6 month old ebf suddenly refusing milk in bottles and cups, trying to stof bf, won't sleep without bf and returning to work please help!

[Neuehausfrau]

I'm getting myself in a right mess and really confused, everything had been going fine (lack of sleep aside) until i have decided to stof bf. DS has been ebf with ocasional bottle of expressed bm and is now on three meals a day plus at least 7 bf day and night.

I am returning to work in September 4 days a week and will be out of the house from 8 - 7 and expressing not an option. So was planning to just bf first thing and evening / night feed and use formula for all day feeds. Have started by introducing bottle of formula at afternoon feed (was going to cut out a feed a week) which he took 2-3 oz from for about 4 days but is now refusing from bottle or cup and just batting it away, both me and dh have tried feeding him. Have also tried at 9am and 10pm and same thing happens so end up giving bf.

I have a rough routine which is as follows
7am or wake up feed
8am Breakfast
9am feed to sleep for hour (which is another problem as he will only feed to sleep most days)
11.45 lunch
12.30 feed to sleep for 2 hours
3.30 feed
5pm dinner
6.30 feed to sleep
10pm or when he wakes feed to sleep
2 or 3 am feed to sleep and any other night wakings

So my issues are

• he wont take any significant amount of formula from bottle or cup
• could he be refusing 9am feed as he is full from 7am feed and breakfast?
• he generally only feeds to sleep so how can I get him to sleep without bf, his routine is slightly based on being fed before naps. Sometimes we can rock him to sleep, other times he will just lie awake for 2 hours talking / moaning at lunchtime nap. He sleeps in car / buggy but cant really expect nursery to take him for a 2 hour walk at lunchtime!
• i think i am feeding him too much bf so when I make the transition to Formula i guess i need to cut out some feeds as it appears 3 - 4 bottles of formula is correct amount for 6-7 month old?

I almost wish i hadnt bf as now i feel really trapped and dreading going back to work. I guess its my own fault for being lazy and feeding him to sleep. Does anybody have any suggestions please??

First, calm down. You're doing a great job & have given your son the best start in life, you're not lazy! They like feeding to sleep, so why not?

With regards to work, don't worry. He will take a bottle at nursery, because he won't let himself starve! My ds was exactly the same, refused bottle point blank from anyone before starting nursery, first day of nursery apparently he just drank the whole bottle straight off.

They are very used to this kind of scenario at nurseries, and will know what to do.

First off don't panic. It's only June and your not going back till September. Your baby will be another 3 months older and a lot can change in that time. As op said often babys will take a bottle when you are not there, why would he want to take if from you when he likes breastmilk and can smell it right there. It can be quit confusing for them.
They do tend to grow out of the feed sleep thing but if you want to encourage it. Start taking him for a walk so it breaks the cycle you mite find that if you do this for a few weeks you can then try just putting him down for a nap.
I wouldn't worry to much about reakfast either. I initial thought the same with my eldest but even when she dropped her morning milk she still didn't eat very much. It seems to take them a while to differentiate between being hungry for solids from milk but they do eventualy.

Thanks both for your reassurance, I guess a lot changes in three months. Think I will keep trying with the bottle /cup and in the worst case the nursery will have to try, as you said they must be used to that. Although I hope I crack it before then as I am desperate to get a full night of sleep before starting work, even just one!