20 weeks old rejecting bottle breast milk

[DollChina]

Hi ladies, my DS has been rejecting the bottle breast milk since last week.  He's been taking it fine since he was 1.5 months old.  He will push it out and act like he is not hungry but he will nurse.  Please help!

[low22]

I've heard that sometimes they won't take a bottle from the mom because they know they can get it from the breast.  Does he take the bottle when anyone else feeds him?

[taysmommy]

babies are very smart, im sure he knows you got the ninny, which im sure he perfers,  so you might want to have DH try to feed him

[anxiousmomtobe?]

My kids would never take a bottle from me, I tried hard, but they wanted the real deal.  They would take one from anyone else though.

[mum2beagain]

Hey Dolly, maybe because you have introduced solids now he isn't actually as hungry for the milk during the day. He might be taking more from you when he is nursing also to make up for what he isn't having in the bottle. Do you still go to nurse him at lunch time? Gavin can probably go 5 or 6 hours between feeds now. Sam is already doing this at 12 weeks, he feeds every 5 hours or so but then feeds 4 times in the space of 6 hours before he goes to bed.

[DollChina]

Ok, I never feed him the bottle, just my mom and DH.  I guess he can last a lot longer now.  
Mum2 , yes, I am going home to nurse at lunch still.  He sleeps from 8:30 - 5:30 and I'd nurse him when he wakes then again before I leave for work at 8:00.  He used to take a bottle around 11:00 but he won't anymore (he would eat fruit/rice cereal), I nurse him at around 12:30 at lunch.  Again he used to take a bottle around 4:00 but now he doesn't.  I then nurse on demand the rest of the evening.
Questions
Is he getting enough milk?  He gets rice cereal and fruit as well.
Should I even bother to pump in between since he is not needing as much milk?
How do I wean if he won't take a bottle?
Should I go straight to the sippy?

[anxiousmomtobe?]

It sounds to me like he is getting plenty.  Continue to offer the bottle to him , as he hits growth spurts he may need more.  Wean him if you feel it is the right time to do so.  A sippy cup is okay, but remember young babies really need to suck.  

[DollChina]

Althought he rejects the bottle, he seemd VERY insterested in eating rice cereal and fruit.

[low22]

You're the second person I know that this has happened to.  My girlfriend had to go part time because her dd would not take a bottle.  

[4my3boys]

I would continue to nurse.  My last son would not take the bottle from anyone so you are lucky.  He also did not take any food till he was almost 9months old.  I would continue to pump that way you can still keep your milk supply up, you never know when you may need a bottle.  When you do switch him go right to a sippie.  The tend to like it better

[4my3boys]

I realized something I wrote wrong sorry, I would continue to pump in between.  Are you offering juice?  If so you should do it in a sippie

[petanka]

Hey girl, sorry to hear you have this problem. I think he gets plenty from the cereal, fruits and being nursed on demand in the mornings and during the nights. If I would be you, I would still try to offer the bottle once a day, but put 1/2 the amount in so you are not waisting too much of your milk and start freezing the rest. Also, I would pump and I would mix it with the cereal, that way he is still getting your milk. You can freeze your pumped milk up to 4 months. That is what I am doing, freezing it all and will mix it with cereal as soon as Dr. gives me the OK.

[mum2beagain]

I think you are nursing him plenty, if it were me I would continue to pump for now, you never know when he may decide he wants theat bottle again and it is always useful to have a freezer stash of the stuff. Use your pumped milk to make up his cereal and to thin fruit purees rather than water so he gets it that way. As for weaning I had a friend who's baby weaned from breast to sippy cup at 8 months without ever having a bottle so it is possible.

[DollChina]

Thanks for all the advise.  I am using the breast milk to mix with rice cereal.  I am not going to worry too much since he seems to be content.  I am not giving him any juice until maybe 6 months.  He is eating fruit so is it really necessary to give him juice?
I am freezing all the extra milk in case of emergency.
Any idea on how to wean?  What can I expect?

[AndiJ78]

My kids never took a bottle, not of formula or of breastmilk. I started the weaning process after their 1st birthday and went straight to a sippy cup as well. I simply replaced a feeding with whole milk, waited a week or so, replaced another with more solids and milk, etc. I did it very slowly and gradually so as to lessen the stress on both of us. I weaned my 1st completely at 14 mos, my second completely at 15 mos, and I have no idea when I will wean CJ. Probably somewhere around the same time frame. The very last feeding to go was the one at bedtime. The first was their midmorning snack.

If you go slower, you won't experience as much pain from engorgement. I also found it helped with the emotional aspect of it. There was always a bit of sadness that came with weaning, even after all that time. I imagine it will be tenfold with this one as he is our last baby.