Breast to bottle. Formula refuser 5 months old

[turningitaround]

Hi. DC3 is just under five months and 'til now EBF. I'm going back to work (more or less full time) next week. We have tried a couple of half days with childmInder and he will take a bottle of expressed breast milk, but will not touch the formula we have tried. I can express one small bottle for him a day (4oz) but that's it. So today, I dropped him at 0800 (last feed 0600). He drank the breast milk at 0900 and then slept for an hour as usual. I picked him up at 1400 and he had refused formula. Was hungry but not starving (not crying reasonably happy).

Up to now he's been fed on demand - every 2-3 hours in day time. Last feed ca. 2300, then sleeps most nights til ca 0600, which is fine. I have a real demanding job and two other kids that don't sleep well. I really can't risk reverse cycling (where he would BF all night) or express much at work. My plan had been to do one feed in the morning ca. 0600, express one bottle before work and BF a couple of times in the evening, but this depends on him taking something else (formula/food) in the day.

What could we try? Should I start to wean at 5 months? Try a different formula?

Can you express any more EBM, perhaps after your last night feed? I know it would be a pain, but your DS may be happier taking that than taking formula - and of course it's cheaper!!

If you hired a hospital grade pump you'd be able to express much more, too. When I hired mine I could get around 10oz in 10mins, as opposed to around 5oz in 30mins with the Tommee Tippee electric pump. That way you could perhaps get two feeds worth in one pumping session.

Thanks. I use an Avent pump. With the last two DC I seemed a lot more efficient. I even used to donate to a milk bank with DD1. But I did start expressing much earlier. This time round it just seems soooo slow. I don't know if it's my (aged) body, the pump or my 'mindset' (can't wait to chuck out the nursing bras for ever). I could try and rent an electric pump though. That might be a good idea. But I'm not sure I'll want to do it at work anymore - my office doesn't lock and the nearest dedicated space is a 10min walk.

I found that DD1 wasn't mad keen on formula, but her least hated one was Cow & Gate and she preferred it flat cold from the fridge. She only had it for a few weeks until she turned 1, but that was the best we found so you may have luck if you try different types of formula and different temperatures. Also she would never take a bottle, but would drink formula from a cup (when in the right mood) so might be worth trying a cup.

I have read somewhere that you can mix breastmilk and formula and gradually reduce the amount of breastmilk whilst they get used to the taste, but never tried that one myself.