How do I stop breastfeeding my 9month old who won’t take a bottle

OneLilac · 2025-10-05T16:33:41+00:00

I’m 9 months postpartum and have been exclusively breastfeeding but I want to stop for my mental health as I’m struggling with the pressure of it. How do I stop?

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MumoftwoNC · 05/10/2025 17:35

Try switching to mixed feeding, it's the best of both worlds in terms of ease and flexibility. Introduce two bottles of formula a day in the first instance.

Whatever you do, don't start expressing to feed. That is the no1 worst thing for postpartum mental health (in my opinion) and is usually is the trigger to end any breastfeeding altogether

MidnightPatrol · 05/10/2025 17:36

Go out and leave your baby with someone else, so they get used to drinking milk without you there…!

Pleasegetmeacoffeesotired · 05/10/2025 17:37

At 9 months, you can try a cup, instead of a bottle.

MagpiePi · 05/10/2025 17:38

Try a cup and get someone else to give it to them.

MumoftwoNC · 05/10/2025 17:39

Try warming the bottle more than you think - both my mixed fed babies liked their formula very warm.

If you get your dh to give it at bedtime, they are usually hungriest then. You can have a shower or something. Then your next breastfeed is the midnight one.

ItWasTheBabycham · 05/10/2025 17:39

Will your baby take a bottle of formula? A bottle of expressed milk? If so just give them that when hungry but it’s usually best to get someone else to do the feed. If they’re resisting, try formula in a sippy cup.

Original poster

OneLilac · 05/10/2025 18:03

I’ve tried my expressed milk and formula and he won’t take either I’ve even tried buying a sippy cup so he knows it’s just for milk but he’s still refusing.

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EvelynBeatrice · 05/10/2025 18:06

I had this with one of mine who had been a bottle refuser from birth. At the same age I was desperate to get him on bottles for my return to work.

The only thing that worked was my husband taking a week off and feeding him. If he smelled me he wanted me and wouldn’t take bottle from me at all. A lot of perseverance. We got there. The grandmas also helped.

Original poster

OneLilac · 05/10/2025 18:08

EvelynBeatrice · 05/10/2025 18:06

I had this with one of mine who had been a bottle refuser from birth. At the same age I was desperate to get him on bottles for my return to work.

The only thing that worked was my husband taking a week off and feeding him. If he smelled me he wanted me and wouldn’t take bottle from me at all. A lot of perseverance. We got there. The grandmas also helped.

My partner is off work for a week in a few weeks. Do I just go out everyday ? How long do I leave him for

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Bitzee · 05/10/2025 18:09

If you can stick it out for a couple more months then from 12 months they don’t need to have milk/bottles at all- 3 meals, 2 snacks and water to drink are sufficient so long as you can get 2 portions of dairy in there somewhere e.g. milk on cereal, cheese sandwich, yoghurt.

If it’s more urgent then DH with a sippy cup whilst you’re elsewhere is probably your best bet.

Ponderingwindow · 05/10/2025 18:11

We tried 9 different sippy cups until we found one dd would use.

Original poster

OneLilac · 05/10/2025 18:12

Bitzee · 05/10/2025 18:09

If you can stick it out for a couple more months then from 12 months they don’t need to have milk/bottles at all- 3 meals, 2 snacks and water to drink are sufficient so long as you can get 2 portions of dairy in there somewhere e.g. milk on cereal, cheese sandwich, yoghurt.

If it’s more urgent then DH with a sippy cup whilst you’re elsewhere is probably your best bet.

He eats 3 meals a day plus a few snacks here and there

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MumoftwoNC · 05/10/2025 18:13

OneLilac · 05/10/2025 18:08

My partner is off work for a week in a few weeks. Do I just go out everyday ? How long do I leave him for

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It's up to you but I'd just shower, wash my hair etc. If you time it when the baby is hungry (bedtime) they should take the bottle. I'd choose a teat that is at least Flow 2 at that age.

Popstarrrrr · 05/10/2025 18:14

Similar to a previous poster, I went away for a weekend and left baby with dad. I was close enough to get back in an emergency but far enough to not come back unless it was an emergency!

Baby was drinking milk from both a bottle and a cup when I returned, and from that point feeds went to just morning and night.

If you try this approach I suggest taking a breast pump with you. I didn't and thought I was going to explode on the train home.

EvelynBeatrice · 06/10/2025 16:12

OneLilac · 05/10/2025 18:08

My partner is off work for a week in a few weeks. Do I just go out everyday ? How long do I leave him for

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I wasn’t always out. I just stayed well away in another room. Obviously you won’t let him cry / not eat long enough to get dehydrated but your child is less likely to resist dad. My husband played and made big fuss of baby and played copying dad games. He drank from bottle - or mimed doing so - and son eventually copied him.

EvelynBeatrice · 06/10/2025 16:13

Best of luck.

BuntyBeaufort · 06/10/2025 16:38

One of mine wouldn’t take a bottle either, but at 11 months he started accepting a sippy cup.
But a friend with a very determined baby put him off by smearing lime pickle on her nipples. I was never quite that desperate :)

Superscientist · 08/10/2025 15:36

I had to stopped breastfeeding at 9 months for my physical and mental health. My daughter wouldn't even look at a bottle and we had to try to get her to accept foul allergy formula
We tried everything but in the end I had to go into hospital and my daughter stayed at home with dad for a few days.
She went 26h without a feed, she had formula in food but then she accepted a bottle and that was that. She never asked for another breastfeed and stayed on formula until 2 when she finally ate enough to not need formula and food.
It was brutal but we were out of options

Original poster

OneLilac · 09/10/2025 14:33

Superscientist · 08/10/2025 15:36

I had to stopped breastfeeding at 9 months for my physical and mental health. My daughter wouldn't even look at a bottle and we had to try to get her to accept foul allergy formula
We tried everything but in the end I had to go into hospital and my daughter stayed at home with dad for a few days.
She went 26h without a feed, she had formula in food but then she accepted a bottle and that was that. She never asked for another breastfeed and stayed on formula until 2 when she finally ate enough to not need formula and food.
It was brutal but we were out of options

Wow thank you. That’s what I’m afraid of, my son refusing any milk for a long period of time

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