Weaning from boob to bottle, which feed to change next?

[Scubes]

As heading says I am currently weaning lo from boob to bottle in prep for returning to work. She is currently bf morning and evening and has a bottle mid afternoon. Which feed should I change next or is there no right or wrong?

I would recommend you give her a bottle at night first. Two reasons,one you can get an early night and hopefully someone else can do it, and two it will fill your baby up more for the night.

Good luck with going back to work

Ooh, I'm interested in this thread! I am trying to get my DS to take a bottle in the evening for the exact reasons you said, madame, but he seems to get wound up about it when he's tired anyway. Any tips??? He's 6mo

I have no experience of weaning from boob to bottle yet as my ds is still ex bf but will watch this thread with interest. I would have thought the bedtime feed would be the hardest to change as lots of babies associate the bedtime feed with comfort and being close/cuddling before going to sleep for the night rather than just purely getting a tummy full of milk? And like you say yetihed, when they're tired they don't want to try anything new maybe?

it really comes down to how committed you are to getting them onto the bottle. I didn't find it hard to give my dd a bottle at night as she was having one in the day also. It was nice for her father to do this as it was special time for him also.

I agree if they are tired then they may be more agitated but you are going to have to bite the bullet at some point and they soon gather that that's what's on offer.

You could soften the blow and offer breast milk in a bottle at first if you can do that.

There is a part of me that felt it should be my job and I didn't want to give up that special feed but I just had to get practical with it too.

Well I was going to give lo a bottle last night but chickened out It's a real battle emotionally, she has a bottle during the day for her afternoon feed and so I know it wont be a problem but at the last minute I coulnd't resist feeding her myself.

You're right madame you do have to get practical and I would like her to be weaned off me by time I go back to work which isn't for a while but I want to go through the process slowly.

I probably would have gone ahead as my mind was made up but then dh showed surprise at my decision which made me waiver! Will steel myself and do it at some point this week. I know it's nice to have that cuddle time but I'm sure we can cuddle and have a bottle too!

I know what you mean Scubes, having found breast feeding quite tiring for 6 months I'm now struggling with the thought it's going to end! Another paradox of motherhood!

I am slowly getting my boy to drink his evening bottle by playing, sipping, cuddling etc. He's taking a while to be persuaded but I reckon it's better for my mental health than just going for it and giving him no other option. I think he's rather enjoying the bit of extra playtime too! And I've noticed him looking for the odd cuddle at other times as well, which is WELL sweet.

I'd like to know how it goes when you do bite the bullet.

Why do you need to wean her onto bottles?

I went back to work in Jan when my DD was not quite 10 mo and we are still BF. During the day she eats solids, and drinks water from a beaker.

I think you are going the right way about it Scubes, just do it when you are ready. My dh was also very pro breast feeding and would raise an eyebrow everytime I thought about dropping a feed at 10 months....

Just do it when you are ready and if you have the time then gently does it is fine.

Cheers Madame!

Evenhope, it's great that you are still bf and yes I could still go back to work and carry on with am and pm feeds but this is also about me having a desire to feel a bit normal again, hence the battle between emotions and some practicalities. All personal choice and I am really pleased to have bf her for this long despite having an horrific time at the beginning.

As Madame says, gently does it!