newbie needing help with getting baby to take bottle

1) How long has this been going on?

2) Are you willing to ride it out if it's a passing thing, which I suspect it is?

Lynn Siprelle, Editor

Don't give up!! First of all, talk to your baby's doctor and see what he or she has to say.

Now for my personal suggestion.

She is 17 weeks. That puts her right about 4 months right? I have a baby born the week after yours (if my math is right. Mine was born November 19th). He is my 4th child. I started all of my kids on rice cereal at 4 months. Between 4 and 6 months is about when doctors recommend to start solids. And baby rice cereal is usually the best first choice.

I've always mixed it with water or some formula or pumped breast milk (after a couple of months, I would later mix it with apple juice. Or water along with some baby food fruits like peaches or apricots or applesauce). Make it real runny at first, then add more cereal throught the first few weeks to make it thicker. Being runny, it should slide right off the spoon. Yes, it can be messy at first. This isn't replacing a feeding, but going along with it. You can nurse first or after or during. Whatever works best for the baby. Try it with one feeding and work your way up to with another until it's 3 times a day.

keep in mind I'm just saying what worked with me. Modify or change whatever works best for your lifestyle and baby. And like I said, starting solids isn't replacing nursing, just supplementing it. It's great you are still breastfeeding! It may just be she is having a growth spurt and needs the extra food.

And for what it's worth. My first three babies all refused bottles at this time. They only had a bottle in the first couple of weeks when I would pump all this extra milk I had in my boobs. haha! Once my supply regulated, I didn't pump anymore. When I decided to start on juice (about 6 months I think), I had to go straight to a sippy cup rather than a bottle.

I know you mentioned that she wouldn't take any sort of nipple, so my next suggestion probably won't work. They make bottles that are for feeding baby cereal. I've never used one, but know a few people that have. It looks to be less messy for baby than feeding with a spoon. It looks really cool and debating on trying it myself with my newest baby. But not sure I will.

Good luck, please check back and let us know how it's going!!

I assume since she was gaining weight before that you know for sure she was latching on properly to be able to feed fully. But as Jenny mentioned she might be needing more about this time, so any lack earlier might have been less noticeable.

are you drinking plenty is another quite obvious possibility of course... have you been drinking less recently for any reason?? You shouldn't run low on milk unless she's not feeding properly or you aren't drinking enough.

and if nobody has put you onto them before try contacting www.lalecheleague.org - they might be able to come up with something nobody else has thought of. You should definitely try to hang in there with the breastfeeding first, as frustrating and exhausting as it has apparently been for you. Once it's gone you don't get it back and I have that regret with both of my kids.

the only trick I know with the bottle is to make sure there's some breastmilk on the bottle nipple so she recognises the smell, because formula is not the same smell.

Kerri.

and I thought I would go mad!!! My baby girl stopped gaining weight and was in the bottom 2% percentile. My breastmilk production dropped off significantly somewhere along the way. I wanted to supplement with bottle feeding but I had exclusively breastfed and she wasn't at ALL interested in a bottle. Like you, I purchased EVERY bottle and every nipple made with every flow (silicone and latex).

My dr. suggested a lactation consultant and it was helpful. One of the things the lactation consultant suggested was a strange little contraption that I think is called a "supplemental feeder." It is hard to explain, but you tape a tiny little tube to your nipple. The tube leads to a small closed- off bottle that you can attach to your shirt with a clip. When the baby goes to nurse, she gets the tube and the nipple, all at once. So, while nursing, the baby also gets a few extra ounces of formula or pumped breast milk.

This was an absolute godsend for me! At first I used a few ounces of formula. The baby started to gain a few pounds and I was able to continue to nurse. Because the baby's sucking stimulates your breastmilk production, your production will increase. (I think mother's who are adopting can sometimes even successfully use this thing to start lactating!) Eventually, I could pump enough breast milk to fill the little bottle, so it was just like she was doubling-up at each feeding. After about two weeks, I didn't even need it anymore. Without it, I'm not sure I would've continued nursing. I probably nursed my baby 10 more months just because of this thing!

It was inexpensive; less than $20 USD and easy to use. The baby never seemed to mind using it. You have to buy the medical tape (cloth kind,) but that is easy to find.

Hang in there! Everyone has great suggestions on this forum... one of them will work for you!

Kay

PS: I'll look around for a link that shows one of these things and post it if I can figure out how!

Medela made the one I used. I didn't realize it until I looked at their site, but they sold me the one that is designed for short term use. I used mine for 2 weeks with no problem whatsoever.
Here is a link:
http://www.medela.com/NewFiles/specialtyfdg.html
Best of luck!

Thankyou to all those who replied with advice, I have now solved the problem by using a breastbottle nurser, in the shape of a breast and it works like the breast, she took to it first time,

You're nursing WAY too much darling! Every hour and then every 10 minutes???? You should not be feeding her that often...either she is not eating properly or you are afraid that she will starve but let me tell you that you need to STOP offering the breast that often!!! You WILL drive yourself mad and run yourself out of BM!!! Chill out on the feeding and space it out at least every 2 hours to start. Give yourself and her a break already!!!