I can't tell you how happy I am Sophie is finally taking the bottle. It's been quite a journey also known as a lot of anxiety and maybe a few tears.
Towards the end of my pregnancy I realized I needed to stop putting off choosing and buying a bottle. I wasn't sure which ones to get, how many & what if she didn't like them... How many would I have to try?? I decided to go with the Mason bottle because a few friends had it and loved it. I liked they were cost efficient, storage friendly & glass. And come on who doesn't love a mason jar?! At 3 weeks we started introducing the bottle to Sophie. My husband gave her her bottle and she drank it like a champ! It was a huge weight off my shoulders. I was so worried if I should have given it to her sooner or maybe I should have waited longer. Was I pumping enough? But I was at ease knowing she would take a bottle from my husband since I was going back to work in another 3 weeks. Then COVID-19 hit... My first wedding back got canceled and I didn't need to rely on the bottle anymore. I had at least another month before my next gig. My next 2 weddings canceled...But we continued to give Soph a bottle once or twice a week so she'd be used to it and get that extra boding time with Jeff.
Then all of a sudden she decided she HATED and DESPISED the bottle... She would scream, kick, push it away and then eventually start to chock or get hysterical. It was so sad and I didn't understand it. I began researching reasons why a 3 month old wouldn't stop taking a bottle. Their sucking reflex stops around that same time. So we tried ALL the things.
Having an old shirt with Jeff when she feeds.
Bouncing or rocking while sitting, standing you name it
Me being nowhere in sight or smell (I even tried taking a shower so she wouldn't smell me)
Squeezing some into her mouth or dipping the nipping in milk
Warming it up more, warming it up less
Tried when she wasn't super hungry
Tried when we was tired or half asleep
Tried to breastfeed her first then switch to a bottle when she started dozing off
Maybe a bigger nipple flower?
Nothing.
So we decided to try different bottles.
We tried the bottles the hospital sent home and all those random sample packets you get in the mail. We tried Avent, Comotomo, Tommy Tippee, Nuk, Lansinoh. I asked on Instagram if anyone else's baby's had a hard time taking a bottle and what bottles they'd recommend... We tried all the tips, tricks and brands. The only thing I could think of was that Sophie didn't like the binki anymore. She took it for the first little while but then just the bottle one day she didn't want it anymore. So maybe she didn't want the bottle because she thought it was just a binki? Maybe?
Then my cousin tagged me Facebook post.
At first I was like what did I get tagged in?! But I decided to look on Minbie's page and I decided to check their website. I dismissed the information and decided to keep trying the things above again... She took a half bottle once and I thought it was a miracle but then went back to screaming, making a complete mess and having a choking fit. But as the days got closer to my actual first wedding back I became nervous, anxious and frustrated. My husband got so upset every time he tried to feed her and felt so hopeless. I know I know they say, "Your baby won't starve themself." "They'll be fine." "They'll take the bottle eventually." "Don't worry!" How could I not worry? Even if she did take it eventually how I could I go to work worrying about her all day and knowing Jeff would be stressed and probably freaking out. I was at a lost. I became desperate so I went back to my Facebook notifications and found that post my cousin tagged me and bought a kit.
It arrived about a week later and I'm not kidding when I say it worked like a charm. She sucked that baby right down.
This week she just starting taking the bottle really well with no problems. It was still a bit of a struggle for her to take the bottle sometimes. She only really wanted the bottle if she was hungry as opposed to be being breast feed to comforted or cluster fed before bed. She gave my husband quite a time... She took the bottle with no problems from my sister and my mom but for some reason refused to take it from her. But thank God we are in the clear and she takes the bottle from him while I'm at weddings, shoots or a girls night. Minbie was such a big blessing and a huge relief! Thankful we found them and they worked for us!
If your baby is having trouble taking the bottle, breast feeding or both mamas I feel for you. You are doing a great job and being the best mama for your baby. It's tough, it really is. Just because it worked for another mama doesn't mean its right for you, keep trying new things and give yourself lots of grace. Your journey with your baby and motherhood is your own. You do what you think is best and what keeps you and baby happy, healthy and fed. I hope this post encouraged you that it can take time, persistence and lot of trial and error. It's gonna be okay mama.
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