I need advice on my bottle-refusing 11mo and infant feeding is dead...

[Caenea]

I did try posting this over there but got literally no answer.

My DD is 11mo and has been ebf from birth right up until she went onto food at 6mo.

She has never, and still will not, take a bottle. It doesn't matter what is in said bottle and it doesn't matter if it has been hours since she fed - she also won't let me breastfeed her in public - she will push the bottle away, scream, cry, choke if I do manage to force it on her.

I have tried sippy cups, different kinds of teats, expressed milk, hot/warm/cold milk, hot/cold/warm water, the squashes you can buy in the formula aisles. She won't drink out of a bottle, meaning her only liquids come from breastmilk.

I have tried and tried to explain to health visitors that she won't take a bottle. They brush it off by saying she will if she's thirsty enough. No she won't - she has literally gone nine hours before without any liquids because she refused both breast and bottle - screaming, fighting, pushing me away, choking, gasping as if she couldn't breathe. I ended up in OOH with her.

Please - did any of you experience this, and if so, what do I do?? I want to stop breastfeeding - she's got teeth now and she's just getting too big - but how can I when it's the only liquid she'll take? I daren't even go out for too long because I know she won't even let me breastfeed her.

@Caenea did you have any luck with the doidy/ 360 / any other magic? Or still solely BF?

My daughter was the same. Sippy cup waa good. Eventually she started drinking. I dropped one bf at a time... just the hardest one left (bed time)

Try sharing a straw - a sip from you then it's her turn, with lots of clapping and admiration. And offer liquid in a cup with every meal so even if it's refused she's used to seeing it and knows what it's for. Good luck.

If you are worried about your dd being thirsty, you could make up home made ice lollies with diluted fruit juice, or say a banana milkshake, smoothy with added milk or water. I have bought the silicon moulds which are shaped like callypo ice lollies, which would be great for hot gums and without the risk of a lolly stick.