Help! My baby won't take a bottle or sippy cup. Will i have to breastfeed forever?!

Yes, you will have to move into your son's college dorm and nurse him to sleep!

OK, maybe you don't find that so funny right now.

Neither of my kids were keen on cups or bottles -- well, never bottles -- until close to 12 months. So the good news is that your situation will change eventually even if you don't do anything about it.

You could try giving him sips from a tiny cup with no lid -- like the cup that comes with cough medicine (obviously not the one you actually use). This seemed to help my second baby especially in learning to drink in a different way. Also, yes, just keep giving the cup over and over and over and eventually he will catch on.

Also, make sure he sees you and others drinking from cups, maybe from sports bottles. This will make it so much more interesting to him. My second DD really liked having little sips from the cup I was using, too. (Just be sure to use plastic!)

As far as dehydration, just watch for the wet diapers. If he is having them (4 in 24 hours, I think?) than try not to worry! He is self-regulating. Older babies can nurse very quickly, so maybe he is getting what he needs really fast?

Just remember that you did Not make a mistake by not pushing bottles!! Things may not be working as you planned or as you would like, but that doesn't make your nursing a mistake! I know it rings hollow now, but before you know it all this will be behind you and you'll barely remember it. If he is happy and healthy, then do what you can to keep your own energy up, treat yourself to hot baths, chocolate truffles, or whatever makes you happy and healthy too, and know that your nursing days are numbered.

Shaun

I also didn't introduce it in time, and it ended up being more convenient for me to just take baby with me everywhere anyway.

Six months is a bit young for a baby to be able drink much from a sippy cup, but it is a good time to introduce it. That's when I introduced it. All of my children were weaned or mostly weaned around one year of age right to the cup. My *Nursing Mother's Companion* book suggests using a cup without a valve. That makes sense: the baby can get at the liquid more easily and learns earlier to take in fluids without sucking.

Would you describe his lack of nursing during the day as a nursing strike? Did it happen suddenly? Or is he just distracted during feedings?

There are a few things you can try to get him back nursing again (if that's what you want)...try nursing in a darker place with fewer distractions; rule out the possilibity of ear infection, reflux, or other physical problems; try to determine if you've had a change in your diet lately that might have affected the taste of your milk; check for slow letdown (maybe he gets impatient waiting for the milk?); offer the breast when he seems sleepy. Sometimes a nursing strike is caused by something as simple as an unfamiliar fragrance. Switched deodorants lately?

None of my three were ever keen on bottles or cups until after 12 months either. All three have taken bottles after weaning from the breast, each at around 2 years old! It does get discouraging to be so completely tied down--never able to leave for more than a couple of hours. And when you are in the middle of it, it feels like those times will go on forever. Sometimes time crawls a bit when you are making such huge adjustments for a new baby, and it feels like much longer than it really is. All I can say is try to be patient. Keep offering the cup or bottle, but try not to get discouraged if he doesn't take it. Eventually he will take them--probably just when you're ready to give up I know how hard it is when they do more of their nursing in the night--often making up for missed daytime feedings. Susannah's suggestions for increasing his nursing are good ones. If you do that during the day, the nighttime feedings may decrease a bit. That would help you hold on until he's ready to wean.

I know it's hard, but try to remember that he'll only be little once. And you're likely to miss nursing a bit when it's all over. I'm reminding myself of that as much as anyone It's easy to get impatient when they don't learn new things when we want them to, but as often as possible, take a deep breath and remember the things you like about this age. It'll be gone before you know it.

Lauralyn

On the days when Josie had me nailed to my chair for an 8 hour nursing marathon (every three months for two days at a go for nearly 18 months, oy) I though it would GO ON FOREVER. It doesn't. It's really such a short time! I know it's hard, I've been there, but can you hang on a little longer? Don't worry so much about pumping, and don't worry about him being dehydrated. You don't need to know how much he is getting; go by his cues. Enough wet diapers? Good. Active and happy? Good! Then don't worry!

Lynn Siprelle, Editor

It sounds to me like he is eating very watery solids and he is also nursing at night-- maybe your milk is as up as it needs to be?

My first would cry a lot and I remember when people would tell me it usually passes by 3 or 4 months I would think in horror: "I have to wait rhat LONG?" Now, 3 or 4 months passes by so fast that I can't stand it.

