Breast Feeding Transition to Bottle

I don't know if you can give babies juice that young, but I got my baby to take a bottle by putting 2 oz juice, 4 oz water in it. It took FOREVER to get her to realize how to work it, but once she did she'll suck down a bottle no problem.

Sounds like you have been doing a great job so far! Be happy that he doesn't take the binky. I got my son on it at an early age and regretted it later. As for the bottle thing when my son was 4 mos. I introduced the bottle and within three weeks he had weaned himself! I was actually pretty upset. The question of what you are putting in the bottle is a good one. I would also recommend a gradual transition to formula. If it is really getting down to the wire you might have to get more persistant. Let him get a little more hungry and then try leaving him with someone he is comfortable with for a couple of hours. I guarantee that if he gets hungry enough he will take the bottle, especially if you are not there. Good luck!

Hey M., I had the same thing with my little girl...she would not take a bottle. I got really sick with an autoimmune disorder when she was 5 months and had to stop nursing, so we were forced into giving her a bottle. We spent a lot of money trying to figure out a bottle that she would take. After 20 different ones she finally took a Avent bottle with a Dr. Browns nipple. Both of them are wide mouth so they fit fine together. Now that she is 8 months we have finally been able to switch her to avent bottle with avent nipple. The difference in the nipples is amazing, the dr. browns are really soft and gummy. To get her started with her bottle, I would have to pull up my shirt and trick her right before she grabbed my nipple, I would put the bottle in her mouth. I only had to do that a couple times until she learned the bottle.

Hope it all works out. Dont stress out about it, it will make the situation harder for both of you.

Take Care,
S.

My son is the exact same way. He's 8 months old now and still breastfeeds. We just recently introduced the sippy cup and he loves drinking from that now, and is less interested in the breast. It might now hurt to introduce one now.

What are you putting in the bottle? If you are using formula, then try using breastmilk instead. Once he accepts that then start putting 3 parts breastmilk to 1 part formula and after time continue by putting more formula and less breastmilk until it's entirely formula.

If you're already putting breastmilk then I'm afraid I haven't any advice - my son didn't give us too much trouble taking a bottle and was especially easy when it was someone other than me. Have you asked your pediatrician for any ideas?

Also M. I see that you are planning to return to work? Is this something you want to do or have to do? I work from home so I can stay home with my son, I love what I do and it allows me to help with the finances. Would you be interested in getting more information about what I do from home? www.workathomeunited.com/D.

My daughter never took a bottle after I nursed her. It was like she thought that I was trying to trick her. Sippy cups! The wave of the future! Lol =) But seriously, she took to a sippy cup within a few weeks. I tried bottles when she was 5 months, and battled her for three weeks before my mother suggested sippys. They were a real lifesaver. I hope you find something that works. Good Luck!

hi M.

i totally sympathize with not introducing the bottle. it's too much work when you're so exhausted and he won't take the bottle easily. my girls never used bottles. in some ways it was nice (i hate cleaning bottles) but of course i was the only source of nutrition so i was pooped!

have you tried several different types of nipples? sometimes babies have a preference. there are some that flow more easily. or dip the nipple in breastmilk so he'll get a taste and maybe start to suck.

do you have someone who would be up to the challenge of getting him on the bottle? it will be way more work for you to get him on the bottle than someone else since of course he only wants your breast when you're around.

otherwise, it sounds like you may have to be hardcore and get him so hungry he'll accept the bottle. if you can't stand to see him crying, it will be heart-wrenching. but, he will eat eventually.

when you're desperate, you can try feeding him with a spoon, straw, or eyedropper.

best of luck to you

Looks like you have gotten some good advice already. When you do go to work or leave him with someone you might try leaving a t-shirt that you have slept in so it smells like you. That can be a great comfort especially around nap time. Don't feel like you have to give up breast feeding when you return to work. The pumping can be a drag, but I have friends that mix breast milk and fomula and then as their babies started on solids they would only breast feed in the morning and evenings. Your milk will not dry up. I have one friend who only breast feeds her son when he has his pajamas on, when he gets up and when he goes to bed; mind you this is a child around one year old. I still breast feed my daughter and she is almost 2. We are weining this summer when I can talk to her about it and explain why we are stopping. The world health organization and the us gov. recommend breast feeding until 2 and at least 6 months. My daughter has only been sick a handfull of times. So even if it is a little breast milk it is still beneficial. The advice I would give you about bottle feeding is to make sure the person you leave him with is confident and will keep trying to feed him. Too many times I came home and my husband would say "she just wouldn't take the bottle" then my mom would be here and she took the bottle from my mom. My wonderful husband would get frustrated and give up. Good luck.

Hi M.

alot of bottles claim to look or feel like a breast, I have only found one that truly does.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

Good Luck!!

I had the same problem with my now 6 month old. Make sure you use a nipple that is slow flow at first and wide at the base, it will take a little bit but he will soon figure out that if he sucks he will get food. It took about a day or two before my daughter caught on but now shes a pro. I would start out slow and offer the bottle instead of the breast at just a couple of the feedings. My daughter had a VERY strong suck reflex, she had to suck on something all the time so at least she had had a pacifer nipple to try.

Another suggestion I got but never tried was to put a nipple from a bottle over your nipple and see if he'll suck that way.

There are a few great bottles at babies r us that resemble a breast. I am sorry I don't know all of the names, but one is the soothie. You may find it to help. Does he take a binky, if so what kind?

L.