Weening baby onto bottle

Rachel - posted on 09/01/2011

I don't know your situation, but if you are in a position to be able to, you should consider following the baby's cues on this. A baby's immune system is designed to be dependent on breastmilk for the first two years. If baby doesn't want formula, and you are lactating well,... But like I said, I don't know your situation, but a lot of people feel pressured by societal norms to ween well before nature intended. I just wanted to make sure you felt supported in any choice.

Lisa - posted on 02/11/2009

Hi.  When I weaned my baby we used Dr. Browns bottles, she loves them.  Also have you tried using the enfamil brand formula Gentlease?  It's in a purple container.  It is wonderful.  Its designed for children with excessive gas and fussiness, which my child had neither one but my doc reccomended it and it's very easy to digest.  You really should give it a try.

Cherine - posted on 02/11/2009

Hi, I had the same situation with my first child and what worked for me was I alternated his feeds - a breast feed then a bottle feed etc.  In the end when it was time for the bottle feed if he didn't take the bottle that was it, he didn't have the feed!! It didn't take him long to realise that if he didn't drink from the bottle then he wasn't going to get anything for that feed.  The was done during day feeds only of course (it is a bit hard to deprive a baby of a night feed). After he realised that everything was working fine during the day on teh bottle but of course getting him of the breast feed in the middle of the night was a different situation altogether. Good Luck..

Nicole - posted on 02/11/2009

Hi there. I feel for you. I spent alot of money trying to find my daughter a bottle she was happy with but there nothing suitable. My daughter was 4 months old when she had no choice but formula. After trying all the different teats I ended up taking one week off work and had to persevere with one type of teat. In the end, she was that hungry she had no choice but to accept the bottle. It broke my heart the whole time but it worked after 18 hours. To help her along I still held her like she was going to be breast feed, wrapped in swaddling and most of all remained calm through it all.

Not the best choice but if you are at your wits end, like I was, just give it a go. You never know, she might just want her yummy mummy boobie juice.

Good luck.

Michaela - posted on 02/11/2009

Hi Alyssa, how old is your little one? my dd (6 months old) never took the bottle (i tried various brands) but is happily drinking (slurping) from a slanted cup (mine is a Doidy Cup). Its a bit messy in the begining, but works ok. She's now even trying from big glasses and other containers, but thats more play than drinking.

Nicoll - posted on 02/10/2009

Hi Alyssa,

Had similiar problem, the midwife told me to express my milk and try to give the bub that, But someone beside you need to give the milk this way Dad or some other support person.

Good luck

Nicoll

Alyssa - posted on 02/10/2009

thank you all for the advice im going to try all of them :) lets cross our fingers....

Tori - posted on 02/10/2009

my cousin had the same problem. the only nipple her daughter would take is one made by evenflo or everflo i cant remember for sure what its called. but its the nipple that came with her bottle on the pump. it is very flexible like the real thing! hope this helps!

Darrel - posted on 02/10/2009

As has been suggested, my two daughters went straight from breastfeeding to a sippy cup.  They NEVER took to a bottle.  My first was weened at 6 months (when her teeth started coming in) and my second at 8 months.  Mine weren't too fussy whether it was breast milk or formula or a mixture of both.  I would pump when I was full and freeze it and mix it but since i stopped breastfeeding it didn't take me too long to dry up!  Hope this helps!

Amanda - posted on 02/10/2009

First years makes a bottle called Breastflow. I couldn't find them in stores. I had to order them off of amazon.com. They are really great. They have an oter nipple and an inner nipple. THey resemble the breast and require compression and suction like the breast. The lactation consultant recommended them to us.

Sarah - posted on 02/10/2009

I agree that if possible try the bottle with breastmilk first just so you rule out the factor of your child rejecting the formula and it not really being about the bottle. Babies R Us carries a bottle brand called MAM and when my friend's daughter was beign weaned, that was the ONLY one she would take. Unfortunately it might cost some money, but I would try returning if possible. The other thing to think about is what nipple flow you are getting. Sometimes the infant slow flows are slower than the breast and frustrate a baby. Try getting a faster flow. And have you ever tried the cheap bottles? Sometimes a picky kid will go for them. Good luck!

Sara - posted on 02/10/2009

PS the lady at Babies r us told me if we don't like a bottle we can bring it back with receipt...maybe at the very least you can get some $ back and try more options :)

Sara - posted on 02/10/2009

Try warming the milk and the bottle nipple before feeding. Mine one son will only take a bottle if everything is warmed up. Try different temps...cold, room temp, warmed....You might find it is the delivery and not the bottle. Have somone else give the bottle and you leave the house! Your baby can smell your milk I heard from 20ft away!

Erin - posted on 02/10/2009

I'm still breastfeeding but starting to introduce a sippy cup instead of a bottle, which my boy seems to take much easier than a bottle. If it isn't breast it's nothing at all in his mind. Also, try getting someone other than yourself to feed baby a bottle. I think sometimes babies get grumpy if they know they can get the real thing.

Felecia - posted on 02/10/2009

First you have to tackle the nipple problem by feeding breastmilk from the bottle. Then, try mixing a little bit of your chosen or recommended formula (by your pediatrician) into a bottle with the breast milk. Just little bits at a time because it changes the consistency and the taste and you will eventually have to start adding a little water until she accepts 100% formula.



I have breastfed all 4 of my children and surprisingly, I had one go straight to whole milk from the bottle. Every child will be different.

Meredith - posted on 02/10/2009

have you tried the platex nipples? those were the only kind that my daughter's would take. they are shaped very simular to the actual nipple.

Jodi - posted on 02/10/2009

Not sure how old your little one is, but mine never took a bottle.  Sippy cups worked for her instead.

Dawn - posted on 02/10/2009

Hi, as a mom of three breastfed kids, I know what you're going through! Have you tried mixing breast milk and formula together? Start with just an ounce or two of formula and the rest breast milk. If you've ever tasted formula you know it tastes nasty! I don't blame kids for not wanting to have it when they're used to the yummy breast milk! Give it a shot and see if it works.

Sara - posted on 02/10/2009

try to buy nipplies that resemples the breast or nipples i dont think changing her formula will work.....what i have found helped was i went to wal-mart and bought a breast pump they have bottles that come with it and it really resembles the breast and nipple.....hope i have helped a little

Lisa - posted on 02/11/2009

Hi.  When I weaned my baby we used Dr. Browns bottles, she loves them.  Also have you tried using the enfamil brand formula Gentlease?  It's in a purple container.  It is wonderful.  Its designed for children with excessive gas and fussiness, which my child had neither one but my doc reccomended it and it's very easy to digest.  You really should give it a try.