EBF DD 8mo hates formula and bottles/cups. Need to wean before June. Any advice?

[MelangeATrois]

Help! I'm going back to work 2 days per week in June when DD will be 11 months. She is EBF but was happily taking one bottle of ready made Aptamil once a week when I went out. She started refusing this at 5mo but we didn't worry as she would make up for it when I got back.

2 weeks ago she was still refusing Aptamil formula so I started expressing one feed a day OR offering a different formula (Hipp Follow on milk), to see if it was the formula or the bottles/cups she didn't like.

There are 3 problems:

1. I think she really dislikes the taste of formula. It does smell odd to me. Do they all taste the same?
2. She doesn't really like spouty cups and gets very stressed. Tonight I have managed to get her to drink EBM from an Avent bottle but it took a long time for her to get going.
3. She really just wants to feed off me (who can blame her) as that's what she knows. But she is equally bad accepting feeds from anyone else.

As far as I can work out I need to

1. Start expressing every feed to break the 'habit' of breastfeeding
2. Keep with the bottles as that's what she prefers
3. Gradually mix in more and more formula to the breastmilk so she gets used to the taste.
4. Then reduce expressed milk volume
5. Hope this is all sorted by June....

What a gigantic faff! We never had this with DS. Does anyone have an tricks/tips/advice/similar stories to inspire me?

only quickly read over your text but it's only March.
I'd say enjoy EBF while you at this point. Anything before one is just for fun is what I always remember. It looks to me like your getting way too involved with what ifs etc. you've got a long time yet.You really don't need to be doing any of that ESP if she really wants just you. Enjoy now and make a plan for returning to work the week before ! Sounds like your very good at it x

By 11 months she'll drink out of a cup and hopefully be eating well.
If she ends up BF morning and evening and drinking dilute juice during the day and eating yoghurt it's not the end of the world.

It's what DD2 did if mum wanted a day out.
DD2 is now 11 and has never drank any kind of plain milk except breast milk (she'll make herself a milk shake or hot chocolate occasionally). Wouldn't even drink those till she was ~ 8.

She's quite happy with milk on cereal, yoghurt, rice pudding and a little bit of cheese.

Anyway, chances are your DD will be perfectly sensible for nursery or CM it's mum they save the stubborn streak for.

By 11 months she will be able to wait for you to come home for breastfeeds. Try not to worry about it.

I have an 8mo DD and am going back to work in a few weeks. She is already starting to drop the lunchtime bfeed. I offer her water in a cup. She is not keen, but I keep offering it and she will drink a small amount of water now. Keep offering cups and she will get ised to it.

Thanks for the advice everyone! You're right Blondie, I need to chill and enjoy the BF. It is only March but I 'spose I have been thinking "what if she is still like this in June, panic panic".

Good point startail I could BF early morning and night and top up with cereal/yogurt + juice/water.

Eglu interesting that your 8mo DD isn't keen on the water either - mine is the same, barely a drop passes her lips. Will keep going.

Just noticed from my OP that I can't count to three . Can I still blame hormones at this point?

My FF boys were hatd to get drinking water too, but if you persevere and they are thirsty enough they eventually drink it.

I'd honestly not worry about it too much. Theres lots of ways she could get fluids in the 2 days a week she'll be without you, and thats a third of her life away. Have you tried a straw with her ? I taught ds to drink from one by initially dipping it in water, putting my finger over the top, then letting it run into his mouth - took a couple of days before he learnt to suck, but then he loved it.
DS also liked to share drinks with me - so we'd share a glass of water while he was on my knee, which maybe your dd would like ?

As the others have said so much will change by then. My daught was 8 months when I went back to work and she's having about 1 or 2oz of water a day between 7.30 and 5 when I'm in work 3 days a week so it can be done!

She just seams to understand now when I'm not there she has a cup an when I am she wants me and nothing will change her mind!

I'm in pretty much the exact same position - almost 9mo dd, back to work first week in June 3 days a week. EBF daughter will not entertain any kind of formula - and we've tried all sorts in all sorts of different drinking vessels!
After perseverance with a tommy tippee cup she will take water from that.

However, I've decided not to worry any more, my friend asked for some advice at a La Leche League meeting recently about leaving her 10mo for the day. She was told that she should be fine going through the day without Bfeeding, and would catch up when she got home :-)

I think you'll be fine, too. I found dd gave up daytime bfs at about 8mo but kept morning and evening bfs until 17mo when I decided to stop. She had dairy through other sources - yoghurt, cheese, cows milk on cereal etc but also drank water from tippy cups but also invariably from my pint glass. DS is learning to drink from a pint glass too. He's 5mo. It's not something I've encouraged (infact it quite annoys me) but it is a useful way to get fluids in to them.

I didn't read all the replies, but I wanted to reassure you that by 11mo, she'll be able to drink out of a free flow cup, and she wouldn't need any breastmilk or formula during the day. If you are keen to keep bf going, it'll be very easy to just day wean her. You don't even need to prepare her or anything. Simply slowing increase her solids in the next couple of months, introducing snacks between milk etc. (You can still bf on demand alongside). If you aren't around, she won't be thinking of bf at all. And she would have food and water to keep her from being hungry or thirsty.

If you like, you can also ask whoever will be caring for your DD those 2 days to start introducing cows milk in a free flow cup. She probably won't drink a lot at first (or indeed at all), but like weaning, you have to just let them take their time.

PS. My DD is EBF and was effectively day weaned by 9mo because I went back to work full time. She was still feeding during the day in the weekends at the time. But by 11mo, she's stopped demanding even in the weekends.

BTW, I know you shouldn't be giving cows milk as a main drink before 12mo. But since it's only 2 days a week, and in a free flow cup, I doubt it'll be any significant amount. I've seen my DD drinking water from the cup, and I know it's just a few sips. I do wonder when she'll be able to drink, say, 80 or 100ml from it reliably!