Let me first say that I do enjoy nursing - especially all the perks that go with it (convenience, nothing to wash). However, I also really enjoy the flexibility of a bottle (others can help feed, I can go places alone). Since Ari was in the NICU for 2 weeks, he came home on a bottle and we had to introduce breast-feeding. He took to it quickly and went back and forth easily. This is not the case with Keira. This could get long, but I'd appreciate any suggestions so I'll give the back-story.
I started introducing a bottle around 3 or 4 weeks. I tried the Avent brand since that's what I have. She did ok with it, but couldn't quite seem to "latch" well. She also did better if Keenan fed her (which is fine. I just wanted her to get used to it then she could learn to take it from me). We tried once a day for almost a week then we had to skip a day. That next day she refused the bottle and screamed for a good 20 minutes (which did not help my sleep-deprived nerves). On the advice of a friend, we tried the Playtex drop-in bottle. Keenan gave it to her and she took right to it drinking 3 ounces! We did that for a few days then I decided to give it a go. Once again she out-right refused and screamed. Now she won't take it from Keenan either.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about this now. According to the book I have "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems", she suggests trying the bottle for 5 minutes and if it's refused, wait an hour and try again. Repeat the process until the baby takes the bottle. No giving in and nursing. At this point I'm prepared for a day of crying, but I'm also wondering if there's another way. So, faithful blog readers, if you care to share your experience and/or advice I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks in advance :)
5 comments:
Wish I could help you. I tried a few times because I thought I wasn't producing enough milk for Kadyn and she never would take it. I tried all kinds of different bottles and she just wouldn't do it. I hope someone can give you some good advice, I'll be interested in knowing what works.
No help here either. Phinn took one bottle a day for about four months then we stopped. Georgia on the other hand never took a bottle, from me or anyone else. It's been a long year but worth it. Hopefully someone else has some advice. Hang in there, it's always a learning experience, this parenting thing. ;)
Geez...i am no help either. Cayleigh would take a bottle from others but I never tried (I dont think) and Cassidy refused to nurse so her only other option was a bottle. Maybe the Baby Whisperer is right...if she is hungry enough she will take it, but I know it would break my heart too to hear her crying for hours until she gave in. Good luck!! And I miss you and she is gorgeous!
Thanks everyone! I told myself from day one that Keira is and will be different than Ari, but I seem to find myself comparing way too much and expecting the same results. I just need to relax and find what works best for her.
I talked to some friends last night and I have a new strategy. I will offer the bottle once a day and if she doesn't take it at that time, I will wait at least 30 minutes before nursing so she doesn't connect the two. If she's still not taking it as she gets a little older she will have to wait until her next feeding time to nurse. I just couldn't bring myself to making her wait a whole day if it came to that.
I tried this today thinking it wouldn't work, but much to my surprise she drank a whole bottle! I also made sure to offer the bottle about the time I knew she would be hungry, but before she was crying and upset. The last few times we tried the bottle she was already crying and it just made her mad.
So anyway...we'll see how this goes and I'll post an update in a couple of weeks with our progress.
Thanks again! :)
I know I am way late on reading this, but my advice is to wait a couple more months at least before giving her the bottle. Charis would take a bottle, but not starting until she was probably 5 months old. But because pumping was difficult for me, I hardly ever gave her a bottle.
Babies who start off breastfeeding get very attached to it and are good at resisting change.
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