Weaning A Baby That Does Not Want To Stop Breast feeding!

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Weaning A Baby That Does Not Want To Stop Breast feeding!

by Amy
(Omaha, NE)

My baby is 4 1/2 mth. old and I am trying to get him to take a bottle of formula once a day with no luck. I am leaving on a trip in 3 weeks and I don't know what I am going to do if he still refuses the bottle. He literally turns purple while screaming from the bottle and taste of the formula. Should I let him go ahead and nurse or let him get really hungry? My first 2 kids weaned off the breast very easily. My husband and kids try to feed him the bottle and he still "freaks out"! Help!

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Weaning A Baby That Does Not Want To Stop Breast feeding!

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Mar 04, 2010

Babies who don't like bottles!
by: Baby Help Line - Annie

Hi Amy,

I'm not surprised your little boy doesn't want to stop breast feeding, you are much yummier than a bottle! It can be hard to wean a baby that clearly knows what he wants. I suspect he is also picking up on your stress at trying to make him take a bottle, and the pressure is making the situation worse. Very difficult when you have the deadline of going away.

I can totally sympathize with you, my daughter would not accept a bottle either. I fell pregnant 3 months after she was born and my milk simply disappeared. There was no way she would take a bottle, she wouldn't use sippy cups either so I just ended up using a glass! Messy but she soon got the hang of it.

So I'm afraid I don't have any magic answers for you, maybe some of our readers will offer their suggestions, but here is a couple of things you might try.

Firstly, I wouldn't wait until he is starving to try to get him to take the bottle, at that time he is already hungry and grumpy and just wants you. Rather than making it something you are forcing on him, try to make it more of a smiley game. Let him try to hold and grab at the bottle, play with the teat etc. That way he sees smiles and fun with the bottle, not frowns and pressure. Just do little tastes of the formula so it becomes familiar.

The second thing I would try is express your own milk and get him used to the bottle with the good stuff in it. That way, at least the taste is familiar. You don't have much time left, but once he gets used to the bottle, you can gradually introduce formula every second feed, or for the first couple of ounces, then swap if he complains.

You could also try changing formula in case he prefers the taste of a new brand, and experiment with different teats (you probably have already tried that!)

I hope it all works out in time for you to go away,
all the best,

Annie Desantis

May 17, 2011

6 month old with the same issues
by: Anonymous

Just wondering if you have found anything that works for your little one?

May 18, 2011

A few tips
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi,

I totally recognize the situation too! Two of our three children (all three were breastfed) absolutely hated the bottle and the formula, once introduced at around 6 months of age.

For one of our children, the bottle feeding tips that I have written down here, really helped.

For the other child, what helped was to switch formula brand. She went from spitting and refusing to eat to suckling greedily when she got a formula that she liked. And to be honest, when I tasted the two, I also preferred the one she did. Maybe it had to do with this interesting fact that research has found; the taste of the breast milk is affected by mom's diet.

I hope this gives you a few ideas more on how to get your little one to accept the bottle.

Paula

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