Baby not taking bottle (plus contact naps)

[FortuneF95]

Hi all, I'm really hoping I can get some good advice! I don't go back to work until Feb but I'm starting to think about how to help baby and I be ready for the transition. My LB is 6 months, breast fed and will not taken the bottle at all, additionally he contact naps during the day
With regards to the bottle, we tried a few times when he was v little and he took bottle with breast milk fine, but he then had a lot of episodes of cluster feeds and I struggled to pump in between. When we tried again we tried formula around 4 months as I wasn't sleeping at all so we were considering combi feeding and he just cried and rejected it bless him. Since then we've tried with different formula, with breast milk, different bottles and teats, different temperatures, different positions, nada 😂
With contact naps I'm not gonna lie it started when he was super little and I just loved the cuddles, but then I found that he would wake up as soon as I tried to put him in a crib or sleep for ten mins max so I kind of gave up and stuck with the cuddles and rest. I'd happily continue but with going back to work it will be practically better for him if he can nap in the crib
Any advice with gently encouraging bottle feeding and going down for daytime naps would be so appreciated 🙏🏻 I see so much contrasting info online and am feeling very anxious about getting it right for little one

My bottle refusing baby is nearly 1 now, she started nursery at 8/9 ish months and still hasn’t taken a bottle.

She took a bottle when she was a very young baby and tried it but life is busy and I like breastfeeding so we didn’t try for ages. She just doesn’t know what to do with a bottle and is generally offended by it.

She drinks well from an open cup. We introduced a cup early on when it became apparent that she wouldn’t have the bottle. This is useful, would recommend this or a sippy cup so that you know that you can get liquids into the baby without you being there.

Nursery tried for the first 6 weeks or so twice a day with the bottle and she never took it so we gave up. She’s fine with water from a cup (would also refuse milk from a cup at nursery) and food.

She breastfeeds still at home.

Don’t worry about the contact naps, nurseries are good at getting babies to sleep, a good one will let a baby contact nap to start with if that’s what the baby needs. No harm in carrying on trying with the cot in the day if you want to though. I feed mine to sleep and then put them down.

This is super helpful and reassuring, thank you so much. 🙏🏻💘

I had the exact same experience as the PP, nurseries are amazing at the nap thing so don't worry about that. Sippy cup a great idea, give baby one now to play with and get familiar with and by Feb I'm sure they'll be drinking from it! Mine only had water from a sippy cup at nursery from 9 months when he started as would not, despite their best efforts, drink milk from anything apart from me. I BFd him until 22 months at home!

Both of mine napped on me, were EBF and wouldn't take a bottle and started nursery at about 9 months.

For both, nursery had no trouble getting them to nap on a mat/crib/whatever. Still insisted on napping on me at home though.

Nursery managed to get DC1 to take a bottle. DC2 never accepted a bottle for them (or anybody, ever).

And both were absolutely fine.

I know it is easier said than done, but try not to worry. Your baby will be fine however it turns out.

Thank you so much for your response! Super helpful thank you, will give him a sippy cup and see how he goes!!

I appreciate your response so much, thank you! Super reassuring. I think just the thought of going back to work in general is nerve wracking haha so I was so worried I wouldn't be able to get him the milk he needs on top of that! But thank you again so helpful 🙏🏻

alternatively, they’ll get used to formula if you gradually water it down with breast milk.
they'll also get used to not napping on you,

it’s easier if you don’t do it though as you’ll small too milky.