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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

From breast to bottle...HOW??

11 replies

HerMomminess · 02/12/2009 11:21

Hi there,

DD1 is excl br-fed and now 17 weeks.I am going back to work in 12 weeks and she will need to be on formula for full time nursery.

She has taken a bottle in the past, but not for about a month and I do not express. Tommee Tippee with variflow teats.

How should I start introducing ff? I bought Aptimel 1 and it is sitting in the kitchen giving me the hairy eyeball. Would prefer an organic formula but couldn' t track any down in the shops.

The irony: I hated br-feeding and JUST when I have the hang of it and am enjoying it (!) I need to try and stop. I will miss it. NEver thought I would say that!Already feel guilty about return to work/nursery/ff...oh the joys

Any advice much appreciated.

OP posts:

Original poster

HerMomminess · 02/12/2009 11:22

SHould have said that I don' t want to continue br-feeding on return to work. Shifts etc etc

OP posts:

NellyTheElephant · 02/12/2009 21:31

Have you actually tried giving her a bottle of formula? If she has taken a bottle in the past then you may be lucky and she'll still take it. With mine the problem was always getting them to take a bottle at all, not what was in it - i.e once I'd managed to get them to take a bottle at all they didn't seem to notice whether there was formula or EBM in it.

12 weeks is still quite a long time to go, so why don't you try giving a bottle of formula (say at the mid morning feed), if she takes it then feel happy that she has no problems with the bottle and for the next 8 or 9 weeks give her one bottle every couple of days so she keeps the skill of taking the bottle but you are still pretty much exclusively bf for as long as you can. I always found I needed about 2 or 3 weeks to stop feeding completely, so maybe once you just have 3 weeks to go then start winding down the feeding. Everyone says to drop a feed a week, but I always found dropping one every 4 or 5 days was fine.

If she really doesn't take the bottle and you have tried and tried, then I would just keep exclusively bf for the next 8 or 9 weeks and then go cold turkey. DD2 WOULD NOT take a bottle (EBM) no matter what I did. It was v stressful trying and eventually I stopped trying. When I needed to stop bf I simply did not let her have the breast - undoubtably a horrible day for us both. I bf her when she woke up but then no more: first bottle feed she screamed and cried and took about 1oz, same a couple of hours later, but by the afternoon she took about 4 oz and in the evening she took about 5 oz, then next day she was fussy about it but took enough so I didn't worry, by day 3 she was totally fine (during this time I was also expressing to ease my own discomfort while not bf - not sure what you should do about that if you don't express).

Original poster

HerMomminess · 03/12/2009 11:14

Thanks Nelly,I thought no-one was going to respond! I know it is a long way to go but I witnessed a fiend's 8 week battle to switch to ff. So, I want to try sooner rather than later I guess.

I assume if I (try!) to replace that mid morning feed I don' t express either as that would keep the demand/supply going when in fact I want it to decrease?

Cheers for the comprehensive reply!

OP posts:

Poledra · 03/12/2009 11:20

Another trick to try is to get someone else to give her a bottle (DP, your mum etc) as she may refuse a bottle from you but take it from someone who has nothing else to offer, IYSWIM

PANCHEY · 03/12/2009 16:24

Hi have you come across Hipp Organic formula?

I am in the same boat bf vs bottle, try Nuk, Tommy Tippee first sippee cup. Please give us updates since I am going to try what you are trying.

boyraiser · 03/12/2009 20:16

Personally, I would keep going with BFing for the time being. By the time you'll be going back to work, your LO will be making the transition to solids and you will be able to leave her with her purees etc. and some formula (or water - if she refuses to take formula then), having feeds with you when you are available, if you so wish.

Twelve weeks is a lifetime away at that age - try not to stress about how it will work out now. Your baby will be a totally different creature in 3mths time, and things will work out.

Original poster

HerMomminess · 03/12/2009 20:55

Cheers to all!

Had her weighed today and picked up weight really well (on the 25th which is good for her).Discussed plans with HV and she agrees with boyraiser,ie to wait and try to enjoy the br-f ing at the moment. Especially as I HATED it at the start.

Panchey- she suggests just to try a couple of oz every now and again but to not force it or get stressed about it.HV also claims that Aptimel is a good 'starter' to help transition from br to bottle.

Boyraiser: I thought she would still need majority of nutrition from milk(breast or otherwise) at 7 mo. Thus my concern.

Prob try some this weekend by DH around midday. Just to see...

Promise to keep you up to date. Keep advice coming.

OP posts:

twolittlekings · 03/12/2009 21:07

I am going through the same problem with DS 2 who is also 17 weeks. My dream is to get him to take the bottle (of formula) fo the night feed in the hope he will go through and so that I can have a few drinks if I want as it's really boring not beeing able to have more than one very small glass of wine!

Have tried SMA gold - yuk - no wonder he made such a fuss as it is truly disgusting. Have just discovered Aptamil which tonight he took using a Tommee tippee bottle in the bouncer chair.

He looked a bit confused as to why he was not snuggled up with me but at the same time I was far enough away that he could not smell me.

Perhaps if you tried that it might help? DS did try and feed him by holding him but he got really upset so I find that a bit of distance works. For DS1 I used to put him in the car seat and eventually it worked as well.

Good luck!

Original poster

HerMomminess · 08/12/2009 20:25

Just to say it has been going well.

She has taken abbout 2oz from either DH or myself each day since the weekend.Made sure she was hungry but not raging starvation either. Aimed for the latemorning/noon-ish feed. Aptimel with Tommee tippee variflow teats.

Main aim is to make sure she will actually take a bottle. Next will be to replace br feeds with ff but that will be slowly over next couple of months.

Hope this helps.

OP posts:

boyraiser · 08/12/2009 22:14

If you wean around 26 wks, you'll probably find that your baby picks up on the idea fairly quickly. Your baby will be able to eat root veggies, fruit, and some meats at that age.

You may decide to delay introducing gluten (e.g. if you have concerns about eczema) but can still use rice (or baby rice - which is essentially rice flour, which you can buy in the supermarkets at a much more reasonable price than the stuff branded as 'baby rice').

If you google 'baby led weaning' you'll get more ideas for weaning your baby that way, or you may prefer to use some purees (especially if your baby is going into daycare and someone else is going to be feeding her).

But either way, I think you'll find that your LO will be able to eat a couple of 'solid meals' around that age, and will take water from a beaker with a bit of practice.

Don't stress too much about what happens X weeks down the line - the things you're worrying about now will be resolved by then, and other concerns will have replaced them! But all will be well.

forevermore · 08/12/2009 23:14

Couple of weeks behind but same issue. My question is how to progress from the 1 or 2 oz that DD 15 weeks will take at the mo. Itbshould be mote like 5 or 6 oz shouldn't it?

I want her to take a bottle once a day and it's taken a few weeks to just get to this stage.

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