I am desperate to stop bf ds 9months, but he WON'T take a bottle, what do I do?

[MinkyBorage]

The reason I want to stop is that he pinches and scratches my breast the whole time he is feeding, and has bitten me a couple of times too. I know it sounds silly, but it really hurts. I have to feed him whilst gripping each of his hands, then if I relax a little and he sneaks a little hand away and pinches me again really hard! My supply has dropped a lot since he started on solids, and I think that's why he's doing it. Also, he does seem to like squeezing toys too.

He's eating very well, but isn't yet managing a significant amount of water from a sippy cup, and he won't even entertain the idea of a bottle. The only significant drink he is getting is breastmilk. I guess if I really have to I can keep going until he is better at drinking from a cup, but I really have had enough!

He eats plenty of yoghurt, and I guess I could add more dairy in to his diet, but I'm a bit concerned that he's not getting anywhere enough of the vitamins and calcium he would be getting if he was ff. Some days I only end up feeding him morning and evening.

Help

I only mentione the toy squeezing to say that it might be just a habitual thing, he's just a squeezy kind of boy !

if you could stop the pinching would you carry on feeding him?
i only ask, cos it might be easier than getting him to take a bottle

have you tried taking him off and saying "no" every time he does it?
giving him something to hold? (something he can squeeze perhaps?)

My DS, now just over 10 mths, did that a lot at 9mths too. Very painful and annoying. He doesn't do it now.

How about trying so EBM in a lidded cup to get him used to it. Again, DS didn't have the hang of a lidded cup til around 10mths..

Have you tried a doidy cup for water and/or milk. Both my dds were RUBBISH at taking a bottle and much happier taking fluid from a doidy. Its essentially a regular open cup moulded so drinking is easier.

Have you tried lots of different bottle types?....also we had a breakthrough when we tried faster flow teats (the tommy tippee back to nature fast flow ones). Things also improved the more varied her solids diet got. She seemed much more willing to accept a bottle then, having totally refused anything but breast for 6 months.

BTW - I used to grab DS hand and shout no at him, more as a reflex to the pain than anything planned. And I didn't really shout, more of a loud forceful ish NO iykwim.

Thinking about it, isn't it 9mths they start to try out the pincer grip? And lucky us, we get them practicing on our boobs!

it is a pincer grip, yes! I have cried out when it really hurts, and I think he thinks I'm being terribly funny.
I really need him to take a bottle so that someone other than me can put him to bed. I'm starting a course in April so have to leave the house aT 5pm, I know it seems ages away, but I know it will arrive in what feels like 5 mins.
I can't express, I would prefer him to continue physically abusing me than try!
Only tried one bottle, I was thinking about trying a load of different teats, but wondered if it was just a waste of money, I think his objection is more that a bottle isn't a breast. Maybe I'll try the one you mentioned........... tommy tippee, I'll have a look.

Also, it might be worth trying milk in a sippy cup, good idea. Tried a doidy cup with dds, but really didn't get along with it, still have one though, so may try. Hmmm.

Also he is using me as a dummy in the morning, he wakes at 6 and I bring him in to bed, abd he basically feeds quite quickly, needless to say pinching, scratching and squeezing, and also kicking me in the tummy the whjole time, then he falls asleep suckling for an hour. If I remove my breast from his mouth he wakes and starts abusing me again!

I really am over it, I would be delighted not to have to do it again, and to have my breast back, not that they're worth having anymore after what he's done to them!!

It's lucky he's cute!!

I was saying exactly the same to dp tonight.
DD is 7.5 months and is always nipping and tugging my boob it hurts a lot.
She won't take a bottle either but I have managed to get her to drink from a cup (with no lid) after she kept trying to drink water from my glass .
HTH.

I use the First Years Breastflow bottle for DS. I didn't do EBM either (just cannot get to grips with expressing) but I did get him on a bottle for one feed from about 3 mths (having had a nightmare with DD I wasn't going through that again!). DS also did exactly what yours is too, re the boob in mouth suckling for an hour and kicking me. It has stopped now though. He's only get early morning feeds from me now, the rest is bottle.

With DD I could only BF as she would NOT take a bottle at all. SHe would though, drink from a lidded cup, she learnt on one that was free flowing not an 'anywayup cup'.

Good luck

I can never understand why people try using bottles when their baby is no longer breastfeeding. It is only to feed a new baby who isnt being breastfed. If your baby is having a varied diet, I would even worry about milk. I would certainly just give a cup, and not even consider a bottle.

Thank you everyone (except boysaloud, I don't like your tone) I shall try the options you have suggested. All good and helpful ideas. Thanks.

Wasnt intended to offend, just written in a perplexed manner. I have always given a cup and not worried about bottles when giving water whilst breastfeeding. Was thinking aloud not being rude. Hope you reach solution.