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Infant feeding

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

Feed eat speak bottle refusal course success?

4 replies

ThisIcyHare · 07/11/2024 13:50

Hi all,

our baby is 7 months, and EBF. We introduced a bottle from day one, despite advice not to start until breastfeeding was established around 6 weeks. We have friends that did this and found baby would refuse the bottle, so we tried from day one. It was always limited success, she would fight it but take it, and then around week 6/7 she just refused and would scream like we were torturing her.

we then pulled back as we felt that she could see the bottle coming and then would just scream. We then tried maybe 8 weeks later, and every day since, with absolutely fuck all luck.

We’ve got every bottle going, and would try a week each time. We’ve tried all times of day, when hungry, not hungry, tired or awake. I don’t give them, my husband does whilst I’m out of the room. We’ve tried formula, EBM fresh and defrosted. We’ve tried giving water in a cup, and a free flow sippy cup. Nothing. Is. Working. I’m also now getting worried about her general water intake now she’s weaning as she just won’t. She feeds every 2ish hours during the day, and sleeps 11-12 hours overnight. Maintained at 75th centile since birth, grows well, plenty of nappies and everyone comments how ‘advanced’ she is and very active. Pulling to stand since 6 months, and generally doing every milestone 4-6 weeks earlier than projected. I’m just getting worried about her hydration and ability to learn to drink from a bottle.

ive had enough of breastfeeding, she only feeds off one side (since 3 weeks old), and has had teeth since 3 months, and I’m sick of being bitten. She’s going to nursery soon and what the hell happens if she won’t take a bottle? She doesn’t eat enough solids per day to get her through.

has anyone purchased the feedeatspeak bottle refusal course and had success? I’m at a loss to think what more I could find in a course that I hadn’t already tried!

OP posts:
TeenGreenBottles · 07/11/2024 13:54

I'm not sure what a course would do. I think you just have to persist with cups etc, in a low pressure way so she doesn't sense the stress around it. I would also just leave it completely for a week or so, again to remove the frustration around it.

I wouldn't worry about nursery, it's absolutely fine for her to tank up on milk before and after. She also might be keener on cups in that environment seeing everyone else doing the same.

ThisIcyHare · 07/11/2024 14:13

My husband has even suggested i go out for the day before feeding her in the morning and leaving them to it all day to see if he has any success, as it will be a starting point of 12 hours since the last feed. I’m just not sure that’s the right thing to do either? We keep taking breaks and coming back to it and nothing works. I just want to stop breastfeeding!

OP posts:
PolaroidPrincess · 07/11/2024 21:26

.I just want to stop breastfeeding!

Have you called one of the BFing Helplines.

I think the first thing I'd ask them is about the biting. It takes a bit to stop BFing if you want to reduce your risk of Mastitis and I think that you need to make the feeds that you have left as comfortable as possible.

Then I'd talk to the BFC about coming up with a plan to stop BFing.

Agree with the PP that you probably won't need to introduce a bottle st this stage, you can possibly go straight to a cup.

Also, really don't worry about dehydration. She's on the 75th gentle and sleeping through, this is not a baby who is hungry or thirsty Wink

Your DH may have a point about spending more time with her though. Can her start to get her up in the morning and give her breakfast and a cup of formula?

ThisIcyHare · 07/11/2024 22:17

I’ve spoken to the helplines, know how to manage the biting, and I know how to manage the stopping feeding, I’m just ready to do it and don’t know how to make it happen. Hubby gets her up in the morning, but she’s not having breakfast solids yet as she’s been a slow starter and isn’t interested in this point. Only takes incredibly smooth purées once a day, but a decent amount at the time. I have been trying a cup for weeks and no improvement, it just feels a ridiculous battle and I just want it to stop now

OP posts:
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