Hellobee Boards

I went through this and I'm sorry you are too, because it sucks! But it does work itself out eventually! I don't know if you want to add another bottle to the mix, but I'd throw in a vote for the lansinoh mOmma bottle - it's the only one of I think 8 that she took consistently.

In our situation, I had to be more than gone, I had to be gone to the point of no return before she'd take the bottle. Like an 8 hour day gone. She had to get to the point where she was so hungry she had to take the bottle. But only for the first day! After that, she got the hang of it really quickly. So the first day sucked but then it was over! Also the position had to be very different from nursing - either she had to be facing out or sitting in her bouncer. hope you find what works!

@hellobeeboston: I hope you have an easy time! It's not a fun adjustment, but you guys will find what works for you

@hellobeeboston: I agree that it will work itself out. It took LO1 three full daycare days to drink anything but she caught on. Calling my pediatrician made me feel better about it. She assured me LO would be fine as long as she ate at night and was offered milk. And she was!

I wish I hadn't wasted 100fl oz of milk and $100 on bottles first.

DD refused the bottle 99% of the time. We left her with my mom for 24 hours with a lot of milk, tommee tippee bottles, and crossed fingers. She refused the first bottle, took the second, and hasn't struggled since!

My DD went through this too but eventually ended up taking her bottle at daycare. The first day or two she screamed at the bottle, but after that was fine. The one that worked best for us was the Lansinoh Momma. I had tried a ton of other bottles, including Como tomo, avent, adiri, etc. It was so stressful in the weeks leading up to daycare, but it all worked out and she didn't starve.

@Pirouette: yess the Lansinoh Momma was a lifesaver! Everyone was like I've never heard of that bottle before. But it was the only one that worked for us!

@hellobeeboston: good luck! I think Target or Babies R us carries it and it's not too expensive.

@hellobeeboston: I started this exact thread when I was going back to work in June. His first day back he went 5 hours refusing a bottle but eventually took 8 oz in the 8 hours I was gone. The second day he took about 9 oz, and from then on he would actually take a bottle. It was hard leaving him not knowing if he would eat, but it all worked out.

@hellobeeboston: My DD stopped taking all bottles at about 3 months, but I wasn't going back to work until she was much older so I didn't stress it too much! Try all said above, but he will figure it out!
Prayers for an easy transition!!!

We worked on bottles for 3 months with LO2, with no luck, before she started daycare. Once daycare started, it took about three weeks (only a few hours a day to start, building up to 7 hours; and only 3 days a week) before she started taking a bottle. Now, several months later, she does fine, although she never drinks as much there as when she spends the day with my husband.

During the first three weeks, the daycare providers were always willing to try alternatives--syringe, spoon, milk popsicles--so that she wouldn't be too unhappy. There was one day where they called to see if I would be willing to come in to nurse her, because she was really hungry and unhappy enough that they were having trouble trying any alternate methods. (I was nearby that day, so I did go in.)

It was stressful, but not as stressful as I was expecting. Having daycare providers who I trusted also made it much easier for me.

We went thru this with dd1. Absolutely refused the bottle until I went back to work and was gone for 10 hours. She only drank 2 oz that whole day and it gradually got better but she still vastly preferred the boob to the bottle. I also vote for the lansinoh momma bottle. That was the least offensive to her, it definitely has a different shape than most bottles. We tried so so hard to get her to take a bottle leading up to my return to work and she would scream her face off. But it worked out eventually! Sure is stressful though.

@hellobeeboston: yes, I think it was the Kiinde nipples that she preferred, for some reason. I don't really know if they do individual pieces (bottles) or not to easily try them out, though.

I hope everything works out quickly! I have a bottle refuser too and have heard lots of people say that they'll learn to take a bottle once they get hungry enough, especially if you're not around. If nothing works, can they try spoon or cup feeding? I was spoon fed as a baby from three months on, though I'm told it was kind of slow. Both of my kids worked out how to drink from a very small cup (a doll cup) very early, especially DD, who still wants nothing to do with bottles.

Not sure if it will help since you've tried everything else, but my 4 month old EBF baby only will take MAM bottles and pacis.

@hellobeeboston: omg!! This makes me so happy! Good luck tomorrow

We also went through this, the things that helped for us were making sure the bottle was pretty warm (like between 100-105 degrees) and feeding her when she was sleepy.

Good luck!

@hellobeeboston: yay! So glad something is working. I had to really practice with my DD too. Two or three days of hell and even then she only took MAM bottles. After that I kept giving her one bottle a day so she wouldn't refuse again.

@hellobeeboston: just wanted to share that DD2 refused bottles from DH and I. And even FIL when I wasn't even home. I was seriously worried she would reverse nurse those first few weeks at daycare.

I called during lunch and the little stinker took all her morning bottles no problems and even napped like a champ. Little stinker.

Hope your first day goes well!!