Jan 6, 2010

From Baby Blues to Bottle Battle

So, ya know that instruction manual we all wish babies came with? I wish it included a chapter on bottles. Maggie Claire is now 5 1/2 weeks old and I have yet to find the right bottle/nipple combination. I want to scream. Here's the deal...

We started with an average formula I had gotten free in the mail - she spit up ALL the time. Spoke to the doctor and he suggested we try Similac Sensitive RS which has an added rice starch which is supposed to help with spitting up. Well, since this formula has that added starch, its thicker than most formulas and therefor doesn't want to come out of most nipple holes. I think I have bought every bottle and nipple flow under the sun and I can't seem to find one that works! I dealt with this headache for what seemed an eternity and then one day my mother accidentally picked up the Similac Sensitive without the RS. Since it is a normal consistency, I was able to go to the store, buy some Platex drop in liner bottles and the regular newborn flow nipple. That was great. Everything was fine, except she was still spitting up and staying gassy. The doctor eventually put her on Zantac which seems to be helping a little. I called to see if we needed to switch to a soy formula since she is still having problems and they asked what formula she was on now - busted. (After mom had accidentally gotten the regular Similac Sensitive and I saw how easy the bottle situation was, I didnt want to go back to the RS!) I told her and she said we needed to go back on the RS. crap. Now I am back to square one and can't find a freaking bottle/nipple. The level one flows on most are too slow and she can't get anything, but when I go up to level two's its too fast and she gets too much. I don't want to deal with using a pin to make the holes bigger in the level ones... that's too irregular. There is no way to make all the holes the same size and I have to have everything "just so". I want to be able to buy a nipple and not have to make any adjustments. I am so frustrated. There HAS to be something out there that works! I mean, what do all of the other mother's of children who use this formula use??? And, yes, I have tried researching on the internet to find an answer. However, I have tried every single suggestion I have read and can't seem to find a solution that works for Maggie Claire. Just to let you know, this is what is encircling my head right now:

Avent - doesnt like nipple, bottles tend to leak

Dr. Brown - doesnt like nipple. level one too slow, level two too fast

Nuk - level one and two too slow, level three too fast

Born Free - level one too slow, level two too fast

Playtex VenAire - level one too slow, level two too fast

Playtex Drop ins - level one too slow on silicone nipple, currently experimenting with level one in the latex nipple (I had one at the house and it seemed to work... which makes no sense since it is the same flow by the same maker as the silicone nipple . Ugh, whatever)

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Its never going to end! There is no answer! Maggie Claire is going to go the rest of her bottle feeding life having twenty different nipples shoved in her mouth as she sits screaming just wanting some food.


I know I have completely bored every single reader with this post, but I just HAD to vent. I am so frustrated and just want everything organized! This is going under my pillow toinght.


Dear Bottle Fairy,

Hi. Its Jessica. So, I am having some major issues. This formula sucks and there are too many freaking levels. flows, and stages for each type of bottle.... and NONE OF THEM WORK. So, if you could just drop off the perfect bottle and nipple for this formula I would appreciate it. Thanks.


Oh, p.s. - tell the bottle companies I hate them. Thats all. Thanks.

9 comments:

Mom Martin said...

Hey, sorry to hear you are having problems with bottles and nipples again...ready to go back to breast feeding? Ha ha...lol

sorry I know that's no help... Wish I had something to offer...

Katie said...

awww! good luck!

Ashia said...

I breast feed, so when my baby gets a bottle it's not thick. Even the formula that I occasionally give her is ok (Enfamil Premium). But I thought I could at least give you a bottle idea... The Sassy company chose me to test out their anti-colic MAM bottles. (MAM is the brand of paci's that we use, too.) I LOVE them! I think that they have 1-3 nipple sizes, if I'm not mistaken. So anyway, maybe you would want to try one of those. Our Walmarts don't have them, i bought more and additional nipples at Babies R Us. Another awesome thing about them is that you can steralize them in the microwave in 2 minutes. Directions are in the box. Good luck! Keep us updated! =)

Anonymous said...

Hey,
Just stumbled upon your blog, but I am a NICU nurse, we use either a needle or small sharp scissors to cut a small slit in the nipple, we have lots of babies that end up on rice cereal due to reflux! This seems to work well, just start with a small hole and adjust as needed, hope this helps!

Anonymous said...

have you tried pumping and giving her that instead of a walmart formula? of course she doesnt like artificial nipples...its not natural. i breastfed my baby through no sleep, mastitis twice, plugged milk duct, etc. im not saying everyone has to breastfeed but i am saying you cant just quit because it gets frustrating at times. its not always easy but i dont have to deal with my baby rejecting formula, nipples, bottles, etc. and dont stress about the spitting up and gas. my baby spit up after every feed at least 1 or 2 times until she was 10 months....they are babies and it takes time...you are stressing way to much. just enjoy your baby...it goes by to fast. im sure you are a great mom

Unknown said...

I just stumbled upon your blog...such a cute picture at the top!! I just had a baby myself in Aug that is almost 5 months old, and I have a little boy that will be 3 in March. I had trouble with him like that being gassy and spitting up. I tried every bottle under the sun because I chose not to breastfeed. He ended up being able to use the Walmart brand bottle...go figure after I had tried all of the other name brand bottles. My daughter now also uses the walmart brand bottles. Also, my son ended up with reflux so we did start cereal at 8 weeks, and he also went on a reflux medicine that he took until he was almost a year old. I really hope you find the right bottle for you baby soon, I realize the stress it puts on you!

Amanda said...

Have you tried the medium flow or cereal nipples, with the Playtex Drop-Ins? My daughter is using the PDIns too and is still on slow flow. We haven't had issues with formula not coming out of the nipple because she is on soy. Hope this helps!

Tassie said...

call me a bad parent, but i didn't know that nipples had flow levels. little ray ray was easy in the bottle department. i breastfed until she was a year, but it was about 2 months until she learned to latch on and figure it out. after i weaned her, we went with the advent bottles. it'll work out.....keep the faith!

LAB said...

Hi,
I have the same problem. Tried to switch to "Sensitive" and baby still spit up too much so went back to R.S. I used the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow bottle with Level 2 nipple and here is what we did to control flow: 1) premake the bottles and keep them in the fridge (this helps the r.s. to settle and have less bubbles. 2) Tighten the nipple ring. This will slow the flow but don't make it too tight that it doesn't come out 3) As your baby is drinking, pull the nipple out a little bit so that she only sucks on the tip of the nipple to unclog it.
All of this helped but now my baby is almost 5 months and is having the same problem with Level 2 being too slow and Level 3 being too fast...Good luck! I'm searching for a new bottle but hopefully these little things will help you too for now~

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