7month old to bottles.

[ReginaFelange22]

I've exclusively breastfed my wee one and it's time to move to bottles. She is not keen, it seems to be the actual formula she isn't keen on, the bottles she has taken expressed from no issues. I'm really a bit clueless as to where to go or how to get this moving. Any help would be appreciated. Currently trying aptimal first milk.

Are you on a deadline? ie return to work or similar?

You could try mixing some formula into expressed BM and gradually changing the ratios.

Isn't First milk for babies who haven't started weaning though? ie under 6 months?

First milk is for babies up to 12 months, which is what the NHS recommend. No need for "follow on" milks or whatever, they're just there as marketing tools for the formula companies as they can't advertise their first infant formula by law.

Yeh kinda on a deadline and tbh my health is being affected now. I've lost so much weight and now the lightest I've ever been. Didn't know I could mix the 2, that could be worth a shot! Thank you! x

You could try different brands? Some of them might be more palatable than others.

Well if you are on a deadline that makes it easier in some respects.

My advice would be to drop a feed every two weeks. I've done it weekly and it sent my system haywire, every two weeks the second time around worked much better.

Don't crack and BF at the times you have dropped. Offer the formula, and don't make a fuss if its rejected before or after only 5mls. Distract and do something else and offer again 30 mins later and so on.

If your DD gets a cold or is unwell you may have a good opportunity as she will want to nurse rather than eat solids and will be less resistant.

Pick a brand and stick with it. We tried every brand and bottle going with DD1 and she wasn't having it, any of it. She stopped drinking milk entirely and we had to put it into all her food, runny yoghurt, soupy weetabix etc etc and lots of cheese. She's fine and loves her milk now but wouldn't touch the stuff from 7 months to about 18 when she discovered the delights of cold milk midsummer.

Don't make a fuss. Don't keep pushing it. Don't let your partner push it* if you are not around. Just offer it frequently in a disinterested manner, but not in the manner of Mrs Doyle

*DH was very task driven and would just go on and on with trying to get her to take a bottle.

I've had two bottle refusniks and was successful the second time around with the no fuss approach. I carried on doing a first thing and a bedtime feed until about 8.5 months with DD2 but she completely cracked around 7 months when she got ill. Because I simply didn't have the supply it was her only option.