5 mo will take breastmilk from bottle but not formula!

[Laurawills]

I have been breastfeeding my son since birth but in the last 10 weeks he has only gained 100 grams. At the hospital appointment this week the consultant advised to top up with formula and begin weaning. We have been trying to bottle feed the last week with no success. Today we tried with expressed breast milk and my son guzzled it down.

This is great but I have supply issues so really need him to take formula from the bottle not just expressed breast milk. Any ideas?

Try mixing half formula / half breastmilk to start with! Just reduce the amount of breastmilk in it.

Add some vanilla extract to the formula and then reduce the amount until it's unadulterated.

Mix it, as suggested. I got my daughter from expressed milk to formula that way. I started off with 10% formula and moved to 100% over several weeks. She didn't seem to notice.

Thanks for the replies. Due to low supply I really struggle to express, managed 2oz at lunchtime then 4oz about 4pm so not much to mix with formula!

Mrs aukerman how much vanilla extract? Does it just make it sweeter?

I went out today with my 3yo and baby took the 2oz of expressed and nothing else. Not good when he is struggling to gain weight. Am very confused as to what to do.

I wouldn't use vanilla unless your doctor says it's ok? You would have to wean them off vanilla at some point too. What I did was mix 3/4 breast milk with 1/4 formula and then did this for 3 feeds and then when 1/2 each, then 1/4 breast milk and by that point they didn't mind formula. 4 oz is not a bad effort for expressing btw. Just store it in the back of the fridge and combine what you have collected, using oldest milk first. Think you can keep up to 2 days if sealed in back of fridge.

I've not done vanilla myself but someone on my postnatal group has. I shall send her over here.

Hello, I've been sent over! Yes you can use Vanilla Extract at first, my GP said it was fine. You only use a few drops per bottle so it makes no difference.

Basically you add enough drops until it has a whiff of vanilla milkshake. Its vwry palatable then. After a day of two, you reduce the drops and after a week or so they'll drink it on its own.

We use Neocate which is the foulest formula known to man. If it worked with that, it'd work with anything!

Try not to add flavours as you are just storing up future issues for yourselves. Change your milk brand. Guessing you are using SMA or similar which smells really un-appetising. We had the same issue a long, long time ago and used HIPP organic formula. It was like a miracle.

By the way, we're weaning currently and he eats every damn thing I put in front of him. So it didn't cause any problems. Mind you, i'm not sure what problems a few drops of vanilla would cause, tbh.......

Not much to add here but is say avoid pre-mixed formula. It tastes & smells worse than freshly made. Also try different temperatures - some babies like the milk warm & some like it cool. Different brands obviously make a difference. It's a lot of trial & error...you'll get there eventually.

One important thing I found out when introducing formula to my ebf baby at 5 months was that the timing of the feed was crucial for formula acceptance. Baby should be just about hungry and not too tired. I tried Aptamil with NUK bottles & latex teats - she took to it very well - but only when hungry.

Thanks all, I am off shopping in the morning for some milk powder and vanilla. I have tried aptamil, c&g, sma and hipp organic but all from the premixed cartons. Will let you know how we get on.

Please get medical advice before using vanilla extract. This is something the hcps who know your baby's history and have all the facts should advise on and not people giving you third hand tips, sorry.

Just call them tomorrow and ask.

Hope things get easier for you.

Definitely listen to tiktok over pretty much anyone else when it comes to this topic. I only mentioned vanilla extract as I know it worked for Annarose so I thought I'd put the idea out there. I hope you find a way to get your baby's weight gain going again. Seeing as you're already under a consultant check with him regarding adding anything etc.

MrsA, vanilla extract might be fine, especially as OP's baby is not a newborn, I have no idea. I just get twitchy when unusual dietary tips or modifications to formula are shared that might have been fine for Baby A but might not be for Baby B or Baby C :)