She is being breastfed exclusively, around 7-8 times/24 hours. The middle of the night feeds are usually comfort sucking. I want to gradually introduce the bottle and wean her off the breast milk but whenever i give her the bottle she cries her lungs out and wants my breast. If i give the cup she will just drink just 10ml from it. I do not want that once i stop breast feeding, her milk intake will drop down considerably since she has very little from the cup. How can i sucessfully introduce the bottle?
2007-02-06 15:46:03 · 8 answers · asked by Nat 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I had to introduce a bottle to my daughter when she was 9 months old. I had been a stay at home mom, and had to unexpectedly go back to work. She refused the bottle from me or even if I was anywhere around. She never took a pacifier either. She hated artificial nipples. She also refused breastmilk from a sippy cup. She finally learned to take a bottle of breastmilk from her sitter. The first day was the worst, she only drank 6 ounces the whole 8 hours I was gone from her. The second day was much better. However, it seemed to be traumatic to both her and I, so my advice is to find a great bottle - you may need to try several different kinds to see what works best - have someone else do the feedings, and gradually introduce it over several days. One day replace one breastfeeding session with a bottle feeding. The next day replace 2 and so on. She will probably be more accepting of the bottle if you have breastmilk in the bottle. Make sure the milk is relatively the same as your body temperature. With my daughter, I always had to make sure the nipple was warm as well.
Good luck!
2007-02-12 01:54:16 · answer #1 · answered by CPS Fanatic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Firstly, make sure you find a bottle with a nipple that is shaped like your nipple. They all say they're shaped like nipples, but each one has a different shape to it. Are you expressing breast milk into the cup or using water or formula? Rub breastmilk on the outside of the nipple. Try mixing in a little rice cereal w/ the breastmilk and feeding it to her only from the bottle. She'll eventually get the message that the new yummy stuff only comes from a bottle and that may help. She's going to cry at first and it's hard, especially when your breasts start leaking (been there, lol) but you can't get frustrated, you have to keep trying, hard as it is. Once she gets the hang of eating that out of a bottle, slowly start mixing the cereal w/ half breastmilk, half whatever, and slowly decrease the amount of breastmilk in there until it's all formula, etc. Good luck!
2007-02-06 16:00:02 · answer #2 · answered by heartlostangel 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is a good chance she won't take it. Bottles are best introduced between 3 and 6 weeks old... Old habits die hard... It is going to be much harder for her to understand at this point. Try the Breastflow bottle by The First Years. It has to parts to the nipple - a hard plastic triangular piece that fits inside a soft, squishy clear nipple part that mimics the breast. It is the only bottle I found that really does that - it is just like a breast. Instead of long nipples like most bottle have, it has a short, round nipple like the real things, and is attached to a full and rounded soft squishy breastlike section.
Just go to Babiesrus.com and type in a search for "breastflow." It will come right up. It really is amazing how similar the shape is to the breast. Good luck!
2007-02-06 16:05:52 · answer #3 · answered by JadeAMurray 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is really best to have someone else offer her the bottle. It may help her adjust if you put breast milk in the bottle to begin with and then mix it with formula adding more formula and less milk gradually to adjust her to the taste difference.
2007-02-06 15:53:06 · answer #4 · answered by Aloe-ish-us 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
she will eat if shes hungry. she is going to cry but it will be short lived if you follow through. does she use a pacifier? that would probably have helped. its too late now, but she probably should have had a bottle by now, didnt you ever pump or have to leave her with a sitter? i would just feed her and then top her off with a bottle, let her know that if she wants more, she has to take the bottle, then replace some feedings with the bottle and then all. at first use a bottle of breast milk if you can pump, then gradually go to formula. if will help you too if you do it gradually. and remember to have patience, if your calm about it, she will be too. good luck.
2007-02-06 15:54:50 · answer #5 · answered by loveboatcaptain 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I would try to use a cup instead. Both of my girls were drinking from cups exclusivley by 7-9 months. Just try different ones until you get one she likes & try having someone else giving her her milk in a cup the first few times, until she gets the hang of it.
2007-02-06 15:59:44 · answer #6 · answered by mamabens 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
she won't starve herself. eventually she WILL take the cup or bottle, because she is not getting the breast anymore.
don't give into her fussing.
if your going to stop breast feeding, then DO IT! and don't turn back. that only confuses her.
make the commitment, and prepare yourself for a few rocky days till she figures it out.
again...she won't starve herself and when she is hungry enough she will eat what she can get!
2007-02-06 15:53:25 · answer #7 · answered by ☆MWφM☆ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Is there any support I can offer to help you continue to breastfeed?
2007-02-06 16:03:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