How did you deal with sending a child to daycare who doesn't take a bottle?

[Anonymous]

my 5 month old starts day care in 1 month from this week and he doesn't take a bottle. We tried EVERYTHING and he's just one of those kids who won't take one. There's a small chance I will be able to do to childcare once during the day, but definitely not more than that, and even that is a HUGE stretch for me. He is not one of those kids who "when he gets hungry enough, he'll eat." He just won't. eat. So what do I do?

I'm really freaking out about this and I'd love to hear from some moms who have been through this.

[Anonymous]

My daughter also wouldn't take a bottle, but she started drinking BM from a sippy cup around 5 1/2 months. I think we just used the plain First Years 4oz kind. Maybe this will work for you? Good luck.

[Anonymous]

We had to do a syringe and eventually a cup.

[Anonymous]

It's totally possible that the daycare people will be able to get your child to take a bottle! Mine would definitely not take one from me (or my husband) right before we started daycare, but was absolutely fine when we started. We sent in 4 3 oz bottles to start with so we'd waste less if it didn't work, and ended up with just 3 4 oz bottles a few days later.

I think the ladies at daycare are just great with the bottle magic, really!

[Anonymous]

Oh I loved all these answers. We have had a little luck with a sippy cup actually, but because he's so young, he has a really tough time doing it without a lot of work (and mess). Do you think the daycare ladies will be open to trying a sippy cup with him?

13:43 - that would make my entire universe go round if someone could get him on that bottle.

To all the PPs - do you think I should send BOTH a bottle AND a sippy cup? Just choose one? Did you sippy cup givers try the bottle at the daycare?

thanks all!

[Anonymous]

We gave our DS one bottle a day since he was born. Then, the week before he was starting daycare, he started refusing the bottle. We were in total panic. Luckily the day care providers, who we love, were patient and found out that DS just liked the milk a little warmer than usual. Who knew? Now he drinks bottles without a problem! Just give them a chance to work with your little one!

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, fellow mom of a very stubborn bottle refusing baby here.

DS went to daycare at 4 months old, refusing to take a bottle. The previous month, my MIL watched him, and he would take only 3 oz during the entire day while I was gone.

At daycare, he eventually drank using a spoon, or just directly from the cup. He still (8 mo, now) only takes about 7-10 oz a day (and recently because he's started solids, sometimes only takes 5-7 oz). His primary caregivers has become an expert at feeding him using a cup.

I first sent him to school with a sorts of bottles and sippy cups, just so they had lots to experiment with. Now, we use the Tommee Tippee bottles and a couple of sippy cups. He still refuses to drink out of them, but they use it as a normal cup.

Oh, and get ready for him to be nursing a lot at night to make up for it. But, I promise, he won't let himself starve to death.

[Anonymous]

14:36 - how did you deal with him nursing a lot in terms of pumping (OP here)? I've tried pumping during the day, but then when he "marathons" me at night, I feel like there's nothing there! Did you just eventually start making enough?

It's so nice to hear that other moms dealt with this!

[Anonymous]

13:43 here. Your body will make up for it with the pumping, don't worry! It will just think that there's a really hungry baby for a while!

You might send a couple of types of bottles or cups to day care, but don't overdo it! Like a pp said - they won't let themselves starve! He'll figure it out pretty fast, I bet!

[Anonymous]

14:36 here. I think because he nursed so much at night, I ended up building up quite a supply when combined with the pumping sessions during the day. I actually managed to store up an impressive freezer stash because I was pumping 12-14 oz during the day, but he only took 10 oz at daycare. (Which I eventually donated, because, hello, a freezer stash doesn't help when the baby refuses bottles!!)

At night, my breasts didn't feel full either, but don't worry, the baby is very efficient and can get milk even when you don't think there's any left!

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks so much... this has been causing so much inner strife and it really helps to hear moms who have gone through it.

[Anonymous]

He may not take a bottle from you, but he might be willing to take one from someone else if you're not around. I remember that when my friend's older daughter was a baby, she would take a bottle from anyone BUT her mom - with her mom, she wanted the boob. So if we went out to dinner and J needed to eat, I typically fed her.

[Anonymous]

Hi 15:23, thanks for the response. While I won't rule it out since the care providers are so experienced, this has not been the case for us. We have tried neighbors, relatives, and friends while we leave the house. No go so far, alas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's totally possible that the daycare people will be able to get your child to take a bottle! Mine would definitely not take one from me (or my husband) right before we started daycare, but was absolutely fine when we started. We sent in 4 3 oz bottles to start with so we'd waste less if it didn't work, and ended up with just 3 4 oz bottles a few days later.

I think the ladies at daycare are just great with the bottle magic, really!

Second that, the baby wouldn't take a bottle from me when there's booby milk so close at hand. I got lazy with the second baby about introducing the bottle and I was worried about it at first. The daycare encouraged us to try a bottle every day, but Daddy could only get her to take it if I was not home, which of course I was (hiding.)

In the end, the baby gets hungry, sees the other babies happily sucking away, and won't choose to starve. It may take a couple of days.

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to weigh in and bolster OP's point - some babies really are just that stubborn! I never believed it until I met my SIL's babies, and man oh man, they would not take bottles. I also thought if they got hungry enough they'd eat, but they never did! She ended up getting them accept a Nuby sippy cup around 6 months, and even then they'd only take it from other people - not her.