bottles

[loulouh1973]

Hi all,
Evie ( 12 weeks) has now refused to take bottles. She happily took them at 6 weeks old, only to clamp her mouth shut at about 10 weeks. However, now she will accept the teat in her mouth, but won't suck. My friend who has a 4 year old and a 7 year old suggested I try a bottle with a faster flowing teat, as I was still using the newborn ones. Anyone recommend any brands? Ideally I'd like to try Tommee Tippee as I have the bottles already but am willing to try a different brand if they're better?
Thanks
Lou & Evie

[Jess&Frank]

Ok, so I've done some asking around. Apparently, you can try Doidy cups (available from ebay, of course). They are just slanted cups but it makes it easier for them to drink. Otherwise, there are these training cups :
http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/detailfash.php?type=FASH&code=A7427&proddesc=Mam+Training+Cups&supercategory=&branch=&wcategory=&catdesc=&treecode=TRE00009
They look very much like the one from Tommee Tippee. I think the idea of them is that the liquid just comes out without needing to suck on them.
I did also find this on the Tommee Tippee website:
http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/content/why_is_my_easiflow_cup_beaker_dripping_when_i_hold _it_upside_down_/
You could try what they suggest and see if it works better.
Hope this helps.
Jess

[omen]

You may want to try the cheapo supermarket own brand bottles as these seem to fire out milk muck more freely than the Tommee Tippee ones.

Also because they're made from thinner plastic they are easier to squeeze in order to send a bit of milk out of the end and hopefully encourage feeding.

[Jess&Frank]

we have some said cheap bottles if you want to borrow one.

[loulouh1973]

Thanks for that. I've got some new teats, so I'll try those first, then maybe the other options. Evie's had a couple of really good nights, settles really easily. Fingers crossed xx

[Jess&Frank]

I'm really pleased to hear that. Let me know how you get on with other feeding methods. I'm presuming I'm going to have to explore all this soon when we try and teach him to drink from a cup.

[Jess&Frank]

If you do find a solution to this bottle feeding problem, would you mind if I added it to the Baby Tips section of the website. I think it is a problem that a lot of people have.
Thanks
J

[Jess&Frank]

I went to a breastfeeding support group in Ilkley today (run every 1st Friday of the month at Christchurch) and the lady who runs it (Barbara) has kindly offered some advice with regards to getting Evie (and other babies) to feed from a bottle:
Here are some ways that have worked to encourage a baby to take a bottle.

• Try offering the bottle before the baby is likely to be too hungry, before his usual
nursing time, as he may be more cooperative then about trying something new.

• Hold the baby lovingly while giving the bottle.

• Wrap the baby in some of the mother’s clothing that has her smell on it while offering
the bottle.

• Instead of pushing the bottle nipple into the baby’s mouth, try laying it near his
mouth and allow him to pull it in himself, or tickle the baby’s mouth with the bottle
nipple, as many mothers do with the breast, and wait until he opens wide to give it.

• Try running warm water over the bottle nipple to bring it up to body temperature, like
the breast, or—if the baby is teething—try cooling it in the refrigerator, as this may be
soothing to his gums.

• Try different types of bottle nipples to find a shape, a substance (rubber or
silicone), and a hole size the baby will accept. Some babies prefer a larger or smaller
nipple hole or different nipple types and shapes, such as a premie nipple, which is
softer than a regular nipple, or an orthodontic nipple. Look for a nipple that is wide at
the base, so that the baby’s mouth opens wide to take the nipple.

• Try different feeding positions. Some babies will take a bottle better in the nursing
position; others like to sit propped against the caregiver’s raised legs (like sitting in
an infant seat); still others prefer not to look at the caregiver and will take a bottle
better if they are held facing out, with their back against the caregiver’s chest.

• Try to feed the baby while moving rhythmically—rocking, walking, or swaying from side
to side—because this may be calming to him.

• Keep trying, but remember that the baby can be fed the mother’s milk using other
feeding methods, such as cup, spoon, or eyedropper, if the baby continues to refuse the
bottle.

If the baby continues to refuse the bottle, assure the mother that this is not a
reflection on her or her choices. Even with early and regular bottles, some babies refuse
bottles as they get older (Frantz 1993b). Occasionally even babies who are bottle-fed
from birth refuse bottles from anyone other than mother.

Here are some ways that have worked to encourage a baby to take a bottle.

• Try offering the bottle before the baby is likely to be too hungry, before his usual
nursing time, as he may be more cooperative then about trying something new.

