How do i introduce formula and bottle feeding - having real trouble

[michie40]

DD2 is 5 months and I am trying to introduce formula and bottle feeding but not having much luck - she just gums the teat whilts making lots of DA DA DA noises which is not much help. Has anyone got any ideas how I can get her to srink them properly as I really need to stop breast feeding. I managed it with dd1 but dd2 is a bit more awkward.

[michie40]

sorry about all the typing mistakes - dd1 is insisting on sitting on my lap whilst i type

[mumto2nuttybells]

but the tommee tippee next to breast bottles there brill

[SweetyDarling]

Is she too young for a sucky cup? Might be good if you can skip the bottles and go straight to a cup?
Sorry - am no expert.

[Slink]

I have no great advice as dd is 8 months and i have been trying to get her off the breast, she has only now managed to take water from a beaker but chews rather than suck. I am planning on trying formula again but water it down my hv said as it may trick the little menaces. xxxx

[michie40]

Thanks for all the help - I think she is a bit young for a cup (shes 5 1/2 months) but I might try the tommee tippee bottles. Has anyone out there actually managed to successfully switch from breast to formula at this age?

[Scootergrrrl]

Nuk teats are very good and are supposed to be more like suckng a nipple because of the way it comes out. We found it really helpful to take both DCs somewhere ridiculously busy (think bowling alley, fairground etc ) then shove the teat in while they were so distracted that they didn't really pay attention and they both started sucking away without thinking about it.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Please dont water down formula! Milk should be the main 'meal' for the first 12 months so you are risking under-nourishing your baby!

What I would recommend is expressing milk, and trying to get her to feed from bottles with expressed milk.

When baby is used to that, slowly introduce formula into the expressed milk 1 floz at a time, until you have swapped over completely to formula.

[michie40]

What are Nuk teats? never heard of these. will google these and unfortunatley i have never got the hang of expressing. Don't worry VVV will not be watering down the milk.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Maybe now you have got the hang of b/feeding, you could try expressing again? Does take a bit of practise. But I found it really helped getting my DD swapped to Soya formula (cows milk allergy).

NUK teats can be bought in Boots IIRC.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

You have to get the bottles that go with it though.....obviously

[Slink]

vvv thats what my hv suggested to me, i have not tried it as dd will not take milk from a bottle she just about accepts water from a beaker.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Yes slink, I saw that. HV's are fricking scary creatures sometimes. I wonder how many other mums she has suggested this to?

[Slink]

quite a few so i have heard. xxAlthough i am soooo desperate to get her on bottles or something just off my boob, she eats well little chubster, but i should enjoy once she stops she stops xxx

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

You'll miss it when she stops though

One thing i've learned over the past 4 years. Babies do things in their own good time

[Scootergrrrl]

NUK teats are kind of flat and the milk comes out of a hole in the top rather than squirting out the end. The DCs seemed to like them...