Trying to Wean 7 month old but he wont take a bottle of formula?

Ashley - posted on 03/09/2010

Going with the flow/listening to baby is best...so I'd say don't wean until he is ready...Your son seems very smart!!

Michelle - posted on 03/08/2010

Try a cup. My son wouldn't take a bottle and my health vistor told me not to bother trying to give him a bottle as he was unlikely to take. He took to the cup quickly.
Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience and you have done so well to still be breastfeeding. He is your son don't let anyone push you in Breastfeeding or bottle feeding I know it is not nice.
I have been pressured to stop breastfeeding and I hated it all you mums think about it it is not nice being pushed. Advice is what this lady is looking for not the third degree.

Martha - posted on 03/07/2010

ALSO, you CAN breastfeed while pregnant as long as its a healthy normal pregnancy, and as long as you don't have a history of miscarrige.

Martha - posted on 03/07/2010

I wouldn't wean. You can still get pregnant while nursing. Just keep trying and it'll happen. There are PLENTY of women who got pregnant while nursing, even when they haven't gotten thier periods back. http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility....
They're is plenty of GREAT info! Good luck on your next baby! :)

Corlia - posted on 03/07/2010

I stopped breastfeeding at 5 months and we had 2 weeks of complete struggle. tried tommy tippee / nuk / pigeon / dr brown bottles. he wanted nothing. he is next week a year old and drinking from the local checkers store bottles. the teats does not even have sizes but it works. we also tried different formulas until he took it. it was the third type which we tried that he took. it is difficult as you don't know if the problem is the formula of the bottle / teat. GOOD LUCK !!!

Sarah - posted on 03/07/2010

After the Breast, Formula is not the same taste. So baby now having a "comparison" he/she will definitely refuse it. Have you thought about pumping into a bottle? Or even spoken to your pediatrician about whole milk with some oatmeal mixed in, or soy milk? Just some ideas to help. Personally, with my 2 babies, whenever I decide to give them anything to ingest, wether it's vitamins, milk, food I Always did and always will taste test. Some things are Very nasty and what is to you, will be to BaBy as well.. All the Best!!

Emily - posted on 03/07/2010

Breastfeeding does not have to impede fertility. I mean, it will for a little while.. but you've gone 7 months now.. I would bet you will be fertile soon, even if you don't wean. With my first child, I got my period back at 8 months, despite nursing.

Are you charting? It is possible to get pregnant before getting your first period. I would suggest charting and learning about your fertility before weaning. Also, some moms will night-wean in order to get their periods back, and still nurse during the day.

Dawn - posted on 03/07/2010

apparently you can breastfeed 2 different age babies, if you still b/f your first then your boobs adapts so you can feed a new baby - one from each side and it will produce the correct milk for each child. don't ask me how this works but i've been told this by my breatfeeding support worker!
i'm still feeding my nearly 10 month old. she too would take a bottle of formula once a day for about 4 days and then totally refuse - its like she suddenly realised what was happening and decided she liked mummy milk better! once she gets to 1 year i'll try her with a cup of cows milk.

Vicky - posted on 03/07/2010

Ashley- I agree!

Claudia please don't let people's comments on this site diminish your accomplishment of nursing for 7 months!

I have 4 kids (ages 6y, 4y, 2y, 11 mo).

My oldest nursed until 6 months (then I had to start a medicine that wasn't condusive to BF).
#2 nursed for 7 and half months then just decided on her own that she'd rather have the bottle of breastmilk/formula than work at BF.
#3 nursed for 8 months, I got approved for a breast reduction and had to have 5 month post BF, found out I was pregnant with #4 so ALL THAT emotional WEANING in vain! Ugh! I would have preferred nursing to weaning ANYDAY!

I am on my 4th baby that has nursed. We did try weaning around 8 months although he was very emotional over the ordeal so I just continued to pump during my workday and nurse at night and in the morning. He will be 12 months on Mar 24th so we are working on weaning now.

Hope this helps some!

Ashley - posted on 03/06/2010

kudos to you for surpassing your goals! honestly, it's so impressive to hear that you weren't even sure if you'd breastfeed, but you've still managed to give your child so much despite that! it's a huge accomplishment and i hope that no one takes that sense of pride away from you.

try not to regret posting your question... people provide information, and all you can do with it is take what you want. people are trying to help, and you have the absolute say in what you take and waht you choose to leave behind. that is what infomed decision making is all about. not feeling bad foor your choices, but feeling good about realizing that you know the ins and outs of an issue and have made the best decision for YOUR family!

the other thought is that you can get pregnant if you compliment BF with other food but don't necessarily stop breastfeeding... i tandem nursed all three of my children and it was lovely! i guess most of us are just concerned that some families don't realize that you can breastfeed alongside other aspects of life. search out breastfeeding and fertility - you can certainly encourage fertility and pregnancy while breastfeeding. or, you can wean and do it that way! it's your call, of course. but posting to this open forum will do the best thing for you - give you all the options that you can then weight yourself. there are ideals, and then there is what we actually do. no guilt, deal? just simply about choosing the best decision and path for your family and only you could possibly know what that path is. and how could you know you were making the best decision if you weren't presented with all of the options?

