tips on getting 4mo to take a bottle?

[PutTheKettleOn]

DD2 is nearly 4 months and so far exclusively BF. We've decided to try and get her to take a bottle, partly so DH can do the late feed to give me a break, and also cos she will be going to a childminders 1 day a week from 7 months so she'll need to take one by then!

We've tried a couple of times, once with expressed milk and once with formula. She sort of plays with the teat and seems interested by it, but doesn't really seem to get how to suck it. Each time she's taken less than 1oz, if that, before getting bored/frustrated.

Any tips? We're using the TT closer to nature bottles, are they the best ones for BF babies?

Thanks

Hi. Not sure whether this will help or not but thought I'd share my expereience. I struggled with DD2 for months and tried every teat, time of day and method out there. It stressed me out no end.
Last week she bit me on both sides due to teething and I'd had enough so went cold turkey onto a bottle. It took 11 hours before she took it.
I didn't feed her myself for 48 hours but expressed and now it seems that we are managing to mix feed.
I thought she didn't know how to suck either but it was really that she didn't want to (and why would she?)

thanks, I guess if it comes down to it that's what we'll have to do. Really don't want to upset her though!

I seem to have shot myself in the foot - with DD1 she had a top-up bottle from 2 weeks and ended up rejecting the breast by 3 months. With DD2 I've tried so hard with BF now she won't take a bottle!

what size teat are you using?

a faster flow teat might work if she is used to fast flowing BM.

dd is 4mo and is on number 3 teat. she was a very agressive feeder and would exhaust herself sucking on the newborn teat when i switched to bottles.

ooh, i never thought of that, i've just been using the number 1 teat that came with it. Good thinking batman, i'll experiment with the number 2 teat!

My 14 week DS will not take a bottle from me, but is fine with DH. Even if he has seen or heard me he will refuse the bottle. May be worth going shopping out for an hour or so?