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Parenting

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Original poster

Getting breastfed baby to take a bottle

16 replies

alakhx · 24/02/2022 18:26

My 7 month old DD is exclusively breastfed. She was taking a bottle with pumped milk fine and even formula as I had to go back into hospital at one point. From 3 months she has been refusing and I'm getting to the point now where I would really enjoy a break and have tried everything to try get her to take it. I've tried using different formula and different bottles but she isn't having any of it and only falls asleep at the breast. Can anyone give me any tips and when did your babies start with a bottle?

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Tgilaura · 24/02/2022 18:34

No advice but watching with interest as my Dd is exactly the same.
I m due to go back to work in April and she has refused formula, expressed milk in all different types of bottles.
The only bright side is she’s started to accept a sippy cup with water after weeks of perseverance. My next step is to get a different coloured one and try putting milk in that (don’t want to put her off the water!)

milkieway · 25/02/2022 19:21

Mine never took a bottle (sorry not what you wanted to hear!)
He liked the Tommy tippy sippy cup from early on 6months ish for water etc. I went back to work at 12 months by that point he would have water or cows milk from the sippy cup when I wasn't around and then he just had milk from the source when I got back. It worked out ok for us.

TreaclePlum · 26/02/2022 18:54

Mine had bottled boob a few weeks old and then EBF.
At 5 months I wanted to go back to bottled boob so hubby could do more feeds. She would NOT take it.

Long story short, I took her off nipple mid feed then shoved bottle in mouth. That worked. Then she'd take the bottle. But only from me. But not formula

So then it was a case of mixing formula with boob. Then changing the ratios. Eventually she would take formula in bottle...from me.

Took a few weeks but she did then take from hubby! Was a long process!! But once she was on bottle she was happy to take it before bed and such

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Fupoffyagrasshole · 26/02/2022 18:59

My little one is nearly a year old and she just never would take on unfortunately

Had some success with a sippy cup from around 8 months - maybe try that

Blossom64265 · 26/02/2022 19:00

Mine never took a bottle. We did get her to drink breastmilk from a sippy cup starting at 9 months. Had to try a whole bunch of cups until we found one she liked.

JustWonderingIfYou · 26/02/2022 19:09

I wouldn't bother with a bottle at 7 months!

Just use a sippy or 360 cup.

I started with a doidy cup at 4 months as DS never took a bottle but I'd have been weaning him off them at 7 months anyway.

Neurodiversitydoctor · 26/02/2022 19:11

The only bright side is she’s started to accept a sippy cup with water after weeks of perseverance

DS was like this. He took Formula from a soppy cup from 6m. Never took a bottle.

Twizbe · 26/02/2022 19:14

Dump the bottles and use a sippy cup for milk.

They don't need to have milk in bottles.

Also up the solids and they'll drop the milk feeds so you get some more time in the day.

My youngest refused bottles and it was fine. By 7 months she was on 3 meals a day so I have 10-3 without having to feed. By 10 months she was down to just morning and bedtime feeds. By 14 months she was down to just morning and she dropped her last feed at 17 months. I'd have gone longer but she stopped when she wanted

Okeydoky · 26/02/2022 19:16

Never took one. Eventually started taking expressed milk from a 360 cup

BananaPie · 26/02/2022 19:17

Not worth the effort. Once they are over 6 months and eating other stuff the breast feeds reduce so much that you get your freedom back pretty rapidly. Neither of mine ever took a bottle. I don’t think I even tried with dc2

museumum · 26/02/2022 19:18

Mine refused bottles. I got him to use a freeflow cup from 6mo. I’d advise skipping the bottle completely concentrate on food and milk and water by cup.

thingymaboob · 26/02/2022 19:20

Mine refused bottle and sippy cup but would drink 200ml formula from a straw cup at 9 months old.

Alonelonelylonersbadidea · 26/02/2022 19:20

None of mine would touch bottles. Ever. Go straight to the sippy cup. Just go slowly but really just don't stress about the bottles. They're a waste of time for many breastfed babies. When I think of all that money I wasted...

lauren234 · 26/02/2022 19:21

Try a straw cup, only thing that worked for us.

LookItsMeAgain · 26/02/2022 19:26

Try different teats on the bottles if you are going to persevere with the bottle. My two kids wouldn't take a latex teat but would take a silicone one and also only certain shaped teats so certain bottles. I remember when they were old enough getting rid of so many baby bottles as it was a process of elimination until we found something that worked.

Are you holding your DD differently when bottle feeding (or trying to) to when you would breastfeed? That could have something to do with it too, the closeness, the skin to skin contact, the warmth of you versus the roughness of a jumper/sweatshirt/tshirt that someone else might be wearing while trying to bottle feed.

Just a thought.

ChocolateButtonsOfShame · 26/02/2022 19:37

Hello! Shameless place marking 🙂

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