5.5 month old will not take formula and I have to stop breastfeeding

[kimbobby2000]

Hi, I'm not massively computer-minded so I apologise if there is another thread like this but I couldn't find anything that could help and I'm so worried that its starting to make me ill...

I started weaning my 5 and a half month old about a week or so ago. Before that, he was exclusively breast-fed and the plan was to gradually get him on to formula for when I go back to work (I go back in March). I have been trying since before Christmas to get him to take a bottle, and he will just not take it, formula or expressed milk. I have tried to go cold turkey, but he went for 18 hours without any milk or food until I couldn't take the crying anymore. I won't be doing it again. He won't even take expressed milk from a cup or syringe. I've tried everything people have suggested, different bottles, different people feeding him, different positions, different temperatures etc etc. nothing makes a difference.

I am going back to work in March and sometimes I have to go away overnight depending on where I am working, so I can't even cut down to morning and evening BF.

He LOVES any solid food I give him, and I am finding I can put formula in cereals, rice etc etc, but that is the only way I can get him to take it.

My HV said that some babies never take a bottle and said if I want to stop BF then I should just stop (I currently BF him 3-4 times a day) and try and give him as much dairy as possible to give him the fats and calcium that he needs and just keep trying with a cup or bottle of formula because he might take it one day.

He is in the 91st percentile for weight, but I'm still worried that he won't be getting enough milk. I just don't know what to do for the best.

Any advice would be appreciated. I suffer from anxiety anyway and the extra stress is causing havoc with my digestive system :-(

Thanks

Can you replace each milk feed while you're working with eg readibrek made with formula/ mash potato made with formula. Maybe as runny as you can spoon, and as close to volume of desired feed you can. Or space the milk " meals " out. I think you want to try meet his volume requirements for his age with formula if you can (I think it might be more like 7-9 months to start substituting too much with yoghurts/ custards etc)

Also could you breast feed him around work hours as you gradually cut back?

Have you tried a doidy cup?

I haven't tried a doidy cup, but I tried giving him a training cup with the lid off and he just waves his arms to push it away. I don't think a doidy cup would be any different to that- or maybe it would?

Woodifer I think that is what I am going to end up doing just to get milk in him, but when I read how much other people's babies drink, I can't see how that would get anywhere near that amount! I think I can keep him full that way, I just feel like he might be missing out on nutrients.

I'm going back to work full time, so will be away from him 8am-6pm on the days I am working locally so I could feed him morning and evening on those days, but if I do this I have to tell my work that I can't take any away jobs which I don't think they would be very happy about.

I did about the same to you, but from 7 months. Just fed first thing and last thing (and usually at least one night feed...). Your milk doesn't dry up that quickly either IME so perfectly ok to expect to have the odd night away.

I'd recommend straw cups. It was the only thing DD would drink from and I've gone straight to that with DS.

It's stressful but he will drink and he will be fine. I worried and tried lots of things but wish id relaxed a little. Not helpful if you suffer anxiety, I know, as can suffer myself.