Can't get 4-month old onto a bottle of expressed milk

[Alexmum15]

Has anyone got any advice? My (only child so far) daughter is nearly four months, I have been exclusively breastfeeding on demand. However, I'm keen to regain just a little independence and would like her to be able to take an expressed feed from a bottle, eventually from someone else. Also at 8 months I'll be going back to work!
She just won't take a bottle, we're warming to the correct temp, my husband has been trying to give her the bottle so she can't smell me and want the real thing. I have tried, and she is slightly calmer with me. She never took to a dummy and uses the breast as a comforter as well I believe. She won't suck, or at least not for more than a second or so. She gags if we squeeze a little into her mouth. She cries so much it's distressing and my husband gets frustrated and annoyed. Help!

When getting my DD on to bottles in preparation for going back to work I used to offer breast first to take the edge off for her and then offer bottle. She was about 7m then and had been a bottle refuser up to that point.

What sort of bottle are you using? With DS (21wks) we have successfully used NUK with latex teats which are reckoned to be closer to bfing.

similar to mrsmalcolmreynolds here too, i used to hold baby as though to breastfeed, offer nipple, then slip the bottle in while still holding baby close, as though to breastfeed, also singing to her helped while doing all of this

First thing I would check is your milk. It's pretty rare but some women can't store their milk without it effecting the taste. Mine goes foul. It took us a long time and one helpful mumsnetter before we realised it. Do a taste test, fresh vs stored.

Lots of people recommend trying different bottles but be wary of the miracle cure, this works for everyone suggestions.

Some babies never accept bottles but don't panic! You can cup feed (have a look on youtube) and at 8 months your baby can have milk in a sippy cup and maybe on solids so don't stress about bottles to much.

If you're going back to work at 8 months, she can drink from a beaker with a spout or straw by then.

Soon she'll be on solids so you can introduce a beaker then.

But def check your milk - try formula to see if she'll take that as could be the taste.

Bottles are not the be all and end all, although it feels like it. With my second, I went back to work at 9 months but she has never had a bottle!

Thank you all for the advice, I will keep trying but will not stress over it. I'll try the milk to see if it's nasty and will see if she takes formula just for info.