introducing a bottle

[edgarcat]

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I started expressing at 6 weeks and gave my ds one bottle a day fairly regularly. We have been lucky - he has never rejected the bottle and he was fully bottle fed (formula!!) from 4 months...

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As I was expressing, it was every day but I guess you could do every other day and build up a supply in your freezer if you are expressing.
If its formula, you won't have the overspilling boobage problems!!!

Don't worry about it! If he takes it easily now, you're probably OK. If not, even once a day probably won't solve the bottle rejection problem (see)

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someone told me a bottle every 3 or 4 days should do the trick.Hope you get to go out!

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ds2 settles much quicker after a bottle and seems to like it from dh

I only introduced a bottle when I went back to work. That was at age 18 weeks and I just gave the bottle a few days before going and had no problems. I worked part-time at the time - night shift. I breastfed on my days off and babies had bottles when I was at work, 2 nights a week. They took it without any fuss. I do believe they will feed when they are hungry. Sometimes I think trying to introduce a bottle for the sake of it can work against you because babies often reject them. I have seen babies almost being force fed from the bottle which then leaves them with a bad experience, leading to rejection the next time they are given it. The trick is not to confer any anxiety to the baby.

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That's longer than usual for you E - well done!

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Mine has gone a bit pear shaped the last few days - going to bed later - 9/10pm so cant expect dh tpgive a bottle when he wakes after 4 hours so I do it and then he only sleeps on for about 2/3 hours so depending on how long it takes to go down there isn't much sleep to be had!

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Have you tried waking him for a feed before going to bed - say 11pm. I did that with the first babe and it seemed to work - didn't work with the rest though

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My baby is 6 months old and refuses a bottle and I am desparate to change over as I am exhausted, also to add to the chaos since weaning my baby is not drinking enough from me and we are in a vicious cycle of constipation etc. Is there anyone with problems of baby refusing a bottle?
Rad

Rad My DS refused a bottle which I tried to introduce prior to my return to work at about 15/16 weeks. I had not started weaning and was getting quite worked up about it. In the end I just had to force the issue and refuse the breast. I just gave up the day to it and spent most of the day pacing the floor with him and then offering the bottle at intervals. However if your baby is weaned there is not going to be the hunger thing. Have you tried using a cup instead? Also IME formula does NOT help constipation. So you would be better offering water or expressed breast milk.

Also try and offer really runny food so more liquid taken this way.

Rad - forget bottles - find a feeder cup and persevere with that.

Forgot to say that you will still be exhausted whther you are breast feeding or not. You might find if you get too worked up over this issue , you will give yourself a lot more stress and feel even more tired. If your baby is not taking enough from you, cut back the solids a bit.
I would suggest introducing the cup, and as your baby drinks more from it, scale down your feeds. Introduce it inbetween meals so that it is not a battle with a hungry baby. HTH.