Weaning from BF to formula- Help please.

[charlieann]

Hi. I return to work in 6 weeks and would like to wean LO onto formula for daytime feeds, continuing to BF in morning and at night if LO takes it. As i've got 6 weeks to do this i was hoping to gradually introduce FF.
OH tried him with some formula today at lunchtime and he just refused the bottle, screaming and crying until i gave in and BF him (wasn't in room for first 1/2 hr incase he refused). We used cow & gate which have offered him once before (although ready made carton) when he was newborn with no problems. He did seemed to have a lot of wind, but latched on straight away for BF and nursed to sleep. Were using tommee tippee bottles and size 2 teats.
I've asked HV for advice, but all she ever says is contact national breastfeeding helpline. Can some ladies on here who have managed to switch successfully advise please?

I've considered trying to mix in some EBM with the formula incase its a preference for taste. Will this work?

 

[Cheesepuff]

I am going through the same at the moment, so unfortunately don't have any answers.... LO has taken bottle of expressed milk from OH without any problems and also the occasional bottle of formula, but he point blank refuses to accept a bottle from me. I have decided to persist and offer the bottle to him once a day and just hope he will eventually take it.

I'll be interested in seeing if anyone has better advice for us

 

[mumtosam]

Hi, I have just recently switched to formula feeding after 4 months exclusive breastfeeding. Sam has always taken bottles of expressed breast milk so it wasn't difficult to get him to have a bottle all the time. I started off giving him a mixture of expressed breast milk and formula during the day and continued to breast feed at night. As my milk supply decreased I stopped breast feeding completely. I don't think my supply was that good anyway as I had no engorgment or pain when I stopped.

Sam has been fine since I switched but he doesn't take the amounts recommended on formula tin. He feeds every 3 hours and takes between 3 and 5oz although this week he has been taking 6oz at some feeds.

Good luck and hope this helps a bit

 

[sausages]

I have been feeding my DD formula for her two mid day feeds for a few weeks now. I still BF her first thingin the morning and before bed.

I tried to introduce a bottle for just the afternoon feed, but she wasn't having any of it. She would only take 1-2oz at a time. I tried mixing formula and BM, but that didn't work either.

In the end i just did it cold turkey. I bought ready made cartons and made sure the milk is really warm for her. I take her to her nursery chair where i always feed her and it's nice and quiet with no distractions. If she only has a couple of oz then i just leave it. I think they can sense you're stressed and that affects them. She still has fussy days. Yesterday i tried to feed her downstairs with my mum in the room and she only took 2oz. Today i gave her 5oz and she took it all right away when she usually only has 4.5oz!

She's 9 months old.

 

[Cheesepuff]

Ahhhhh, I have had baby vs. bottle battles for three dyas now. LO is poin blank refusing to take formula and will just scream & choke when I try to get him to take some I have tried different positions, different rooms, different formulas and temperatures and nothing works.

Today I de-frosted some of my milk and he was happy to take that from the bottle, but when I tried to trick him into having the formula bottle he just clamped his mouth shut.... It's so frustrating and I am not sure how to overcome this problem

 

[charlieann]

thanks for the replies

mumtosam
thomas will take EBM from OH but point blank refuses formula. (he wont take bottle from me at all so OH tries with him whilst im in another room). we've tried mixing a higher quantity of EBM to formula and he's had a taste of this but didnt even take an ounce (he then had his nap and nursed for longer when he woke). im bit worried about him not taking the recommended amounts on the tin, did you have any problems with your LO with this, i.e. weight loss?

sausages
did you try with tinned formula at all? thats what ive been using mixed with EBM, although ive reduced the amount of formula in it and he's been a bit more interested in it. i gave him ready made cartons couple of times when he was newborn and he took those fine. im wondering if i should ditch the tin of powder milk and buy ready made instead. (currently trying cow & gate, which brand would you recommend)

Cheesepuff
im glad someone else is going through this as its horrible ATM and i dont want to return to work with him still refusing formula. hope you manage to get it sorted soon and keep me updated on your progress (esp if you find something that works!)

 

[Cheesepuff]

CharlieAnn, we finally had a break-through this weekend ! We had been trying to get him to take the bottle for 4 days, when I decided to heat up the formula bit warmer than normally, DH took Alex to our room with curtains closed and lights dimmed and he took the bottle !! It took couple of minutes for him to accept the bottle, but was fine after that We're just delighted now, he took 2 bottles yesterday when I was out shopping and I will try to give him one bottle this afternoon, lets see if he takes them from me now...
So the secret seemd to be to heat up the milk quite warm... Now I just have to figure out how this can be achieved when out & about.

How are you getting on?

 

[charlieann]

CharlieAnn, we finally had a break-through this weekend ! We had been trying to get him to take the bottle for 4 days, when I decided to heat up the formula bit warmer than normally, DH took Alex to our room with curtains closed and lights dimmed and he took the bottle !! It took couple of minutes for him to accept the bottle, but was fine after that We're just delighted now, he took 2 bottles yesterday when I was out shopping and I will try to give him one bottle this afternoon, lets see if he takes them from me now...
So the secret seemd to be to heat up the milk quite warm... Now I just have to figure out how this can be achieved when out & about.

How are you getting on?

we've been trying ready made formula mixed with EBM and then some on its own. we've also tried heating it up warmer than normal and success who'd would have thought something so simple could have been the solution! he still wont take the powder formula though, so dunno if were mixing it up wrong or he just has preference for the ready made cartons.

 

[Cheesepuff]

Them boys are too clever for us At least we know now that they will take the formula, I am planning to give him one bottle (around 4 pm) a day and slowly wean him off the breast...

 

[charlieann]

think we've cracked it now.
he prefers heinz nurture milk.
tried cow&gate, sma and aptimol first. he refused all of them, but seems to enjoy this nurture one with no battles.