moving from breast to bottle.

[staryeyed]

I've struggled to bf up until 6 months- a target I set for myself, Now I am trying to get DS2 on bottle but he wont take it consistently. I tried a training cup to start- didn't like, then tried dr browns which he takes inconsistently. now nuk bottles which he will also take inconsistently. I have a training course next week for a full day and need to leave ds2 with my mum but I will have to cancel if I can not get him drinking from a bottle. I am using aptimil and have had more success with ready made cartoons than the powder. How do I this?

He will drink when he wants to.

Try sticking to one brand as the teats are different and he might get more confused.

Have you tried an open cup?

Are you still bf? if yes then he will make up for it when you get home.

Have you a plan to switch from breast to bottle/cup?

I did it recently and I'm afraid I had to make DS go pretty much cold turkey. I just perservered with the bottles and I would say it took him a good few days but he got the hang of it eventually.

From watching him, it looks like they have to use a different jaw positioning and sucking action to drink from the bottle and I'm guessing it's this that he'll have to master.

I stuck with one type of bottle, one type of teat and one formula and offered it regularly even though he often refused it. I thought better to offer and him refuse than me get frustrated and not offer.

I would say try this and he'll gradually get used to the idea.

Good luck, I found no one was very supportive or offered any advice about switching to bottle feeding for whatever reason and guidance was hard to come by!

Oh also meant to add, if you're worried about the amount of milk he is/not getting, I used made up feeds on cereals or weetabix in the morning and in his meals too so I knew he was getting some even if not from a bottle.

thanks for the advice. I dont think he could do a full day without drinking- it would be from 8am-6pm.

I am still breast feeding. Ive only just started weaning and that isn't going very well either (he will eat banana or pear through a mesh thing but wont take from a spoon) so he needs the calories from somewhere.

I did try open cup but that wasn't very effective either.

Ds2 seems to prefer nuk teats so will stick with them I think.

I did want to gradually wean him off but I may have to go cold turkey.

Do you think he's refusing the bottle or cup because you're around and so wants milk from you. Can you have a trial run and maybe leave him for a couple of hours? Maybe if you left him with your mum over a period of time during which he would normally have a feed and then maybe he would take a bottle from her?

Oh and another thing (sorry DS keeps shouting at me!) is I found he liked the feeds really quite warm. He seemed to drink more then. I thought maybe I underestimated how hot the milk was from me!

Yes, as your milk is form you and you are 36.8°C the formula does need to be around bath temp.

Stary standard or wide neck NUK?

I think its wide neck.

the milk has been very warm but for some reason ds2 seems to prefer the room temp cartons.

the cartons are sweeter than the formula, you could slowly use less carton and more made up powder.

Ds2 is incredibly fussy even with boobs - he constantly jumps from one side to the other making feeding him a real effort every time he goes no longer than 2 hours which is half the reason I want to stop.

Are they really?that explains the preference. we may well have to stock up on cartons.

Staryeyed - come visit us on postnatal! We'd love to see you there!