I second quitting the pumping. That's probably 3/4 of your stress. Personally, I HATE pumping. I pumped milk for my first baby when I couldn't figure out how to latch her on. I had to quit after 3 months; just couldn't keep up with it. It sounds like he's a healthy baby and if he's getting enough to wet 4 or 5 diapers a day, that must be all he needs right now.

My 7mo daughter is at a stage right now where she practically does jumping jacks while nursing! It drives me nuts because it stretches the nipple. I guess it's the age where they want to be moving around, but are still limited in mobility. They don't have much outlet for the energy and get restless. She's also waking more frequently at night. It could be the teething or the about-to-start-crawling syndrome.

with Susannah. I think your adding stress on yourself by unnesessary pumping. Your body produces as much as your baby needs. If he eats more than your body makes more if he eats less your body makes less. After 6 months your milk wont dry out that quickly. I remember getting frusterated but life is too short not to enjoy nursing your son for as long as you can. My last (planned ) "baby" is now 4. I nursed her until she was 31/2. People thought I was nuts. I loved my time alone with her. We tried weaning each other when she was 2 but It was too hard for both of us. Knowing she was my last I was really trying to cherish it as much as I could. Hang in there.......This is just a wrinkle in time. I also agree with Becky, in regards of getting a break. Do you ever get one?
In regards to the sippy cup I always found giving the cup to the baby in the highchair and letting them play with it always led them to figuring out how to drink out of it. Have you tried a straw? I like the ones that come from the fast food resteraunts. If he doesnt suck on it you can always put your finger on the end and give some to him that way.
Anyway, enjoy your baby. And you have support here.
Amee

My 8 month daughter is a having a similar problem. She does not want to nurse for more that 3 or 4 minutes. She is not gaining enough weight and has slipped down into the 5th percentile. I have tried every bottle known to man and she refuses. I am very worried about it. I can not wait until she is a year and I can give her cow's milk ( if she will take it). Hopefully then she will be able to gain some weight.

its been wonderful reading your experience in this forum. I hv to get back to work in a couple of days and I just successfully gave my son my EBM in the bottle. I tried a whole bunch of bottles and teats known to men. Alas I found my saviour in MAM Ultivent bottle from Mothercare. He refused it at first but sucked in 4oz of EBM less than 5 minutes later. What a relief it was to me because he nurses a lot at 2months and it scares the hell out of me with the thought that he wouldnt be feeding as much while I am at work. But, now since that is taken care of, I am more than happy. Keep breastfeeding people, its the most amazing feeling in the world, the closeness that it brings to you and your baby is priceless. and remember, its not something ALL woman can experience..

My daughter was the same way at about 6 months, trying to get down, thinking it was funny to clamp down on me, pulling, arching, looking around. Arg! But, it passed, I just dealt with it (easier to say now than it was then, believe you me!)by trying every day. I didn't bother to pump, and when she was ready to be more consistent, we were fine in the milk area (and I usually have to supplement for slow growth in the first 2 months and take extra pro-lactin drops to get going plus pump for 10 minutes after every nursing, then we're OK at about three months). Anyhow, I do miss nursing, even though there were rough spots. She's two now, and it's hard to think we're done, but we are, and have been for a little less than a year (she basically weaned herself at about 13 months when we moved from Utah to Indiana...too much to do and see I guess, and she preferred portable food).

If it's getting really frustrating for you, maybe you could talk to the hospital's lactation consultant, or a local Le Leche League leader, they can confirm for you whether or not you really need to be pumping even when he doesn't want to eat, considering the supply is higher at 6 months.

I am in the same boat as you are! My baby is almost 6 months, and I have had the hardest time getting her to eat from anything but my breast. I love breastfeeding, but I also feel very tied down sometimes! My Dr. told me to start interducing a sippy cup. I put some luke warm water in it and gave it to her in the highchair, she played with it for a while and eventualy started to suck on it. I know it is not her favorite thing, but I think she thinks of it as more of a toy than anything. She will not drink very much out of it- just a few sips here and there, but I think it will eventualy start being a normal thing for her. I think we just have to be patient and things will work out in the long run. Good luck to you!

....somebody over there with a solution??

I am totally on the same boat, my DS refuses feeding while he is awake, and would like to get nursed right after going into sleep.

The Doc think that's because of reflux, so gave him the medication; however, it seems make him comfortable for the first day, but really doesn't help a lot. He still doesn't want to take neither the bottle, the sippy cup or my breast while he is awake.

