Try giving the bottle when your baby's not really hungry. So, about an hour after feeding, try the bottle. Are you using formula or breast milk? If you're using formula, you might try a different kind, try it warmer or colder. Just keep trying different things and hopefully you'll find the magic combination.

My first daughter refused a pacifier too and I ended up going right to a sippy cup since she also wouldn't take a bottle (I actually didn't try very hard), but 3 months is probably too young for a cup.

I hate to tell you, but one of my kids REFUSED to ever take a bottle. Once when I had to be away for a day my mom had to spoon feed him drops of formula like a baby bird. He went right to a sippy cup when he was ready. Any way you can take the baby with you to St. Croix?

Actually honey is NOT recommended for infants. It can contain bacteria that may cause botulism.

We had a tough time with the bottle too.

Certainly try pumped milk (and make sure it hasn't gone bad), so try some "fresh" pumped. Also experiment with temperature. I think my DD actually liked it colder out of the bottle.

Also try holding her in a position like breastfeeding, maybe with your shirt off too. The skin to skin contact is a big deal for babies.

When is St Croix? Do you have another couple of weeks?

My kids never had a bottle, but they did take a sippy cup starting around 3 -4 months. It's easy for them to grab the handles.

I was running myself ragged BF ing them and once in a while to get a break I would put EBM or diluted juice in the sippy. Don't give up til you've tried the sippy!!!!!

A few thoughts:

First, when you and the others have tried to feed Baby with a bottle, has Mom been around? Babies are smarter than we give them credit for, and if they realize Mom is within earshot, they may hold out for the fresh stuff.

Second, have you tried Avent bottles? The nipple shape is different than the others. My son thought they were great.

Third, have you checked the La Leche League website? I did a quick search and found the following:

• Bottle-feeding FAQ: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/bottle.html
• 1994 Advice Column on bottle-feeding problems: http://www.llli.org/NB/NBSeptOct94p152.html
• 2002 Advice Column on bottle-feeding problems: http://www.llli.org/NB/NBNovDec02p218.html
  

ETA:

Finally, as PPs have said, you might want to consider trying a cup. According to La Leche League's Breastfeeding Answer Book, babies can drink from a cup at 30 weeks' gestation (read: Preemies), which is earlier than they can drink from a bottle. (In other words, your 3-month-old is old enough.) If you're going to try this, I'd suggest you contact your local LLL leader and see if you can borrow a copy of the Answer Book, because it contains detailed instructions on doing this.

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"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"

Yeah -- all good points. Bottles & cups are not as much work for the baby to suck from....when I used to give my kids EBM in a cup they were like , wooohoo here comes the gravy train!!!! :-p

Not sure which bottles/nipples you've tried - but about a year ago, I was in your shoes! I had 2 weeks before I went back to work and my daughter REFUSED a bottle. I tried (or so I thought) everything under the sun - all types of bottle/nipple combos, feeding her shortly after she nursed so she wasn't starving, never being in the room when someone tried giving her a bottle, trying to give her a bottle myself, tricking her by replacing 'me' with the bottle...etc...you name it, I had tried it.

In tears, I called my aunt, who is a labor/delivery nurse, she put me on the phone w/ a lactation consultant who said, "have you tried the plain old Gerber bottles?" I said "no" (being me, I had tried all of the fancier bottles, because, hey, if it costs a lot, it must be good, right?) she said "get some and change out the standard nipple they come with for the silicone orthodontic nipple - I guarantee she'll take it". Thinking 'right' - I said I would try. So off I went to Babies R Us where I was now on a first name basis with the bottle department employee and bought the Gerber bottles and silicone ortho nipples. Went home, sterilized them, thawed some EBM and voila - I was able to get my darling daughter to drink from a bottle! I didn't get so much as a fuss from her!

I'm still not sure if I just got really lucky, but the LC told me that this has never failed her!

Good luck - I know its a trying time, but one piece of advice I got was that no matter how much the baby doesn't seem to want a bottle, they'll probably take in something when they're really hungry (not that you want to get to that point - I'm just saying....).

We started giving our baby bottles at about 2.5 months, he's 4.5 months now. I read everything about mom not being in the room while someone else tries to give the baby a bottle, in our case dad was trying. So dad's trying and trying and baby's screaming and screaming and we finally said enough is enough, I gave it to him myself and he took it. Maybe because it was me and he was used to me feeding him? I don't know, but that was all it took. So if mom hasn't tried yet, maybe she'd want to? I know it goes against what all the books say, but it worked for us, once he got it from me and realized what was going on he never had a problem again.

