Help on how to get 8 month old to take a bottle?

[foxyarchie]

My 8 month old girl is still breastfeeding and is completely refusing to take a bottle. I'd like to try and stop BF but it's proving really difficult, she's just chewing at the tomee tippee teats and I've also tried the Madela special needs bottle which she's taken once about 4 months ago (while sleeping), but not taking now. We've never given her a dummy so I'm wondering if she just doesnt know how to suck on anyhing that is'nt me?! Suggestions on how to get her away from the boob and onto the bottle would be so gratefully welcomed.

thanks x

[The Nappy Lady]

Maybe try a beaker instead?

Depends how much of a rush you are in, but may be the answer.

My 2 would never accept bottles. My first went to a Childminder at 9 months old 4 days a week. She had a big breast feed morning & night & used a Tommee Tippee cup during the day for milk & water, plus she was taking a fair amount if solids by then.

The good thing about this was I never had the battle others have of getting them to give up the bottle.

Not sure if it's Tommee Tipee but one company do beakers with replaceable spouts of different toughness according to babies age & I have found them very good indeed. Will post a link if I can find them.

[bumpy]

Could try NUK, the only bottle my boy would take

[supergolden88]

try giving baby the bottle with some water in it to play with and get familiar - she may figure out how to suck on it on her own without any pressure.

I had more success giving a bottle in the bouncy chair and away from the boobs!

[Fuschia]

Avent spouts

White with inner seal

Removed then

Later , green spout

[srisky]

supergolden88 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I had more success giving a bottle in the bouncy

> chair and away from the boobs!

Same here!

[Mrs TP]

I used avent bottles after breast feeding for 18mths. Have you got anyone else who can give it to her rather than you or her Dad, someone a bit more distant with you not around? I am guessing you are trying to prepare her for someone else looking after her and to be honest the first day she may refuse from them but day 2 / 3 she will go for it and at 8mths she won't starve if she misses a breast milk feed or two out of stubborness. Good luck, it is a huge worry but you will get there with her.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Re-iterating what everyone else has said about trying a sippy cup rather than bottle; my son would happily take a bottle of EBM at night, but during the day? Forget it. He had EBM/Water in a sippy cup (tomme tippees finest) from about 5mo old. Messy, but after a few weeks he realised that the good stuff was in the cup and as thus, chucking it all over himself/ the floor was only going to upset him.

He still sometimes has a bottle of cows milk at night, we've had right battles trying to get him to have it from a beaker. Beaker works 3 nights out of seven, I'd say.

[Trish]

Both of mine were resistant to taking a bottle. With each of them I found sitting them between my legs facing outward meant they would take the bottle. Holding them in my arms didn't work at all.

[Beagle]

Sounds familiar, my 9 month old only started taking a bottle 3 weeks ago after 5 months of refusal.

Are you trying to feed expressed milk via the bottle or formula? In our case it seemed better for breastfed baby to associate the bottle with a different drink.

Quite simply after a frustrating night she was very hungry one morning and I put a bottle of formula in her mouth and she took it, and we have never looked back after months of pouring refused breast milk down the sink.

I was using Dr Brown with 6 month + nipple as I had been told they were better for reluctant bottle users, but the flow was too fast and she had to come off to breathe. Swapped back to Avent with 3 month+ nipples and having great success. She takes a NUK sippy cup for water but the bottles very handy for childminder.

Why she finally took a bottle two weeks before I returned to work I have no idea, but extremely grateful. Am still feeding morning and night.

Good Luck, it will happen.

[dullified]

Not sure if someone has mentioned them already but I had success with the MAM silk teats when my son ws 7 months old. I know they have worked for others definitely worth a try.