he woke up an extra time in the night. </p> <p>So, maybe you can still go out for dinner or whatever, and Sawyer will just save up his appetite for when you are around? (Some Moms go back to work and the babies reverse-cycle so that they can get their feedings in at night when Mom is home. ) Now, if you are planning on leaving him for more than just an dinner out, this might be a bigger problem. </p> <p>Alternatively, you could try a cup now? I know in one of my books, it suggests a cup instead of a bottle even for wee little infants in order to avoid 'nipple confusion'. (Even though I know Sawyer is not confused, quite the opposite eh!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-219819 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 03:33:36 +0000 loveisstrange 219819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no advice but there have been a couple blog posts about it, :)</p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2011/12/29/tips-tricks-when-baby-refuses-the-bottle/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2011/12/29/tips-tricks-when-baby-refuses-the-bottle/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/04/20/what-to-do-when-your-baby-goes-on-bottle-strike/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/04/20/what-to-do-when-your-baby-goes-on-bottle-strike/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-219810 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 02:47:50 +0000 SAHM0811 219810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sorry, no advice, just sympathizing with you... My baby took bottles almost everyday until week 6 when she started to reject them. We're at 12 months now and still nursing... She drinks water from sippies and straws, but still pushes any type of milk away, unless it's the boob. </p> <p>Ok my only advice really is to not give up the fight... One friend of mine overcame a bottle strike over the course of 3 weeks (she offered bottles daily during this time). I also know of another mom who got her 7 month old to finally take a bottle. I have to say, these moms were just really persistent and I admit that I wasn't as much as they were.</p> <p>Since he's still pretty young, keep trying. It does get harder to get them to take it the older they get, so you have an advantage now while he's young. If he takes it even just occasionally, it will be a huge load off your back for the rest of your year off! Believe me, I've had a bottle-loving baby and a bottle-hating baby and the latter is much tougher on mom! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottle-strike-and-a-1-year-mat-leave#post-218568 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:04:53 +0000 MsMini 218568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, my wonderful eat any method any time without fussing baby is gone. Sawyer is 11 weeks old now. I have given him 1-2 bottles per week since he was born, and he was always happy to eat from whatever he was offered. A couple weeks ago that started to change.</p> <p>Sawyer started only taking enough from the bottle to take the edge of hunger off (1-2 ounces) and waiting to breastfeed until I was available. Then last weekend he would chew on the bottle rather than suck and let the milk run out of his mouth.</p> <p>We are using pumped milk, I have checked and there is no soapy smell that would indicate lipase issues. We have tried several bottles (we have 5 different kinds on hand) and have tried even fast flow nipples in some of the bottles. Both me and DH have tried feeding him, with me out of the house, out of the room, and in the room. We have tried different temperatures of milk, and different locations and activities. Nothing changes.</p> <p>Sawyer isn't upset with the bottle. He just won't drink.</p> <p>I am conflicted about wether or not it is worth even continuing to try. I have 1 year of mat leave, so I can breastfeed until we transition to a sippy cup, but it means that I can't leave him for an extended period of time. That doesn't bear well for me and DH getting out for dinner, or for his company events, or for me to get my hair done. I try to tell myself he won't let himself starve, and will take a bit from the bottle if he was really hungry, but I don't think I can count on it.</p> <p>I don't really know what I am looking for, other ideas maybe? Is there something that I am missing. How do other moms with bottle refusers handle it? </p>