Want to get baby from boob to bottle..

[sheepy99]

Not sure if I should post this on the breastfeeding or formula feeding boards??

I've been breastfeeding for 10 weeks now, and although I was going to go a bit longer I've really had enough now (keep getting blocked ducts and had a really bad case of mastitis and doctor is now recommending I slowly stop BF) . I finally got myself psyched to do the switch but I am having trouble getting Leah to take more than a couple of ounces from the bottle. I don't know why, when she was newborn she would take expressed breast milk ok and would do 3-4 oz then. I've tried EBM and she doesn't really want that either - she knows what she likes and it's boob!

Any suggestions on how to get her to take it? (I'm currently on 1-2 bottles a day but she really isn't taking much on those feeds and i'm sure she just makes it up on the breast later).

 

[alice&bump]

i'd just stick with it, offering as you are! i swapped from BF to FF at 5 months and katie was a very boobie baby! eventually she just managed to do it, but we were just offering formula little and often and she sort of got used to it! once she's had that couple of oz, does she want boob after? might just be that her tum's little still and she doesnt want asmuch??

 

[sheepy99]

Sometimes she will take boob after sometimes not - I'm avoiding offering it as she will cop on quickly if she makes a fuss she will get boob. I think she just takes in so much air on the bottle that she can't fit any more in - she's hungry again in couple of hours. I've tried winding her part through and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I assume babies will not starve themselves??

 

[Mervs Mum]

She wont starve herself. It will be a case of who caves first!

 

[sheepy99]

I better get some will power then!

 

[alice&bump]

why not just offer bottle again when she starts crying for more? what kind of bottles have yo got? i used the mam ultivent, they've got special colic things int he bottom to avoid gettint too much air, but i think they've got to be over 3 months for them. i think its just a case of being strong and offering little and often!

 

[ellismum]

I bf but also pump so OH can do the eve feed and I can feed him whilst out as I am a big scaredy cat and wont feed in public yet!! As alice&bump asked, what bottle are you using as there are so many different ones on the market it may be a case of finding one she is more comfortable with. I use Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles which is recommended for combined feeding after trying a few and Ellis took to this straight away. The teat mimicks a nipple and it has a slow release teat so Ellis has to put some work into it aswell like he does on my boob but it is a NB teat and an anti-colic valve. Not had any trouble winding him after these feeds. Be strong, you'll get there!!

 

[Vickie]

Just a side note--you can post this in both the formula feeding and breast feeding sections to maximize your answers We do understand that some questions can fit into both areas and allowances will be made for those

 

[sheepy99]

I'm using the TT CTN bottles, I was using the Avent before but she wasn't getting on with them. I moved the TT teat to a number 2 today and she took 4oz! Maybe she is just lazy

 

[alice&bump]

she might just hve been getting frustruted then cos it wasnt coming quick enough!! katie gets frustrated with her size2teats every now and again, but she sucks so much she chokes herself!! sounds like you're doing a great job tho!

 

[lillysmum]

keep with it, i gradually weaned lilly from breast milk to forumla milk and it took about 6 weeks to sucessfully do it, the key for me was to give her every feed in a bottle, and gradually change every feed from fully breast milk to formula milk