8 month old refusing bottles and need to stop breastfeeding very soon

[LotBot5]

Hiya! My son is coming up to 8 months and is completely refusing the bottle. I need to wean him off the boob over the next couple of weeks as will be away for work.

He took a bottle when he was really little but since about 3 months, has been exclusively breastfed. He has been taking solids for the last 2 months or so and seems to enjoy food, and drinks a bit of water from a sippy cup, but I still breastfeed between meals.

We tried going cold turkey this weekend whilst my partner was home and offered him pumped breast milk in various bottles but he point blank refused and became quite constipated and very unhappy. In the end I just breastfed him as felt he was distressed and wouldn't accept the bottle. I'm at a loss as to what to do really. Any advice or tips would be so great.

will you be away with work for long periods of time? Or just during the day?
Bottle wise it took us some time to find the right one and the right flow teat.
Honestly I made a ‘thing’ of DS taking a bottle and when I needed him too while I was working he just either did or didn’t! Nursery were very happy he ate and drank otherwise!
I did find breast milk out of the bottle was a firm no but formula was better accepted!
We then mixed bottle feeding and breast feeding just by what was easier that moment and we continue to do so now!
I have found that we all just adapted as life changed and tried not to worry too much about it!

My daughter never took a bottle. We found the munchkin cups with rubber tops worked well (just remember to take them apart fully to clean).

I stopped BF at around 8 months. DD never took a bottle, wouldn't drink from a cup, so I just made sure she had plenty of milky sauces and puddings.
We had to go cold turkey, DH had DD for about 3 days, so she wasn't near me, particularly when she was hungry.
She still doesn't like milk.

@jenn88 yes away for a few days at a time. So interesting yours preferred formula in a bottle, I had assumed breast milk would be easier to get them to take! Really reassuring thank you

@Latenightreader think we all might have one of those so I'll persevere!

@Hadalifeonce thanks, think we may get to that stage if he continues to refuse it. Good idea to go away too - we tried cold turkey but I was still in the house and may well have been easier for everyone if I wasn't there!

Mine would never take a bottle either but would reluctantly drink from a cup of I wasn’t around.

DD would take nothing from a bottle and went straight from breast to a cup. 8 months old - stop offering bottles.

A couple of drops of vanilla essence in a bottle with formula, it was the only thing that worked for us. Once she was established on the bottle and totally weaned off the boob (1.5 weeks), we stopped with the vanilla essence but she didn't care

Is there any flex in this work trip? How old will the baby be when you go and how often / how long?

Emma Pickett is worth looking up on Instagram / listening to her podcast. I’m sure she has an episode about a breastfeeding mum who had to be away for work.

Sippy cups might work better at this age. You might also need to pump for your breast health. It’s also possible to keep breastfeeding if you like. When you come back together just feed as you normally would.

Just wanted to add that BF babies take on average 25 Floz in 24 hours so if she takes two or three Floz from a cup, that is counted as a full feed

Your breast milk might not taste good when stored. Mine was like this. Something to do with lipids. I can’t remember but on researching it was likely high amounts of olive oils in my diet and no way was I cutting oil out.

So maybe try a formula like organic Kendamil.

Other idea is teat flow rate. If the flow rate is not right they won’t get on with it.
Start with the correct aged teat, but then try others. I have a 14 month old still on teat 2.

You might have more success with formula from a cup, it can be less confusing. It's advised to stop bottles at 12 months anyway so probably better to focus on cups. Try the Pipette method to teach straw use as straw cups/bottles are better dentally than sippy cups. Appreciate she was a bit older but mine would never take milk from a cup and went to nursery at 10 months, she just seemed to manage without eating or drinking much. I think you have to respect they know their own hunger, unless there are significant weight issues. if you're away a few days at a time could you pump a couple of times a day and then feed when you are back?