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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

10 month old won't take bottle or cup. Should we go cold turkey?

3 replies

TheBish · 08/02/2009 22:53

I know many threads on here are all addressing this problem but thought I'd have a go too. My ds (10 months) used to take a bottle of expressed milk and once or twice formula once a week since 6 weeks. But 3 months ago started refusing the bottle. Decided to let it go as was happy to breastfeed full time. Now I'm due to go back to work in 2 months and want to make sure he's fully weaned or at least off his two day feeds before he starts at nursery. He's also started biting me which has led to an infected nipple so I feel ready to stop at this point. I've been trying at least 3/4 times a week over the past couple of weeks to give him a bottle. Tried different times of day (not night feeds or when he's too tired) but he point blank refuses to take it, pushes it away. Eventually he'll end up in floods of tears. Longest this has gone on is an hour before both of us are exhausted and I give in and breast feed. Don't think it's the type of bottle or the formula, just the fact it isn't my boob. He will drink a few gulps of water with food from a Tommee Tipee cup with his meals but refuses to take milk from it. Tried other brands of cup (soft and hard spout, free flow and non-spill) but refuses all of them. My dh thinks we should go cold turkey and I go out one day and he literally offers the bottle until ds will take it. His thinking is, if he's hungry enough, he'll drink eventually. Is this a good solution? I'm finding the daily endless tears and struggle over the bottle really draining so I'm starting to agree with him. is there anything else we can do/try?

OP posts:
kathryn2804 · 08/02/2009 23:28

I would leave it until you have to. Nursery staff are very experienced in trying to get babies to take bottles, and they aren't Mummy, so they'll probably have a lot more success than you. Plus by that age, even if he still refuses, it won't matter too much. If you feed him before he goes, as soon as you pick him up and then before bed, and perhaps a dream feed or night feed, that's enough milk for an 8 monther.

Don't make your last few weeks before you go back to work stressful. Enjoy it and get lots of your lovely milk into him whilst you can.

Ceolas · 08/02/2009 23:34

Lots of people have success with your DH's suggestion.

But kathryn is right, as long as he is taking some solids too, milk morning and night will be OK. Some babies also feed a bit more during the night if you're away during the day.

lackenstrand · 08/02/2009 23:57

You can stop the bottle and then the breast and any other routine - gradually - that's not the problem.
My DS stopped dinking from a bottle at 8 months -on his own (and he was 2 months premature and I was very worried) but he had twin sisters (then 3) who were drinking from a sucky cup and, well, why wasn't he?) So ...I rang my Dad - a GP - he said 'if he's eating and drinking - he's fine'.

So try to divide nutrition from comfort.

Your DH is right in that your beautiful baby will survive (and thrive) without you furnishing the breast all the time - I found (and I did breast feed twins) that babies will eat when they need to. Try to separate food from everything else - let your baby know how much you love him, keep it separate from food, make sure he has enough water (from a sucky cup) and go and have a glass of wine with your husband. x

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