8 week old refusing breast over bottle

[jan08]

Hi - am new to this - my little girl is almost 8 weeks and since 4 weeks we started giving her expressed milk for her night feed and since then I have expressed more so that whenever we are out she can have a bottle - until now it worked really well - mixing breast and bottle! No problem with milk supply as I have expressed a lot. The Problem is now all of a sudden she is refusing to take any breast - screams as soon as she gets "in position" but as soon as she has an expressed bottle she is instantly happy and eating away . Does anyone have any ideas on why this has happened and how to get her back to breastfeeding? i didn't want to give up so soon but hate to see her so incredibly frantic at not wanting breast but happy with the same stuff expressed.

She's a happy little girl - putting on weight and I have no other worries about her - she's sleeping and playing happily - just the feeding thats gone all wrong... .

I would so appreciate any advice as am getting quite upset about it.

DD went through a phase of doing this, she would also refuse to feed from certain sides.. I'm sure TikTok will pick up on this , or one of the other B/F experts, but I would say you have a choice - keep offering breast first, let her get really hungry, and only offer a bottle if she is really refusing, or let her get really hungry and wait til she goes on the breast.

Of course, bottles offer instant milk so you could try stimulating your let down reflex first so there is instant milk, this might cheer her up a bit.

FWIW, DD returned to b/f (although she is a fussy little beggar, only ever feeds for 5 minutes - but this is nothign to do with bottles) and is a huge happy fat 6 month old now.

Thankyou for the advice! I'll try the whole no bottle as much as I can for the next few days.

I don't think it can be my let down - I end up absolutely soaked each time I try to get her to feed.

I just have to be strong..and not get upset by her crying I'll let you know after the weekend - fingers crossed.... thankyou!)

jan08 - your let down might indeed be then what is putting her off- -in the opposie way to what I thought - I too have a ver strong let down, and baby gets a faceful of milk - in which case, try and express off the spurty bit, and offer her milk once the flow has calmed down a bit.

good luck.

Hi

Its been an eventful week with her and all is not going too well! Now I can get her on if I catch her hunger quick enough but after 5 minutes she comes off and refuses to go back on completely so i end up giving her a bottle which she gobbles down completely.

Unless anyone has any ideas I think I will be steadily be using more formula as no matter how much I am expressing my milk production seems to be going down.... Am beginning to resigning myself to it! I did want to breastfeed for a lot longer but every feed is a struggle and am beginning to wonder if it is inevitable!

Jan - try posting on the b/f board. Hopefully TikTok will see it and be able to advise. Good luck.