Baby refusing formual after breastfeeding for 6 months

9 replies

ohh · 24/01/2008 10:21

I am delighted that i have been able to breastfeed my second baby for so long, he had to atart solids at 15 weeks as was not gaining enough weight. Now he is waking up every two hours at night time to feed from me, after going for five hours at night and I think he needs more milk. So wanted to give him formual. PROBLEM! Although accepts a n avent teat ini his mouth (2 hole one) when filled with pear or apple juice he will chew it, as think he is starting to teeth, and takes about 1/2 an ounze more by chewing than sucking!. Put formula (SMA) into bottle and he refuses teat, spits it out. Treid secveral makes of teat with same forula, tommee tipee, nubuck, prefers avent, but not formula. HElp have i left it too long? Do i need to starve him of me? he also has 3 meals of solids a day and is now a very healty weight. I just want to be able to feed him a bottle, and i cannot get enough of when i express.(sad)

OP posts:

BabiesEverywhere · 24/01/2008 11:04

I am a bit confused, if your breastfed baby wants more milk can't you just fit in another nursing session and so he gets more breastmilk ? Or are you looking for advice on weaning off the breast ?

Original poster

ohh · 24/01/2008 20:47

Hi babies everywhere

In reality i think that what I'm trying to do is wean him off me. He has never actually gone thru the night, but used to sleep better when younger. With my first she had formula from 6 weeks as was not gaining weight. I don't know if it was a conincidence but she went through the night almost straight away.

Everytime he wakes at night, apporx every two to three hours i put him to my breast and he suckles, it might just be a comfort thing for him, or it could be that he isn't getting enough, hence if he had a formula bottle at bedtime, i could then know he had 8oz and just try to resettle him.

He is also very long and heavy now so my arms are killing me! i think my main problem is that he has a very strong temper and its easier to give in.

OP posts:

Original poster

ohh · 24/01/2008 20:47

Hi babies everywhere

He is also very long and heavy now so my arms are killing me! i think my main problem is that he has a very strong temper and its easier to give in.

OP posts:

fairylights · 24/01/2008 20:51

my ds refused to take formula OR a bottle until he was 10 mo at which point he didn't seem to want to bf any more and just wanted to bite me! Not sure what did it exactly but certainly one day he just seemed to take it - but this was after a LOT of attempts!! I would have bf for longer if he had wanted to but there we go.

Smamfa · 24/01/2008 20:56

My dd did exactly the same thing to me at six months, which was a real pain because I needed to go back to work. However, she was a bonny babe and so I was advised to express everything and get other people to feed her during the day time. My cousin cracked her in the end, but it was a battle of wills and lasted two days. She is still strong-willed, can't hink where she gets it .

Original poster

ohh · 24/01/2008 21:59

When i have tried to express only get about 1 oz max out so don't really want to try that again as it is so dishearting. Shall i keep trying to get him to take formula in bottles after his solids feed then? My mum thinks i should wait till he sits up then give him a cup, but i don't think its the bottle, more the formula.

OP posts:

fordfiesta · 24/01/2008 22:05

ds refused anything but being bf until 9 months when he started nursery and then had very little choice but to take formula. Have you tried just going out for the day and leaving someone else with a couple of bottles of formula just to see how they get on??? maybe he would accept it from someone else...

pukkapatch · 24/01/2008 22:06

he is a smart kid who knows what is better for him.
just keep breastfeeding him

Brangelina · 24/01/2008 22:12

Off on a tangent, but please don't give your baby fruit juice from a bottle, it's a fast route to tooth decay. Wait till he can drink it from a cup. He doesn't need fruit juice at this age anyway, too much sugar and too few calories. Better a bfeed or formula. Milk really should be the n°1 food at this age anyway.

Flip