How to get 5 month old to drink EBM (bottle, cup, I don't care!)

[pendulum]

DD2 fully breastfed. Used to take bottle of EBM most evenings before Xmas. Over Xmas hols I couldn't be bothered with expressing at in-laws so stopped for a week. Since then DD refuses point blank to take a bottle.

I am going back to work in June and need her to be fully adept/ comfortable at drinking out of a bottle or cup by then. DH and I have been experimenting with a variety of bottles and a Doidy cup but she finds the whole process extremely distressing and does not drink more than a few sips.

Consensus among my friends is that I will have to go cold turkey i.e. refuse her the breast until she gives in with hunger . However I REALLY do not want to do this. My questions:

• if I offer the bottle/ cup first and then 'finish off' the feed by breast, will she ever get used to the idea that feeds come in a cup- or will she just hold out for the breast part?

• is there any other kinder way than cold turkey to get her to accept the bottle/ cup?

• am I better waiting another month until solids are introduced so she is not completely reliant on taking milk to fill her stomach (seems less cruel), or is it likely that she will just reject milk and fill up on the solids?

Please help- I have really enjoyed breastfeeding up to mow but am finding this unintended consequence of exclusive feeding very stressful. Am also fed up of pumping and wasting my precious milk!

tia

June is a long time away!

My DD2 refused point blank to take a bottle at 5 months, and has always refused EBM in a bottle. We got round it by:

1. Starting solids so she was not so dependent on the milk. Yes, milk is still very important, but some babies drink more than others, and DD2 was always very happy to eat yoghurt, cheese sauce etc.

1. Being persistent with offering a FF in a beaker type thing (we have the Boots bottle to cup feeder system) once a day - she will now drink 5 oz from this with alacrity.

Some of my friends also advised going 'cold turkey' but I was unhappy about it and also found she would rather go 8 hours without milk than take a bottle!!

Thanks Bramshott, I know it's a long way away but I guess I'm worried that her attitude will only become more entrenched if I don't tackle it now.

Glad to hear it's not only my DD. How old is yours? Does she only take 5oz of milk a day in total or are you still BF as well? And did you offer the FF alongside the solids or beforehand (DD appears to hate the taste of formula too at the moment)

Sorry for all the questions!

She is 10 months now and until very recently had bf first thing, ff mid-afternoon, and bf at bedtime (that was her pattern from 7-10 months I think, alongside her 3 meals). Currently trying to drop the first thing bf and replace with a beaker of milk with breakfast - she is resistant but I am persevering!!

Definitely do not go cold turkey - it is cruel really. June is a long time away and her feeding habits will hve changed. She will be established on solids and she will accept drinks from a cup. Often babies will not take EBM but will drink juice or water which is different.

I breastfed 4 babies and did not regularly give bottles or cups to any of them in preparation for going back to work. I found that they went onto cups easily around the 7 month mark which your DD will be in June.

Just give her a break for a couple of weeks and try again later.

I've been worrying about this too. DD wouldn't take milk from bottle for ages (after about 3 months) and got really upset when we tried. She's now 7 months and yesterday I thought with trepidation that I'd give it a go with a beaker or a bottle. She took about 1-2oz from each (I tried one after lunch and the other after dinner so she wasn't really hungry). Seemed quite happy and curious about it. It's early days but I feel far more confident now. My theory was that once she was on solids she'd be used to the idea that food came in all sorts of forms and so OK with it. I'm hoping that's right!

Thanks for reassurance. Catz, I share your theory and am just hoping I'm right! Am just worrying how she will ever get her milk quota if she doesn't like formula and won't take EBM. Hopefully will resolve itself when the solids start.

Mears, will take your advice and leave it a couple of weeks.

Bramshott, good luck with the morning milk!

Are you going back to work full or part time?

You can feed before you go and when you get home. How long will you be away?

3 days for the first 2 months, increasing to 4. I will be out between roughly 8am-6pm. Part of the problem is I can't remember how many milk feeds they have at 8-9 mo- have just read 3 (including first/ last thing) in a book but sure I remember taking in several bottles to nursery for DD1 at that age.

Also, I occasionally have to travel with work and so would not be there in the morning or evening.

Finally, ans selfishly, I would just really like an evening out! Haven't had one since September!!

Ah but remember Pendulum, they get more flexible as they get older - I am usually there to feed DD2 at bedtime, but if I can't be, I know that although she probably won't drink much milk from her beaker, she'll settle off to bed anyway. I am working away for the first time this Saturday, and will be away from 7am to 11pm and I'm confident she'll cope. If she wakes early on Sunday morning, I can always squeeze in a feed then.

Sorry, that may have come across as patronising and I really didn't mean it to! I wish I could have chilled out about it more when DD2 was 5 months and with hindsight, I had forgotten that as they get older they are more flexible, and milk, whilst still important, is not the be all and end all (not for some babies anyway - they're all different).

not patronising at all Bramshott- in fact v helpful. It is amazing how much you forget between DC1 and DC2 isn't it. Feeding has consumed my waking (and asleep) hours for so long that it's hard to imagine it taking a back seat. Must admit I am looking forward to introducing solids so that someone else can help out occasionally!

You really have nothing to worry about.

I would give breastfeed in the morning or leave a bottle of EBM and feed when you get home. She can have water or juice to drink with solids.

When you are on days off just feed her as normal. It will work out, honestly.