• Hold the baby lovingly while giving the bottle.

• Wrap the baby in some of the mother’s clothing that has her smell on it while offering
the bottle.

• Instead of pushing the bottle nipple into the baby’s mouth, try laying it near his
mouth and allow him to pull it in himself, or tickle the baby’s mouth with the bottle
nipple, as many mothers do with the breast, and wait until he opens wide to give it.

• Try running warm water over the bottle nipple to bring it up to body temperature, like
the breast, or—if the baby is teething—try cooling it in the refrigerator, as this may be
soothing to his gums.

• Try different types of bottle nipples to find a shape, a substance (rubber or
silicone), and a hole size the baby will accept. Some babies prefer a larger or smaller
nipple hole or different nipple types and shapes, such as a premie nipple, which is
softer than a regular nipple, or an orthodontic nipple. Look for a nipple that is wide at
the base, so that the baby’s mouth opens wide to take the nipple.

• Try different feeding positions. Some babies will take a bottle better in the nursing
position; others like to sit propped against the caregiver’s raised legs (like sitting in
an infant seat); still others prefer not to look at the caregiver and will take a bottle
better if they are held facing out, with their back against the caregiver’s chest.

• Try to feed the baby while moving rhythmically—rocking, walking, or swaying from side
to side—because this may be calming to him.

• Keep trying, but remember that the baby can be fed the mother’s milk using other
feeding methods, such as cup, spoon, or eyedropper, if the baby continues to refuse the
bottle.

If the baby continues to refuse the bottle, assure the mother that this is not a
reflection on her or her choices. Even with early and regular bottles, some babies refuse
bottles as they get older (Frantz 1993b). Occasionally even babies who are bottle-fed
from birth refuse bottles from anyone other than mother.

Two myths



Myth1. Babies must learn to take a bottle so that they can be fed when the mother is not
there.

Not true. Some exclusively breastfed babies will not take a bottle by 2 or 3 months of
age. Most, who have not taken a bottle, and even some who did accept a bottle in the
first weeks of life will not take one by the time they are 4 or 5 months of age. This is
no tragedy, and there is no reason to give a bottle early so that the baby knows how. If
your baby is refusing to take a bottle, do not try to force her; you and she may become
very frustrated and there is just no need to go through all this.
Whether your baby can manage without breast milk while you are separated depends on how
often she breastfeeds during the period you are to be separated. You might want to pump
the number of times you would otherwise nurse her and leave the expressed milk for the
caregiver to feed to her in a bottle or cup or by spoon. Some babies prefer to make up by
breastfeeding more when you are together while others will learn to drink your milk when
offered by someone else. I can give you more information on expressing your milk and
storing it if you ask.

Myth 2. But getting the baby to take a bottle surely won't hurt.

Not necessarily true. Some babies do fine with both. The occasional bottle, when
breastfeeding is going well, will not hurt. But if the baby is getting several bottles a
day on a regular basis, and, in addition, your milk supply decreases because the baby is
nursing less, it is quite possible that the baby will start refusing the breast, even if
he is older than 6 months of age.



Hope this helps!
Jess

[loulouh1973]

Thankyou so much for the advice. You're making me feel quite guilty at all the running around and organising you're doing. Talk about super mum! Tried Evie again with a bottle this weekend to no avail. I am close to giving up ad waiting till she's old enough to have a cup, but will try some other of yout tips first. See you tomorrow xx

[mumbles]

or you could just try BREASTFEEDING. You know, the most natural thing on earth. The one thing your breasts are meant to do, the thing they waited nearly 10 months to do.

[Kirsty&Felix]

Wow the breast feeding police!

[Nicola]

Mumbles - from what I have read LouLou doesn't actually say she isn't breastfeeding, it could just be that she is expressing to allow someone else to help out.

I have been breastfeeding for nearly 8 months now but my son has also had a bottle of expressed milk from 2 weeks. I don't know abouut anyone else but I've found it very helpful ,especially now he is moving onto drinks of water.

While I agree that 'breast is best' there is also a huge amount of pressure on women to conform & that can make it all that bit harder. We should be supporting each other not pointing fingers otherwise we just reinforce the snobby image of breastfeeding mums

[loulouh1973]

Thanks for the comment, I only wanted to use bottles so her daddy could share the feeding. I breastfed exclusively until she started to wean, and still she takes all her milk via the breast at 7 months.
I'm sure you didn't mean to be sarcastic, but it sounded that way, and is not helpful. This is a support forum, and tries to be non judgemental in every way.
regards
Louise