I have an 8 month old daughter who is breastfed and I cannot get her to take a bottle with formula. My milk is starting to dry up and I have to admit (selfishly) that I am mentally very ready to be done nursing so I'm wondering if my milk drying up is somewhat psychological. I am still letting her nurse but she's only getting 4 oz at most each time she nurses, she only nurses 4 times a day. I'm supplementing with bottles but it takes an extra half hour just to get a couple more ounces of formula in her. She eats food extremely well and she has plenty of meat on her bones. I'm not worried about her weight but she definitely needs to get more fluid in her. I've tried 6 different bottle/nipple combinations, including those made for nursing babies but she screams the entire time I give them to her. I've also tried a couple different brands of formula. Have any of you moms had any luck with switching baby from breast to bottle? I'd love to hear how you did it and what worked for you!
WOW!! Thank you so much for the overwhelming responses! I really appreciate all the encouragement, support and suggestions. I'm not one to worry, so I'm not really sure why I got so worked up about my little one taking formula but I broke the #1 rule of mothering... I was comparing her to a couple of friends babies who are close to the same age. I know, I know NEVER compare your kids to other children, it will only get you in trouble. I'm returning to our old schedule of nursing and baby food. I am supplementing a couple oz of formula before bedtime because she's not full after nursing at that feeding and she'll take the bottle then with no problems. But I've relaxed and so has she now that I'm not trying to shove a bottle in her mouth :^) Thanks again to all the moms who took the time to share their stories!
A.
Have you tried having someone else give her the bottle? If it's you, she'll probably prefer to breastfeed--I had my mother-in-law and husband 'train' my boy (now 7) on using the bottle, and once he was good with it then I could give it to him as well.
My children are 18 and 13 so its been a while since I had little ones. I don't quite remember the stages they go through. If she is eating food how about trying a sippie cup? If she can hold the bottle herself maybe she can hold a cup. On being ready to stop breastfeeding I don't think you are being selfish. Breastfeeding didn't work as well with my second child and I gave her formula to supplement and then switched fully because it was easier. Good Luck.
I had the same problem with my daughter. We tried all kinds of formula and all kinds of bottles. The one thing we didn't try was HEATING IT UP! As crazy as it sounds they know how they like it. Enfamil Lipil w/ Iron worked with me in the playtex Drop-In bottles. Also ... you offer her the bottle a little after nursing time. She will not starve. GOOD LUCK!
P.S. I stopped nursing for the same reasons and asked for help on here, keep your head up. I was critised and spoken very badly to about my choices and how I was hurting my child. This is YOUR choice and NO ONE can tell you what is right for you or your baby!
Need any support ... know that I am an email away!!!!
Here is what is said about the amount of feeding for an 8 month old formula
IS BABY GETTING TOO LITTLE OR TOO MUCH FORMULA?
Signs that your baby may be getting too little formula are:
slower-than-normal weight gain
diminished urine output
a loose, wrinkly appearance to baby's skin
persistent crying
Signs that your baby is being fed too much at each feeding are:
a lot of spitting up or profuse vomiting immediately after the feeding
colicky abdominal pain (baby draws his legs up onto a tense abdomen) immediately after feeding
excessive weight gain
She should be getting 2-2.5 ounces of formula per pound of your child. Transitioning from bm to formula can be hard. have you tried Goat's milk or nestle good start? Good start is very thin like breast milk and was the only thing my girls would take after nursing. also, you don't know for sure how much breast milk your child is getting when nursing. How are you calculating 4 oz each nursing?
I would ask your pediatrician if it's okay to switch to regular milk. My kids were a little older than yours when I started weaning but they found milk much more palatable. It might also me a good idea to have someone else give her the bottle. Good luck!
I had a similar problem with my son. He just refused formula. He would take breast milk from bottles, but not formula, unitl we tried Similac Organic. I stoped nursing when he was 10 months old, and by his first birthday we switched to organic whole milk.
try a sippy cup instead of a bottle. My daughter would also not switch to a bottle but we found a sippy cup where the liquid did not come out so fast.
Have someone else give her the formula, make sure you're not home and give her that first, before she nurses so she's hungry. If you're there she's going to hold out for the good stuff. I tried to get my son to take a bottle (actually several different types of bottles) with my own milk in it and he wanted no part of it...he only wanted the real thing, no bottles. It wasn't til I took him to a sitter that he was willing to take a bottle. Otherwise, I agree, try the sippy cup.
Dont give up!! U can do it, u have too!! My daughter is 11 months today and breast fed only. She would never take a bottle, even at 2 months young. I tried to supplement with forulma at 9 months in a cup and she threw it at me!!It must be nasty to them!! The doctor wont ok cow milk until 1 year. It sounds like u are on the right track with the feeding schedule, but getting less milk is what weaning is all about.My milk has depleated also, from a DD to C cup size. But u have 2 keep going. My girl nurses at 9 am and 8-9 pm for bed. In 2 weeks she loses the morning milk then the nite time at 1 year. Then I am FREE!!!!!! ANd U will be 2!!!!!Stick with it and good luck!!
Does she drink pumped milk? That will tell you whether it is the bottles or the content of the bottle. If it is the content, then try starting with pumped breast milk and then diluting it with formula gradually.
