Breastfeeding baby-hating baby-advice please

[williwonti]

My DS2 (7 months) has always hated bottles. I have tried it all, every single piece of advice on the net and from friends and family. But now he is 7 months I really want to get him onto bottles but it is so stressful for us all, I'm at my wits end. So I suppose my question is also about how much he should be having. All the advice pages say about 16oz but as I am exclusively breastfeeding, it is impossible to really know so I worry it isn't enough. I coüld handle two feeds a day but then I really don't think that would be enough. He has been established on 3 meals for a while and has some finger foods now.

Should I go hardcore and refuse boob til he is starving (which is what I have done this morning) but he is so upset. I've tried it all... Do I just accept it.....

[williwonti]

Sorry, should read "baby hating bottle"...really tired!!

[PotOfYoghurt]

Have you tried using a doidy cup? Or a cup and a straw?

[ShadowKat]

Have you tried getting someone else to give a bottle while you're out?

[ShadowKat]

The breastfeeding topic might also be a good place to look for advice. Can't link on phone though.

[noblegiraffe]

At this age you don't need to give milk in bottles, you can give it in a cup, so there are loads you could try there.
I can't help with amounts, but if they are having less than 500ml formula (even if breastfeeding) you should give a vitamin supplement.

[igglepiggleisthecutest]

My baby is almost 6 months and ebf. He refuses bottles point blank and will only take a couple of sips from a cup (about half an oz). I have had to leave him for four days during the day (9-3pm) and on those days I left ebm and crossed my fingers. And he just refused to drink all day. He wasn't miserable, he didn't cry, he was happy and normal, but he just saved his appetite until I got home. (apart from the half an oz from offered bottles/cups in the day)

Maybe your baby won't associate anything but you with food and will simply wait like mine.

[ProveMeWrong]

Well done breastfeeding, not enough people say that!
If you are considering stopping due to the amount of breastfeeding you are having to do, please be aware there is a growth spurt round about then so it may pass quite quickly. I would not bother with bottle at age and move direct to dippy cups.

[ProveMeWrong]

Sippy cups! Your problem is breast milk is not only baby's favourite drink, it is also their biggest form of comfort. That's why.stopping cold turkey is traumatic and not a great idea. If you need a break from it or want to phase out a couple of feeds, best thing is to take yourself out if the equation at that time and dh kill after for a bit. Don't push the bottle, just offer water and favourite foods. Keep night time feeds for now until you have cracked it in the day. That's how I approached it anyway fwiw! Good luck!

[Doodledot]

I know several people who had this. I had it a bit with DC2. You giving a bottle will prob not work initially as they can smell you and the milk. The common strategy was to get DP or another to try when he is starving etc but it can take a few days. Or just move to a one hole stage 1 tippy cup

[williwonti]

I should say, it's really not that I want to stop (boobs ruined now anyway!) more that I want to be able to have a bit more flexibility , ie him stay at parents in a months time or maybe I could even go out. He is an extremely content easy baby. He was big (10lb) but nothing bothers him.... He is impossible to be in the day now as he is 7m but very active, been sitting up and playing for months so just doesn't want to feed so most he been having is morning and night time feed and one in the day. But the one in the day is a battle .......guess my worry is this isn't enough milk so I need to introduce a bottle so I know he having one big feed. I can't guarantee he getting 15oz so am considering a bottle but that seems a bit daft

[ShadowKat]

But if you're exclusively breastfeeding then you can never be sure that the baby's getting the amount advised, regardless of the baby's age.

All you can do is keep an eye on things like the number of wet / dirty nappies and whether they look like they're growing at an okay rate. Beyond that, certainly once breastfeeding is established, you pretty much have to trust them to take the milk they need and let you know when they're hungry. If you've got to 7 months on breastfeeding, then you'll probably be able to tell by now how your DS behaves when he's hungry.

If he's refusing extra breastfeeds in the day, then it might simply be the case that he's already getting all the calories he needs from his 3 meals a day plus finger foods and morning / evening breastfeeds.

[SpecialHandsMummy]

Our dd was also a very determined bottle refuser - it didn't matter if it was bm or formula. She always refused. I was so worried and stressed out about going back to work (when she was 9m) because she was still feeding in the day (none at night). In the end, she did refuse all milk during the day and we got into a routine of just two feeds a day: morning and evening. She was good at eating cheese and yogurt so, wasn't worried about her calcium intake. We abandoned all further attempts with a bottle and moved over to a sippy cup - be patient - it took us 3 months before our dd drank from a cup! And even then, she wouldn't drink milk, only water. I ended up bf till she was 18 months and it was only after I stopped that she started to drink cow's milk. She definitely was ruling the roost!

My advice is to have a go at an evening out. They are quite resilient and even if you're not around, he will not let himself go hungry. And you might even appreciate the break if you can stop worrying about him!

[tobysmum77]

Dd1 was ff exclusively from 2 weeks. Once she was eating solids it was a nightmare to get formula milk down her. She certainly didn't have 500ml a day anyway

She's five and seems fine. I'm 37 and therefore is enough to have been given cowsmilk from 6 months. My opinion is people are obsessive about the 'guidelines' and if you are bf you have no idea how little much milk they are having