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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

HELP!! Getting breastfed 9month old to accept formula

29 replies

babeMom · 24/07/2007 11:20

I am trying to introduce formula milk to my 9 month old who has been exclusively breastfed but he's not having it at all. Tried Aptamil, SMA, Cow & Gate, HIpp but no luck at all.
He has solids 3 times a day but he still needs milk, please any advice on how to make this transition to formula?; I am due to return to work in a few weeks and I don't have enough breastmilk to express for him in my absence...

OP posts:
EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 11:22

Not an expert, but can you give cow's milk during the day and bf in the evenings/early mornings? I express, but DS is taking less and less emb during the day as he has figured out bf is on tap when I'm at home

meandmy · 24/07/2007 11:23

have you tried out of a beaker?
my dd has the avent magic cups and you can take the valve off so it drips, keep trying have you asked your hv?

EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 11:24

there was some discussion on here about giving alternatives to formula after 6 months - will have a search

tiktok · 24/07/2007 11:25

Is it the bottle he rejects, or the contents of it, babeMom? If it is the bottle, have you tried a cup?

Having said that, if you're not going back to work for a few weeks, then you can give ordinary cows milk when you go back....standard advice is to give formula as a drink only after a year, but a month or so before isn't going to be a big deal, and in any case, he will be having breastmilk as well when you are with him.

If you are not away for hours and hours and hours every day. he can manage without milk anyway - just have breastmilk on the days you are with him.

Original poster
babeMom · 24/07/2007 11:26

I can't give him cow's milk yet because it isn't recommended until about 12 months or so.
Also, i have tried the Avent sipie cup but even when it does drip into his mouth, he spits it out and makes his face look like he's just tastes poison!!

OP posts:
EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 11:28

Wsa hoping tiktok would be along

MerryMarigold · 24/07/2007 11:29

friend had a similar prob. in the end she bf'd morning and evening, and once in night. Put some formula milk in food whilst at nursery and had yoghurts/ water as well. She was stressed at first but her dd seemed to have enough milk to keep going and is totally healthy.

witchandchips · 24/07/2007 11:30

tiktok knows better but you can give cows milk so long as ds is still getting enough breast or formula in a day. With 2 breast feeds a day and nore when you are not at work, you should be fine. Many babies are only on 2 feeds a day at this age anyway

aquababe · 24/07/2007 11:34

my hv adviced introducing cows milk when I was getting fustrated with formula refusal. that was when dd was around 10 months.

These things are guidelines not laws

I'm sure your return to work is stressing you enough with out worrying so much about formula.
check with you hv but I'm sure she'd be fine about introducing it at 10 months when your still bf of an morning and evening.
I was actually a little hurt at just how much my dd loved cows milk!

EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 11:35

It is MUCH easier at this age - I went back at 6 months when DS was only just starting solids so getting through a lot of milk - lots of faffing about with expressing. Now I express once a day if I can (to build up freezer stocks as well as for feeds) but he's perfectly happy on water if there's no milk available.

aquababe · 24/07/2007 11:35

oh was still still doing bfs morning & night

moondog · 24/07/2007 11:36

Cows milk is fine,although mine went quite happily without milk of any sort (I was still breastfeeding) from 8 mths when i went to work f/t.They had water or juice in the day.

Therei s no law to say babies have to have formula you know.

Save your money and spend it on yourself instead.

jorange5 · 24/07/2007 11:38

Hi babeMom, my babe was just like yours in that she pulled a right face is i ever tried to give her formula. She is 9mo now and still BF but gets formula if i am not around and basically she just started to accept it gradually. For ages the formula would get made then refused then chucked away then occasionally it would be drunk and now she will drink about 3-4oz at a time.

However much formula she drinks though, she always has room for a big BF when i come back so i dont think she associates formula with feeding iykwim.

BTW, SMA tastes vile and stale so dont bother there. I buy cow and gate because it is £5 a box in asda and tastes ok to me. Also, i give her it out of this which is bloody brilliant imho

tiktok · 24/07/2007 11:39

babeMom, the 12 months thing is not written in stone! It's a reasonable 'one size fits all' guideline which takes in all the babies who have no breastmilk at this age, all the babies who are fussy with solids, all the babies whose growth and nutrition have caused problems in the preceding months.

