How to get EBF baby to accept bottle??

[Madcat22]

Any advice? 10 week old DD has accepted EBM in a bottle but not consistently. May have to start weaning onto formula soon for personal and health reasons and stressing she will refuse bottle. Has anyone any tips please? PS: ceasing BF is a separate decision but not asking about that at the mo!

[YuccanLiederHorticulture]

best tip I ever saw was to keep the baby in as-similar-as-possible position to how she is used to breastfeeding, usually by popping the bottle into your armpit and latching her on to that instead of your boob. There's loads of other tips on this very site if you look back through older threads.

[ErynsMummy1]

I tried to give my LO ebm from a bottle, she refused it from me initially, constantly 'turning' into me for boob. I found that if I left the room and let my hubby or mum try to feed her, she seemed to take it a little better. It wasn't long until she got the hang of it and will now take ebm from me too. I use tomee tippee bottles, as they appear to be more breast/nipple shaped than other brands I tried. Perhaps try your milk first before formula to get your LO used to the bottle.

[Babieseverywhere]

It doesn't matter if she refuses a bottle, there are other ways to get your milk or formula into your baby, like a cup/beaker. It isn't bottle or nothing iyswim. HTH

[ReallyTired]

I think that its next to impossible to get a ten week old baby to drink from a cup. Both my children were bottle refusniks.

Would it be possible to get someone else to offer your baby a bottle? Lots of babies refuse to be bottlefed by their mothers as they prefer the breast. There might be a battle of wills as babies will want the breast. You little girl is smart enough to know that you have boobs so is refusing what sees as second best.

[Babieseverywhere]

I have not tried cup feeding myself, just read this leaflet www.nct.org.uk/parenting/feeding-your-baby-expressed-breastmilk and it mentions cup feeding suitable for babies...well, some babies who will take to it.

[ReallyTired]

Cup feeding works with newborns as they have lapping reflex. Babies lose this reflex so I don't thik that cup feeding would work at ten weeks. My husband syringe fed my daughter at ten weeks when I needed to go out, but syringe feeding is not a practical way to feed a baby who needs increasing amounts of milk.

[NotCitrus]

Leave the house and let someone else do it. Worked for ds who would take anything milky from anything as long as it wasn't me offering.

With dd, MrNC used the calf method - dip finger in milk, put in baby mouth, return, get closer until spout of sippy cup is in baby's mouth. Took him a couple hours - she was about 10 weeks. Got a lot easier once she was eating food and got willing to use bottles as part of the whole food adventure.