Help! Moving to bottle / cup from breast isn't working...

[Lilylulee]

Hello

My 5mo DS is due to start nursery in one month's time, two days a week. He's currently exclusively BF. We're trying to introduce a bottle / cup so he can have milk at nursery. We also plan to start weaning just before he goes, as he'll be six months old.

Introducing a bottle is not going well. He is happy enough to put it to his mouth and chew on it and can get the liquid out...but he then spits it out and won't swallow. He seems to see it as a teether. I've tried three different teats (tommee tippee, avent, and medela calma) and have experimented with expressed breast milk, cooled boiled water, and formula. We've also tried different temperatures (room temp formula, heated formula, and ebm straight from me so close to body temp). We've also tried different people feeding in different positions. We've tried him being very hungry, semi hungry and not hungry. No success.

Today we tried a 30ml open cup (which he fed from for a couple of feeds when he was newborn whilst BF was being established). He just played with it! He seemed to enjoy blowing bubbles with the milk but again, wouldn't swallow.

I'm going to try some free flow sippy cups but am worried he won't take milk from it. I'm worried he's going to be distressed at nursery if I'm not there to feed him.

Does anyone have any experience, advice or suggestions??

I'm having exactly the the same issue for a 7mo DD2. EBF and we've had no luck yet with bottle feeding (Tommee Tippee). I go back to work in 2 weeks time :( so need to get this sorted. Expressing fine (Medela electric pump), but DD doesn't like dummies nor Tommee Tippee bottles. I've been advised to try Mam and she's taken to their dummies so we're trying the Mam bottles and teats this week. (They were on special offer in Mothercare last week). I'll let you know how I get on.

DD2 has taken to the Tommee Tippee First Sips free flow sippy cup (bought in Tesco) for water, but only once weaning began at 6months, I think the weaning helped her take the sippy cup. so you might have more success once weaning starts.

Sorry if I don't come back on for a few days, I'm not always consistent at getting onto MN, but didn't want to see your post hanging when someone out here is sharing your 'pain'. Good luck.

My 3yo DD1 nursery is superb (owner is ex-school teacher and staff are all early years trained), and I'm sure if I asked them they would try giving feeds and may have a selection of bottle types to feed from. It's in their interests to ensure baby is going to be content in their care, to ensure you are confident with the separation. I would ask the nursery if they might help you out prior to leaving baby. I'm sure a decent one might try for an hour or so one afternoon. Worth asking...

Have you tried the NUK brown latex teats? Your LO sounds like my DD. she will put a bottle in her mouth but doesn't know to how suck any of the common ones. She just chews them. The only one I have success with us the brown latex. Many also have success with breastflow. Don't give up until you have tried these two. Especially your LO doesnt seem to actually object to bottles.

I found with both mine that immediately we started weaning (at 6mo) they took water and formula easily from the most basic and cheapest free flow cup from tescos. Also then easier to move onto bottle. Sorry that doesnt help you at 5m. I would just try every single day at about the same time and eventually he will get it.

The other option that I know does work is to just leave the house and not go back until your DP has got him to take a bottle. I know someone left her babies overnight with her mum, it works but in both cases resulted in complete weaning from breast and distressed baby (for a short while)

good luck

Hi, thanks for the replies. We tried again today...DP gave him the bottle whilst I hid away (and had a glorious long hot bath :)) DS took one ounce! A good start...we hope to do the same thing every day at the same time so he gets into the swing of it. It's frustrating but I think we are slowly getting somewhere.

Hello

My LO is also 5 Months and due to go back to work PT in 4 weeks too. He has had the odd bottle of expressed milk from about 6 weeks I think. But lately he started not to like it. I switched to the Breastflow bottle which I bought from amazon and he likes it much better. Definately give that a go. It's so much nicer and natural (like breast) than other bottles I tried.

Good luck!

Hi Lily. Brilliant news on your progress! I promised I'd get back to you, and my DD2 took to the Mam bottles on a slowflow teat today from my lovely Dmum. DD2 took all 4oz, so like you I think we're on our way now! I guess they just want to do it in their own good time....

I would try to convince DH that it is you taking a long bath that makes it work! Light some tealights and enjoy the bubbles...ahhh... you deserve it :)