Help! Baby won’t take a bottle

I’m going on a cruise in 25 days, my little girl will be 8.5 months when I leave. I’ve tried different formulas, I’ve tried different bottles. None of it is working. I’ve tried having other people she trusts try and feed her. She just cries or chews on the nipple. I don’t know what to do. Everyone else says just let her starve until she is willing to take that but I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m unwilling to push the boundaries of neglect just to get her to take a bottle. But I’d prefer not to waste all the money for the cruise if I can help it.
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Does she take a pacifier? Which bottles have you tried? Have you tried a sippy cup or a syringe or other medication type dispenser- these options are not ideal but maybe an option to help with formula introduction or to avoid pushing the boundaries of neglect. You may want to contact your pediatrician for advice too.

Are you pumping and giving her breastmilk in the bottle or only trying formula? I went on a trip when my baby was 2 months and the first day she pretty much refused milk/bottles. She only drank a few oz that whole day. But the next day she did better and by the time I was home she was drinking bottles pretty well. Same thing happened when she had to go to daycare. The first day or two was rough, but they adjust quickly especially when it becomes clear it's their only option and you aren't coming back anytime soon. Sad to say, but it's the truth.

@Isabella she won’t take a pacifier. I’ve tried the nuk, dr browns, boon, tommee tippee, and the Emulait bottles. I have talked to the pediatrician and explained the situation, which he said I am doing everything I can, but sometimes babies just won’t take formula. But I will try and introduce the formula in other ways like you suggested

Oh a good tip and what daycare has to do a lot is face her outward and give the bottle so she doesn't see who is feeding her. For whatever reason that works. Same thing when I went on my trip too.

I'm in the same boat. My supply is yo-yo-ing. He's taken a bottle a few times here and there. It's not the nipple, bc we can get him to take juice or water from many different ones, as soon as the formula touches his mouth he shoves it away and spits it out. He's got a severe allergy and on elecare, so theres not really any other choice for us with formulas. I've tried alcohol free vanilla, purees, mixing formula in purees, diluting, hot, cold and no luck. I'm at a loss. His stomach growls and he still refuses. Feeding therapy has been useless for me. You can try massaging her cheek with the nipple in her mouth, sometimes that triggers reflex. Or a honey bear.

Lansinoh, Pigeon, or Spectra bottles might help? My lactation consultant recommended it when my son wasn’t taking bottles and he took to those, she said it’s easier with breastfeeding babies.

Put it in a sippy cup if she drinks water from one!

I went through something similar and what really helped was getting my son's tongue-tie corrected as well as changing the nipple flow rate (going from medium to slow) We would also put a piece of my clothing around the bottle so that it smelled like me when somebody else would try to feed him. Good luck, I know it's so stressful!

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