won't have bottle

[maple]

I have a 7mth old due to start in Jan, that is breastfed and will not take a bottle. Mum has tried bottle a few time but no success. On all the settling in visits we have tried the bottle but will not have it. Any suggestions?

[TNT]

My children would never take a bottle so were fed milk from a cup from about 5 months. It takes a while for them to get used to it and is time consuming and a bit messy but worked out ok. I use the Avent sippy cup at the minute it has a long spout which is soft so works well.
I would suggest that mum starts with it at home a few times a day asap so baby can get used to it before she comes to you.

[Kiddleywinks]

I BF both of mine

DD would not have anything rubber/silicone or teat shaped near her mouth ever (never had a dummy as a result) so I switched straight to anyway up cups at about 8 months

When DS came along I deliberately introduced bottles of water from an early age just so he could feed from a bottle if needed, and again, introduced cups from about the same age 8/9 months if I remember right

[QualityCare]

If mum is trying to bottle feed baby, he knows he should be having breast and so won't take it, is she expressing milk for bottles if she is she needs to encourage dad or someone else to bottle feed while she is out of the room this will make it slightly easier for baby or does she totally want to wean him off breast milk in which case she also needs to persevere herself.

[sarah707]

It's very important that you will be able to feed baby - mum needs to give someone else the job of feeding the bottle or try cups.

I had a little one a few years ago as an emergency childmind who wouldn't take a bottle - it was only for a few hours - but still very stressful for everyone until mum came back to feed her.

At 7 months she might be able to do without milk through the day though if she is weaning well and getting her milk in the morning and at night... maybe mum could work on that over the holidays.

xx

[lizduncan72]

The little boy (3 years old now) I have now was like that when he started at 6 months-wouldn't take milk at all from anyone-we tried bottled,cups,spoon feeding him, everything. In the end mum stopped sending milk for him-she fed him just before he came to me and as soon as he got home. He was eating well and taking water from a cup so managed ok without milk during the day. Many stressful days spent trying to convince him to take the milk before she decided that though!
His baby sister is starting with me after Easter so hopefully won't have the same problems with her!!!!

[Helen79]

Many breastfed babies who start childcare will adapt their feeding patterns so that they don't need to have a feed when they're away from mum and then will usually have a big feed in the evening. If she's weaning onto solids then she may not need a milk feed when she's with you. It can often be more stressful and upsetting especially for mum trying to get them to take milk from a bottle or cup if they don't want to.
I think all of my mindee babies, bottle and breastfed, had dropped their daytime milk feeds by 7/8months as they were happy with solids and were having milk feeds morning and evening.

[helena_j]

I agree with cup idea a little girl I used to nanny was breastfed and would only take a cup, however may be worth her putting a bottle in too just incase as without mummy there he may take it as he knows his normal milk supply is not there as an option lol.