want to stop bfeeding but baby refuses a bottle! what can I do?

[suzym1984]

Hi!

DS is 12 weeks old and has been EBF until now. I havee enjoyed it but feel like I would like to switch to bottle feeding. I have to return to work in July and I am panicking about whether he will be OK with my boobs, and this is causing me so much stress that I havent slept properly for days.
DH has been trying to feed him with a bottle using expressed milk but he just screams and cries until I end up getting my boob out! Im now worried that am trapped breadtfeeding when I really would like to stop.

Does anyone have any advice for me?

My DD was a bottle refuser. I was advised to try her with a cup rather than a bottle, so that might be worth a try. Plus this will bump your post in case anyone else has a magic solution! Good luck!

my dd refused bottles but i then had thrush quite badly and ended up using nipple shields for a while to help numb the pain, then magically she started taking bottles - i think she got used to the half way house of the nipple shield, then bottles weren't so bad! i also found dr. browns bottles best after trying loads!

Thanks for the replies, Im in a real state over this and worrying that if he doesnt start taking a bottle he will starve when I go back to work!

Zingy did you find that you could give a whole feed via a cup? I have tried him with a spouty cup and he enjoys that, but seems to spit most out.

Jen those are probably the only bottles I havent tried! Might give them a go thanks! Altho I am worried that trying different bottles is actually worse, by confusing him more?

Might try nipple shields as I used to use them.

What I forgot to say in my original post is that he used to take a bottle, and has only just started refusing! So frustrating!

I was in exactly the same situation. DD is EBF but sometimes I have to express. Initially she'd take a bottle but then she just refused. I posted on here for ideas and the main suggestions were;
try a different bottle
try a different flow teat
try a cup.
After trying all three I found that the cup was the most successful. Initially more went down her front than in her but three weeks on she'll take a full feed from a cup and it means u won't have to do the bottle to cup stage later!

Thanks roundandround may I ask what cup you used? As DS is only 12 weeks I am finding it hard to find one!

There was another poster here who had success showing their LO how to drink from a bottle by doing it themselves. May be worth a try?

Good luck and I know it is easy for me to say, but try not to stress about it too much, as your DS will pick up on that as well. :)