Most palatable formula/follow on for breastfed baby

[mumtojoe1]

My DD is almost 6 months and has been on solids for a few weeks now but still breastfed exclusively when it comes to fluids. I have tried giving her Aptamil numerous times and she refuses absolutely to drink it. She has taken my milk from a bottle once or twice but it is always a slow process and she takes hardly anything. I am in need of some me time now after 6 months and hubby came home from work the other day and suggested a spa day that he knows is being organised but it's an all day trip and would have to leave baby with him. I desperately want to go but need to find a way of getting her to drink formula to leave her for the day (I no longer have enough milk to be able to express, she takes everything there is on a daily basis). Can anyone help?

Have you tried posting in breast and bottle feeding?

Aptamil has a dry taste- it's like dry white wine if you taste a bit, same sensation. We found DS took SMA much better- a bit sweeter and not the same dryness...

why don't you just go for half a day to start with?

at 6 months she should be fine with solids and a beaker of water while you are away, and breastfeeding around it?

that way it doesn't matter if she won't accept a bottle.

you could build up to a longer day out then.

After a few weeks of trying different ones Dd only took cow and gate in a sippya cup after being ebf for 7 months. She would only take the tiniest amount at first, then grew to love it

I found it really hard to get a letdown to express post 6 months as well. If you keep at it you might be able to get some built up over a few days. I found the best time to express was when DS was overdue a feed (if he was sleeping for example) though this is harder to tell after 3-4 months! Also a tip I was given on the LLL breastfeeding helpline was this (sounds bonkers but it did actually work)

Using your finger, gently trace spirals from around an inch out from your nipple, to the centre. Then "draw" lines from this inch point in towards your nipple, like rays of a sun. Then try expressing. (I've just tried it and felt slightly full! DS is 3 and I haven't expressed in over 2 years and only been able to get droplets out for a year or so ) Sometimes it helps to start off hand expressing and only switch to the pump once your letdown has started, too.

If you express at the same time for 10-15 minutes or so (or longer if you're getting a good enough flow to warrant it) over a few days you should start to produce more at that time on the 2nd or 3rd day. You can then store the milk in breastmilk bags in the fridge or freezer and just combine multiple bags when it's time to feed the milk - or even try cupfeeding a small amount at a time.