My DD 19 weeks old have been refusing the bottle (formula) for around 4 weeks now. I combi feed as DD lost over 10% of weight after birth. We have always given top-up bottles after breast feeding as I do not produce enough milk. 4 weeks ago, she was taking 90ml x3 during the day then 120ml before bed on top of breast feeding. Though she took less from the breast during the day so I pumped the rest out. I was looking to wean her off breastfeeding during the day and only breastfeed at night but she is completely refusing the bottle now.
I’ve tried many methods over the weeks. She willingly took 1 or 2 bottles now and again when i hand it to her and she willingly placed it into her mouth and suck, but now she just cries when handed to her and will only calm down once I have her on the breast.
The last few days I managed to get her to take some from the bottle. She fell asleep on the breast, I unlatched her and put the bottle in which she started sucking but will wake up though. Is this bad?
Also, any tips on how to get my DD to accept the bottle again? She isn’t gaining much weight with exclusively breast feeding. There are some dirty nappies every couple of days. Nappies are wet but not wet enough, they are quite light when I change them as compared to when she took top-up formula. She didn’t accept breast milk from the bottle either (I use MAM bottles). I’m thinking it could be reflux as she has always done some weird swallowing sounds throughout the day from birth, it got better as she got older, however, it seems to be back again. She is likely to bring milk up after taking formula (even if it’s just 60ml she had) and she’s been coughing. She was prescribed Omeprazole but it’s difficult getting it into her as it is so gritty.
Any thoughts on how to help DD happily accept bottle? And is swapping breast for bottle when she’s fallen asleep a bad way to do it?