From breast to bottle in a month- help please!

[Ladyold]

I’m off back to work after Christmas after 6 months of merrily breastfeeding. Of course my DD is not keen on any bottles we have tried so far but will need to have one or two when I’m at work.

She is also starting solids so that will be in combination.

Has anyone managed to get their LO to take a bottle at 6 months? Any tips?

Thank you!

You could try a sippy cup instead of a bottle? I found mine were better with a cup they could hold with handles than the usual style of bottle-feed bottle without handles.

Try not to stress. Babies are very adaptable and we often spend more time worrying about a change than is needed. Have a look at Olivia Lactation Consultant on insta, she's recently done a return to work Q&A it'll be on her highlights.

No need for bottle. Go straight to sippy cup. I expressed as I wanted to carry on bf and l o happily took ebm from a cup.

Lots of brilliant advice on Kellymom which is all evidence based.

I had to stop breastfeeding at 10 months and get my baby who was refusing to engage with weaning on to hideous allergy formula! For us it was cold turkey (due to my health) an awful experience to get over a fairly severe bottle aversion at home. She tried to leap out of my arms if she saw a bottle

We got over an early bottle aversion by offering 1oz of fresh breastmilk in a bottle after every breastfeed. The first day she wouldn't entertain the bottle anywhere near her. The second day she accepted it near her mouth and the third day she drank some.

She wasn't the happiest at taking the bottle but would have the occasional bottle from my partner as long as it was fresh breastmilk and when she started nursery at 9 months she had 2 bottles of 0-3 Oz of allergy formula a day 3-6oz average total with breastfeeds before and after. It was nursery that got her on the bottles properly after I had to stop breastfeeding cold turkey and her intake went to 10oz during the day. She continued to have formula until 2.

Thank you all!

I will have a look at those recommendations and try a sippy cup.

I think maybe the bottles I’ve been trying have been slow release so she’s not getting much from them- tends to just chew!

that sounds stressful @Superscientist. I’d like to avoid expressing if I can because I find it such an additional faff- but will try it if needs be!

I hear you! That was a big part of only using 1 Oz! I reused the same Oz for a couple of feeds if she didn't touch the bottle ensuring it went back to the fridge between feeds. Untouched milk is ok out of the fridge for 2-4h and 1h if they have started to drink it. It just needed to be enough so that if she had a few sips she would realise it's the same as the feed she had just had.

My daughters allergies meant formula wasn't an much of an option and the severe bottle aversion was triggered by the GP prescribing a formula she was allergic to.