Breast to Bottle at 5.5 mo...

[mummywoowoo]

apologies if this has been done before...
...but looking to find some tips please. I'm especially keen to switch the evening feed soonest as this is the killer for my sanity!

Assume best if DH did this final (7ish) feed for a while...? and how long before I could do it myself without him making a grab for the boob still?!

Would like to retain the morning feed long-term for a while...

Is this realistic or am I dreaming?

I really don't want to go cold turkey ...

BUMP - any ex BF's out there who can tell me what they did?

I know you say you want to drop the evening feed first, but generally this is the one they like to hang on to the most, sleepy feed, quiet snuggly time with mummy... you might have more success with an afternoon feed first, then move onto the bedtime feed when the bottle is familiar. You might find as weaning progresses he is happier to take the bottle. We used tommee tippee closer to nature and just kept trying DS on one every day (and pouring it down the sink every day). Just accept you might get through a box of formula or two before he takes a proper slurp .

Don't think it made a difference with us which one of us offered it, in fact it was probably me in the end that he took it off, with DH being at work. DS probably started taking a bottle of formula around 8-9 months, just an afternoon one, still BF morning and eve, he dropped them at 12 months, but i started with the eve feed offerign the bottle, then BF to finish off to begin with, so the comfort was still there, then making a slightly bigger bottle each time till eventually he was full enough.

Some babies take to a bottle better at the bedtime feed as they're sleepy and just don't make a fuss - others will steadfastly refuse giving up that comfort, so might be worth trying at another time of day first? good luck and don't give up - just when you think he really won't take it, he will!

Thanks for taking the time to reply Kate. OK the afternoon feed ..i will try this first.

I wouldn't have thought of doing bigger and bigger formula bottles.. will give that a go. I'm prepared for a fight b/c he's already a stubborn boy!

We spend all this time learning how to BF that it seems wierd wanting to know how to stop... in a way.