8 week old refused formula

LegoHouse274 · 2024-12-14T09:17:58+00:00

Anyone had a formula refusing little one and is there anything I can do to get him to drink it?! He's mostly breastfed but he has a few bottles a week of expressed milk. He's always been reluctant to take the bottles and has very small feeds with them but settles well enough with them anyway. This is just so I can have a few longer stretches of sleep at present. However since my supply has settled and life has gone busier now we are out of the newborn bubble to an extent, Im not going to be able to pump enough for the bottles. So last night DH tried baby with formula for the first time and he absolutely flat out wouldn't drink it and ended up hysterical! My other two babies were both combi fed in this way from 6 weeks with no issue so we are stumped!

SprigatitoYouAndIKnow · 14/12/2024 09:35

Some babies just don't is the answer. One of mine was a bottle refuser and nothing worked, other than ageing out of it. Maybe another poster will have a better answer!

An89 · 15/12/2024 14:08

This has happened to me at exactly 8 weeks - worse thing is I was combi feeding to begin with, increased bf and now he won't take the bottle!!

PCOSisaid · 15/12/2024 14:10

Mine would only have the premixed formula when we was combo feeding. Once we introduced solids I was able to use powder (thank goodness as it was very expensive!)

Original poster

LegoHouse274 · 15/12/2024 14:31

@An89 oh no! You'd think they'd be used to it then too?! Mine will still reluctantly drink a small feed of expressed milk from a bottle, it was just the formula they tried and just started immediately screaming and wouldn't drink any!

Unfortunately it was premade formula we tried! It may have been room temp though, perhaps warming it may help. I'm not sure actually, it was DH who tried so I will check. I'd be willing to try different brands of formula but assumed they would all taste pretty much the same?

OP posts:

Noodlesnotstrudels · 15/12/2024 14:41

You could try mixing some expressed BM with the formula to start with and get them used to the taste, then drop the expressed breast milk.

justasking111 · 15/12/2024 15:05

The boob has lots of holes milk comes out faster. Midwife showed me how to make extra holes with a needle heated over the gas. These days you can buy special teats for bottles

Kosenrufugirl · 15/12/2024 15:10

Formula tastes awful, I wonder if it's the problem

CurlewKate · 15/12/2024 20:51

He's at an age where the spaces between feed will get longer- maybe it would be easier just to feed him? Rather than struggling with expressing or formula?

Original poster

LegoHouse274 · 15/12/2024 21:24

CurlewKate · 15/12/2024 20:51

He's at an age where the spaces between feed will get longer- maybe it would be easier just to feed him? Rather than struggling with expressing or formula?

I want to sleep and have DH feed him you see. Just a few a week. It was a lifeline for me with my other two children, mentally it helped me get through the night and all the other wake ups.

OP posts:

TinyMouseTheatre · 17/12/2024 07:19

When you say they'll take a small feed, roughly Joe much are having?

A BF will take roughly 1 Floz per hour so if they haven't fed for 2 hours and take 2 or 3 floz that is a successful feed.

BF babies simply do not need the huge quantities of milk to get their nutrition like FF babies do

Original poster

LegoHouse274 · 17/12/2024 08:46

They usually reluctantly have around 70ml expressed milk so yes that's about 2.5 oz. But this is their first 'night feed' and they tend to have a longer gap before that due to sleeping longer so it's after say a 4-5hr gap not a 2hr one. So I don't think it seems enough? But he usually does settle for another hour or two after until I breastfeed him again. He's gaining weight and growing fine so overall must be getting what he needs anyway.

Tried again with formula, he had a few mouthfuls this time, around 10ml, lots of crying still. It was warmed this time. Going to try again and if no more progress we will try a different brand of formula in case that makes any difference.

One thing I wonder, how do they tell the difference? At first I thought it was the taste of formula, but then I remembered I thought breast milk tastes different all the time depending on what I've eaten, any illnesses, etc ? So if breast milk doesn't have a consistent taste how do they tell it's not breast milk?!

OP posts:

Kosenrufugirl · 17/12/2024 14:40

LegoHouse274 · 17/12/2024 08:46

They usually reluctantly have around 70ml expressed milk so yes that's about 2.5 oz. But this is their first 'night feed' and they tend to have a longer gap before that due to sleeping longer so it's after say a 4-5hr gap not a 2hr one. So I don't think it seems enough? But he usually does settle for another hour or two after until I breastfeed him again. He's gaining weight and growing fine so overall must be getting what he needs anyway.

Tried again with formula, he had a few mouthfuls this time, around 10ml, lots of crying still. It was warmed this time. Going to try again and if no more progress we will try a different brand of formula in case that makes any difference.

One thing I wonder, how do they tell the difference? At first I thought it was the taste of formula, but then I remembered I thought breast milk tastes different all the time depending on what I've eaten, any illnesses, etc ? So if breast milk doesn't have a consistent taste how do they tell it's not breast milk?!

Formula taste truly awful. You would know if you tried adding some to your cup of tea

TinyMouseTheatre · 17/12/2024 20:03

Oh they know! It's supposed to taste awful compared to formula. Mine would never touch the stuff until I'd given up BFing completely abc there wasn't another option.