Bottle Refusal

Hi Guys,

Looking for a little advice. I currently comp feed my DD due to supply issues, and in the last few days she has been refusing to take the bottle. If I coax her she eventually drinks it and I'm been sure to keep the experience positive but it has been getting worse over the last 24hours.

I use Pigeon teats and bottles which have not been a problem up until now as they were recommended for the switch between breast and bottle, however I do have tommee tippee closer to nature ones I can try if needed.

I'm not really sure if it is the formula, which is NAN HA which is what she has been on since birth or the bottle but she seems to dislike both, crying for the breast instead, which I would love to give her but sadly my supply cannot keep up with her needs. We currently BF, and then when she has drained both if still hungry which is almost always we comp feed the extra.

Thanks for any help, I'm going to speak with my LC on monday to see if they can offer any suggestions.

Would getting an SNS be worthwhile? Nursing Angel has them for $80

:hug: I had the opposite problem. We couldn't get BF going for a range of reason known and some I will never know. I ended up expressing BM and feeding it by bottle. I would try DS on the breast first and he would cry for the bottle. Then over time he became fussy on the bottle too. I think the problem was multi-layered. I had several professionals mention nipple confusion as the sucking action is different between breast and bottle and DS was preferring the bottle. Then we discovered he had milk protein allergy which in the end impacted on his willingness to take the bottle, and probably was part of the problem on the breast as well.

Anyhow, I'm not sure I have the answers for you but it might be nipple confusion that your DS has. I just wanted to send you a hug because I know all too well how hard it is when you have feeding problems and the extra work of going between the breast and bottle.

Hi,

I wonder if she is trying to tell you something? Many people, even health professionals who should know better, speak as though milk supply is handed down at birth and set in concrete. This is far from the truth. Milk supply increases according to your babies needs. Ultimately it is the baby who drives supply. Msometimes with the general muck ups surrounding birth the baby isn't quite up to driving the supply and needs some assistance. There is every likelihood that as your baby has grown stronger her feeding has driven supply and You are meting her needs at the breast. No healthy baby will starve in the presence of food. She's on her p-plates now - she is able to drive breast and bottle. Try to follow her lead for a few days if she wants the bottle she will ask

Are you able to just nurse her more? I understand your anxiety about supply and making sure she's getting enough, but maybe she's getting more than you think?
I hope the LC can help you out

Thanks for the support Barb and Madb, its been a hard slog since my C/S to even have milk for her. I've been doing everything I can. Nursing her every 3 hours or so and if she is still hungry only comping her then.

She has dropped her comp to 20 - 30 ml mostly which is alot less so perhaps she is getting more now which is great. Not getting my hopes up yet, but I do notice she is alot better at sucking now and its not the struggle it used to be.

Fingers crossed x

Most babies go through periods like this it seems. Where they just want more then you have, I think its their way of increasing your supply and it normally lasts less then a week. Other times they just want mummy. I know if we have a few days different to "normal" Sophie is extra clingy for a day or so and im sure if we were stil BFing she would be permanently attached :lol: you are doing so well! Hope it settles down for you soon

That's brilliant and I think we are on the right track. I have worked with many many women who have been through the rough slog you have. Don't hesitate to feed her more often if she wants more. It's normal for babies to feed more than 8 times in 24 hrs. Good on you!
Barb

:happydance:
Lolpigs, I don't think you quite appreciate just how well you're doing! I reckon you could feed more often - 2 hourly would be quite normal at this age - and see those comp feeds disappear... :)
They do get fussier and want to feed more from time to time. It's ok, happens to all of us and doesn't necessarily mean you don't have enough milk.

Hehe thanks :)

Well looks like she is happy taking the bottle again, must have been fussiness for some reason. She is back to her usual 40ml comp and this evening after a big walk took 70ml, although it isn't unusal for her to have 1 big comp in 24hours and almost always in the evening? Not sure why. I have tried the 2 hour feeds but still had to comp due to lack of supply and got no increase to compensate for some reason so I let her set her own schedule which is feeding every 3-4 hours.

I had to stop pumping becuase I couldn't mainatain the routine and recover from the C/S however I've keept taking the herbs and motilium. However this has been better for us as she is spending more time on the boob and being more satisfied and having less formula. I notice sometimes she will also only take 10ml. So its still hit and miss.

I'm glad however her comps during all other times are down overall ml wise, we are getting there slowly I think. Just going with the flow atm, and seems to be working. Thanks for the support.

When my DD's weight gains were a bit slow, i would breastfeed from the right side, then left side, then offer the right again. Next feed go left, right, left again.

I was also feeding more often, but my little miss didn't sleep that much so was easier to offer the breast more often.

take care