HELP! My baby won't take the bottle!

[Razzberry]

Hi,

I have fully breastfed my DD and she is now 4 months old. Next week I am going to see a show at night in the city so I need my hubby to give her a bottle. I have tried giving her a bottle uysing the medela teats, the ones that are supposed to mimic the breast, avent ones, slow and fast flow ones using breast milk,formula and water. But she refuses to drink from them.
Any tips on how to get her to suck from the bottle?

[ss_storm]

Can he feed her from a cup instead? If she won't take a bottle teat, he should be able to give her some milk in a cup. Saves you stressing about trying to get her to drink from a bottle, it just might be a little messy and time consuming

[harleysgirl]

Also see if hubby can try? sometimes they can get confussed trying to feed from a bottle when the smell of milk is coming from you

Good Luck

[nattyfred]

Sorry, no but Ill be watching as were in much the same boat. Correct me if im wrong but bfing seems completely different to bottle feeding anyway in the way that V drinks a little when she wakes but likes to eat bfore sleeping too. Are you the same?

[spooky]

Is it EBM or F in the bottle? You might find the transition easier if it is EBM while you are teaching, as the taste will be the same. Formula is a very different taste. That way it is only the method that is new, not the method and the taste.

[Jennifer13]

How long will you be gone for hun? If you give her a bf just before you leave, make sure hubby has some ebm just in case while you're gone, and then offer her a bf as soon as you return, she'll be fine. She might be happy to wait until you're home if you're not gone for the whole night.

Otherwise, the cup is a good suggestion.

[Tanya]

I used a straw cup at about this age.... to get them to take it hold the end of the straw so it holds the liquid in the straw and let them suck it out. They get the hang of it pretty quick.

[lyra stardust]

When I had mastitis and couldn't feed cos it was too painful, and didn't want to cause nipple confusion by using a bottle we did a "finger feed".

You get a small tube and put one end in the milk (in a cup) and one end alongside your finger and then put the finger in their mouth to suck (facing up so nail down against tongue). As they suck they draw in the milk through the tube and feed! You just need to make sure you have clean hands and no nails!

I'm not too sure where you'd get the tube to be honest- a lactation consultant gave us ours, maybe a pharmacy??

Not ideal I guess but worth a try if you're desperate

Good luck!

[Razzberry]

I have found success using one of those NUBY cups! the spout is quite big and rectangle and I think is meant for 6 months onward but she actually drank the formula from it tonight! I was amazed!
Thanks for your help girls