Returning to work & baby refusing formula - WWYD

[ballroompink]

I'm returning to work full time in February when DS will be 9mo. He has been bf up until now, happily taking expressed milk from a bottle if I have been out or if DH has been helping with feeding. I thought I would try to move over to combination feeding when I go back to work so he could have formula in the daytime when with his childminder. We've tried giving him two different brands of formula so far and after a couple of mouthfuls he just won't drink it and gets very upset that it's not breastmilk.

I think I was probably a bit naive and didn't anticipate that he might flat out refuse to drink formula. Anyone else been in this situation? Would you persevere or just decide to express at work instead? DS got very upset last night when we tried to give him a bottle of expressed BM - obviously thinking it was formula and refusing the bottle as a result. I don't want to put him off taking a bottle with only a few weeks to go until my return to work.

Have you tried altering the temperature of the formula? DD would refuse it if it was too cold. She also much preferred ready made formula to powdered. You could also cradle her as you give her the bottle, like you do when you BF, or try mixing expressed milk with formula to get him gradually used to the taste.

I returned to work at 9 months and DD had BM in the morning, was offered some in a bottle in the afternoon, the evening and then on night wakings. Initially she took very little in the afternoons but now sometimes more. TBH if you're feeding morning and evening plus potentially at night it is fine not have BM or formula during the day if he is eating well.

My DS was the same. He happily drank water but wouldn't touch formula or even expressed milk. He did happily drink cows milk a few months later. I just went with it - he breast fed when I was around and when I wasn't had solids and water. And we tried to get milk into some of the solids.

I always warm his milk up quite a bit anyway as he's never liked expressed milk cold or even at room temperature - has to be very warm. So far both types I've tried have been ready made so I did wonder what the taste difference would be compared to powdered. Obviously it's not the end of the world if I have to express at work - I have a fairly typical office job and could do it at lunchtime or on a break. Initially I did think that he might have dropped some milk feeds by that point but it's hard to tell what he will do. We have been weaning since 6mo but he doesn't always want to eat much solid food and it is a slow process (likes smooth purees and finger food/actual pieces of stuff, won't suffer lumpy/mashed stuff off a spoon).

I think I'm maybe getting a bit too stressed over it!

i mixed expressed breast milk with formula - more breast milk at first making gradual change to more formula, make sure temp is right you out of sight / sound etc

Same as lavender...I started with say 25% formula and 75% ebm in a bottle and gradually upped the formula. Only took a few bottles I think.

I think by that age he could cope without milk in the day if he has a good feed in the morning and when you pick him up.

Also have you tried milk or formula in a cup rather than a bottle?

Had a bottle refusenik at 7months and had to travel overseas for work when i went back then so DD1 had to go cold turkey in the end. So stressful, we tried every bottle and cup under the sun. Doctors/HV advice was just lots of dairy in food - cheese, yoghurt etc. She was fine and is a thriving, sturdy toddler who loves a glass of cold milk now.