How to stop breastfeeding and replacing with formula

[Kekei]

Hi
Im not looking for a debate on why I want to stop but please can anybody offer me any advice?
My LO is 17 weeks and I would now like to stop breastfeeding and give my LO formula. In the past we have had a lot of hassle trying to get her to take a bottle but we have finally found a bottle that she doesnt scream at. I have started by trying to replace one of her feeds. I have started to feed her with a bottle before her 2nd feed of the day (approx 10am-11am). However she will only take a maximum of 3 oz and so she is still hungry. I dont feed her straight after the bottle but wait at least 1/2hr. What can I do to get her to take a full bottle at this time so it completely replaces this feed? My plan is that once I have replaced one feed to go on and replace another and so on. Finally finishing by replacing her night time feeds.
Am I doing it the right way and does anybody else have experience to how to do this?
Thanks x

 

[Lisa1302]

Hi
Im not looking for a debate on why I want to stop but please can anybody offer me any advice?
My LO is 17 weeks and I would now like to stop breastfeeding and give my LO formula. In the past we have had a lot of hassle trying to get her to take a bottle but we have finally found a bottle that she doesnt scream at. I have started by trying to replace one of her feeds. I have started to feed her with a bottle before her 2nd feed of the day (approx 10am-11am). However she will only take a maximum of 3 oz and so she is still hungry. I dont feed her straight after the bottle but wait at least 1/2hr. What can I do to get her to take a full bottle at this time so it completely replaces this feed? My plan is that once I have replaced one feed to go on and replace another and so on. Finally finishing by replacing her night time feeds.
Am I doing it the right way and does anybody else have experience to how to do this?
Thanks x

Sounds like you are doing the right thing, one feed at a time, that way you should avoid your breasts going hard/over full

Have you tried getting someone else to give bottles - as she can smell the BM from you, which may be putting her off drinking from the bottle...once she is used to drinking from the bottle she may take it easier from you then.
Have you also tried her in the morning after her longest sleep when she is likely to be more hungry?

 

[topazicatzbet]

i switched from breast to formula a week ago after discussing it with my health visitor, she said to go straight to all formula feeds as the mixture of the 2 could confuse him, as it tastes different.

not saying this is what you should do but it worked well for me, callum is taking his feeds no problem, although he was on the bottle from a week old as i was expressing for him

 

[AP]

I went from ebm, to mixing ebm and formula, and then finally formula. I did this in the space of about 2 weeks.

 

[fairy1984]

how about trying to express some milk into the a bottle to get the baby used to it and then switch it to formula? I have no experience of this myself so its just a suggestion. well done for doing 17 weeks breastfeeding by the way

 

[Logan's Mum]

I did this with Logan, I knew he was used to bottle-feeding as had previously expressed, so for the first time he tried formula I did it before a boobie-feed, just a little to get used to the taste, and did the same for his next feed. But he wasnt trying it as he knew he would be boobie-fed afterwards anyway. Since I knew my supply was low I couldnt keep up just letting him try it then have a rubbish feed so in the end offered him the bottle only. It took an hour of fussing and crying (was awful as I knew it was my fault he was upset ) but in the end he drunk the whole 7oz bottle, and feeds after that were straightforward. Giving him formula only for one feed until he realised he wasnt getting anything else was really hard but it worked for me in the end