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Original poster

Advice needed - bottle feeding a breastfed baby

10 replies

Brooklily · 27/06/2022 17:37

Hi all, my 4mo LB is EBF. For a variety of reasons including wanting to restart meds for my MS, I want to start formula feeding him. Until he was about 10 weeks old he was taking a bottle from DH every night but he then started refusing. Over the past few weeks we have tried everything we can think of to get him to accept it again: different bottles, different teats, different temperature of milk (both breast milk and formula), different feeding positions, singing, trying the bottle when he isn't hungry, trying when he is hungry, offering it part way through a breastfeed... everything that has been recommended and we have read online. We offer it everyday at the same time and have tried different times. About 9/10 he refuses angrily and only accepts when he's really tired, as if he doesn't quite realise he's being given a bottle. He won't drink from a cup or sippy cup either.
Does anyone have any advise for what has worked for them? I understand that its the physical connection and comfort he craves so I feel bad about depriving him of it but I need to stop. We are at a loss for what to do next as he gets so upset when we offer him the bottle now 😢
TIA

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MolliciousIntent · 27/06/2022 19:28

This isn't going to be helpful, but our DD1 never took a bottle and nothing we tried ever convinced her. In the end I gave up, because I was able to continue breastfeeding, but if you can't you may just need to stop feeding, only offer the bottle, and wait him out. He will eventually take it, because he will not let himself starve.

Sbena · 27/06/2022 20:04

Couldn't get mine to take a bottle at all. I would persevere with the sippy cup, as you'll need to use that in future anyway when it comes time to wean.

I got several different kinds of cups, and the one I've had the most success with is a £1.50 free flow one from Boots. It has a spout for sucking and the milk comes out faster than other cups. I found my boy got frustrated at how slowly most of his cups give out liquid.

Good luck!

Garman · 27/06/2022 20:43

Have you tried spoon or syringe, or tiny shot glass sized cup?

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pimlicoanna · 27/06/2022 20:44

Nothing worked for mine either!

winterbabyrose · 28/06/2022 11:26

Not sure if you've tried this brand, but have you tried NUK bottles? My EBF baby refused everything else bar these bottles, they have a special teat which is apparently as close to the nipple in likeness as possible. I hadn't heard of them before I did extensive digging on the best type of bottle for a EBF who refused!

Twizbe · 28/06/2022 11:45

If you can stop trying for a week or two. Give you both a bit of a reset and take the stress out of it.

If you can make it to 6 months you might find they are better with a sippy cup and you can wean meaning they drop milk feeds anyway and they won't need as much.

Finally, pick a bottle and a formula and stick with it. Chopping and changing just makes it worse tbh. Stick with newborn teets (your nipple holes don't change size) and give an oz or so at a time when he's relaxed and happy. Try to combi feed at first. It will help you not to get engorged as well. Alternate between breast and bottle feeds.

It may take a few weeks.

Original poster
Brooklily · 29/06/2022 19:53

Twizbe · 28/06/2022 11:45

If you can stop trying for a week or two. Give you both a bit of a reset and take the stress out of it.

If you can make it to 6 months you might find they are better with a sippy cup and you can wean meaning they drop milk feeds anyway and they won't need as much.

Finally, pick a bottle and a formula and stick with it. Chopping and changing just makes it worse tbh. Stick with newborn teets (your nipple holes don't change size) and give an oz or so at a time when he's relaxed and happy. Try to combi feed at first. It will help you not to get engorged as well. Alternate between breast and bottle feeds.

It may take a few weeks.

Thank you so much for your advice - we ordered a NUK bottle and he has taken to it straight away. He has had 3 feeds with it over the past 2 days and we are going very slowly. X

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Original poster
Brooklily · 29/06/2022 19:55

winterbabyrose · 28/06/2022 11:26

Not sure if you've tried this brand, but have you tried NUK bottles? My EBF baby refused everything else bar these bottles, they have a special teat which is apparently as close to the nipple in likeness as possible. I hadn't heard of them before I did extensive digging on the best type of bottle for a EBF who refused!

Thank you so much! We ordered a NUK nature sense bottle and he has taken to it straight away. We are going slowly but he honestly seems to love feeding from it. X

OP posts:
sunflowerandivy · 29/06/2022 20:07

I have found that my baby likes kendamil formula the best. It definitely smells the nicest.

VixFromThe6ix · 29/06/2022 20:12

My ds is 5 mos and up till 2 mos he was being given bottle when dh took care of him. I took over bf 100% of the time. Now a week ago we tried with a bottle again because we have a wedding coming up and mil will be taking care of him.
To my shock he refused the bottle. We also tried so many things and nothing worked.
Once I was able to trick him I to drinking a litttttle. I basically played his fave so gs on my phone and held it high where he had to look up, then snuck a bottle to his face and he suckle a little bit. Haha about 30mls. Then he realized what he was doing and stopped.
I basically been spoon feeding him. He is spilling most of it but I don't k ow what else to do.
Not helpful, I know. I'm here for advice too lol

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