Oh help! I know it has been done before but can you please tell me how to make my EBF 7 month old take a bottle. I'm due back at work in 2 weeks and she is refusing...

[BlameItOnTheBogey]

As in title. DD is 7 months old, has a healthy appetite and eats almost everything. But she won't accept any kind of liquid from any kind of vessel and will only breast feed. I've tried sippy cups, open cups, all types of bottle. I've tried expressed milk, water and anything else I can think of but she just screams. I am at my wits end. I have to start cutting back now. Do I go cold turkey? How else can I persuade her? An added complication is that she is severely allergic to cow's milk and the prescription formula is truly disgusting so i am not surprised she won't drink it.

Concretely; do I go cold turkey and only offer fluids in a bottle/ cup?
How many milk feeds does a 7 month old who is eating three varied meals a day actually need? (calcium is a problem because she can't have cheese, yoghurts etc)?

I'd really, really appreciate any advice. I am worried sick. (And apologies if it takes me a while to get back on here but am staying at the in laws at the mo...)

Thanks!

DS would never take a bottle from me, not ever. But he would from DH or my Mum. So it was fine if I was out of the house, but if he could see me then it was a disaster because he just wanted me and was clearly confused and outraged that he wasn't being allowed his BM as normal.

By 7/8 months we were down to 1 daytime feed (normally just before dinner), 1 bedtime feed and then a morning feed (plus randomly through the night). Can you get soya dairy things on prescription for her?

I think I would just carry on BFing when you are there, and then when you aren't there she can have either water or the prescription formula - if she is thirsty and you are nowhere to be seen then she will drink.

Thanks so much for the reply. I have prescription formula and have also tried soy - she isn't interested in either. I've also tried someone else giving it to her when I am out and she just screamed.

But I think what you are saying is what I am thinking; feed her as much as I can when I am there and assume that if she really needs fluids when I am not there then she will eventually accept them from a cup. I'm hugely reassured that you were only doing 1 day time feed. I'll be home by 4pm so I could do a feed then and then one in the evening before bed (worse case scenario, I could introduce a dream feed I guess).

Yes I'm sure that will work - the thing is that with her allergy I'm guessing you want to keep BF for as long as possible? Cutting back feeds that you could give her seems really counter-intuative.

If the formula is really grim then maybe just stick to water in a sippy - DS wasn't hugely keen at first but got the hang relatively quickly.

You (and she) will be fine I'm sure, especially if you are going to be home by 4 so you can have a lovely feed then and then again at bedtime. There are other sources of calcium, apricots and broccoli spring to mind immediately but I'm sure if you google there will be more info.

Really hope it goes well for you