Cannot get 8 month old to take a bottle!

[alaska748]

I feel we have tried everything - all well known bottle and teat brands, giving a bottle at night, after a nap, first thing, having someone else give it etc but my 8 month old will not take a bottle. Have tried sippy cups but no luck there either. We are on week 5 of trying to introduce, taking days off when it gets too frustrating.

Occasionally he will have a good chew on the teat, but he never has a proper drink. I am due back at work soon so need a solution but selfishly would also quite like a few hours to myself to go swimming / have some time away / meet friends for dinner..!

I should add - baby is allergic to many things including dairy so we have been trying expressed milk rather than the very foul tasting dairy free formula.

Please help mumsnet!

How old will they be when you go back to work?

@TinyMouseTheatre 10 months although have some flexibility to push out if needed…!

Neither if mine would take a bottle and I went back at 10 and 9 months.

Honestly, don't sweat it.

If you want to carry on BFing, feed in wake up, on pick up and before bed.

I agree with @TinyMouseTheatre

My little refused all bottle attempts.
Was on some solids when I went back to work, but he just had water when not with me.
Fed whenever we were together till over 2.5yrs.

I'm sure you have already tried this, but you don't mention if you've tried an open cup, just held to the baby's lips? We had little plastic 50ml ones.

We have them an own cup with milk in when they were in the bath. It was a doidy cup.

It meant that they could get used to drinking from a cup and I don't have to worry about spillages

At this age I'd just focus on them having some form of liquid from either a sippy cup/ straw cup while not with you and send them out with their favourite solids. My LO never took a bottle and at that age would just have food and water when not with me and BF on demand when back together 😊