The good thing is that he is also happy and alert. Maybe he just somehow established this kind of feeding behavior while I tried too hard to give him the bottle.

My daughter is almost nine months and is borderline underweight now. She won't drink out of a bottle or a sippy cup-- only about 3 oz. all day while I'm at work. Then she nurses lots at night to make up for the day without me. The thing is, I'm pregnant again, and I'm very tired. I also have concerns about being able to produce enought milk for her and support my growing baby. My doctor recommended I take my daughter to an occupational therapist, but I have my doubts about this. She's been checked over and over again to be sure that there is nothing physical causing her to reject the bottle, and the doctors can't find anything. They've basically told me that the cause is my daughter's own stubborn ways (wonder where she got that from!). I would just tell you to hang in there... that's all we can do in this situation. Maybe try an open-faced cup more often. At least your son is at a healthy weight. Anyone have advice for me in my situation?

Oh, am I relieved to find someone else going through what my husband and I have been going through for what feels like forever now! Me and my husband gave our daughter a bottle a little bit in the very beginning and stopped and only breast fed for probably the last 9 months, exclusivly. I wish we would have kept up on giving her a bottle at least once a day because now she wants nothing to do with any other form of feeding. Well, I take that back, she will do o.k. for a short period then she will go on protest and not drink basicly anything for awhile! I had my gall bladder taken out 6 days ago and was going to go right back to breast feeding but there was NO WAY I could have with the pain I was in and by the time I was well enough to go back to breast feeding she was already doing somewhat o.k. what her sippy cup so I don't want to confuse her. Not to mention the HARD work my husband has done in trying to get her to take some other form of feeding would go completely down the tubes if I started back agian so, no thanks! What I'm saying is don't be to hard on yourself. Yours is 18lbs? WOW! Ours is 11 months and just a tad over 16 lbs. So on top of her not really drinking, she'll eat a TON of baby food though, she is under weight and the Dr. is constantly concerned about her weight. All we can do is keep trying and keep praying and this will pass and we will be laughing with our children someday while sharing how crazy we went on the internet and with our friends because they would NOT eat! I don't know about you but my towel is thrown in, my little 11 month old angel has KICKED MY BUTT! When they get thirsty enough, I guess they will eat. Let me know if you find something that works! Thanks!

Just wanted to share with you. Having similar problems with my 10 month old. He just refuses anything but the breast (and solids). I desperately want to give up breastfeeding now, but it is just too hard at the moment. If I deny him breast milk during the day, then he wakes me up at night. I can't win.

Being a mother IS much harder than it looks. I got an awful shock when I had my first son. And I promised myself I wouldn't get trapped into breast feeding with my second, but here I am, with exactly the same problem. I don't know what I have done wrong, because I know people who have switched from breast to bottle with little or no problems. Their babies just apparently didn't mind. Unbelievable!

Good luck any way, and hang in there.

Blueberry

Well i just don't understand why, but my daughter cry and hates it drink a bottle or eat solids... she is 6 months and she can go on period of 24 hours with the total of 16 to 18 oz per day! which the minimum amount is 24 oz, i don't now what to do, i love her so much, but sometimes is so challenging and frustrating!! i take her to a quiet room, and try to make her feedings a special e relaxing moment and doesn't work! and when she wakes up on the morning after 10 hours of sleep she doesn't seems hungry, she cries like i'm doing something bad to her, seriously i'm so worried, because this is so weird and emotionally hard on me, i don't' know if it is the taste of the milk or the baby foods... i only nursed her on her first month and always thought this wold go away, tried every brand and kind bottle and nothing!!! if someone has this same problem and a got solved i will thank you dearly...

Well i just don't understand why, but my daughter cry and hates it drink a bottle or eat solids... she is 6 months and she can go on period of 24 hours with the total of 16 to 18 oz per day! which the minimum amount is 24 oz, i don't now what to do, i love her so much, but sometimes is so challenging and frustrating!! i take her to a quiet room, and try to make her feedings a special e relaxing moment and doesn't work! and when she wakes up on the morning after 10 hours of sleep she doesn't seems hungry, she cries like i'm doing something bad to her, seriously i'm so worried, because this is so weird and emotionally hard on me, i don't' know if it is the taste of the milk or the baby foods... i only nursed her on her first month and always thought this wold go away, tried every brand and kind bottle and nothing!!! if someone has this same problem and a got solved i will thank you dearly...