Please help me stop breastfeeding.

[KitKat1985]

DD2 is 5 months old later this week. She used to take the odd bit of expressed breast milk from a bottle, but now she won't even do that. I'd like to move onto formula now so me and DH can share nightfeeds more and I can get a bit of freedom back and be able to go out for a few hours. But everytime I offer her a bottle she just plays around with it and / or gags on it. I may sometimes be able to get an ounce in her but that's more because it drips into her mouth rather than she's feeding ifswim, HV suggested offering milk from a beaker. I've tried and whilst she may take a few sips she doesn't take enough for it to be a proper feed. Help!

We used MAM bottles and dh gave them!! You need to keep you and your boobs out of sight /smell!!

Okay, may look into those. I tried a Mimbie bottle but didn't have much more luck than with a regular avent one.

Yeah DH has tried but not had much luck either.

I would also suggest your dh trying to give the feed with you out of the room to see if there's any improvement. Keep trying and if it works, build up the amount of feeds given by bottle. It will just take a little while for dc to get used to the difference in feeds, but she'll get used to it. Good luck

The problem is she can probably smell the milk on you. Perhaps you should go away to a naice hotel for a couple of nights and leave dh to it

I think last poster's advice is spot on. DD rightly believes that a breast feed will satisfy her. Feeding has several purposes i.e. Thirst/ hunger/ physical comfort/sleep etc. She needs to learn that a bottle can provide these and she will be able to but it doesn't happen( usually) in a few days, in the circumstance that there was no option for an extended while she would have to drink for the first two reasons but in your scenario there is no need for shock tactics and so it will just take a bit of perseverance ... don't worry

Okay, maybe at the weekend I'll say to DH I'm going out for 2-3 hours (long enough so she gets hungry but obviously not so long that she's starving) and he needs to just offer a bottle without her being able to smell my milk.

My 5 month old didn't used to take a bottle either. Now DH does one bottle a night at his first wake up but it took about 2 weeks of doing it for him to take a decent amount and accept it.

Persevere, and let DH do it without you being anywhere near!