Also, at first we mixed half breastmilk and half formula, if you're trying formula that might be a good way to break it in slowly.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

This is going to sound so cold hearted, but it worked. I couldn't have done it with my first baby, but I was so tired with number two. She wouldn't take a bottle for weeks. Finally, I left for a full day. She was about three months old. No calling, no driving by to take a peek. The sitter (who was willing to listen to some crying and knew the plan) told me she cried on and off for a few hours and when she was hungry enough, voila, she drank the bottle. After that, it was never a problem again. I can't blame a baby for wanting the best nature has to offer, but when they are hungry, they will drink. I do also support the idea of trying a sippy cup. I have known of other babies who never drank the bottle and went straight to the cup. Keep your chin up, this too shall pass.

My daughter who is three now refused to take a bottle until she was weened at just prior to 1 year. In the end we had to leave her with my mom, who patiently stayed up with her for 20 hours until she finally gave in and took it. Then she took the bottle fine for a coupld of days until she came home with us again. She held out the first day back with my wife for about half a day and that was it. She is VERY strong willed little girl and has a ton of personality, but she is stubborn!!! Sounds like you have a similiar situation. My first son didn't take a bottle very well either. My wife hesitated bottle feeding with both of them until it was too late. With our third now we introduced the bottle at two weeks and have made sure to bottle feed him a couple of times a week. He is almost 4 months now seeems to be just fine with both feeding methods.

I remember my daughter refused the bottle when I was in the house but happily took to the bottle when I was gone.....

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CA 70.3 '08 WILDFLOWER HIM '08

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

We had already tried many of them, and you can be damn sure we'll try all the new ones we haven't tried yet!

My first child wouldn't take the bottle either. He started using a cup at about four months, though, with no problem.

Good luck! They really can be stubborn can't they?

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____________________________________________________________
"I'm happy when life's good,
and when it's bad I cry.
I've got values but I don't know how or why."
- The Who

thanks for the suggestions. None of them worked, haha.

We simply left town and my saint of a mother-in-aw dealt with the kid and forced the bottle on her. It took a couple days, but after that, the kid is now more than happy with the bottle.

Glad to hear it all worked out in the end. You must have a pretty amazing MIL to do that for you.

Do NOT use honey!!! absolutely NEVER on a baby under 1 year old due to botulism!!!

First make sure it is NOT mom giving the bottle. Then take something that smells like her (we used a nightgown that I slept in) and throw it over your shoulder. Babies will not starve, eventually this child will take a bottle.

when I had my first, I got called back from maternity leave to work for a week - when my son was 4 weeks old. day one he went on a hunger strike all day and refused any expressed milk. Waited all day for me to come home then kept me up all night nursing. Day 2 with nightgown his dad was able to get him to take a bottle.

I don't think it is the bottle type - I ONLY used the avent bottles/nipples because that was what I had purchased. though I did find that the newborn tips worked better.....

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
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Good lord, don't give honey to an infant!!

http://www.webmd.com/.../article/43/3606_275

Better safe than sorry.

She's 19 years old, so I don't think it caused permanent damage.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Gerber bottles! We used them (while breastfeeding) with both of our sons with great success. My oldest was born premature and had trouble latching on (to me) and had a weak suck, but I really think the Gerber bottles helped (rather than some bottles, which hinder) our nursing relationship.

With our second son, he DID NOT like anything that wasn't straight from mama, but he also got on board with the Gerber bottles. I've noticed that they are getting a little harder to find, so if you find some, stock up!

Good luck, papa. I hope you guys figure out something that works! :)

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Triathlizer in the making
Mom of 2 crazy boys

"he DID NOT like anything that wasn't straight from mama"
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One of my Masters lanemates is a partner at Adiri. They make a bottle that is very...uhhh...well..."breastlike". I understand that moms have had great success using their bottle with babies that wouldn't otherwise take bottles. The bottles are also BPA free.

http://www.adiri.com/

Haim

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"Sometimes you need to think INSIDE the box!" -- ME
"Why squirrel hate me?"

I am sorry I didn't see this sooner. I had a very similar problem with my son. He would not take ANY kind of bottle until I found the "breast bottle" do a search for it. It was awesome. He resisted until he was really hungry and then my mother and husband were able to give it to him when I went to work. I started making it a habit everyday and then after a few weeks I was able to switch to the Avent bottles. Good luck!

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__________________________________________________
Twitter: @jayasports
Web: http://www.jayasports.com

"He would not take ANY kind of bottle until I found the "breast bottle""
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That was the original Adiri bottle. The new version is called the "Natural Nurser" or something like that.

Haim

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"Sometimes you need to think INSIDE the box!" -- ME
"Why squirrel hate me?"