Stopping breastfeeding

[user1473428141]

My dd is 4 months old and ebf. I've tried to give her a bottle of formula every few days since she was around a month old so I could combi feed but she's never taken to it, so I've just continued with breastfeeding.

I've decided to make the switch to formula full time and my HV recommended going cold turkey on breastfeeding, in the hope that she will crack eventually and accept the bottle.

Today is the day... however she's not giving in and has only had 3oz all day. I've tried her with expressed milk and formula, she won't take either. My dh has taken over for the last few hours but she still isn't taking it from him. We've tried several types of bottle over the last 3 months, nothing seems to work.

I'm worried about her being hungry/thirsty - how long can she go on hunger strike for? Should I give in and bf her tonight?

Any tips for helping an ebf baby transition to taking a bottle? Thanks, from a very emotional and stressed mum!

[Jenala]

Can you try giving her some milk in a little cup? Google baby cup feeding. It's possible with newborns so 4 months should work. At least you'll know she's ok for today.

I also found my sons took to this MAM trainer bottle over a normal bottle.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Sorry but I think your HV has given you really, really bad advice.

The current advice is to drop one feed every 2 weeks. This gives DD the chance to get used used to the new quantities she’ll have to drink (2.5 floz of formula per pound in weight compared to 25 floz of bm) and reduces your risk of Mastitis.

I’d feed her OP and get DH to try again with the first feed in the morning

[Okaassan]

[https://www.johnlewis.com/bickiepegs-doidy-cup-turquoise/p231547833?sku=231547833&s_kwcid=2dx92700037025171485&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjw3qDeBRBkEiwAsqeO7k0k2WCSN_OgdLgWjdHKKx1PXghqx5AY5D1USQvxyc5DRFxH8gNMkxoCmIYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds] Doidy cups are great. We use the Nuby bottles when using expressed milk which my daughter took to really well. At 12 months old she can only have slow flow teats so that might be something to consider.

We have never had any problems switching between breast and bottle so I don't have any advice on that front but I have heard good things about H.i.p.p organic milk going down well with previously bf babies.

Also, going cold turkey on your breasts will be painful for you. I think that was really stupid of the HV to recommend.

[BeautifulPossibilities]

That's horrible horrible advice. Please let her eat and get advice from someone else.

[user1473428141]

Thanks for the advice. I couldn't leave her any longer so have fed her and she's now asleep and finally content. We'll keep persevering every day, but going cold turkey is too heart breaking for the both of us.

She has prescription formula as she has a suspected cows milk intolerance. I don't think it's the taste that's the issue though, as she won't accept my expressed milk in a bottle either.

Have I just left it too late at 4 months to get her to take a bottle? Do some babies just never accept one?

[Jenala]

Are you switching because of the cmpi? You can just cut dairy out of your own diet, I can send you a link to a great Facebook group if you're interested.

My boys never took a bottle just the trainer cup I linked to before then a sippy cup by 6 months. Some babies never take them.

[icclemunchy]

Just stopping like that is terrible advice. Not only because its stressful for everyone involved but your risking giving yourself mastitis too!!

La leche league have a helpline, if you give them a call they'll be able to give you some suggestions to wean her without stress/making yourself ill if that's what you want to do

[hiddeneverything]

Is there a reason you are stopping now? 4 months is classic bottle-refusing age, even for bf babies who have previously taken a bottle. It might be worth carrying on a while longer. You don't want a dehydrated baby xx

[user1473428141]

I've cut dairy out of my diet since she was a couple of weeks old and it's made a huge difference- she was a totally different baby within a few days.
The reason I'm trying to get her to take formula is because I have to leave her overnight next month and I struggle to express enough.
My worry is that once she's taken to having a bottle, if I then continue to bf alongside she will always prefer that and I'll be back at square one with her refusing bottles again I just feel a bit trapped at the moment as I'm not able to leave her for more than a couple of hours without worrying that she'll need a feed.
Thanks for your suggestions. I'll give that sippy cup a try and will get in touch with LLL to see if they have any advice. I've tried another bottle this morn and she's not freaking out about it coming near her today- think a slowly slowly approach may work best!

[Jenala]

If it's any reassurance I found that once they took that MAM bottle they were fine with that when I wasn't there and breastfed when I was there. So then I wasn't trapped in the same way. They were 6 months by then though, I've no idea how much the age difference it makes but I don't think it needs to be either breastfeeding or bottle. Also you probably have so sorry if I'm being obvious but have you tried someone else offering her formula while you are totally out of the room?

Good luck with that cup, it was a game changer for us. There is a similar one marketed for a younger baby that neither of mine liked but could be worth a try.

[kitty1013]

I recommend nuk bottles and latex teats (not silicone) ....after buying every possible combination for my breastfeeding baby when I needed him to have a bottle sometimes.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

How’ve you got on today OP?

[hiddeneverything]

PS Breast flow bottles are the only ones either of my two have taken x

[user1473428141]

Success!!! My dh spent a day trying to get dd to take a bottle whilst I stayed away. A stressful day all round, but she's now taking a mam bottle with my expressed milk no problem.

She's not loving her prescription formula though, and I don't blame her. It smells a bit odd  My aim now is to carry on expressing and mixing in some of her new formula, slowly increasing the amount in each feed until she's purely on formula. That way she will hopefully adjust to the new taste and I won't end up with horrendously painful breasts!

I'm struggling to express though  I have a couple of bottles worth stored from expressing whilst away from her, but my supply has definitely dropped and there's next to nothing there now when she's feeding. I don't have that uncomfortable engorged feeling anymore.

Any tips on increasing supply so that I can express a decent amount?

This breastfeeding lark is a tricky business x