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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

17 wk old - refusing introduction of ff

26 replies

weeonion · 27/08/2007 22:42

good evening folks. someof you on thuis topic list will have seen (many!!) threads from myself in the past re. bf. we are still going with exclusive bf but on our final 2 week trial. if we cant crack the latest troubles - we are stepping off the bf route.

in prep for this possibility i have trying to get dd to take some formula. screams to house down. she is normally a really calm, contented wee girl but jeez - that all changes when it comes near her. she has been used to a bottle of ebm a day.

i have tried to give it to her at diff times of day, dp has tried, tried sleepy feeds, tried mixed with ebm. nothing works.

i am worried that if (when) we end bf - i am gonna have real trouble getting her to take ff.

any suggestions??

OP posts:
SlightlyMadShockwave · 27/08/2007 22:45

IF you have to end bf she won't starve. She will take the bottle if she has to.

OldieMum · 27/08/2007 22:58

Something a little similar happened to me with DS last year. At about the same age, he started needing bf-ing about every forty-five minutes. I found it extremely difficult to manage, as I also had a three year-old DD. I had had no problems before, so had stopped expressing weeks before this. I tried to boost my supply by expressing and also considered switching to formula. He had a similar reaction to your daughter to all attempts at giving him both EBM and formula from a bottle. I tried lots of different kinds of bottle, including one developed for children with cleft palate (a suggestion from a MNetter). I'm afraid that nothing worked. I realise that you do not have this particular problem, but I am concerned about the advice to go cold turkey given by slightlymadshockwave. The vehemence of DS' aversion makes me think that it might not work and it would be extremely stressful for the baby. I'm afraid I don't know your circumstances. Is there any way that you could just keep breast-feeding? I just gave up, fed him a lot, used fenugreek tablets to help boost my supply and hung in for a few more weeks before giving him small amounts of baby rice and pureed veg to supplement the breast milk. Now he's thirteen months old and I'm still bf-ing twice a day. I am extremely glad I persisted and didn't try to have a battle with him over this. He has a huge appetite for food and I think he just needed lots of milk at that stage. It must have simply been too late for him to deal with an unfamiliar feeding method/taste. Perhaps it's the same for her.

bookthief · 27/08/2007 23:02

Have you tried a different brand? Maybe try a few of the ready-made cartons rather than having to buy full-size tins, although apparently the ready-made stuff tastes different again to the powder.

If she's fine with a bottle then presumably it's the different taste she's objecting to.

harpsichordcarrier · 27/08/2007 23:02

yes I would second the concern about cold turkey - a baby this young is susceptible to dehydration and could get very distressed.
one tip I picked up from here is to start diluting ebm with formula e.g. 90/10 % and gradually up the % of formula as she gets used to the taste

SlightlyMadShockwave · 27/08/2007 23:02
Original poster
weeonion · 27/08/2007 23:03

thanks for the replies.

i have waited til she is really really hungry and tried her then. still no go and tbh, she ended up so upset that i was not prepared to put her through it.

i dont think continuing bf will be an option. as i say - we are on a trial period to see if ongoing diffs can be resolved. i do not wanto start weaning her yet so it has to be ff. she is used to taking bottles - only they have been ebm.

OP posts:
OldieMum · 27/08/2007 23:04

But how would this work, other than by offering her nothing but the bottle, even if she got very distressed? Also, isn't there a danger of dehydration, if she refuses several feeds?

harpsichordcarrier · 27/08/2007 23:05

sorry SMS didn't mean to jump o nyou. I have heard of babies refusing to take bottles for several days. it isn't always the case that babies know what's best for them.

harpsichordcarrier · 27/08/2007 23:05

yes, there is a danger of dehydration.

Original poster
weeonion · 27/08/2007 23:05

book theif - hi there we have tried the wee cartons of sma, aptimal and hip organic. and we have tried mixing it with ebm to "soften" the taste.

really hate teh thought of giving up bf and this seems to make it more of a battle.

OP posts:
OldieMum · 27/08/2007 23:06

Some people mix EBM and formula. Could you try this and then gradually increase the ratio of formula to EBM?

OldieMum · 27/08/2007 23:06

crossed post, sorry.

SlightlyMadShockwave · 27/08/2007 23:09

As I said I wasn't trying to say - this is how I suggest you do it - moer of a

at the moment you are bf, in the future you will (accoring to OP) be ff. you will get from a to b and all will be fine in the end (but I don't know how to get to the end).

As I said I realise it could be mis-interpretted and I apologise for that. No offence takken HC or oldie - I see my mistake.

OldieMum · 27/08/2007 23:11

No offence meant, either, slightlymadshockwave. We're all just trying to help.

bookthief · 27/08/2007 23:12

weeonion

NormaStanleyFletcher · 27/08/2007 23:15

I was going to suggest different bottles, but if she is already taking ebm in a bottle then it can't be that?

Mix maybe, as others wiser than I have said. I presume the temp is the same wit hth e EBM and the Formula?

In that case it must be taste? Or smell?

Get one of your (used) bras wrapped around the bottle?

NormaStanleyFletcher · 27/08/2007 23:15

PS - don't know why you need to swap?

But good luck

bookthief · 27/08/2007 23:20

How are you with expressing or does the thought just make you want to tear your hair out?

Just thinking of it as a way to give you some space and time for dd to get used to the formula without you having such a stressful time limit. I totally understand that with all your problems you'll want to stick by your decision to stop direct bf if this trial doesn't work out (and eventually move to ff - asp).

When solids come in a month or so it'll take some of the pressure off milk at least.

daisyandbabybootoo · 27/08/2007 23:22

weeonion, I've been reading some of your ealrier threads and feel so for you. I have nothing to suggest other than starting say 90/10 ebm/formula and stepping it up as suggested by harpsichordcarrier, but wanted to lend my support.

You should be really proud of the fact that inspite of all the problems you have had you have managed to keep it going for 17 weeks and have given your DD the best possible start in life. I'm amazed I'm still going at 12 weeks as I gave up at 5.5 weeks with DS due to difficulties latching and lack of real support.

I hope things settle down for you soon.

Original poster
weeonion · 27/08/2007 23:39

thanks folks. we will just stick with it and keep trying!

OP posts:
JodieG1 · 27/08/2007 23:50

What were the problems you had with bf? Didn't see earlier threads. Why are you on a final 2 week trial?

Original poster
weeonion · 28/08/2007 00:06

dont really want to go into it all again jodie - but it has been a long and difficult path.

OP posts:
JodieG1 · 28/08/2007 00:07

Ok fair enough I'm rubbish at searching threads (I tried! lol) so have no idea why. Hope you work things out

Original poster
weeonion · 28/08/2007 00:12

jodi - if you really want to know - then do go to "search for messages" by weeonion in the past few months! should get you there!!

OP posts:
JodieG1 · 28/08/2007 08:43

Just searched and you've had an awful time and have done brilliantly to get as far as you have

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