Help
Okay, so I need some help.
I know I work in a Pediatric Feeding Clinic of all places, but I can't get my own daughter to take a bottle! I have read all the tips but none of them have worked so far. I really need her to start taking a bottle when I leave - for everyone's sanity. My next step is to refuse to nurse her and only offer her the bottle until she takes it. My mom had to do that with me because I wouldn't take a bottle (I guess we get what we deserve, right?) and I didn't eat for 12 hours...but I am not as tough as my mom! I don't know if my nerves can handle that much crying and if my heart can handle that sad of a girl.
Any thoughts???
Okay, now here are some pictures. I just uploaded these from my phone and they are from the last few months.
I took this one Friday evening when we went on a date to the mall because Andrew had to work and we needed to get out of the house. I love her sweet look! She was so chatty that night too and talked up a storm in every store we went it. It was so fun. Yes, that is a bottle next to her. No, she didn't drink any of it, little stinker.
This is one of my favorite photos, except looking at it now she looks so bald (not that she has a ton of hair now or anything, it's all relative, right?)! This was on one of our walks. She loves getting outside and looking around and feeling the wind on her face. We have good walks everyday. They keep us happy.
Once again, Amelia happy to have her clothes off. That's one trick that works like a charm if she's upset. It doesn't work as well when you're at church, or the store, or when she's 5 years old, but for now it is great.
Watching the Duck game with friends. She has on "O" booties and a pink Duck shirt. She didn't like the game because people keep yelling and screaming at random times which scared and startled her.
Oh, so little! This hat doesn't fit her anymore - it's amazing how fast she is growing. But I love the new stages and all the new things she can do. What a fun girl.
12 comments:
LOL...sorry I'm no help; I had the same problem, and was forced to wait until Taylor reached the age of reason, and I could have a conversation with him about why he needed to take a bottle...but I couldn't leave without telling you what you already know: She is ADORABLE!
I am so sorry. If you need help I'll switch you babies for a few hours I can handle a crying baby if you can handle my baby!
Looks like there's no easy solution for your bottle-hating baby. I was hoping someone would have a great idea so you don't have to go through what I did with you! It was one awful day, but then it was over. Guess you didn't want to repeat it either.
I forgot to comment on one picture in the last blog. I loved the one of Amelia watching pitching videos with Andrew. She's so intent on it that she doesn't even look at you and the camera. Guess she likes all the motion.
Love,
Mom A.
She is so sweet! I obviously have no advice for the bottle since she wouldn't take one for me and I have a little boy that would probably eat anything and everything if he could get his hands on it. :) Good luck!!
Michelle! It's your cousin, Courtney! Our babies are almost the same age, except mine is a buffalo compared to yours. Where are you guys living now?
Well, if it makes you feel any better, Grant just took a bottle for the FIRST time the other night. He is almost nine months old. Here's what we did. I didn't get up to feed Grant during the middle of the night two nights ago. Mike took it up on himself (without telling me what he was doing) to go in his room with a bottle. Grant was desperate (hungry), and he took the bottle. Voila! I think it helped that it was someone else offering it to him other than me. I think the trick is to be patient. And keep trying. And have someone ELSE offer it to her. She probably won't take one from you cause she knows you have the good stuff! :) Good luck. I know it can be tricky and frustrating...
If I think of anything else I'll let you know! Oh, also, don't shove a bottle in her mouth (which I'm sure you don't,) but let ease into it more; let her get familiar with the bottle.
I didn't know you worked in a Pediatric Feeding Clinic. Neat! What exactly do you do?
Seriously, Michelle - most mom's have the opposite problem. You are so fortunate! Although, I'm sure it doesn't feel that way at the moment.
Um...have you tried different nipples? You probably have... My friend said she had to try like 15 different ones but she finally found one that her baby would take. Good luck!
She is so adorable Michelle! I had the same problem with Chantz and finally got him to take a bottle a month ago (he's almost 8 months old.) He was flat out REFUSING to take a bottle. I heard all kinds of advice from changing out nipples to mixing a little bit of bananas with some pumped milk just to give it a little different taste. Ultimately what worked was refusing to nurse him, putting him in his bouncy chair and propping a bottle in his mouth. I tried this about every half hour for 4 hours and he finally took one. It got easier from there. So sorry that there isn't an easier way! :(
I had to result to starving Joss before she'd take a bottle. Although, for us it only took 5 hours!
Michelle -
I found this at La Leche League International: http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVAugSep99p75.html
I thought it might help....
This is a really great website, by-the-way, if you have BF questions. :o)
Giving a Supplement
This frequently depends on the reason for the supplementation. At home, the person giving the supplement may be the father, another relative or an adult care giver other than the parents. If the baby is young and accustomed to breastfeeding, he may object to supplementary feedings by his mother. A baby associates a certain activity with the person doing it as well as the place where it occurs. Thus, if the mother sits where she usually breastfeeds, the baby may object to being fed another way.
Asking the father to give the baby a feeding in a setting not usually associated with breastfeeding is a better choice. Likewise when a sitter offers the supplement, the baby is less likely to object and may come to expect such feedings from her while continuing to happily breastfeed from his mother.
Linc didn't have this problem but probably because I had class once a week 3 weeks after he was born so he took one from the beginning. But considering I only nursed when I was around he took them quite well. Do you give her breast milk or formula? Maybe she doesn't like formula if that is the case? Hopefully it gets better. And maybe having someone else feed her when you aren't there too!
Linc didn't have this problem but probably because I had class once a week 3 weeks after he was born so he took one from the beginning. But considering I only nursed when I was around he took them quite well. Do you give her breast milk or formula? Maybe she doesn't like formula if that is the case? Hopefully it gets better. And maybe having someone else feed her when you aren't there too!
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