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Author Topic: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?  (Read 2141 times)

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Offline *Ali*

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Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« on: April 13, 2015, 20:27:05 pm »
DD has been taking the bottle every night at BT for the last 4 weeks or so but never without at least 5 mins of crying in protest before eventually accepting it. Often she has practically cried herself to sleep before feeding from the bottle, At times other than BT, forget it!  It is the same whether my DH, my mum or I offer the bottle. DH and I feel like we are just bullying her into it every night so we have just decided to stop offering it for now.

I will be a SAHM for the foreseeable future so there is no dire need for her to take a bottle (my older two boys never really did) but it would be nice to be able to be away from her if I wanted a night out or to volunteer at my DSs' schools for example.

So I'm wondering about offering a cup or syringe instead. Has anyone done this? Did you use a particular one? She takes medicine from a syringe very well but I've never tried milk. Seems like it would take an age!

Thanks.
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Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011

Offline koe2moe

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2015, 20:36:40 pm »
Can it be the flow?  Have you tried different teats?  Maybe the flow is too slow?

It would take a long time to syringe a whole feed, right?  It's worth a try, though. 
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Offline *Ali*

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2015, 20:47:34 pm »
No, she gags and splutters on the bottle sometimes. If anything it is too fast but it is a newborn teat. I have tried Medela size one and the Medela calma as well as MAM size 1. She will take it and feed fine once she starts but there is always the 5-10mins of crying in protest before she will even try to suck.

I've given up on the bottle for now tbh. Just wondering if anyone has successfully used alternatives.  :)
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Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011

Offline jessmum46

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2015, 20:53:43 pm »
We use cups a lot in the hospital with newborns, just like a shot glass type of size/shape.  You can sit them up on your knee and hold the cup against their lower lip and tip slowly so they can lap/slurp the milk.  It isn't quick though and often quite a lot gets spilt or dribbles out.  Not sure how good it would be for a proper feed of several oz really....I would imagine if anything a syringe might be quicker?  Tricky though, DD wouldn't take a bottle and I just haven't bothered with DS as found it too stressful trying with DD!  Hope you find a solution x
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Offline *Liz*

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2015, 20:56:12 pm »
No - but I would have left a baby for a few hours if one of those was available yk? It won't replace the feed but would mean another carer could give a little until you returned if they were upset. IME they often just wait though (without upset - just still wait for mama  :)).
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Offline ~Jen~

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2015, 20:56:43 pm »
Following along...  we still can't get C to take a bottle.  I want to try her on a cup.  I've considered a syringe but I think it would take forever and half of it would end up dribbling down her chin. 
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Offline *Liz*

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2015, 20:57:38 pm »
I have used a doidy before - they lap a little but spill a lot and certainly not the full feed.
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Offline koe2moe

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2015, 20:58:17 pm »
I am with Katherine about the syringe being fast.  I suspect it might be the texture or hardness of the teat itself being much harder than the nipple or the temperature especially when you say once she starts she is fine. 

Good luck with the search. 
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Offline katie80

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2015, 23:50:54 pm »
Quote from: *Liz* on April 13, 2015, 20:56:12 pm
No - but I would have left a baby for a few hours if one of those was available yk? It won't replace the feed but would mean another carer could give a little until you returned if they were upset. IME they often just wait though (without upset - just still wait for mama  :)).
This^^^ My parents fed Charlie 2oz through syringe when he was 3 or 4mo old (can't really remember). My Dad brought a larger one home from the hospital (I think it was 15-20mL), as C had been refusing the bottle for awhile and they knew they were going to try.  It was slow going, but they managed. The few times he did take a bottle, he only took 4oz tops anyway, so I figured 2oz wasn't that bad. G was the only one of mine who took a bottle past 3/4mo, and he only ever took enough to last til I got home.
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Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2015, 04:59:37 am »
My mom used a shot glass to get my brother to take milk from a cup...not entirely sure how old he was though.
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Heidi



Offline Martini~

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Re: Anyone used a cup or syringe as a bottle alternative with a young baby?
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2015, 05:40:53 am »
I think my friend started to use a straw non-spill cup for water around 4/5mo? I will look for the picture by the straw was a soft one made of silicon as teats and he accepted it.
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~Marta
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