Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

If I go back to EBF, will baby refuse the bottle again?

5 replies

Flibbyjibby · 26/03/2023 19:23

DS is 6 months old and was EBF until about 5 months and combi fed since then.

I started introducing him to the bottle and formula a month ago because I was going to have to leave him with my parents for a few upcoming events (weddings/KIT days etc.).

It was a massive struggle to get him to take a bottle, but he did eventually do it and I felt so pleased with myself that I think I got carried away and decided I was going to completely switch him to formula.

I’ve slowly been upping his bottle feeds over the last few weeks and he is now on 4 a day, with breastfeeds in between and at night. However I now realise I want to go back to EBF and feel a bit foolish that I almost totally swapped him to formula simply because of a few days where someone else is looking after him.

I’m going to go back to EBF, I still have a pretty good milk supply do this is no problem, but if I do this will he start refusing the bottle again and undo all my work? It would be great if I could EBF him but he could still have bottles on those days I am not around.

Any experience?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Flibbyjibby · 26/03/2023 19:27

I should add that I guess he won’t technically be EBF as I have started BLW this week (before anybody jumps on that one!!)

OP posts:
TrudyProud · 26/03/2023 22:30

I think you'll be fine. My daughter is EBF (11 months) + BLW. If I'm not around she'll have expressed breast milk.

The only thing I noticed is she'll only take a bottle if hungry but will boob for comfort (I've returned to work) as well as for nourishment.
Giving expressed milk via bottle for a few nights also helped calm the night waking- she now only wakes if hungry (1 or nil times a night) because she can't be sure if she'll get boob or my husband with the bottle.

Enjoy your BF journey

Februaryschild2023 · 27/03/2023 07:10

My husband gives our baby one bottle a day, and the baby knows I'm the boobs, he's the bottle guy. Can you keep one bottle going for your partner to feed?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

icypompoms · 27/03/2023 12:20

At 6 months you don't even need to use a bottle just a cup.

Seeline · 27/03/2023 12:32

I'd stick at a regular bottle once a day, just to keep him used to the idea.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread