Six-month-old takes only 3oz bottles, how to stop breastfeeding?

[Summersun91]

Looking for some help. I’m wanting to stop breastfeeding, but my 6mo will only drink max 3oz from a bottle and I’m not sure how to handle this.

She’s been on one bottle a day since she was a few weeks old, and from 3months it’s been formula in an evening before bed. Now she’s only 3 bottles a day and still hasn’t drunk more than 3oz ever. Sometimes she’ll drink it all on one go, sometimes it takes me an hour to get her to drink 2oz. Doesn’t make a difference if it’s been 2.5 hours since her last feed of 4 hours. She’ll mostly just chew on the teat (and I think get a bit of milk in this way).

I use mam bottles and have tried lansinoh and mam teats, size 0-2.

For reference when BF she only feeds for about 5mins. And for a long time I had a strong supply which squirted into her mouth so she isn’t used to working for it (haven’t noticed it being as strong recently).

I don’t know how to get her to take enough milk. She is on 50th percentile has has been since birth so no immediate weight concerns.

Many thanks for any suggestions

have you tried any cups instead? Mine would never take a bottle but was fine with sippy and straw cups. it's pretty common for babies to not like taking bottles from a breastfeeding mum from what i've seen. can someone else give the bottles/ cups whilst you're away?

Oh thanks, I hadn’t thought of a cup, I can give that a try. Doesn’t make a difference if it’s her dad feeding her. It doesn’t seem to be obvious bottle aversion in that she’s rejecting the bottle, she’s quite happy having the test in her mouth and drinking a small amount, but I completely understand she may prefer breast

BF babies only take roughly 25 Floz in a day, so that’s slightly over 1 Floz an hour. So 3 Floz is a full feed.

Really don’t let this put you off weaning from BFing if that’s what you want to do.

You’ve already dropped the bedtime feed. Just choose another feed and replace that with a bottle. Then in two weeks, swap another and keep going like this until she’s weaned.

She may naturally take a little more at feeds from you until she gets used to the formula but gradually her solid food intake will increase and her need for milk will decline.

You’re aiming for to introduce 3 meals a day between 8 and 9 months and by 10 months they only need 450 ml/15 Floz a day if she is fully ff by then.

So my advice is just keep going

And I do agree with trying cups. Both of mine were total bottle refusers but would drink milk from a cup. I got them used to drinking milk from an open cup by giving it to them in the bath so I didn’t have to worry about spills