Transitioning from breastfeeding to formula

[Missrabbitt]

How do I go about it? DD is 6mo and so far breastfed plus I’ve started to introduce solids in the last few weeks. She wakes up a lot in the night to feed and feeds to sleep. I know it’s selfish but I would like my life back a bit! If she would start taking a bottle of formula at night and going to sleep for a few hours around 7/8ish it would give DH and I out evenings back and allow me to have the odd evening out without worrying about her being upset. She will also be starting at her childminders at 8mo and I won’t be able to express enough to be able to give her a bottle every day. She does bottled breast milk when I’m away from her.

My worry is that my DS took bottles but when I tried him with formula he then started refusing all bottles. I’m also not sure what to do about breastfeeding if she has a couple of bottles of formula a day… do I still allow her an unlimited amount??

If anyone has experience of this I would appreciate any advice you have. Thank you!

Anyone?

So when I moved to formula at six months I did it very gradually, my babies were in a sort of feeding routine by then so I would replace one feed with formula, BFing as normal (unlimited) for the others, then after 3/4 days I would drop another, then another until theu were all gone.

My DS took to it no problem, DD was a bit trickier but we got there in the end, she wasnt keen on some brands and eventually settled on c&g.

I also put some formula in with their porridge etc to get them used to the taste.

Oh also on the feeding to sleep, DD was the same and we had no choice but to introduce a dummy (which at 6 months was madness) but it was literally the only way she would go to sleep if not BF.

Thank you! I hadn’t thought of the porridge idea- I’ll try that first.

Dd is an avid thumb sucker so I’m doubtful about a dummy working but may be worth a try.

I never could. Mine just wouldn't take bottles. Once around 8 months though they could be placed with a drink of water and a snack for long enough for DH and I to go out in the evening.

*placated, not placed!

Will she take a bottle for expressed milk now?
If so, you just start watering it down gradually with formula.
Otherwise you need to go away for a weekend and go cold turkey (plus have a nice husband/mum/mil! Who will keep trying the bottle until they take it.

She will take the bottle of expresssed milk but I’m worried she’ll be like DS and completely refuse a bottle point blank once I give her some formula in a bottle. He just never took a bottle again- of expressed milk or formula. If that happens then I’m not going anywhere ever!

I had to put my two on to bottles at about 5 1/2 months, just didn’t have enough supply and feeding non stop was exhausting.

I don’t have any magic tips, sorry - I just kept trying until they took it - many tries IIRC. The fact that they weren’t getting enough from me probably helped, but once they did, it was never a problem again.