Refuses bottles

by Luna Hill
(USA)

Hi Liz,
My baby is now 5 1/2 months old. Over the summer, my schedule has been such that I have not needed to use a bottle, as I am pretty much always with her. My problem is that now she has become so accustomed to breast feeding that she will absolutely refuse the bottle. This has been a big problem, as I go to class two evenings a week, and nobody (including my mom who is a nurse) can get her to eat, and she consequently screams the whole time I am gone. It is stressful, as right now I can not leave her with anybody, as I know she will cry the whole time. Do you have any ideas?
Thanks!
Luna

Answer from the lactation consultant

This is very common with exclusively breastfed babies. My second daughter did the exact same thing. If you are gone for less than 6 hours, there is really no need to feed her during that time. NO, she does not "have" to eat every 2-3 hours. She can go that long without feeding without a problem. She will likely cluster feed when you get home to catch up.
If she is sitting up on her own, then she can have a sippy cup and that worked for my daughter. But she will likely refuse milk in it, but might take juice in it. The nuby brand has a really soft nipple and works well. OR you could try feeding her cereal with milk in it while you are gone. She will eventually get better with others when you leave her, the more you do. But she just wants her mommy right now, which is totally normal.