14mth old NEEDS to start drinking milk from Bottle. Please HELP. Not going well.

[drosophila]

Still breastfeeding dd. I am returning to work in 6 weeks and dd will be at nursery for 3 days a week. I am happy to Bfeed night and morning but she really needs to take milk from a bottle during the day.

At the moment I give her cow's milk in a beaker that she would normally have water in and she either spits it out or uses the beaker as a toy and spills it every where. She is pretty good at drinking water. DO you think I should try her with formula? I was hoping to avoid it.

Expressing is not really an option. I have always found it difficult to time. I was always playing catchup and frankly I don't know where I would get the time.

Strategies needed. Thanks

I wouldn't use formula - there is no need, just go straight to cows milk. No need to go to bottles either as those that formula feed aim to get off bottles by 12 months anyway (mine were all off them by 10-11 months).

Can you put it in a beaker that is non-spill? I wouldn't worry too much about her milk in the day anyway if you are feeding her morning and night. I formula fed and milk intake did drop once I switched to beaker - this happened with all 3 of mine. They always had morning and night milk but tended not to drink so much in the day (had watered down fruit juice in the day usually) - it didn't matter because they ate (and still do) cheese, yoghurts, rice pudding and other things with milk in.

Thanks GDG. I don't think she would use the Non spill beaker as she has had the normal one for so long now. Good point about the other dairy although she only eats yoghurt. I shall make a rice pudding today and see if she eats it. She can be a bit fussy with food as well.

Thanks Tippex I am not really looking forward to it.

Definitely don't bother with a bottle - it can be a nightmare getting them off it!! She'll be fine with a beaker of water/milk at nursery - ds was.

if you do want to give her a bottle, i can definitely reccommend playtex ones. i am still bf my 8 month old dd & have just returned to work 2 days a week. she doesn't drink loads of formula when she's at nursery, but it's enough to keep her going until i get home.

Not sure why you feel she needs milk during the day - mine were both down to 2 feeds a day at a year. Chances are her appetite will improve as you give less milk during the day and she may become more cooperative about a snack with a drink of cow's milk with other children around doing the same. Try not to stress

You know I have just been merrily going along Bfeeding her and never really questioned it. No wonder I am always tired. Have a useless HV so never bother asking her. Thank goodness for MN.

I suppose I should work on dropping the feeds in the day and upping her milk products. Thanks everyone.