♥ goodluck momma!

Claudia - posted on 03/06/2010

thank you all for you thoughts..
the reason i'm trying to wean is because my husband and i are hoping to get pregnant again very soon as i would like to provide my son with a sibling sooner than later, and i would like to ovulate so that may happen.
i can appreciate all your comments.. i was an individual who never really knew whether or not i wanted to breastfeed in the first place. and i KNOW how good it is for my son and i have actually breastfed MUCH longer than i had EVER anticipated.
i'm sorry i posted this question on this site..

Ashley - posted on 03/06/2010

At 7 months, you can likely find a way to continue breastfeeding no matter what your situation! Also, there's no need to buy formula. Many babies prefer an open cup at this age to a bottle. The formula to a year is simply effective marketing, but is not supported by any science or evidence. I would e-mail Dr jack Newman (www.nbci.ca) with this and check out his website. He is an international expert on infant feeding and all of his information is evidence-based and supported by research. Most info out there is not, and is supported by formula-companies profit-margins.

If your child is taking solid foods than formula is just a waste of money! Milk and solids would be OK. I would also ask why you are weaning? Most situations can still happen while breastfeeding. The WHO, AAP and etc recommend breastfeeding until at least 2 years of age and this can mean just one or two feeds a day complimented by solid foods or even whole milk.

For evidence-based information, not just good marketing check out:

Breastfeeding a Toddler: Why on Earth?
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_...

BF and other foods:
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_...

Starting Solids:
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_...

What to feed baby when mother is working outside the home:
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_...

14 risks of formula feeding:
http://www.infactcanada.ca/pdf/14-Risks-...

I would love to help you find a way to continue breastfeeding if you can. It can be challenging and trying on your emotions, but as a mother it can also be one of the best gifts you give your baby and your own future health. Not only are the benefits of breastfeeding dose-related as are the documented and known risks of formula, but the longer you breastfeed the less chance of cancers for yourself too!

Lorie - posted on 03/06/2010

Oh and if you find it when you come home just pump. I didn't feed him for 5 hours and I got 5oz when I got home. I was so excitied so my husband can feed him.

Lorie - posted on 03/06/2010

Well today my Husband found a bottle that looks just like a breast. It is called adiri by Natural nurser ( we found it at Zellers and it was $15 but its all worth it if he takes it. ). We went on a date night and my cousin used it with our son and she said he didn't even think twice and drank every little bit of it. We tried him on a evenflo bottle last week but didn't take it.
I hope this helps
I hope this helps

Ashley - posted on 03/06/2010

I am probably not gonna be much help. My 19 month olds are still nursing often day and nite. But I would say try a sippy cup and if u have breastmilk pumped and stored mix ur formula with that so that it tastes more like breastmilk.

Although, I must get on my soapbox for a minute....At 7 months they really aren't emotionally or physically ready to wean. They are still just experimenting with food and shouldn't even really be eating true meals. Also, babies like to be close to mama and ur kiddo may realize that u r trying to wean him from the breast and he may fight u tooth and nail on this one.

Good luck. I hope u figure something out.

Hannah - posted on 03/06/2010

Claudia, this community does not support weaning before 12 months of age, or the use of formula for any non-medical reason.

That being said, have you tasted formula? It tastes like sour milk. You've already made it through 7 months, what's a few more? It makes all the difference, and it's best for your baby. Breastfeeding is far superior to formula. Give your son what's best, BREAST!!

Sarai - posted on 03/06/2010

continue to breastfeed....u have done 7 months already whats a few more....its sooo good for ur baby.....good job for the first 7...please continue

Selia - posted on 03/05/2010

Just so you know, this forum doesn't support weaning before a year. It would recommend pumping and giving a bottle if you really desire to wean from the breast, but it doesn't support formula.

Erin - posted on 03/05/2010

try a cup. My baby would not take a bottle no matter what I put in it - formula or pumped milk, but I was going to be away from him for a day so had to do something. After struggling for a few weeks, I gave him a cup out of desperation and he gulped it all down no problem. It didn't matter what I put in it, he drank it no problem, and he was about 5-6 mths when I started. I didn't use the no spill ones, as I found they had to suck harder to get anything out, but cheap plastic ones that let the milk out easy