A.,in my experience when kids are breast fed they do not readily adapt to bottles.Try a sippy cup with milk,juice,water or what ever fluids she may prefer.
Once they start eating solids its not about the milk its now more for comfort.She just needs you to coddle her,she also
gets fluids from the solid foods.
They still have'nt developed a nipple like the real deal with
warmth and caressing ability.I have been a MOM for 35 years &
a grandma 14 hope I was of some help.
Good Luck,
Sincerely
P. V
I doubt very much that she's only getting 4 ounces at each nursing session. Wean her if you want too but I wouldn't worry that she's not getting enough fluid. By 8 months old, they are pretty efficient at "emptying" the breast in no time. It's completely your choice to breast or bottle-feed but given her options, can you blame her? Have you tasted formula?
That said the only bottle that my BF baby will take is the Medela ones. They only come in 5 oz bottles but he'll take it so I can leave occasionally. I don't know what we'll do when he wants more than 5 oz at a time.....Or if you can stick it out, you can wait until she's 12 months and then try to wean her to cow's milk. Hope everything goes well.
Haven't read the other responses and dinners about to start so I'll make it quick. My milk supply decreased when my little guys was about 12 month. I was pregnant again, so that can do it. I would nurse all day and at bedtime, but then follow up with a bottle of milk (he was a year already). That way he was topped off.
A couple thoughts. Breastfed babies only need about 24 ounces of breast milk a day, I think. So about 5 feedings of 5 ounces. I'm not positive the exacts, but I seem to remember that. (Go to www.kelly mom.com for exacts). It's hard to tell how much they are getting. If you nurse first and then offer formula, she has the option.
My baby likes the playtex nurser drop in bottle.
Also if you want to increase your supply check out fenugreek.
And really the www.kellymom is a great site, I encourage you to browse it.
Good luck. Gotta run.
I have been told by some who have made this transition successfully to mix it in with the breastmilk and gradually change the ratio. I know the medela people and others would tell you not to because of how the two are broken down, but when you think about behavioral change, etc...it makes sense.
Try giving your daughter the formula in a sippy cup. We did that with our younger son -- he gave up the breast at 8 or 9 months but he didn't want a bottle either. Surpisingly enough, he took to the sippy cup like a pro. (And I agree with the previous poster about not letting people bully you about your mothering decisions. They are just that -- YOUR decisions.)
My daughter was the same way, i would give her breastmilk in a bottle & she would drink it with no problem. If i gave her formula in a bottle she would not drink it. so i tried gradually adding formula to the breastmilk and it worked. if you give her 4 oz. at a time, try 3 oz. breastmilk & 1 oz. formula and work your way up. I used avent bottles 1st, but switched to a bpa free botte. bornfree, they are a little pricy. Hope this helps.
Maybe it's all she needs. My lactation consultant said they should only get 4-6oz per feeding anyway. I would just wait until a year and go to regular milk, you're almost there and you wouldn't even have to mess with the formula, it sounds like a hassle (you've gone this far, what's 4 more?). Good luck.
Hello
Hang in there and just finish up nursing until she is a year old. My first daughter took months and months to get used to a bottle/sippy cup with formula. She really had no choice because I was working. My second daughter now 10 months. Never took a bottle or formula in a sippy cup. She will drink juice from a sippy cup though. She nurses 4X a day for about 5 mins. at each feeding. Her doctor said that is all she needs for her age right now. For us it is easier than preparing a bottle of formula b/c she is so quick at nursing. GOOD LUCK!
I would consider switch to regular milk. Our doctor let us switch to regular milk. he did great on regular milk and now is 18 years old and still drinks a couple gallons of skim milk a week.
S.
Hi A., I'm one of the senior Lactation Consultants in Chicago. I am so proud of you and your daughter for breastfeeding as long as you have!! Now, the important thing for you to know is, your milk isn't "drying up" is't increasing up in calorie count (from 20cals to probably about 26cals/oz). So, when your daughter breastfeeds, she gets more calories in less minutes. She is also getting good daily calories from the table food she eats. So, why bother adding poor quality food (formula) to her daily diet. Breastfeeding 4 times a day is wonderful. She's thriving! Congratulations! I wish more Moms would do what you've done. 1 yr of Breastfeeding saves $2400.00!!!
A. J.,APN/CNS,MN,IBCLC,FILCA
VP and Dir of Nsg, Home Care of Newborns&Families, Inc.
I went thru the same exact thing, i tried every bottle out there and nipple combination and nothing, so i move on to sippy cups, and she finally took the gerber trainer cup. It is found by the gerber nuk bottles and she absolutely loves it. It is the only thing i can get her to dring formula from. Good luck hope you find something that works!
Will she take breast milk from a bottle? If not, that may be the first step. Then slowly start replacing some of the breast milk with formula...maybe an ounce at a time until you get to a bottle that's entirely formula. My son was perfectly happy to switch to formula, but my with my daughter we had to ease her into it. Good luck!
B.
PS Sorry for the repeat in advice. I'm new here and haven't figured out how to read other responses before positing my own.
A.:
go to real food and water.
P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
if she eats solids well, there isn't any reason to switch her to formula. as long as you make sure her solids diet is well-rounded, she will get all the nutrition she needs off the plate.
