bottle rejection

My son is six weeks old and am now exclusively breastfeeding.  I will be returning to work (2 days a week) in three weeks and I am really worried because he refuses to take a bottle. I initially had a hard time with breastfeeding - his latch was poor and my milk was late coming in, and as a result he lost too much weight and starting at 4 days of age, I had to supplement with some formula and well as pumping and bottle feeding.  I was worried about him preferring the bottle as soon as he got better at breastfeeding, I stopped the bottle (now I really regret that move).  He never did great with the bottle and never liked it but he would drink and ounce or two.  Now he absolutely hates the bottle and does not drink much at all - he screams at the top of his lungs and will not even swallow if some breast milk falls into his mouth (did I mention that he is very stubborn).  I have my DH try the bottle everyday (I make sure that I am not around) but it is not getting better.  I have also tried a million different bottles.  I know that he will not starve, even if he does not eat when I am gone, but I am panicking about his emotional state when I am gone if he is hungry and not able to eat - not to mention how my DH will manage with a very fussy baby.  

Has anyone else gone through this and found that their baby took the bottle when they were gone?  Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get him to better accept the bottle?  Also, has anyone had success with a certain bottle?

thanks.

[Brittny27]

I'm actually having this problem too. Kaelynn was bottle fed expressed milk for 5 weeks. The last 3 I have been excluively breastfeeding.  Bf tried a bottle two nights ago and she just screamed. I go back to work just one day a week on Nov 6th. I don't know what I'm going to do.

We had a hard time finding a bottle she would use the first go around and now were right back there.

[30something13]

Breastfeed babies do NOT always take a bottle! None of mine would at all for any reason. Even when I was giving birth to the next would they. You might just have to stay home. The little amount of days is little money compared to the short time we have our babies little and we are the only ones that can supply thier needs! I have known breastfeed babies to loss weight in a couple days from moms trying to get them to take bottles, If he did not eat for a whole day you where gon ehe would get dehydrated! I hope you do not mean you would actually try that!If he does not taek a bottle when you are gone now he just won't you will have to try when he is older and tell your employer that you are unable to return to work. Under family medical leave act you do not have to and can not lose your job. Have the pediatrician write something out. the fact that he already had lost weight in the begining is proof yo ushould not even try it!


The only bottle I know of is the breastflow bottle and the adair but the adair leaks I hear.

I would jsut not go back to work

[nola0805]

To Brittny27:  Sorry to hear that you are struggling with the same thing.  Isn't it frustrating, especially since they took a bottle earlier?  I can't believe that Kaelynn took a bottle for 5 weeks and is now rejecting it.  I am a nervous wreck about it - as if returning to work was not stressful enough!  What bottle did she take the first time?  The only one that I can get Finn to even tolerate is the Tommee Tippee - one day he actually sucked down 2.5 oz like a pro (and this was with me holding the bottle) but then never again.

30something13:  thanks for your input.  I so wish I could stay home but it is not an option for so many reasons.  I work 10 minutes from home and work is willing to be flexible with me - so if worst came to worst, my DH could bring my son to me to eat and I can go home early.  I don't go to work until 10am and on many days I can go home in the early afternoon and then work from home.  I had read that many babies will refuse the bottle but will then drink more when their moms are home to make up for it.  I also was wondering if my DH could use a syringe or a cup to get some breast milk down him until I can get home.   I have tried the breastflow  - he hates it unfortunately.  

[Clysta]

What kinds of bottles have you tried? Kylie easily switches between a bottle and the breast with no problems, but I dunno if thats her or what we use. She only gets a bottle now if I'm out and not home. (which is almost never) We use Born Free, and they're a little more expensive (like $7 a bottle) but work well for us, and since she rarely gets one we don't need many.

[Super_sally888]

Have you tried feeding him with breast milk in a small cup?  This may be worth trying.  You can also check the site by Dr. Jack Newman and see what advice he has on this.  His site is very good.

[Ecologic]

They had forced me to give Benoit some formula at the maternity because he had lost too much weight, then when we came home he refused the breast. I was able to make him nurse within a few days and he became a serious boob-addict, but I always kept a bottle of formula in the evening so I could have 20 minutes to myself and he had no problems with that.

When I started traveling again for my job, he had no problems being bottle fed for 2-3 days with breast milk but that did not prevent him from refusing the bottle after I was back home! I would recommend you nurse him for a few minutes then put him directly on the bottle, it worked for Benoit.

Also make sure to aim the bottle toward the top of the mouth, speak to him when giving him the bottle to distract him. Benoit prefers big rubber nipples, you may want to try different nipples.

[Diane1003]

I had a similar problem with my daughter when I returned to work but not to that degree.  We use Dr. Brown bottles and they worked for my son too.  My daughter wasn't a fan of bottles and I don't think she is now but I've been back for 3 weeks and she does okay. We make sure to give her at least one bottle on the days I'm not working just so she stays used to them.  At first she wouldn't take much at all from the bottles but now she's doing better. My husband stays home with the kids and he said she wouldn't take much at all and he was feeding her pretty often b/c she wasn't taking much.  We had no choice but to stick with it and keep offering bottles. Good luck.

[Brittny27]

Kaelynn liked the NUK nipple we got from hospital.

I've tried to switch to playtex drop ins, NUK, and Avent.

She wouldn't use any of them. I bought some parents choice bottles and switched out the nipples to the NUK. I thought she would use the NUK bottle since she likes that nipple but she wouldn't use it. Maybe it was the wider base on that nipple she didn't like.

Your lucky your work is going to work with you and so tolerable. I am going to be working 4 hour shifts so I will feed her right before I leave and then when I get home.  

[nola0805]

thanks so much everyone for sharing your stories and offering suggestions.  I feel a little better now.  I am headed out now to get some different bottles to try and I definitely will try breastfeeding a bit first and then trying the bottle.  I'll let you know how it goes.  
  

[mature_enough]

Good luck Nola.

[happynifer]

no personal experience yet (still waiting for her to be born) but since i HAVE to return to work at 6 weeks i have spent lots of time researching and talking to lactation consultants.
one advised feeding babies sitting straight up and holding the bottle horizontal.
that combined with using a slow flow nipple that is wide based and really squishy best mimic the breast because the baby can control the rate of the feeding.
i'm planning on introducing her first bottle at 3-4 weeks old to hopefully get her to go back and forth, but we shall see how that goes...
good luck to all of you!

[nola0805]

thanks happynifer.  I have been working with a LC and have tried all of those suggestions - unfortunately they have not worked!  He is no longer initially upset about the bottle but just cannot figure out how to latch onto it and suck (and I have tried about 15 different bottle) and eventually gets inconsolably upset - it breaks my heart.  I am despondent about returning to work on Thursday - he will be so upset and hungry.  From now on, we will be trying to feed him using a syringe and/or cup - I am hoping that these work better.  He took a bottle okay for a few days in the first week (I had to supplement) but then I stopped until 4 weeks of age and he has not taken it since (he is now 9 weeks).