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Author Topic: 5wk old prefers bottle over breast  (Read 1074 times)

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Offline K.Morris

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5wk old prefers bottle over breast
« on: November 08, 2013, 22:18:18 pm »
The past three days I've tried to nurse my 5week old son, Ryan, but he won't nurse. I know he's hungry so I go and make him a bottle and he has no problem taking it, whether it's my milk or formula. I've never had a previous problem with nursing him until recently. It's gotten to the point when I want to cry because I feel like my son doesn't want me, he want his bottle, and he is WAY too young to start weaning now. How do I go about fixing this problem so I can have my little Ryan nursing on me again? Any advise will be much appreciated!
- Kathryn
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Offline Shiv52

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Re: 5wk old prefers bottle over breast
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2013, 22:32:32 pm »
Hugs xx

The best way is to just stop with the bottle. 5-6 weeks is a time where bottle preference can really take hold as it's just easier that BFing. They don't even need to suck much as the milk will drip in.  I know my MWs told us to try wait to at least 8 weeks to introduce a bottle for this reason.

If it were me I'd have a couple of days doing loads of skin to skin time. No pressure on either of you. Even express a bit to get the milk going and see does that encourage him. If he refuses that's ok. Just wait another while and offer again. I'd say a day or two of that and he should be back on track.

Has he been checked for tongue tie? 

Also google biological nursing or nurturing as it has loads of tips to get BFing going again.

Hugs xxx
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Offline Violet's mom

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Re: 5wk old prefers bottle over breast
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2013, 02:29:09 am »
I went through the same thing around a growth spurt - LO was impatient for my letdown and she cried for 8 hrs refusing to nurse!  It was a terrible day so I feel your pain!

The only thing that got her going again was pumping to get it started and no bottle until she was nursing good again.  Good luck and I hope this helps!
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Offline eva026

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Re: 5wk old prefers bottle over breast
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2013, 07:23:22 am »
Lots of hugs! We have been through that too and it is possible to get them back to BFing again. I agree with the others, drop the bottle asap. That's not to say you should let your LO go hungry but if he wont BF try giving him milk in a syringe for now.
This has many useful tips on breaking a nursing strike:
Is my baby weaning or is it a nursing strike?

What helped us was also using a nipple shield so LO thought she was getting a bottle, also expressing till letdown before popping on the shield and DD. We co-slept while I was getting her back to the breast and I would let her use me as a dummy at night.
After DD started BFing again I waited a week or so before re-introducing the bottle. We also never went back to normal bottles but got the Medela Calma (I belive dr Browns has a similar one) nipple because LO has to actively suck to get milk out so they don't get lazy ale develop a bottle preference.

Above all keep calm and hang in there:)
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Offline *Ali*

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Re: 5wk old prefers bottle over breast
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2013, 09:27:37 am »
You have some great advice from these lovely ladies so I will just say I agree and offer hugs :)
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Offline Fiver

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Re: 5wk old prefers bottle over breast
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2013, 19:05:57 pm »
Another idea is to take some time just to offer the breast as much as possible.  It may be that you just head to bed for a couple of days and rest, feed, eat and drink as much as possible, again with loads of skin to skin and, if you can, with the breast available for him to latch on as and when he wants to.  You can take some books with you and catch up too :)
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