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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

I need to stop breastfeeding but he won't take bottles

30 replies

Geordiebabe85 · 02/02/2023 19:27

Lo is 6.5months. We've started solids (he's not interested tho) and he's been ebf since birth. I started trying to introduce bottles before Christmas and he just point blank refuses. This is what I've tried

Oh giving it

Giving it when he's starving and not starving

Breast feeding and then sneaking the bottle in

Expressed milk and fornula

At least 5 different brands which all claim to be nipple like.

He will not take it. The constant feeding is really starting to affect my mental health and my relationship with my older child. I need to get him on bottles at least once a day. he also refises water from a sippy cup.

PLEASE I am begging if anyone has any tips I having tried let me know.

OP posts:
frymeariverpls · 02/02/2023 19:30

I was where you are. It's so frustrating when they won't take one- when my DD started weaning she did finally take a bottle and then she refused to BF from 10 months. I had tried every single one as well I spent a fortune. In the end the mam ones worked but I was using the smallest bottle as that's all we had an my husband suggested trying a bigger one and it worked!

ReamsOfCheese · 02/02/2023 19:31

I've just been through this. Dad had to do routine feeds while I went out. It took about a week for her to take a bottle once she learned there was no choice but about two months to take a cup from me (too old for bottles at that point).
Are you putting breastmilk in the cup? We found ours liked different milk (Alpro Growing Up Milk in our case as we're a dairy free household) in a cup.
Also are you using a cup or a bottle? We've found it helped to try a few options to see what she went for (a NUK cup in our case, but we had a few types left over from DC1 who is only 3).
Also increase her food during the day so she is less reliant on milk to feel "full" and is drinking when thirsty, instead of hungry.

Alannahxx · 02/02/2023 19:38

I had one like this...it took me just going out and leaving them to it for an afternoon. Mine was 7 months and I went out for a girl's lunch, left about 12 and came home at 7pm. He took a bottle at 6pm after refusing all afternoon. After that afternoon I made sure he had at least one bottle a day (even if it only had 2oz of expressed milk in it) so it was familiar and he didn't forget again!

kitty1993 · 02/02/2023 19:38

My baby was like this but at 3-4 months old. We used the Lansinoh bottles. It took one evening of basically me refusing to breast feed her and continuously offering the bottle. In the end we were holding her while bobbing her about in front of the dancing fruit on YouTube. Took around 2.5 hours of crying and fussing but she eventually did 2oz from the bottle. We kept going from there each day and now she can manage a bottle really well.

I just want to say I know how stressful it is. I felt so responsible for feeding my child (sounds silly) and it worried me that no one else would be able to feed her if I wasn't there.

gettingalifttothestation · 02/02/2023 19:40

It's not very nice putting it like this but if you had to go away for a week your baby wouldn't starve to death. He would drink milk from a cup or bottle it would just take a while for him to adapt

wonderstuff · 02/02/2023 19:41

I went straight to tippy cups with mine at a similar age which ds took when he refused bottles. Found he wouldn’t take them from me, but did take them if I wasn’t around.

ukMummyof1 · 02/02/2023 19:46

Might not work but try adding a bit of yogurt on the end of the teat. Helped my son and nephew to use one. xx

Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:35

Thanks. I'll try a bigger bottle. What size teats did you use?

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:36

ReamsOfCheese · 02/02/2023 19:31

I've just been through this. Dad had to do routine feeds while I went out. It took about a week for her to take a bottle once she learned there was no choice but about two months to take a cup from me (too old for bottles at that point).
Are you putting breastmilk in the cup? We found ours liked different milk (Alpro Growing Up Milk in our case as we're a dairy free household) in a cup.
Also are you using a cup or a bottle? We've found it helped to try a few options to see what she went for (a NUK cup in our case, but we had a few types left over from DC1 who is only 3).
Also increase her food during the day so she is less reliant on milk to feel "full" and is drinking when thirsty, instead of hungry.

He's not too fussed on solids so struggling ti get more than a few spoonfuls in.

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:37

Alannahxx · 02/02/2023 19:38

I had one like this...it took me just going out and leaving them to it for an afternoon. Mine was 7 months and I went out for a girl's lunch, left about 12 and came home at 7pm. He took a bottle at 6pm after refusing all afternoon. After that afternoon I made sure he had at least one bottle a day (even if it only had 2oz of expressed milk in it) so it was familiar and he didn't forget again!

I might try that. Not sure oh will be keen but if it works it'll be worth it!

