Dr. Brown is my hero

I'm not even sure who Dr. Brown is, or if he really exists, OR if he is truly a doctor. But you know what? I don't care! Because today, he is my hero.

(Newer) moms reading this already know what I'm talking about. It's a kind of bottle. Dr. Brown's. One of the gazillion out there. I had $3.50 worth of CVS bucks (it's literally right down the road so we go a lot), so I figured I could spend the extra $2.66 to see if Benjamin might take this type of bottle.


Andrew didn't care what kind of bottle he took. He did great with any of them. So we got Avent bottles. We have a LOT of them. Bottles, nipples, etc. Lots. But Mister Fussypants Benjamin gags and chokes and acts like, well, a baby when we try to give him an Avent bottle. I even got a freebie Gerber NUK bottle. Yeah, he hated that one, too. (Actually, he did take an Avent bottle two or three times, but that was weeks ago, and we waited too long to try again.)

So last night Matthew took Benjamin and the Dr. Brown's bottle upstairs at feeding time. Away from me and away from the living room, both familiar "nursing" reminders. It's not imperative that Benjamin take a bottle; I don't work. But for many reasons (especially his upcoming surgery), a bottle would be a lot easier if we need the option. I have lots of frozen milk in the freezer, so it's all still free! (Can you tell I'm married to Mr. Budget?)


I could hear Matthew and Benjamin on the monitor downstairs while I was folding laundry. It wasn't going too well. Evidently he wasn't gagging on it; he would leave it in his mouth, but he would not swallow! It all kept spilling out of the sides of his mouth. Ugh. So about 15 minutes (and one soaked burp cloth) later, Matthew came downstairs. Benjamin was not having it. Sad. Then I thought, "What the heck? I'll give it a shot." Matthew sat next to me on the couch and we tried. And tried. And he just wouldn't suck on it! ARG!!! I slid my pinky in his mouth (upside down) to remind him what sucking was. He went to town on it! Then Matthew (my brilliant sidekick...not kidding....) said, "Are you aiming your finger at the roof of his mouth?" I said, "Yes." (And kind of resting it on his bottom lip.) He said, "Are you doing it that way with the bottle?" And of course, the answer was NO. So I tried it. And after a little adjusting, HE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, he was still slow. But he got it! He proceeded to drink about two ounces! (At least 1/2 ounce ended up in that burp cloth!) I was one happy momma.


We're going to try giving him one bottle every two to three days for awhile so he will get used to it. OH! And this morning, when I was putting him down for a nap and trying to settle him while I walked around his room, I tried for the gazillionth try to get him to suck on a paci. It's a Soothie (which looks absolutely ridiculous but is shaped better for him), so I put it in his mouth just like my pinky and just like the bottle the night before. He went for it! He sucked on it for quite awhile with no gagging and without spitting it out! As I left his room I literally said aloud, "I don't know *who* that is, but he's welcome to stay!"


YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise God! I have seriously been praying about this! Here are some pictures. The last one is right after I fed him.