How do I get dd to take a bottle by Friday?

[MrsFogi]

Okay, I was foolish and didn't try giving dd a bottle earlier, she's now 6 mths old and has only been bfed BUT I need to be away from her all day on Friday and don't want the lady who's going to look after her to have a nightmare. So far (I've been trying and giving in for two weeks) dd is refusing a bottle or sippy cup. What shall I do over the next four days to sort it out (no option of handing her to someone else during the day as it's only me and dd1).

MrsF, have you tried her with an open cup? You hold it to her lips just like you would when you are drinking from a cup. Tip it back just slightly and let her sip from it.

Or, if that fails, your cm could always spoon feed her the milk, or if the worst comes to the absolute worst use a medicine syringe to squirt it into her mouth. I'm just saying there are other options... and you never know, she might take a bottle when you aren't there anyway.

Your cm can also offer yoghurt and food with liquid in e.g. cod in a cheese sauce ... how many hours will you be out? You may find lo is surprisingly happy without milk as such and will just keep you up all night bf.

Some babies (not tiny ones obviously) will prefer to "hold out" until mummy arrives back home. She may or may not "agree" to take a few sips of water or ebm/formula either via a bottle or sippy cup while patiently waiting for the "real thing" to return home. My dd has taken to a doidy cup better than a spouted cup.

Actually good point - MrsFogi you don't say whether she has started weaning yet, will she take solids at all or is she still exc. bf?

If she is weaning your cm could give her some foods while she waits for you to get back, if she won't take milk.

And fwiw like lollipop's dd mine too preferred a Doidy cup from the start...

Hi MrsFogi - don't know if this helps, but I got DD used to taking a bottle by replacing her dream feed with a bottle (EBM or formula). She would scream if I did it in the daytime and refuse it. By doing it in her sleep she took it without realising and got used to it without really knowing it IYSWIM. It was then much easier when we tried during the day...

Bit like those CDs where you learn Spanish in your sleep

HTH

db
xx

What a great idea,designerbaby. Too late for me (could have come in handy with my first) but I'll keep that in mind if anyone else asks.

May not be of any use in 4 days but I know that my friend has 2 BF children and both will take from a Tommee Tippee Closer to nature bottle I used them with my son who was FF but colicy and they were brilliant! Not relevant I know but just a thought ....

Thanks for all the ideas. Dd has just started to take solids. As well as needing to work something out for Friday I also want to wind down the bfing anyway so all ideas welcome .