My baby is already 4 months old and still doesn't know how to be bottle fed, she is used to breastfed?

Question

My baby is already 4 months old and still doesn't know how to be bottle fed, she is used to breastfed?

Answer 1

That is b/c you did not train her at a earlier age to be on the bottle. You probably only breastfed her, until the time she was born to four months, and now she is soo used to the breastfeeding. Plus if you dont get them on the bottle ealrier, they will have a hard time getting on it later on. B/c babies like breastmilk  betterthan bottle. If you have her the bottle and gave her breastmilk at the same time, she would have been trained to take both.

Answer 2

put a Nuk nipple that is shaped as your breast, and breastmilk.

Answer 3

Many breastfed babies can't figure bottles out. My daughter never did. See if you can find a long soft spout (Avent do them) and try her with one of those, because they respond to a baby doing a breastfeeding-type of such on them (you know what I mean I'm sure, it's all jaw muscles and not really sucking at all).

Answer 4

While every baby is different - my breastfed baby would not take a bottle at all!  We tried from pretty early on but to no avail.  She started daycare at 6 months and had no choice but to take a bottle of pumped breast milk.  She made the transition no problem - guess she was hungry.  I wasn't around either.  I've heard that your baby can smell your milk and if you're in the room she'll want the 'source'.  

If you don't have the need to bottle feed then I wouldn't worry about it.  This stage doesn't last forever.  If you need to switch to bottles or would like to give the occasional bottle for a little more freedom - try having someone else give her a bottle when you are not in the room.  

Anyway - now at 8 months old, my little girl gets bottles throughout the day and breastfed in the morning and in the evening!  It's worked itself out for us as I am sure it will for you whatever your situation.

Answer 5

My first child took a bottle from day 1.  W/my 2nd, he was nursing so well, I sorta forgot about the bottle thing and tried to pump and give him a bottle around 3 mos.  Too late!  He didn't take it and never did.  I nursed (along w/food of course) until he was 13 mos.  If you have the ability to skip the whole bottle thing, don't worry.  but if you need to get her on the bottle so you can return to work, have somebody else try.  Eventually, she will take it if your not there.  Also, you can skip the bottle and go right to a sippy cup.  

Answer 6

I'm not sure i understand the problem.

Babies are meant to be breastfed.

Are you trying to give expressed milk? Trying to wean off breastmilk?

Answer 7

and the problem is??? in 2 months you can start a sippy cup and skip those crummy bottles altogether

Answer 8

Getting milk from a bottle requires a different latch than getting it from the breast. My second born never did take a bottle. In fact, while in court one afternoon the judge had to recess so I could go nurse him LOL My husband just could NOT get him to take the bottle even when it was breast milk in it.

Answer 9

Some kids will breast feed as long as mom lets them. Try putting something sweet in the bottle, once baby tastes it and realizes it comes from the bottle.... bingo.

Answer 10

Well, do you want, or maybe I should say, need her to bottle-feed? My niece, who is now a happy 7.5 month old, never was actually "bottle-fed". It was always my sisters plan to fully nurse her for half a year and than gradually go over to solid food, supplemented by breast-feeding until my niece is a year old. She has bottles, of course, but she never wanted to take them (when my sister tried to get her to so she wouldn't be oblidged to nurse her in public) until she just naturally started to WANT other things than breastmilk. Now she gets half a bottle of fruit juice/water mix with her lunch (veggies out of a glas, on a spoon) while breast-feeding the rest of the day. My sisters doctor also said you need to go with the flow. If she doesn't want it this week, try next week. They develop, and they will also develop interest in other foods than breastmilk. Our dentist also says while bottle-feeding is nothing that usually harms kids, kids who have had a minimum of bottle-feeding usually don't need permanent braces, or need them for a shorter time. And, depending on how long babies are bottle-fed, those who haven't been on the bottle for long have less problems with caries in their first teeth, and therefore also stronger second teeth.

So, if you don't absolutely need her to be on the bottle out of any specific reason (I guess it's because of work in your case?) I wouldn't stress it. Your baby will do what it will do when it wants to do it, food-wise and developmentalwise. My sister said relaxing about it helped her a great deal, as she was stressing out about it, too. (but everybody else is on a bottle!!! - Well, yeah, but not me, Mommy! s***w 'em!)

Answer 11

My brother had his a problem with his daughter not taking problems later and it really made it hard for him and his wife... basically the mom was unable to leave their daughter for more than an hour or two.. which caused even bigger issues when she was older.  Definetly get her taking a botlle soon!  Good luck ;)

Answer 12

If the baby is hungry enough she will do it. Put your warm breastmilk in the bottle.  

Answer 13

I very much agree with frackled...My girl is breastfed and although she's had a couple bottles in the past...it was never a natural thing for her.  She had a bottle in the hospital when I was recovering (I had a very hard delivery) so I could sleep for a few hours and then a few here and there but we had so much trouble in the beginning and eventually just gave up.  I'm sure if we had kept at it, she would have gotten the hang of it but it wasn't necessary being that I stay at home and love to nurse her.  

We had a really hard time finding a bottle for her and finally when we tried the Playtex Drop-ins with the square shaped nipple, it worked!  This is the only kind of nipple she will take.  

Now that she's 7mo+, I don't even bother with the bottle.  She either breastfeeds or drinks from a cup with my help.  She has a sippy cup that she's learning to use but she prefers a regular cup and I think that's great.  

There's no rule that your baby must drink from a bottle and in fact, as long as you can breastfeed you don't need to use one.  Try a cup or a different bottle if you really need to be able to leave your baby for awhile...but remember it takes time for them to adjust.  If you keep offering something they eventually try it.