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:38

kitty1993 · 02/02/2023 19:38

My baby was like this but at 3-4 months old. We used the Lansinoh bottles. It took one evening of basically me refusing to breast feed her and continuously offering the bottle. In the end we were holding her while bobbing her about in front of the dancing fruit on YouTube. Took around 2.5 hours of crying and fussing but she eventually did 2oz from the bottle. We kept going from there each day and now she can manage a bottle really well.

I just want to say I know how stressful it is. I felt so responsible for feeding my child (sounds silly) and it worried me that no one else would be able to feed her if I wasn't there.

I know what you mean about feeling responsible for feeding. But it's got to the point now where I have got to share it. When you refused to feed did lo keep trying to get your breast?

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:39

gettingalifttothestation · 02/02/2023 19:40

It's not very nice putting it like this but if you had to go away for a week your baby wouldn't starve to death. He would drink milk from a cup or bottle it would just take a while for him to adapt

I know. But I'm hoping we won't have ti be so extreme!

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:40

wonderstuff · 02/02/2023 19:41

I went straight to tippy cups with mine at a similar age which ds took when he refused bottles. Found he wouldn’t take them from me, but did take them if I wasn’t around.

Which cups did you use?

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 09:40

ukMummyof1 · 02/02/2023 19:46

Might not work but try adding a bit of yogurt on the end of the teat. Helped my son and nephew to use one. xx

I'll give it a go!

OP posts:
Kabalagala · 03/02/2023 09:41

My 9 month old has never taken a baby bottle. He will take some milk from his brothers sistema water bottle of all things...

HellcatSpangledShalalala · 03/02/2023 09:43

Prefacing this by saying I've never BF but when Dsis had a bottle refuser the only thing that eventually worked was warming the bottle lid in the microwave for 30 seconds first.

VerveClique · 03/02/2023 09:46

You just need to go out/away!!

Your baby won’t starve.

They can smell the milk on you and will resist formula if they think they’re going to be BF.

You can express to manage engorgement/supply whilst you’re gone.

Also make sure you have quite fast-flowing teats, regardless of the size of the bottle or shape of the teat. A 6.5m Old can take quite a lot of milk quite quickly.

It sounds harsh but enjoy the break! And enjoy mixed feeding when you get back.

VerveClique · 03/02/2023 09:47

Also make sure the formula is warm. You want it to feel comforting for the baby.

QueenLagertha · 03/02/2023 09:51

I have a 9.5 month old who has never accepted a bottle. However over the past couple of weeks he has started to drink 2/3 ounces of milk in a nuk sippy cup. He started nursery this week and he drank the full 5 ounces out of it for them. I find the tommee tippee free flow
Sippy cup flow was far too fast for him. The Nuk cup is great as he can drink it himself and it is non spill.

Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 10:32

HellcatSpangledShalalala · 03/02/2023 09:43

Prefacing this by saying I've never BF but when Dsis had a bottle refuser the only thing that eventually worked was warming the bottle lid in the microwave for 30 seconds first.

Ooh good idea!

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordiebabe85 · 03/02/2023 10:34

QueenLagertha · 03/02/2023 09:51

I have a 9.5 month old who has never accepted a bottle. However over the past couple of weeks he has started to drink 2/3 ounces of milk in a nuk sippy cup. He started nursery this week and he drank the full 5 ounces out of it for them. I find the tommee tippee free flow
Sippy cup flow was far too fast for him. The Nuk cup is great as he can drink it himself and it is non spill.

I've trued water in a Nuk but haven't tried milk.

OP posts:
LegoGoldenDragon · 03/02/2023 13:55

At that age I would give it trying with a bottle. My bottle refuser did accept sippy cups, but never a bottle. Have you heard of doidy cups? They are slanted to help drinking when weaning. Some people also find the 370 no spill cups work, although mine refused them. With eating, they all do it at their own pace, but do get there in the end. Another month might make a big difference. Maybe try finger foods as well as spoon feeding, if you haven't already.

Twizbe · 03/02/2023 18:07

Tbh at this age I'd bin the bottles.

Focus on weaning. Really go for it with spoon feeding so you know he's having something. Also with the sippy cup. You can give milk in that or a doidy / open cup. Some babies prefer that.

You're so close to them dropping a feed. Up the solids and go from there.

OldTinHat · 03/02/2023 18:14

Cups.

Both of my DC were breastfed to 9m and always refused a bottle. My HV said to use a cup and we did from 6m.

Beenmum · 03/02/2023 18:30

Both mine refused bottles .. but eventually would take sippy cups .. it was quite a bit older than 6.5 months with weaning more established

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