DESPERATE- no luck from breast to bottle

[maisiebabe]

My DD is 14 weeks old and I'm going back to work in 4 weeks. I need to get her onto a bottle and into a routine so that she can go to nursery. I have tried all bottles, teats, cups known to man and beast but to no avail....so, having talked to a couple of other mums and the HV who is being v supportive, I am now with holding the boob, the theory being that she'll get so hungry that she'll take a bottle (tommee tippee closer to nature). She last breastfed at 4am today and has taken about 2 oz all day. She's not screaming all the time but cries when a bottle goes near her- I got tiny bits of EBM in when she was dozing. It's hellish and I feel like s**t- does anyone else have any experience with this? How long do I let her go without breastfeeding, and if I do, then surely I'll be back to square one? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGh!!!!!!

what i did is put on DP jumper and new breast pads and I had to be standing up with her bouncing her and singing the bladen races and just let her cry/temper away (sometimes took like 15 minutes for her to take it) until she was just tired out. I think that after a while she knew that this is the only way she'll get fed. Hold your ground. your DD should hopefully get that this is the way its gunna be from now on.
I used to try giving her a bottle before bed time for a week and when I FINALLY decided that i'm stopping breast feeding I started her first bottle in the morning and it was only a 5 minute struggle then just started to take it straight away
Your the mum and you tell her what to do. all the best to you and DD

It is worrying when you think they might starve at nursery, but 1 month is such a long time away in a 14 week old. They change dramatically. Don't worry too much about the bottles until at least 3 weeks time. I think the nursery may find it easier to give bottles than you - new environment, new routine. By 18 weeks she wil be able to manage a cup so much easier as well.

have you tried closer to nature or orthodontic teats?

Katzg- the haberman feeder wou;ld be great- how do I CAT you?!

Nappyaddict- have tried all varieties of teats that I can find. Stuck last nigjht with Tomme Tippee closer to Nature just to try not confusing her totally.

Mears- She took a bottle at the 10.30 feed when she was pretty much asleep, I BF at 2am and 4am and tried a bottle a moment ago and to my utter despair she refused....was yesterday's trauma all for nothing?? so what do I do now? BF or hold out again til she takes the bottle? DH at work so I'm on my own whatever I decide.

I'm going back full time and she's going to nursery 4 days a week. I'm building up a stock of EBM for her and wanted to try and get into some kind of routine before she went so the change wasn't too stressful for her. By the time she's ready for nursery , I'll be ready for a week in a darkened room with padded walls....

you just click on the little envelope at the side of my post

Maisiebabe, I can completely sympathise. I have been having the same traumas wth my DD who had taken a bottle before, but then for some reason flatly refused when we tried this week. I tried all of the different teats & she managed to take a small amount from Tommee Tippee as your DD did. My DH managed to get her to take a bit more - sure it must be true that DD associates mum with breast milk. We also got better results by making the milk warmer & using the slowest flowing teat so she could really suck on it. She still didn't seem overly keen, but at least she took some & it felt like progress. I think as someone else said that warming the teat can help too.
At least you know that she can do it, so that's some encouragement. Sure all will be fine when she goes to nursery - good luck