Help!!!! Bottle Strike?????

[axoknp1885]

Help!!! My son, Liam, is exclusively breastfed but uses bottles while i am gone for work. He has been taking the bottle really, really well with no issues whatsoever from the time he was a few days old (had to supplement due to jaundice) til now- and he is 3 months old now. Yesterday, he started playing with the bottle more instead of his usual vigorous eating where he sucks down the entire 4 oz in 5 minutes. Today, he has been choking on the nipples and getting mad. He has only taken in 3 oz, which usually he has taken 8 by now. SO, now he is hungry and mad. We have slow flow nipples and have not changed bottles at all. Thoughts? My nanny needs some suggestions and I am not sure what to do or why this is happening now. Ugh!

[runningmomofmany]

I would start by checking all the same things you would for a nursing strike--thrush, ear infection or other illness. Has he been fine nursing? And seems as hungry and content as usual? Some times babies will "reverse cycle" and not take a bottle during the day but nurse all evening and night. But my experience with that was that the babies just didn't even seem hungry during the day.

I guess I would try a faster flow nipple and see if that makes a difference.

[runningmomofmany]

Maybe even try an easy flow sippy cup. If he isn't taking the bottle because his ears or mouth hurt, just letting him sip and not having to work too hard might help.

[Andi8983]

teething maybe? id guess it's probably temporary, just keep trying to give him the bottle... good luck

[MommyShannon]

I agree. It's possible he has an ear infection or teething that makes sucking from a bottle hurt. My kids fussed when they were ready to move to a faster nipple too but I think they were closer to 6 months old. It's definitely worth a try if he is nursing well still.