But it's not going to be essential for every individual baby.

Try an ordinary cup -some babies manage these fine!

meandmy · 24/07/2007 11:43

could you use expressed milk in the beaker then change it? like everyone else is saying my dd has had just 2 bottles milk one first thing one after her bedtime bath and has water/juice in the day and has done since 9mo

ThursdayNext · 24/07/2007 11:46

I went back to work DS was 8/9 months and I just breastfeed morning and evening, and he had water from a cup in the day
This worked fine, I didn't try to give him bottles as it seemed pointless introducing them at this stage, and he was chubby and healthy
He had cows milk on cereal and had yoghurt and cheese for dairy. He's never really drunk milk at all, not fussy at all generally but just doesn't seem to like milk
Like everyone says, guidelines are just that
How often is your DS breastfeeding in the day at the moment? I guess you may need to start cutting down now so you're not uncomfortable at work?

KnitterInTheNW · 24/07/2007 12:05

Apparently the ready mixed formula is a more acceptable flavour, because it's made with UHT milk so is a bit 'sweeter'. Could maybe give it a try if you want to carry on trying?

Original poster
babeMom · 24/07/2007 12:09

To be honest, I still breastfeed on demand but i'm working on cutting it down.
Whilst we are here, any tips on how to reduce/stop the breasts filling up? Or would i have to express milk in a corner at luch time while at work?

OP posts:
EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 12:12

babeMom: if you want to express at work, your company should provide somewhere comfortable to do so (I use the first aid room). It should NOT be a toilet.

If you don't want to express, you may find you need to hand express a little milk occasionally to relieve engorgement, but it should settle down again. BTW, hand expressing is a good trick to learn anyway - have lst count of the number of times I've forgotten my b pump and had to nip put to buy a spare bottle to express into!

tiktok · 24/07/2007 12:14

Effie - expressing into a bottle has got to be the worst recepticle! You can express into anything as long as it's clean - and something with a wider mouth than a bottle is far better at catching everything

EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 12:16

From the Working Families website:

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations specify that breastfeeding women
must have suitable facilities to rest. The regulations do not state what this includes but you
should talk to your employer about finding somewhere suitable. Ideally, you will need a
private, clean, warm room with a chair and access to a fridge but certainly you should not be
expected to express milk in the ladies toilet. European Commission guidelines (2000)
recommend that breastfeeding workers should have:
access to a private room in which to express milk.
use of secure, clean refrigerators for storing expressed milk and facilities for washing,
sterilising and storing receptacles and
time off (without loss of pay or benefits, and without fear of penalty) to express milk or
breastfeed.
It may be a health and safety risk if your employer is unable to provide these facilities. If you
are dismissed or treated less well because you are breastfeeding you may have a claim for
sex discrimination.

EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 12:17

I have noticed that . But what (bear in mind that I work in Central London and household-type shops are rare)

mears · 24/07/2007 12:22

babeMom - if you want your baby to have milk when you are at work them all you have to do is start expressing small amounts at a time, which soon mount up.

However, he does not NEED milk when you are working. Feed him before you go or when you get back.

Are you working full-time? When do you leave home and when do you get back?

If you do get full breasts at work you could express milk to take back home with you.

It is most likely that your baby won't actually want it.

There is definitely no need to introduce formula at this age - really.

tiktok · 24/07/2007 12:24

Effie - you could use an office coffee mug to express into, as long as you washed it well in hot soapy water, rinsed it and left it to air dry (or dried it on a paper towel ie not the manky tea towel people use for weeks on end!!) . An older, predominantly breastfed baby does not need to have her expressing gear sterilised.

Then you could cover the milk in the office fridge and collect it the next day and put it into something else and then into your coolbag for transport home

EffiePerine · 24/07/2007 12:26

Aha - will try that, thanks [thick emoticon]. I stopped sterlising anything months ago . You have saved me from covering myself in paper towels to avoid being splattered with milk