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Weaning On To Solids And The Bottle

by Anonymous

I'm a concerned mother with a 5 and a half month old baby. I have started to wean my son on to solids, at the beginning of this week. I chose to do this at 5 and half months, as my family and I are going away on holidays in the first in the first 3 weeks of October, otherwise I would have left it until 6 months.

I have started him on Rice cereal after his first feed in the morning for the first 3 days, then on the third day I introduced Banana blended in the morning after his second feed, and then again in the evening I introduced Rice cereal, for his dinner. I have found that he has not wanted his breast milk as much; I also noticed he has dropped 2 feeds, as he always had 8 or more breast feeds in a day.

The thing is I have tried to see if he will take to formula milk in a big bottle, but he does not want to take to it, he wants me, I wonder if he would prefer a smaller bottle? Do you have any tips for me? As I am breastfeeding at home not out and about, will he ever take to the bottle?

As I would like to start going out of the house for walks, will he ever stop wanting his breast milk? This will be a problem for me on holiday, as I don't feel confident to breast feed in public, and I want to start to wean him altogether now, will I ever get there?

Can you help me with some information, and tips please, many thanks.







Baby Help Line Response:


Dear Concerned Mother!

First of all I want to congratulate you on a succesfull solid foods start! If your son is already, after only a few days, starting to breastfeed less it means that he eats enough other foods to be content. That is certainly not the case for many babies when the starting with solids!

Your problem is that he doesn't like the idea of switching from breastfeeding to (formula) bottle feeding. My first reaction is that all these changes at the same time may be a little bit too much for your baby. Starting eating solid foods is big step and weaning from the breast to the bottle (with formula) at exactly the same time might be a little bit tough.

A few things you can do to try to make him accept the bottle are:


  • Start with feeding him breast milk in the bottle rather than formula.

  • Offer him the bottle while he is in his chair (or on your lap) for his solid foods (so that he doesn't expect the breast).

  • Give him plenty of time to become familiar with the bottle - more like playing with it, although there is some formula (or breast milk in it).

  • Try different bottles and nipples.



For more bottle feeding tips, click here.

That said, it is entirely possible that your baby will continue to reject the bottle for a long time. In that case you might want to consider a sippy cup if you really don't want to breastfeed.

I understand your stress and concern since your vacation is only a few weeks away. To take away some of the stress for both you and your baby I think you should also consider if there is anyway at all that you could become more confident regarding breastfeeding away from home. I know that for some mothers it is unthinkable, but it really makes life a lot easier! And trust me, it can be done without anyone even knowing for sure what you are doing if you practice a bit. (I've even breastfed in public is a Muslim country once on vacation, but don't tell anybody... ;-D )

For tips on how to breastfeed in public in a discrete way, click here.


Last - even if you don't think of it that way ,you have already started to wean your baby from breastfeeding. That happened with his first spoon of cereal! Many babies wean to solid foods primarily rather that formula (at least in a bottle).

I think you and your baby seem to be doing just fine in the weaning process, he just needs some time. Continue offering him the bottle, but make some preparations to have a great vacation even if he still refuses the bottle.

Good luck!

/Paula

Comments for
Weaning On To Solids And The Bottle

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Sep 17, 2007
 Response to Paula's Tips
by: Anonymous

Hi Paula,
many thanks for the information,on weaning from the breast too the bottle, it seems to be working for me, your tips.
I have been offering my expressed milk in a small bottle and he has been playing with the bottle, and he has been taking it better after a day or two, he likes me too hold him in my arms when I feed him from the bottle, just the same way I breast feed him. I still breastfeed him when he is in the bed with me at night, and then once in the morning, and then one more time before I get up before midday, I do this so it's a sudden shock for him, and as a treat, for his emotions, and he loves this. Today I offered him his rice cereal mixed with pureer bannana, strawberry,and peaches and then blended it together to a mixed consistencey and he loved it. He has only had one breast feed today and I have expressed my milk into a bottle for him, already and he still has not had it yet, I'm impressed as to how the rice cereal helps fill him up, and keeps him content, and how he has dropped so quick on his breastfeeds, the weaning onto solids is really working for me, also I'm very proud in how he is doing so well doing with this change.
Thanks again, I'm glad I made your day. Kelly
Jun 23, 2008
 Patience!
by: Rita

That is a lot of change at one time, starting solids and weaning off breast. Take it slowly! Try feeding from the bottle at a time that you are not feeding food. When my son was weaning off the breast, I found that he took the bottle better his first feeding in the morning.

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