Yet another breast-bottle question (a bit rambling...sorry)

[Swaliswan]

I'm going back to work in 7 weeks and have started to try and get DD to take a bottle. Finally, I've found a bottle that she can work (breastflow bottle) but she is far from keen. I work shifts so I wouldn't have to go completely over to bottle feeding and I can express milk if I have to. If I'm honest, I would quite like to stop breastfeeding and start giving her formula but, what is really important is that DD still gets milk when I'm not there. She currently has 3 big feeds a day.

Anyway, now that I've found a bottle and still have plenty of time to get her taking it, I need suggestions about how to get her to take a full feed from the bottle. Today, I positioned the bottle next to my nipple and latched her on to the bottle instead of me. It seems that she only got wise to what I was doing because of the fact that formula was in the bottle and was pulling a face at the flavour (even though she refuses to eat breakfast with any other formula/type of milk). Should I keep trying myself like that or should I just leave her to battle it out with DH or my mum? Also, has anyone else had success with diluting EBM with formula and slowly changing the ration of EBM to formula or with giving LO a bottle as a dream feed while they are not so wise to what is happening? Is there a good time of day to try with the bottle?

[Swaliswan]

Sorry that should have been ratio not ration!

[dd666]

i would try get as many normal bf into her and give ebm unless you really wanting to stop!
No other advice as when i did it with dd she was cpl weeks old and i got her used to taking from bottle using ebm then after each bottle i topped up with bm so she weaned slowley as i slowly upped amount in bottle and she took smaller amout of bm!
she didnt like formula but didnt mix them!
what formula you using?

[dd666]

i would try get as many normal bf into her and give ebm unless you really wanting to stop!
No other advice as when i did it with dd she was cpl weeks old and i got her used to taking from bottle using ebm then after each bottle i topped up with bm so she weaned slowley as i slowly upped amount in bottle and she took smaller amout of bm!
she didnt like formula but didnt mix them!
what formula you using?

[dd666]

opps

[Swaliswan]

I'm giving her Aptamil. It's the only one she likes and doesn't throw back up. I am quite keen to give up breastfeeding. I have really enjoyed feeding DD but I do feel that it's time to stop now. I know that a lot of people would tell me to just keep on feeding her but for us as a family, it's time to stop.

[VictorianSqualor]

If you want to stop, then stop!
Have you tried getting someone else to give her the bottle? It may be that she needs to stop associating you and breasts with milk.

TBH, I am pretty crap on this and have no real idea, but I'm sure someone will, all I knwo is that she can probably smell your milk and therefore would possibly want to bf so refuse the bottle.

Maybe you should try giving her only EBM, so she gets used to the bottle before the taste iyswim.

How old is she?

[dd666]

i asked what formula as my dd had cow and gate my sis gave her dd sma and c&g was bit sweeter!
its up to you whether you stop bf dd was 6weeks when i stopped she now 19mo and things have changed since hoping this will bump and you will get some newer advice!

[Swaliswan]

She's just over seven months now. I did wonder if I was trying to do too much in one go by giving a bottle with formula in it but I also wondered if I should just keep offering it as she might cave in without me actively witholding breastmilk iyswim. I'm terrified of upsetting the poor mite.

[Swaliswan]

Thanks dd666. I tried C&G with disastrous results. It's amazing how far babies can project their vomit, isn't it?!

[VictorianSqualor]

Some babies change over with no problem at all, my DS was coming up to 9 months when I stopped bfing, but before I did I stocked up on EBM, then expressed for a few weeks after and gave him EBM in his bottle/cup. As he was at nursery by then someone else used to feed him so I think that helped.

[dd666]

lol dd wasnt sicky baby she got colic instead my dn was very sicky my sis used to have pack week worth of clothes just to go to town to shop!

[Bodkin]

I've just managed to get my 6 month old to take formula (C&G) from a bottle (Tommy Tipee ones that are more like boobs) after 6 months exclusive BF. I found that if I walked around with her while I introduced the teat, she was so interested in looking around, she forgot all about the foreign object in her mouth and guzzled 4oz in one go! Also, I didn't wait until she was too hungry, but just peckish enough to be interested, not so hungry that she was howling!

Keep persevering, but don't put too much pressure on her. If she's not interested, just try again another day.

Good luck. I know what you mean about feeling it's time to stop. I've really enjoyed it, but I'm just shattered now, and would like a bit more structure to my days for all our sakes! I would still quite like to keep the morning feed (too lazy to get out of bed!) but not sure if it is possible to keep just one feed without supply drying up?

[Swaliswan]

Thanks, Bodkin. I found earlier that when she was distracted DD would latch on to the bottle and start drinking then would realise what she was doing and spit the bottle out. I kept on doing that with her for a while so maybe I need to try and distract her more next time. This evening I thought that I would try and sneak some more in whilst she was extremely sleepy in case I managed better then but it seemed to be more upsetting for her. I'm defrosting some EBM for tomorrow in case that works better. It is quite easy to get DD to latch on to the bottle if I put it right next to my nipple so I'm hoping that if she is getting my milk she won't be so angry with me for giving her the bottle!