Transitioning to bottle help!!

[Elly88]

I'm having to go back to work earlier than expected due to wanting to take a promotion, so my lo will be just over 4 months when I go back in Feb. I've been trying to get her to take a bottle for 3 weeks now with little success, any help or advice greatly appreciated, it's stressing me out so bad! I started with mam bottles which were just screamed at and never tried, then got the nuk bottles with rubber latex teat with she would suck a little from, getting up to 2-4oz at a time. I've no idea how much she normally takes from a breastfeed to compare. She's had an ear infection this last week and is back to refuses bottles, but I'm worried it's not just because she's ill that she's not taking it. I started by swapping one feed a week, but have kept to 2 bottles this week as she isn't wanting them. Have tried expressing (though I have little to no time to do this with 2 under 2) but she still refuses to take it from a bottle.

No advice, but following with interest as I am in the same position. I tried DH giving a bottle as babies can smell breast milk on you, but DH doesn't particularly want to try as it's too much effort, so I am left to battle it on my own.

I went back at 5 months, waited until I went bs k to work. Furst few days he o my took a bit and then took 8-10 oz of b milk at a time. When you're not there and there's no chance of you coni g back in the next couple of hours I think they're more inclined to take it. I also used a higher teat than needed so number 3 instead of number 2 for instance.

But honestly, you have to be out of the house, for a decent while too so they don't just wait for you to come back

There's not much point in you trying to give her a bottle, she'll smell you and your lovely snuggly comforting boobs and she'll be very cross that you're trying to give her plastic instead! Hand her over to her Dad for at least one bottle a day and let them figure it out together.

My dh works away in the week so that isn't possible. My mil tried when I took my toddler swimming but she flat out refused, whereas she takes a little with me. I now have mastitis anyway, if I stop breast feeding all together will she still smell my milk? I just expressed with ds to let pressure off and it went by itself x

I feel your pain, my daughter wouldn't take a bottle until she was 7 months old and only then it was when I caved and put formula in the bottle.

I found out after trying for so long that my breastmilk didn't store well. It had a high lipase which made it smell and taste soapy after being frozen or in the fridge for too long. Some babies don't care about the taste but mine wouldn't let a bottle near her. I wish I tried formula sooner - I had to turn down my best friend's hen do as it involved 2 nights away and I couldn't leave her for more than 4 hours and it would have let my husband do some of the feeds

My dd refused outright to take a bottle. I went back to work out of home for 12 hours left dd with the nanny and she apparently still outright refused a bottle. We must have purchase about 20 different bottles without success. Eventually HV said give up, use a small cup to gently put the milk in dd mouth.

And we did just that. Dd was 5 months at the time though so I'm not sure if this will help.
I just wanted to say that sometimes they do hold out and don't take a bottle at all but it can still be ok. My nanny was very experienced so it wasn't her failing to do anything. In the end the cup worked fine though,