Best bottle for a bf 4 m.old and other bf questions..

[4andnotout]

DD4 is 4 months old and the only one i have bf so i have lots of questions now, i would like to start leaving her very occasionally with dp and so need to start trying to get her to take a bottle v.occasionally.
I have tried the tt closer to nature but as soon as the teat goes in her mouth she starts to gag (she wont put a dummy in her mouth either this makes her gag too) Is there a bottle which may suit her better?

Also i cant seem to express much milk with a handpump, would it be ok to give her formula if i ever get her to take a bottle? I really want to continue bf and dont want to jinx it as it has gone so well as i tried and failed to bf the last 3!

Sorry for the rambling, im bfing as i type.

NUK and MAM bottles are good. Also try the orthodontic teats you can get in boots.

mothercare have just started a range of bottles where there is 1 teat inside another dome shaped one, it's called first years breastflow bottles, it syas that the teat encourages the same tongue position as bf, and the inner teat allows baby to control milk flow. hav;nt tried them myself so have no idea how good they are but maybe the teat won't go as far into the mouth which is prob the prob with the other bottles and dummy. (They're also free from bpa)

Don't know how you feel about this and it will depend on how long she's being left for, and how often, but DS never took a bottle so we had to offer milk in a cup while I was away. I could then leave him for a wee while with DP and he managed a little milk from one of the Tommee Tippee first cups. We also had an Avent cup with a rubber spout which was gentle on his mouth.

Re the expressing, A) it took me a while to get going and express any large amount so might be worth persevering, and B) you could express a little when you feel like it and store it in the freezer for use later, this way your DP can defrost a few bags as he needs and saves waste

Forgot to say well done for your success!

Thanks everyone, i shall have a look at those bottles, i have got a doidy cup for dd3 (16m) which could steralize so dp could giv it to her, it said it was suitable for bf babies but i didn't really think of it!

I tried the 'breastflow' bottles with my dd (now 4m but was 3m when i tried) and she rejected it completely (as she did with the tommy tippee closer to nature). I think at this age they know it's not a boob, regardless of the type of bottle you try...however you may have more luck than me!

Omg! Have seen the price of the breastflow bottles and staying in all the time is seeming favorable