What do I do if my baby resists taking the bottle?
If your baby isn't having any of it, try these techniques:- Use a bottle nipple similar to her pacifier. If she sucks on a latex pacifier, use a latex bottle nipple rather than a silicone one, and vice versa. Heat the nipple with warm water to make it more appealing.
- Put some breast milk on the nipple. When your baby tastes it she may start sucking to get more.
- Let your baby play with the nipple so she can familiarize herself with it. If she just chews on it, let her. She may actually start sucking it soon.
- Try holding her in a different position: Put her in an infant or car seat so she is semi-upright, and then feed her the bottle while facing her. Once she is used to taking a bottle, you can hold her as you usually would for feedings. One enterprising father put on his wife's bathrobe and tucked the bottle under his arm while holding the baby in a breastfeeding position. That won't work for you, but it might work for Dad!
Many babies who have been getting bottles all along will suddenly decide at about 3 months that they don't want a bottle anymore, that they simply prefer breastfeeding. And why not? It's warm, cozy, sweet-smelling, and done with their favorite person — Mom. So early success isn't necessarily an ironclad guarantee that your baby will take the bottle when you really want her to.
What if I want to skip the bottle and start my baby out on a cup?
In some countries, babies who can't nurse are taught to drink from a cup from the get-go — even the tiniest infants can learn to do it. There are some advantages to this method: There's no chance of nipple confusion, you won't be tempted to prop your baby up with a bottle (sucking on a bottle at nap time or bedtime can lead to tooth decay), and you'll never have to break a bottle habit. Of course, helping your baby drink from a cup is time-consuming; unless you use a cup with a spill-proof top (commonly known as sippy cups) or a built-in straw, you'll have to help her drink and be prepared for the inevitable mess. Daycare providers may not be comfortable with this arrangement.Many of the same principles of introducing your baby to a bottle hold true for the cup. Have your child get used to a cup at an early age (but not until breastfeeding has been well established), and introduce it gradually — one feeding a day. If you are going back to work, start a few weeks before you actually head off to the office; your child needs time to get used to this new feeding method.