Can anyone help? I'm new here, & desperate for help. My almost 3 month old son is a constant nurser--like the longest he goes is barely 2 hours between feedings! (Except at night--he only gets up once or twice)

From about 4PM to 9PM (fussy time) he nurses every 30-40 minutes for about 15 minutes at a time. I was not happy, but tolerated this because he would at least take a bottle, so my hubby or others could help me out. But about 3 weeks ago, he started refusing the bottle completely--it didn't matter whether I used formula (which he'd taken fine before) or pumped milk. Since then I have tried our original bottle, the Playtex Nurser, as well as Avent, Gerber, Soothie and regular old Evenflow bottles. I have tried different nipple speeds. I have tried "waiting him out" He will NOT take a bottle from me or anyone else!

I go back to work in a month & need help! My ped just says "he'll eat (from the bottle) when he's hungry." And my hubby basically agrees. Easy for them to say--they're not home all day with the screaming baby (when I don't give in & nurse him) & a toddler who doesn't understand why mommy can't play with her (well, I'm always feeding the baby!)

I could handle EITHER the frequent feedings OR the bottle refusal, but both. . . I'm going crazy! I'm on meds for PPD (which developed when he was about 2 weeks old due to sleep deprivation) & terrified that this constant nursing & anxiety over his bottle refusal will lead to a relapse. . .No one I know has had these issues with their kids! Anyone have some advice?

wow that's a tough one-I'd say try to have somebody give baby a bottle while you are not around..leave the room..house..etc. Maybe when you are not an option for him, he'll give in and take the bottle. I hope you find a solution, you are definitely in a tough position. Let me know if you've tried this idea or not...I'll keep thinking...good luck

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Sounds like you have a perfectly normal and healthy 3-month-old! What your baby is doing is called cluster feeding and like I said it is normal!!! It is their way of filling up for the night. Our(BFing moms) milk supply is lower in quantity in the evening hours, BUT it is HIGHER in fat content(which keeps their bellies fuller), so they nurse, nurse, nurse to fill up on the high calorie milk. There is NOTHING WRONG with your milk or your baby for cluster feeding and there is nothing that I know of that you can do to stop cluster feeding except give it time. My first baby cluster fed until 6 months of age. My second until 4 months of age. Both did not start solids until 6 months. Just the temperment of the baby.

As for no refusing to take a bottle, again, perfectly normal and healthy for a 3-month-old BF baby!!!! My first was like that and once he decided not to take a bottle that was it, he never took one again(that was at 4 months of age). My second has never liked bottles at all since birth. As for your doctor and husband saying that your baby will take a bottle when hungry, maybe not. I know my first would just wait for me to get home(this is no joke) from shopping or whatever. I have a friend those baby would go 14 hours without eating while she was gone to work!!! 14 hours, that is a long time for anyone to not eat, much less a 5-6 month old baby. BF babies like to get their food from the source, not some stinkin' bottle.

Have you taste tested BM vs. formula? Yikes, the taste difference is incredible- your baby probably has decided that he/she hates the taste of formula even. I haven't tasted it, but have smelt it when we have been around FF babies, yikes, it doesn't smell good at all.

Anyway, long reply and the bottomline is HANG IN THERE!!!! Your baby is right on target! I would suggest checking out kellymom.com. There is a ton of great information on there about anything BFing related. HTH.

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Nancy