[btw]

My 9-week-old daughter is exclusively breastfed by me, and she takes bottles of breast milk from other people. When I try to give her a bottle, she refuses and cries until I offer my breast. How can I encourage her to take a bottle from me? I don't want to wait until I stop breastfeeding completely, for fear that she'll never eat!

[Deb]

From Andrea

Wow,your little girl is proving that she clearly has a preference. Many Mums go through this with babies of this age since 9 week old babies are impossible to 'trick' into bottle feeding, answering your question therefore will be a tough one for me.

Firstly, I'm trying to imagine what your daughter's feelings are.....what is SHE trying to express? Clearly she CAN feed from a bottle, so she's letting us all know that you need not have the fear of her starving, she merely prefers to breastfeed!

Has this always been the case, did she ever accept bottle feedings from you? Or is this new? If it's new then cajoling her to return may not be that difficult. If this has always been her response, it may be more challenging to 'change her mind'.

My best advice is to keep offering her a bottle and as she grows and matures, when she is ready,she will make that option.

Try various bottles or even sippy cups,and sitting her facing outward, these are all old standards in this challenge, sometimes it's successful, sometimes not. This is a 'battle of wills' so to speak.

You may find that feedings before a nap, when she's tired, overwhelmed or overstimulated, may be more challenging for her to choose to bottlefeed. You are her Mum and she knows it!

In some cases ,if a baby is happily preoccupied or distracted it may be easier for her to accept a bottle. Good luck with this one, because it is entirely up to her to accept the switch.

[btw]

Thanks, Andrea. It sounds like I just have to keep at it. I appreciate your advice!