hello! my LO is currently 5months plus, thinking of sending her go IFC because I'm going back to work soon. But she doesn't take bottles and she only latches.. did any mummies send LO to infant care when LO don't take bottles? I'm very worried cause I'm afraid she won't drink anyt.. Need some advices. Thank you.

Hey SinYi, I went through that phase too. My baby was abt 3mth plus when I was abt to return to work after ML ended. It was a nightmare for us. To begin with, after CL left, I stopped bottlefeeding as it was tiring to pump, sterilise and then bottlefeed when I had no issues with baby latching on. My hubby works long hours and can hardly bottlefeed her as he would be exhausted each evening... 2 weeks before she started ifc, we kept coaxing her. Philips Avent didnt work for us. We resorted to cold turkey... and then she drank but refused again the next tine. I had a free MAM voucher as a gift and decided to try that... viola! she drank from it as the silk teat was soothing somehow? Anyway, it is really all abt trial and error...hit and miss when it comes to choosing milk bottles. I somewhat disagree with what people have been advising.. ie if mommy is around, baby will not accept the bottle. in fact my hubby, my mom n my sis all tried feeding LO but failed. after many attempts..i was the only one who succeeded feeding her. took me abt 2 weeks to get her to drink fr the bottle! it wasn't at all easy. By the way, she is 6.5mo now. I still DL her at home. She takes bottle at ifc and occasionally, my hubby and I bottlefeed her on weekends so that she doesn't refuse the bottle on mondays back at ifc. I suggest you start introducing the bottle to her asap or give yourself 2 to 3 weeks for this transitional phase before you send her to ifc. i sent my baby to ifc 2 weeks before i returned to work so that gave myself some time to adjust and to cope w the separation anxiety. jiayou SinYi!

I think u need to try some tough love because the way u have alrdy chosen is ifc or whichever path that does not have u looking after her. The recommendation is to try once a day at a specific timing and then slowing increase. I think u have to let the baby go hungry if baby doesn't want to suckle. A bottle is definitely much easier to drink from then nipple as it requires less effort, it's just that baby doesn't want and would rather latch. So if baby never drink and quite soon she is allowed to latch then it won't work. Try some tough love and even if baby don't drink, don't latch. Hungry still give bottle. Until the next feed. Sounds mean but u can't be parking urself or visiting the ifc so often to latch - not practical. Baby is 5+months, skip a feed is ok. The hunger should make she more willing to drink from bottle

There are situations whereby when bottle fed by another person and mummy isn't around, baby will take the bottle. Get someone other than you to bottle feed in the daytime. Warm up the teat too and see if baby takes. Otherwise you have to try different teats and see which works. During bottling sessions it is advisable that you leave the house cos if baby smells mummy, baby will not drink.

Any Chance you can have hubby start bottle feeding from now till baby goes to ifc? Suzanne is right, baby may be more willing to take bottle when it's from someone besides mum.

Oh dear, caring her alone is indeed tough. Else warm up the teat and get someone to put on ur top and try.