BREAST FEEDING WIDOW - Help!!!!

[mumbum]

Please help. My DS is almost 9 mths old and we made the foolish error of not getting him used to a bottle early enough hence from 16 weeks old he has refused point blank at a bottle. Thus I am still having to breast feed through the night as he wakes 2 - 3 times and has done since about 4 months old. I can't even go out for a night as he works himself up into such a frenzy when he wakes and can't get the breast that both my mother and DP have had to call me home early. It doesn't even seem to be a hunger thing, just more comfort. I tried controlled crying in the past which worked as we lived in a detached but now we have moved and have neighbours who really don't appreciate being woken at 3am.

DS really is a joy during the day and doesn't really take the breast but the broken nights and inability to leave him with anyone is taking its toll.

Also, he is soooooooo strong willed that controlled crying wouldn't work now as before he couldn't move about so gave up easily but now he throws himself around his cot yelling until I succumb.

have u tried the adiri breast bottle it worked wonders for me was in the same situation as u i brought it from blooming marvellous also think they have them on ebay worked a treat although would not take it out in public looks like a real one lol

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ADIRI-NURSER-BREAST-BOTTLE-FUSSY-BABY-NEWBORN-FEEDING_W0QQitemZ180026861849QQihZ008QQcategoryZ20402QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ADIRI-NURSER-BREAST-BOTTLE-FUSSY-BABY-NEWBORN-FEEDING_W0QQitemZ180026861849QQihZ008QQcategoryZ20402QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem not mastered the links

Thanks I'll try that although not sure he'll fall for it. He seems so smart sometimes - like a wee man trapped in a baby's body!!

I lost my milk on dd1 at 8mths and persevered with a bottle which she finally took. However, we couldn't get her off it and she was well past two when she finally gave it up. My advice would be to put his milk into a cup. DD2 is exclusively bf at 12mths and has never had a bottle (she has a dairy allergy so it seemed easier to keep feeding her myself, another story...). We put her on a cup at about 7mths which she has no problems drinking from. It is a Tommy Tippee one that isn't leak proof so it was easier for her to drink from. Also, Mothercare do one similar which is easy to drink from. Maybe start with water/juice from a cup and work up to milk.
It sounds like your DS is using it for comfort. My advice is that you shouldn't come back from your night out. He obviously knows that if he makes a big enough racket he will eventually be seen to by you. In the event of you not being able to be there, for whatever reason, he would HAVE to find another way to comfort himself.
To get DS off the breast at night my DH saw to him at night time and eventually he realised I wasn't going to be around then.
Hope this helps. Good luck!