HELP! Need to stop Breastfeeding and switch to Formula

Nicola - posted on 04/24/2009

I had a friend whose son had issues with the transfer from breast to bottle and she was advised to buy a syringe and feed him with that right before introducing the bottle, at first he was not keen, but he did it....has he taken to the bottle yet?

Cindy - posted on 04/24/2009

I'm with Jennifer on this peice of advice.

Flag as inappropriate Are you sure? Yes | No Posted by Jennifer Gross (yesterday, 1:55 pm)

I had the same trouble with my little guy. What worked for the sippy was to pull the stopper out of it and then the milk will just run into his mouth so they don't need to suck...you need to hold it for him:) otherwise it gets very messy. After a while, he figured it out and now sucks on the sippy cup and a bottle too. Good luck!!!



But you asked about What kind and How much...



Similac Gentle ease is great. And you feed him as much as he will drink. If you don't feel like holding a sippy cup for him then try a small Playtex bottle (they have the wide nipples and liners inside)



He is almost to the point of no more bottles anyway so don't invest to much cash into bottles.

Some peole suggest spoon feeding formula as well, but it sounds like to much work to me.



Good luck.

Nicola - posted on 04/23/2009

Hi

I was pumping until about 2 weeks ago and the only reason I stopped was because my milk production was slowing down and i was tired of setting my alarm every few hours....can you pump at all? if so you can pump milk and get him used to the bottle and then slowly add formula to the bottle and gradually build him up to formula...try to have someone else give him the bottle as he associates you with breastfeeding...it might take a while but he will eventually take the bottle when he hungry and figures out there is no breastfeeding option...I started my son on the sippy cup about 2 months ago and at first he did not get it but he soon figured it out...I give him his water in the sippy cup and the formula in the bottle...I will start to switch over to the sippy cup for the milk as well...I hope you are able to find a solution

Jennifer - posted on 04/23/2009

I had the same trouble with my little guy. What worked for the sippy was to pull the stopper out of it and then the milk will just run into his mouth so they don't need to suck...you need to hold it for him:) otherwise it gets very messy. After a while, he figured it out and now sucks on the sippy cup and a bottle too. Good luck!!!

Elizabeth - posted on 04/23/2009

I had a prob. similar... There are a ton of things you can try so don't worry! First, have someone give the bottle when the baby can't see or hear you. He is old enough to not be placated by the formula if he knows you're home when he's hungry. Maybe he will take the formula from a cup, since it's so different from BFing. My son was preemie, and there was a ratio to mix high fat formula w/BM or other milk. It's possible your son doesn't like the taste of formula..Mine didn't, pure and simple! Ask your doctor for a ratio of formula to regular milk(or soy/rice milk) since most kids will refuse formula once they've tasted milk. Good luck! It's just going to be really hard to break his cuddle routine w/you and the boob. ;) He'll be fussy about breaking his routine, but it's what you need to do for your health. Don't forget that or feel guilty because you are taking care of yourself so you can continue to be Super Mommy!

Laura - posted on 04/23/2009

I'm not sure if it works for certain, but I learned in BF class that if you have your hubbie, or someone wear something that smells like you- with you far away- and offer the bottle it may help. Also, I've heard formula basically contains the same exact stuff, all regulated to be sufficient for each baby.



Also, my best friend who has a baby this age does formula morning, aftternoon and night, about 6-8 ounces each time. :) (She's also doing a sippy cup)

Kelly - posted on 04/22/2009

If you can pump for a short while longer try mixing your breastmilk with the formula, gradually increasing the amount of formula you add. You might also want to talk to your Dr about skipping the formula and going straight to whole milk.

I introduced my first 2 to milk at about 10 months, because I breastfed them I didn't feel like switching from breast to formula to milk, in such a short time. I plan on starting Mally on milk next month.

Kami - posted on 04/22/2009

I don't have much to offer as far as personal experience goes, but pulling on my background from university and my friends' experiences....



Try different nipples for the bottles. Some are shaped differently and could make the difference between taking a bottle and not. How quickly do you need to stop BF? If you have a little bit of time, see if you can pump some extra to have so you can give that to your son via a bottle. Once they realize that it's the same thing (just a different medium), they tend to become more receptive to the idea. Once you've got the bottle issue figured out, try supplementing a formula feeding in once or twice a day.



As for formula brands, I'm using Nestle' Good Start formula. It breaks down easier than some other brands, making it easier to digest and less likely to cause gas pains and constipation. While he condensed formula is quick and easy, the powdered formula when mixed with water is actually closer to the same consistency as breastmilk. That also may make a huge difference.



If you can, try the Dr. Brown's bottles. They have a vent through the middle that helps reduce the amount of air your baby gets when bottle feeding. This REALLY helps with gas pains and can help reduce the likelyhood and/or severity of colic in babies.



I really hope I helped, even if in a tiny bit. I can't imagine what you're feeling. My daughter weaned herself from BF and never had any issues with taking a bottle (I did bottlefeed breastmilk to her until we switched to formula at about 8months). Please, keep us updated on how you're doing!

Amanda - posted on 04/22/2009

That is a shame, I have no real advice as I know nothing about forumal, but Im responding so your post gets bumped to the top. So hopefully another mother can help you.