Introducing bottle to EBF baby

[ThatGutsyHedgehog]

I have a 4 month old who is EBF.
I’ve got a couple of events coming up where I can’t bring DS so will be leaving him with DH.
i need to be able to give him a bottle and was hoping to use formula because I struggle to express much breast milk.
im struggling with him to take a bottle and know it may take time but has anyone got any experience or helpful hints or tips?
Thank you!

Probably not what you want to hear but I tried everything to try and get both my EBF kids to take a bottle (and a dummy for that matter), but neither would. I spent a fortune on different types, tried feeding when hungry, feeding when not, tried to leave it to my DH so my breast milk smell wasn't around (see also: trying outside in the fresh air, getting a friend to try, plus our nice health visitor had a go). Both repeatedly refused. I had to wait until they were 6 months and gave a sippy cup.

I know that doesn't help with your predicament, but I just wanted to say that some babies don't, regardless of what you do. Hopefully one of the methods in my post, or the advice of others, will work for you, but just be prepared for the fact it might not.

@sexnotgenders
Thanks for your reply!
I was wondering if this may be the case as I’ve tried on and off with a bottle (different brands) and not much luck so far!
did your children take to the sippy cup quickly?

I have the same issue @ThatGutsyHedgehog have you tried the minbie bottles? I have just bought one to try as the teat is the most 'nipple-like'

What bottles did you try? Some bottles are easier apparently for BF babies. My babes took a little while but took bottles from other people if I was out of sight. But they took dummies form early on too.

Thanks for your reply!
Tommee tippee and NUK so far!
He wouldn’t ever take a dummy tried from a week old and various brands

No I haven’t tried those! Have they worked for you?

Another one who's baby never took a bottle, but got on very well with cups. At 4 months you could definitely try it - my brother cpuld drink from a cup at that age.

We used completely open cups, but any freeflow sippy cup should work.

Thankfully they both took to the munchkin 360 cups really well. So well that it actually annoyed me - having refused the bottle so fervently, they had no problems with a bloody cup! 🤣

I am going to test out the minbie ones this week and can report back 😊

@@ThatGutsyHedgehog Did you find a bottle that suited your little one? My LO is 4 months and I have an event next month where I will need to leave him and having the same bottle refusal problems! Any advice would be much appreciated!

So he took to a tommee tippee sippy cup much better so we’ve used that! But also cracked on with weaning and he’s really been enjoying solids
the only bottle I’ve managed to get him to use occasionally is the NUK one which is shaped more like a nipple and has multiple holes for milk to come through
I’ve found now he’s older he is going a bit longer between feeds
ive not left him loads but he’s been ok without me for 4/5 hours at a time - equally haven’t tried leaving him longer
The HV reassured me and said they wooing starve eventually they would take the bottle