I never expected this….I am shocked how niave I was about introducing a baby bottle to my child. I never expected how difficult this has been.

When I was pregnant, I read so much about breastfeeding. I anticipated my goal of exclusivley breastfeeding would be met with  challenges and I worked hard to be as prepared as I could possibly be. I read as much as I could. I highly recommend Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding revised edition (http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/product.php?prodID=27 ) and his website (http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca ).

At around 4 months we decided to try introducing a bottle. I had an event coming up where I would be seperated from my baby for a few hours. I didnt think much of it – I would start to pump breast milk a couple of weeks in advance and start gently offering a bottle once or twice a day to get her use to it. I confidently felt that by the date of my event that my child if need be could be offered a bottle while I was out.

Boy was I wrong!

I first started with Medela Calma. Made sense to me – I have the Medela Breast Pump and everything I read about the Calma nipple system made complete sense. It is promoted as a design exclusivley for breast fed infants – it apparently allows them to suck, swallow and breathe as learned on the breast. (http://www.medela.com/IW/en/breastfeeding/products/breastmilk-feeding/calma-feeding-device.html) The major down side of this product though is price – $22 for a whole 1 nipple with bottle or $20 for just a nipple. We try it – nope not interested in the least….we keep offering it…nope no go…

Then we try Avent as we got a couple sent to us via baby sample kits from the mail. I also know a few moms who like this brand and utilize it with thier babies. Again with offering there was no interest and it seems to stream out of the bottle. Which my daughter doesnt like.

On to Tommee Tippee. My best friend swears by this brand and proudly tells me how her daughter took to this brand instantly after trialling a few of the others. I happily go out and buy a bottle. Looks promising, again the promise from the company is that it encourages intuitive feedings (http://www.tommeetippee.ca/product/feeding-bottle/ ) No go…

My Mother-In-Law recommends Nuk. This was the brand she used for her children way back when. At this point I’ll take any and all suggestions. I buy a two pack. This brand will be it…right? Nope. Doesnt even want to try it!

A laction consultant recommends Como Tomo ( http://comotomo.com/o/baby-bottle/ ). It is soft and squeezable and it is apparently a naturally shaped nipple with a wide mound to be like a real breast. This brand is not in regular stores and I had to call around to specialty baby stores. Finally we find a place that sells it. $30 for 2 bottles. At this point what have we got to lose trying it?! We already have a beautiful sampling of brands to showcase. We try it….no go.

So we change tactics – we are done buying any more brands; we continue to gently offer a bottle atleast once a day to see if her disinterest changes. It really hasn’t after almost 2 months. I do more googling and talking with other moms….not all babies will take to a bottle after exclusively breast feeding for many months.

Many happily cup feed, or sippee cup feed by 6 months. The best thing I think we have done is taken the pressure off of us and our child to bottle feed. She will do what she will do. We let her play with a bottle, gently offer it – with no pressure or force! She will take a small bit of breast milk from a bottle now but is still not keen on the whole idea of it.

She doesn’t mind cup feeding….adores being breast fed….so we will just keep doing what we are doing. It will all come together in the end with or without a bottle! 😉