How to switch to formula milk at 9 months

[RadicalSoul]

Hi all, our 9 month old has been exclusively breastfed until now (plus a good amount of solids since month six). We tried introducing formula (bottle) over the past months but he never took to it and we didn’t want to force it. He just started nursery and I was hoping he would be thirsty enough and the role modeling of other kids would do the trick, but it hasn’t worked. I don’t want to pump as I barely get anything out and also just can’t deal with it. I’d actually happily stop breastfeeding completely at this point.

How can I get him to accept formula milk so late in the journey?

Heres what we tried to with the bottles: the bottle is around at mealtimes but also other times so it’s a familiar object and plays with it. I also pretend drinking from it lots which he watches with interest but the most he’s done is take a sip and then refuse anything to do with it. He does sometimes chew on the teat.

Next thing we’ll try are sippy cups with formula milk, which he drinks water from at nursery. He’s not good at drinking from an open cup yet (basically just wets his mouth and pours it down his front) or we’d try that too.

Any ideas? Experiences to share? All thoughts are welcome!!

Maybe just try to go straight to sippy cups. Are you the one trying the bottle? He’s not likely to want a bottle from you, so I’d ask someone else to offer it.

Do you need to give formula ? My DS went on to cow's milk after I stopped BF ... and straight onto cups.

He basically won’t drink liquids out of anything for now not from me, his dad or at nursery. Very little water from a sippy cup. Hadn’t had formula milk before and doesn’t seem to love it though eats porridge made with it. Cows milk is the same issue. Maybe it’ll change over time but it’ll be hard if I stop breastfeeding.

@Ragwort how long did it take your little one to drink properly from a cup?

Unfortunately my youngest was like this, and I never cracked it. She just wasn't interested in any liquid that didn't come out of my boobs!

I would speak to nursery and get their advice. Sometimes babies will do things at nursery they won't do at home as they recognise it's a different environment, different ball game.

My daughter had a bottle aversion on and off from about 10 weeks having accepted expressed bottles from 3 weeks

The most successful attempt to get her on a bottle was by offering her an Oz of freshly expressed breastmilk immediately after every feed. The first day she went nowhere near it. The second day she let it close to her and then on the third day she started to accept it

At 10 months in the midst of the worst bottle eversion we experience I had to go into hospital and start medication that I couldn't breastfed on. My daughter was sent home to dad to stop breastfeeding cold turkey as none of the support I got in hospital was helping. She went 26h without feeding but accepted some formula in food. She then went to nursery and drank 2 5oz bottles. She went on to be formula fed until she was 2 on hypoallergenic formula that tastes bloody foul. She barely ate at all so stopping feeding without replacing the milk wasn't an option. This was one of the worst weeks of my life but we survived and it allowed us both to thrive!

Start putting pumped breast milk in a bottle. Get him used to a bottle. You will have to be quite persistent with this. You bottle feed first then, then your DP. This may not instantaneously work, you'll have to give yourself a few weeks.

Then start with formula in a bottle.

Both my DC were a disaster with sippy cups so kept using tommee tippee cups for a while - it was a real ballache having to change their clothes all the time. The sippy cup came a bit later which was fine

Radical I honestly can't remember, it was over 20 years ago, I know I was just very strict, no bottles, snippy cups only and if he didn't drink milk so be it, plenty of nutrition In the other foods he was eating.

Hi all; sorry for the long silence. I thought I’d update you on how it all went.

Little one is 11 months old now and still not drinking anything other than breast milk really. At nursery (9am-4pm at the moment) he has a tiny amount of water but has refused any sort of milk in any sort of cup / bottle so we’ve given up on that.

At home he breast feeds like he did before, not more even after that long stretch and not even night feeds which I was dreading. I’m not sure how he get enough liquid but he seems to be just fine with plenty of wet nappies! I suppose he does eat a lot of solids so maybe makes it up that way somehow at nursery. Definitely odd but I’m not complaining. Now we just have to work on the water intake and we should be all good! 😊