AIBU asking for help with a bottle refuser, I'm desperate!

[Ilovemysleepthief]

DD is 8 months old, and EBF. When she was tiny she took the odd bottle of formulae, expressed mink, but since 4 months old has completely refused any kind d of bottle.

I have spent a fortune on various bottles and treats, but no look. Also tried different people giving it her, giving when not hungry, when hungry etc, no luck

She still has minimum 3 night feeds, so obviously I'm the only one that can do this.

I'm desperate for a decent nights sleep, and for my husband to be able to help

Has anyone managed to get their baby to take a bottle in circumstances such as this?

She will drink water from a sippy cup at a push, but again not milk

I gave up in your circumstances and have never been so relieved as when I did.
I introduced a cup at 6mo and night weaned at 10mo.
He had a cup of formula at bedtime and a bf and started sleeping through (he’d been ebf till then).
He used a cup and had food in the day when I was at work.

Honestly giving up on trying bottles was such a relief.

We had a lot of problems with my son when he was younger - CMPA, 2 hospital admissions, constantly hungry, night feeds every 45 mins, faltering growth. We weaned at 4 months - he snaked his neck out like a "Hungry Hungry Hippo" and chomped a banana I was holding. He was still feeding multiple times a day and night at 7.5 months, and our lovely pediatrician told me to stop demand feeding. It was such a relief to be given "permission" to do this (we'd been crucified for early weaning etc at baby group). DS refused bottles for top ups from a very early age but took to a sippy cup very well. Perhaps your little one would prefer a sippy cup? We liked the Boots basic one so much that we bought 5!

Hunger strike eventually worked for us.

Try different temperatures. MAM bottles were good. But we did have to let her go hungry/thirsty eventually.

Just wanted to send some moral support. Ds is 14 now but the most stressful period of my entire parenting experience was when he refused any alternative to the breast, and I was about to return to full time work. Tried everything including starving him but he just sobbed and screamed ( and so did I)

I tried loads of different teats and in the end he took one.. (it was a Chico one ) ... but I was in bits trying to sort it out!.

Just wanted to wish you good luck and to keep the Mn adage in your mind... this too shall pass

Thank you for the advice, its so stressful I dont want to stop feeding her, but I just want my husband to be able to do the odd feed and for me to return to work and not worry that shes not having milk.

Its definitely more of a comfort thing rather than thirst/hunger, but I just cant get her to be settled any other way. She feeds every 2 hours through the night still, despite being on solid in the day.

3 feeds a night that 8 months? That seems a lot. If she gets hungry enough she’ll take a bottle for sure.

I had a bottle refuser who basically never drank milk again after I gave up breast feeding at 15 months. He's now a strapping 6ft young man who still never drinks milk (has never had it on cereal or anything either) but it hasn't done him any harm.

By eight months you could try increasing solids and trying to reduce night feeds?

I have been trying that, and giving more solids, but the milk in the night is purely for comfort I think. I have tried just cuddling etc, but shes only settled by the boob . It's so hard, I'm on my knees plus I have a bad back at the moment which is also affecting my mood. Sorry for moaning, I know I'm lucky to have her, I'm just so tired