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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Any tips on quitting breast-feeding?

14 replies

KitKat1985 · 24/02/2015 10:18

Hi all. DD is 5 and a half months old. I'd like to start the process of quitting breastfeeding for various reasons and moving her onto formula. After a bit of experimentation she seems much more receptive to having milk from a beaker than a bottle, which is fine (so for example yesterday she had a whole formula feed from her cup). However she's still pretty fussy and if she's tired, grumpy or just not in the mood nothing but the boob will do for her (not helped by her tending to breast-feed herself to sleep). There's no immediate rush (and I've only just started) so I can do this over a few weeks, and I'm hoping as she starts solids she'll gradually get less milk-focused, but I'm wondering if anyone had any tips for me?

OP posts:
ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate · 24/02/2015 14:51

Both my boys were a bit tricky (I put them onto formula in the day from 5.5 months when I was going back to work with BF morning and evening).

We couldn't get any bottles to work but free-flowing sippy cups worked well (despite being a bit messy). We also had to experiment with different brands for DS2 (fussy thing!)

I found it worked best to feed formula with DS in the high chair, not cuddled against me (especially as I was continuing to BF morning and evening).

I replaced a feed a day (roughly - we weren't in a fixed routine) for a week, then the next week I dropped 2 feeds for a week, then 3 feeds for a week until just before I went back to work DS was going 9 hours without a BF (I'm out the house for 11 hours). It was also best to go slowly for my supply!!!

DS1 took to it quite well. DS2 didn't at all. But he's gotten a lot better and accepts formula better from other people than from me.

From what I've read the hardest feed to drop is the evening one, and thats the one I didn't drop until DS1 was 2 (DS2 is still BF morning, evening and night).

If you do an advanced search there are lots of threads with advice on this subject. Good luck Smile

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 25/02/2015 07:52

Thanks ISpiderman. I've done a bit of searching on here but all I've really gleamed so far is to cut down one feed at a time and persist with it. The past few days DD has seemed to be more receptive to having formula (from a free-flow cup) in the evening, so I'm thinking to offer formula only between say 5pm to bedtime tonight, and gradually only offer formula from earlier and earlier in the day (4pm onwards, then 3pm, etc) until she gets used to it, which sounds similar to what you did. I think I'll deal with nightfeeds last because at the moment DD uses me to boob feed to sleep when she wakes in the night, so that's going to be particularly tricky. xx

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MrsCaptainReynolds · 25/02/2015 11:22

I'm doing the same and struggling. DS has been eBF till now, not even a bottle of expressed milk. Would like to shift to formula but can't get a bottle in to him. Will try a cup...

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 25/02/2015 15:19

MrsCaptain DD wasn't interested in bottles either but will (reluctantly) take from a tommee tippee free-flow cup, so worth trying. How old is your DS?

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MrsCaptainReynolds · 26/02/2015 18:22

He's 23 weeks. Have now tried the freeflow cup. Managed half an ounce! But that took about 45 minutes...

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 26/02/2015 20:01

Ahh, pretty much exactly the same age then as my DD (she's 24 weeks tomorrow). It's bloody hard isn't it. On the positive side DD only took about an 1oz yesterday evening but took about 3oz this evening, so I'm counting that as progress! Hoping this gets easier as she gets more used to it. x

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MrsCaptainReynolds · 26/02/2015 21:18

Are you trying any food yet? We've had some experimentation -some banana, sweet potato, some butternut squash. I'm adding formula to mashed food, hoping to get him more used to the taste.

I really hope I can get him moving on painlessly. I feel terribly guilty about it, but also want to get my cycle back and ?maybe? have one more...

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 26/02/2015 21:30

I know what you mean about the guilt. I try to remind myself though that many people don't manage bf this long so overall we've done well. Part of me would like one more eventually as well (she's my only one at the moment) but struggling in general right now so have mixed thoughts on it all.

We started with foods last weekend. Tried a few things - mashed carrot, swede, banana, avocado and baby porridge. She's not at all interested at the moment, and is actively turning away when I try to spoon some into her mouth. May also try adding some formula to get her used to the taste but she seems really unkeen on being spoon fed, so may have to go down more of a BLW route.

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MrsRolandRat · 26/02/2015 22:14

I bf my dd (now 16 months) exclusively until she was 6.5 months. I wanted to give up before this but she was having none of it.
Bottle refuser also (as many ebf are) we tried every bottle on the market. I had carrier bags full of bottles I'd purchased and she has turned her nose up at!

We finally got her to drink from a mam silk teat bottle. It took a lot of persistence from my DP and I had to leave the house so she knew I wasn't around. I left overnight and Dp did the bedtime and night feeds (she was a rubbish sleeper and used my boob to fall asleep on) it went well, she took a bottle and he didn't have too much of a hellish night.

She was very reluctant to take a bottle from me and I continued to mix feed until she was 8 months old. She slowly got used to taking a bottle from me at nightime and then from 8 months old she was completely bottle fed.

It's a slow long process but if a bottle is her only option she will take it. I assure you I have the most strong willed stubborn little madam.

Good Luck, bf is great in so many ways however I found it very tying as I couldn't leave her to go anywhere as I was solely responsible for feeding.

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 28/02/2015 20:50

Hi MrsRoland. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience of giving up bf. It gives me hope that it is possible! x

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MrsCaptainReynolds · 01/03/2015 10:57

We got 3 ounces in yesterday with freeflow cup -the one the health visitors give you!

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 01/03/2015 18:32

Ooh well done! Grin We have also had some success - the past two days DD has accepted a bottle! Wahoo! x

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MrsCaptainReynolds · 02/03/2015 12:19

A bottle, that's great news! That's my holy grail, nothing settles baby down for a nap like a boob or bottle, freeflow cups will only take me so far.

At least I've got him acceoting the taste now. Bottles are my mission this week. If we manage I get a night out on Saturday (tickets to a comedy gig). If we don't Dh is going with the babysitter (his mother) instead!

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 02/03/2015 12:32

Ahh I hope it works. I'm crossing my fingers for you that you get to go on Saturday! xx

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