Breast to bottle

[Wannabepreggers]

Hi lovely ladies!

Just wondering if you have any tips as I'm trying to wean Joe onto a bottle so I can give him both bottle & breast.

The only thing is, I don't think he 'gets' the teats on the bottle. He has taken about 4-5 bottles over the last 4-5 weeks but I think that's mainly a fluke. The times he has taken a bottle, I don't think he knows what he's doing. Take last time, he was screaming cos he was so hungry so by the time the bottle was ready, I stuck it in his mouth and he just sucked for dear life! He came off after about 4oz (gave him an aptimil ready carton which is about 6 & a half oz) for air, but when I tried to put the bottle back in, it was as it he'd forgotten how to do it!

This is what happens most time TBH, I think it's more that he can't rather than won't. So far I've tried TTCTN slow, med & variflow teats and I've also tried the NUK bottles. Only 1 of the bottles he's taken have been with the TTCTN teat.

It's not that I don't want to breastfeed anymore cos I do, I love it. I just want him to take both so he's a bit more flexible if my mum has him (I say 'if' cos I haven't left him yet and he's coming up 15 weeks on Thursday). I'm not one for going out a lot, but one night out would be nice

Sorry for the long post xxx

 

[Esoames]

I've had exactly the same issue. Isla is 21 weeks tomorrow and has refused the bottle. NUK was the only bottle she would get a bit out but the ttctn ones, not a chance. I even bought a breastflow one, no joy.

So I've given up!! I've moved her to cups instead. Doidy do a cup for use for 3 months plus for breastfed babies.

So as you might have guessed I haven't left her with anyone yet! Thankfully I don't return to work until she is 10 months old.

Good luck x

 

[Wannabepreggers]

Thanks Esoames, it's frustrating isn't it! I'm not desperate to leave him, I just don't want him to be really clingy with me (he's started getting a bit clingy when he's tired now) & my mum is really wanting to be able to look after him now lol!

How is your little one with the Doidy Cup?

 

[Cherrycola]

Slight different situation but Alana really struggled to breast or bottle feed when she was born as she was so little. The nurses in scbu recommended getting really cheap bottles, such as the ones you buy in supermarkets that cost about 3 pounds for a pack of three, as they are very easy to drink from and don't require a lot of effort from the baby . They worked a treat and it was the only way we could get her to suck feed so we could get her home. It know its different but it could be worth a try, especially since its not much to spend if it doesnt work!

 

[Esoames]

We're not doing that great to be honest. She just makes a mess at the moment!!

 

[xxbeckyxx]

I'm only using a Medela Calma bottle now as the baby has to make a vacuum to get the milk, more like breastfeeding. I found with normal bottles Lizzie would wait for some to just drip out of the teat sometimes, or if she did suck she'd then choke cos she couldn't control what was happening very well.
BUT the Calma is £15 so you might not wanna go down that route!

Also, when we first introduced Lizzie to bottles, she fed MUCH better from either OH or my mum than from me - even now I have to bottle feed her when she's sat facing away from me otherwise she'll go off the bottle and try to get to my boob!

 

[Emmamb]

I've always used avent bottles and the 3 babies that I breastfed never had a problem switching to them xx

 

[Wannabepreggers]

Thanks ladies, gonna try to feed him facing away from me like Becky suggested xxx