How to wean off bf

[londongirl12]

Hi!
My DS is 7mo, and I ebf. We've been weaning on food since he was 6mo. I go back to work in July, working shift work, 12hr days and nights, so my DP and I decided we should put him on formula as it would be confusing for DS to sometimes b BF and not others.
The HV said because of his age, not to worry about trying to get him onto a bottle, but to give him the formula in a sippy cup, which we have been doing. However he only takes sips from it, and won't drink like he does when feeding. The formula tub says he should have around 600ml a day. At the moment he has about 60ml, along with BF. How can I get him to drink more from the cup, and less from me? He still feeds in the night too.

I read that as how to wean off bf (boyfriend)!

Was most bewildered at your emotional depency issue not helpful

Sorry! All the best

@eeanne it's because I'll be working shifts, 12 hour days and nights. If I was on a day shift I'll be gone before he wakes and be home after he's in bed. And there's no pattern to the shifts, so I thought it would be confusing for him to sometimes have a bottle before bed, sometimes me. And I could guarantee that I could pump at work, if it's busy sometimes even getting a wee is hard work!! So for all round ease, I thought going onto a bottle would be better for all of us.

@Fucketynamechanged I have no trouble weaning myself off him sometimes!!

So the success of the bottle yesterday seems to have been a fluke. He had boob at 6am, and has refused a bottle or food since. Do I give him some boob, or is that teaching him that if he holds out long enough, he’ll get it?? Don’t know what to do!! 🙈

I had to give in and breastfeed. He was crying and reaching out for me with his mouth open. How can he have a bottle all day yesterday and won’t today?????

Oh no! Well yesterday sounded promising, at least you know he isn’t totally offended at the idea of a bottle. Have you tried the classic Dad gives the bottle and you take yourself and your boobs to another room?

I think that a) in 2 months time it will all be different and b) if you're not there it will be different.
In terms of practicalities with the cup my 9 month old has a sippy cup but with a soft spout. He seems to drink formula ok out of that (have used for out and about as he's very distractible and hard to feed if not at home). Could be a compromise between a bottle and the standard beginner's sippy cup. Also it's not a freeflow one, he has to suck at it, but he seems fine with that. It was passed on to me by someone but I think it's similar to this one:
www.boots.com/philips-avent-scf551-13-classic-spout-210ml-pink-10175310?cm_mmc=bmm--Google+Boots+PLAs--BAU--C=%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Baby+-+Desktop%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29+Avent&gclid=CjwKCAjwiurXBRAnEiwAk2GFZquddrUUoA8hZXR_3NHCBmUc6AaKwqYtxSwvT1b3O2AhJwGY6SbS_xoCpIsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I’ve had a nightmare today. So kept going with the bottle. He would have a few sucks and then that’s it but at least he was drinking. We were coming back from the park and he really started to cry. Tony was in the passenger seat (I was driving ) and was leaning back trying to calm him when he shouted he’s done it again, he’s passed out!!! So I pulled straight over and then DS gave the loudest weirdest cry. I took him in the back seat and fed him, still pulled over by the side of the road! He'd just got himself so worked up. I felt so bad that he'd had such a bad day.

I went back to work at 7mo too. From 6mo I tried a bottle of formula every day. It took about 4 weeks but one day he gave up refusing and just downed the whole bottle! So glad I persevered. Much easier wwhen I wanted to stop breastfeeding and just switched to one bottle last thing at night from 12mo.

Have you tried bottle feeding in your arms to imitate bf, rather than in the high chair? Jus a thought as I don't think my dd would drink as much from bottle if she were in high chair.

That's interesting Bea - I found the opposite, that mine would take more if it was presented more as 'food/snack' rather than trying to imitate breastfeeding. My first success was in the bouncy chair I think. So OP try both and see which works better for you!

OP - I do think the bottle is more likely to be successful when you're not there so if it is stressing you both out then either stop for a bit until you actually go back to work, or see if DH or someone else can take over for the day.

We've had a much better day today. He's had 3 bottles in the day which is great. I think I'm finding it harder, I had to hand express in my MILs bathroom into the sink

Definitely ignore the hv and use a bottle. Bottles are fine until 12 months, then switch to a cup.
I’m about to get my 7mo ebf into bottles.
I care more about dehydration than whatever the hv thinks!

So we've gone totally backwards. He started of so well with the bottle, taking a few a day. But the past few days he's totally refused it. Just clamps his mouth shut and moves his head away and tries to get away. I don't understand!!!! I've had to give in and breastfeed him. Do I just keep trying or put breastfeeding strictly off limits??