weaning from BF to FF, a gradual process or 'cold turkey'?

[Pavlovthecat]

My almost 8 month DD is BF mostly, and being BLW. However I have been trying for a couple of months to increase FF and decrease BF during the day as I am going back to work. Problem is does not really 'do' bottles. She will sometimes take 5oz, more often than not around 4oz, topped up with BF. Her first feed of the day, and last feed at night (still 11pm) are still just BF, as she refuses bottle at all then.

I want to cut out the day BF completely now, and have tried to do this gradually, one at a time, however my DD will not take more than 5oz (rarely 6oz). She will even sometimes go to sleep in protest instead of taking a bottle, esp in the afternoon if she is tired.

She is a small baby, slow but steady growth and I am struggling to know how best to do it.

Should I try to do it gradually still and hope for the best, or do I just have to cut out day time feeds completely and see how it goes, or do you think I should stop BF altogether, completely. Like tomorrow, no more BF. My DP and his family think this is the only way, cannot do AM/PM BF and day FF.

Can anyone advise, been in this situation, how did you do it?

[Pavlovthecat]

bump

[NotQuiteCockney]

Babies as old as yours can manage on just morning BF and no FF, frankly, as long as they eat reasonably well (and drink water!). If she doesn't like bottles, why push it?

You can keep offering bottles, and BF during the day when you're around, and not BF when you're not there. When are you going back to work?

[topsy1]

was in exactly same position with my ds1 - bf exculsivly for 8 months. didn't go onto bottles at all - introduced a beaker at lunchtime first - when really hungry. tried loads until found one he was happy with. also tried a few formulas until one he liked- asked around to see what others were using etc. anyway, settled on an avent beaker and organic c&g. we did one feed a month to start with - i knwo VERY slow, mainly because there was no rush! anyway, by 13 months all ff and dropped last bf after bath/ before bed.
to start with it was a struggle, but i felt that as long as he was eating well, could struggle on until he took beaker. was and still is a real milkaholic! goodluck!

[Pavlovthecat]

NotQuiteCocky - I am technically meant to be at work now! But due to a bereavement have been given another two weeks. It may extend for another two weeks, possibly, but no more than a month.

I am doin three days, my partner will be at home for two of those, so we talked about him bringing LO in on lunch break for me to feed, meet up somewhere (could get expensive at Costa Coffee!), which leaves just the day at childminders/nursery to worry about. I will most likely be doing long days on the days I am there...I just want to make sure she is getting enough milk each day.

BLW means she eats some, but I would not say she gets that much nutrition from her food right now. She wont take puree. She did, then stopped once she realised she was able to hold food herself, so we though rather than force feeding puree we would let her guide us. I would love to do that for bottles too as I hate trying to make her take it, it is horrible for us, and I worried it affect future eating if she is forced to eat/drink now.

So you say she can just have BF in the morning, what and no other milk? I think I might have misunderstood that bit, sorry, frazzled brain!

[Pavlovthecat]

Topsy - she loves to drink water from a beaker, absolutely, grts excited when she sees it, although most goes down her, I love to hear her little gulps and smiles when she drinks some! However, she wont do it for milk, she turns her head away, bashes beaker out of my hand etc. Occasionally she will take it, but rarely. She is a fussy fuss pot!