Refusing to take the bottle - Tips??

Hi ladies,

My little girl has decided recently that she doesn't want to take the bottle. She is breastfed and that's no problem, but I have to go back to work in a couple of months and am worried that she won't take it. She used to take it fine (DH used to do her last feed of the night) but from about 12 weeks decided she would just like to play with it and push it out of her mouth instead...

Anyone have any suggestions for ways to get her back onto the bottle?

Which bottles do you use? H did this at various stages, and we found that the closer to nature range was brilliant for getting him to take the bottle.

Otherwise wait until you are in the middle of a breastfeed and wait until she has a breather then quickly pull your nipple out and put the bottle in her mouth instead as a way of introuducing the bottle - I've had this work before.

Thanks ladies! I have tried giving her a bottle when she is sooo hungry after her 11hour night time feed, and she just did not want it! I think she is smart enough to know she would prefer the boobie I have tried having DH and my sister feed her the bottle but nada! LOL I was using the Avent bottles when she was taking it, and got a TT one to try - but still no luck, nor with changing teats! I thought I had tried everything lol will try the pulling her off and giving her teat through a BF though, see how that "trick" works hehe

We had this problem with henry. Dh and i got married when he was 5months old and at 4months i tried to get him to take a bottle so that i wouldnt have to breastfeed on my wedding day. Any wayyyyyy...... Long story short he refused and refused and refused and i had resigned myself to feeding on my wedding day until someone suggested getting a soft spout sippy cup. We dont have a lot of spare money so i couldnt go out buying different teats but figured even if he wouldnt use the sippy cup now he might use it later so bought one. Tommie Tippee soft spout one. Its got quite a square 'teat' and you have to actually suck it to get anything out.
He took to it straight away and would even take it from me.
SO my suggestion is to try a sippy cup.

I agree with the first few replies. I had to wean Nathan OFF the bottle to my breast, then when I tried a bottle to have a night out, he wouldn't take it. It was the wrong teat size and he needed the next stage up. Once I got the next stage teat he took it fine! So try that first and then go from there. Babies grow quickly!!!

Edited by newlywed