Help! Leaving an EBF 4 month old

[ChairOfTheBored]

My DD is 4 months, and has been EBF since birth. We tried to introduce expressed breast milk in a bottle, but she would rarely take it.

A family emergency means I may have to go abroad for a few days, and I may have to leave DD with my DH (rather than subject her to the flight, heat and days spent in intensive care unit).

What can I do to help this be less of a shock for her (and DH!) and to try to ensure she eats and can hopefully return to BF when I'm back? She took a bottle of expressed milk yesterday, but when we tried formula she wasn't having it (is it sweeter or a different taste?). Am expressing as much as I can and freezing some of it.

Thanks if you've stuck with this, and for any advice.

I'm not entirely sure really, maybe try cup feeding her as she may be less shocked at getting a different taste from a different method of feeding if that makes sense. I'm not sure if you can mix formula and breast milk but maybe if you can that could help.

Sorry I'm not of much use!

This might not be much use but I have a 4.5 month old and started introducing expressed bottles occasionally at 4 months. Here are my tips:

-research said put baby in a different position eg a chair, not in your arms so bottle feeding is completely different than breast. This did not work for my baby. Cradling her and bottle feeding as close to breast as possible worked.
-I was told to use size 2 teats as she was over 3 months. These choked her, 1s were perfect.
-I read not to let baby be too hungry to feed. I found when she was hungry and wanted food was actually best.

It did take a few attempts to get her use to it but she will now take a bottle every couple of days when I need her to.

Thanks both. I have to go tonight, so am going cold turkey. It's killing me, but I have no choice.. Have left this thread for DH so he can try your tips.