breastfeeding and formula

[Chellebelle]

I had my first night out last night and as I breastfeed I tried to make some bottles up through pumping last week... but I have been so tired lately I found it really difficult.

I bought a carton of SMA ready made milk (Gold I think) and sterilised some bottles last night and made four bottles of 4oz each and put them in the fridge for Scott to use when I went out. Scott phoned me after 2 hours and told me that Simeon was screaming and had been since I left... he was on hunger strike and would not accept anything in his mouth but was giving signs that he was hungry. I know that he probably missed me as I have never left his side apart from when I have a bath or go to the loo but it was really hard to enjoy myself after that so I came home at 1am (I had been out for 5 hours).

Scott said he had been constantly crying, he had scratched his face and his eyes were puffy and swollen... and I thought as I had had a couple of drinks I would try to give him the bottle too. He had a couple of swigs then screamed, then a couple more then screamed and this went on until he had a full ounce, then I gave up and gave him the breast. He has been fine today, a bit clingy but doesn't seem ill or anything.

Has anyone else experienced this? I don't know how I can ever go out again without him I think Scott would have kittens if I told him I was going out and leaving him in charge again... both of my poor fellas looked battered when I got home

 

[ryder]

You will likely have to work at getting him to take a bottle for awhile... Its something new for him, plus it tastes different. You can mix BM and Formula too if you can get any expressed. I used to try and express a bunch, I would keep the BM in one bottle and then split it bettween a couple bottles and add some formula ( I never exclusively BF, but I express the first 2 weeks ).

What kind of bottles do you have? There are lots that have a nipple similiar to the breast.

 

[Chellebelle]

Thank you, I have been using the Tommy Tippee ones as they state that they are similar to the nipple... but he wasn't fooled. Well I have three bottles left, I might try and add some bm to one and see if he will take it from oh again tonight whilst I am there... thank you again! xxx

 

[bluebell]

I bfed Jay and introduced a bottle of formula a day about a month ago. The first time I offered a bottle he was having non of it So I gave him expressed milk in a bottle for a couple of days. Then when I gave him formula he took it fine (and actually seems to enjoy it now ) I use the Tommee Tippee bottles with the variable teats

xx

 

[princessellie]

ive been giving leyla expressed milk in a bottle for some feeds, we have those tommee tippee closer to nature ones, and a NUK one and a breastflow one, all similar to nipple apparently, ive never tried giving her formula but she was even a bit funny about having BM from the bottle lol, does he use a dummy? i think that made it easy for leyla to use her bottle in the end, also if ur having problems with expressing it might be ur technique, i used to be able to get a little bit out, say about 1oz unless i was feeding in which case i could get 2oz, then i found a video on the internet about how to express and now i can empty my boobs so maybe have a look for a video and try again

x

 

[sam#3]

Harry refused a bottle point blank no matter what i tried up until about 2 weeks ago when the HV came round and helped by suggesting a few things.
We warmed the milk so it was quite warm which helped and also rocking him and jiggling the bottle in his mouth rather than talking it out of his mouth when he was refusing it and walking round doing that for a few mins and rather than looking at him watching him crying about it, try having a converstaion or watch tv or something while u do it, i think if u get distracted they do too as they really pick up on it of your worrying about them taking the bottle.
I know it all sounds weird but it really worked, harry first took a bottle while i was kind of bouncing him and i was dancing to a song on tv!!!
Good luck
xx

 

[C_erra]

I'm having similar problem
Have been trying my son with expressed milk for a while now but he just screws up his face and looks at me like WTF? when I give him bottle.
I have tried all sorts of different teats and bottles and have even tried to get him interested in a dummy so he can get used to it but nothing has worked!!
Am even more desperate to get him on bottle now coz he is starting to teeth and really dont want to breastfeed when he has teeth lol