Baby 9 months- had to stop BF but she won't take formula- help!

[Melfish]

Evening all

I posted the other day about my grotty nipples, which were cracked and very sore, and some helpful Mumsnetters told me to go to the doctor as I may have thrush. I did so, and have got some gel but it is so painful to feed her that I have to bite down on a muslin. The skin doesn't seem to be healing as each time DD has a feed the sores open up again. She's also not settling well which is not surprising.

I'm trying to get her to take a bottle, or formula milk from a cup. She will take water from both but won't touch the formula. I've tried Aptamil, SMA and Cow and Gate- stage 1, not follow on as the chemist reckoned it was better for a BF'd baby's tummy (is that right?). My GP says I should stop BF'ing anyway as the baby is 'old enough'. Poor baby refuses the bottle and keeps pawing my broken boobs. Everyone else in the house (including her grandad) has tried to get her to take the bottle. She has settled tonight by being rocked to sleep. She's on solids and scoffs youghurt and cereal with milk so hopefully she gets some calcium that way.

What formula milks worked for you or did anyone use cow's milk? I've tried the Tommy tippie boob bottle and the Nuk one this evening and I might try the Avent one tomorrow ( I have a collection from when she took the bottle and not the boob as a newborn) but does anyone have any bottle tips or is it too late to use a bottle due to her age so should I use a sippy cup instead? She must need some milk of some sort I guess.

thanks in advance for any advice

i went though similar. i wouldn't even bother with bottles with teats by this age. go for soft spout and go cold turkey on the bf. dc will give in eventually. it took us between 24-48hours before ds gave up and went for formula. must admit he disliked all infant formaula. ended up on follow on milk and whole milk.

tHE gp IS TALKING CRAP AND IT'S NOT FOR HIM TO DECIDE? hOW IS MILK FROM a cow better fro her than milk form her mother?

If you want to carry on, then carry on. Get the thrush seen too first.

There there - your poor boobs!
I had horrible nips, cracked and sore for the early months - my DD's latch was appalling - and we gave up on b/fding when she was 9 months old. I found nipple shields were brilliant and also Lanolin lansinoh cream for the nips was excellent. Also Soya Lecithin supplement for me reduced the blocked duct problem I had also.

Instead of b/f my DD at 9 months, I gave her soya formula and she was fine with it, at 18 months or so I gave her the cow milk based Follow-On milk. And she had her first Cow's milk at 2. (I have a dairy allergy)

The thing is - do you want to keep b/fding - sounds like your DD wants to?
Second question is WHY are your nips in such a bad way - do you know - has it been like this for the entire 9 months or is it new?

If i wanted to keep feeding, I would get some nipple shields asap and get some lansinoh cream as well. Hot / cold flannels and air your boobs for pain - also take a paracetamol for pain.

If I was going to stop b/f I would maybe try your DD on soya formula - my DD accepted it no problem. DD used a bottle until she was 18 months - sippy cup after that.

Good luck and I'm sure you'll get a lot of advice here.

melfish i can't answer re the formula as have never used it. but i have been there with the nipples.

have you tried different position to give you a bit of relief? do you want to stop or carry on? (without pain of course)

Hi Zazen, I've had blocked ducts a lot but no nip problems (I do have eczema though but not on tits). I did spot this crack between the nipple and the areola last weekend but thought it was a sore nip but it seems to have got infected. I tried using a shield but no luck. I'll try the soy formula- she likes tofu so it might be a winner!

someones gonna have a go i'm sure. but if she takes normal whole milk with cereal she'll probably take to just having that easier than soy. plus it's a lot cheaper.

maybe even just for some of her feeds to give your boobs some healing space.