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Infant feeding

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

Got 6 weeks to get 10 month old drinking formula from a cup

2 replies

TheBish · 04/03/2009 22:01

My Ds (10 months) has been refusing to take a bottle. I go back to work in 6 weeks so am starting to panic. I've decided to ditch the idea of bottles and am now trying to get him to take some formula from a Tommee Tippee beaker (he has his water in it with meals but never has more than an ounce or two). He currently feeds first thing, after his nap at 10/10.30am, after his lunch time nap around 3pm and bed time. I figure that in the next few weeks I'll try and drop the 10.30 feed so I'm concentrating on getting him to have the sippy cup at 3pm. I've literally tried every day for the past few months but he just screams and cries and tries to lift up my top. The longest I've left him was an hour but I couldn't bear it any more and gave in. The problem is, he wakes up from a nap and it's habit that he wants a breast feed. He won't take the cup from my dh or various friends that have tried either. Has anyone got any advice? I know he could probably manage without milk while I'm at work but I don't want him to feel totally abandoned by me. I really want to sort this milk issue out before he starts at nursery. Shall I just keep trying the cup every day and hope he gives in? How long should I let him cry? It's so hard as he gets really upset - whimpering with his head on my shoulder because he's too tried to cry. The other option is to go out one day and let dh try it all day but eventually he'll have to take the cup from me so not sure whether this will work for a baby his age.

OP posts:
pippylongstockings · 04/03/2009 22:11

I fed my DS2 until 18 months - I also went back to work at about 10 months old. I kept up the feed 1st thing as he was devil 5am waker for a long time and kept up the pm feed for snuggle time.

Daytime I would recommend you going out and your DH try for the day feeds - if it was say once or twice a week for the next few weeks hopefully it would give him enough time to adapt.

It is amazing what they will change to if there is no choice - try not to feel to guilty also - you just want what's best!

messymissy · 04/03/2009 22:37

Hi ya, got to agree with pippy - they will adapt. at 12 months my dd resolutely refused a bottle from me crying, sobbing and tugging at my clothes - cos she knew i would give in and bf! she was also adept at crying just long enough when dp fed her so i would give in as I could not cope with the crying and i would rush upstairs and feed her! No will power whatsoever on my part!

I had thought it would be easier to swop the night time feed first, but on the advice of the HV i started with the morning feed as she was so hungry by then she took the bottle ok after only a couple of tries - i was amazed - when she then asked for a bf i distracted her with cereal. Bedtime was another matter entirely - as mentioned above!!

so we went on holiday, stayed the first couple of nights with old school friend, so while dp was upstairs feeding dd I was downstairs distracted helping school friend cook dinner and downing my first glass of red wine for two years!

for the next part of the holiday i had to go for a walk at bedtime - as i am a total pushover. By the fourth night, I stayed in the apartment and listened, she was ok! on the fifth night she took a bottle from me!. Was pleased and hugely disappointed in equal measures. it was sad to stop feeding, felt like she did not need me anymore! i did cry too - silly!

stick with it, the easiest way is to get someone else to do it for you, as the baby can smell the breast milk and will cry cos that;s what they know will work and get them a bf - as an option my hv and doctor both suggested tablets to dry up my milk as then the baby doesn't get the cue to cry. I did not go for this as thought it bit drastic.

he really wont feel abandoned by you. plenty of cuddles don't need a feed too!

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