Breast Fed baby will not take bottle or any fluids

[Aerobaticrug]

We're desperatley trying to get our daughter off breast feeding and onto a bottle or cup. She is happily devouring solid food now, but as my partner is going back to work we need to get her to take formula from a bottle or cup.

Our DR and Health visitor have told us to go 'cold turkey' as it's the only way they think she will change to a cup.

3 days later and she's only taking about 2ozs at a time and fights every step of the way, we almost have to force feed her. She's showing no signs of taking a bottle at all and hardly anything with the cup.

We're very worried she's getting dehydrated now, does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Minchin]

I haven't had personal experience as Owen had a bottle from 4 weeks just once a night. However, a good friend ahd the same. The breast feeding counsellor said in fact if baby didnt drink anything all day then he would make up for it when mum would be back in the eve to breastfeed. She used diff cups including a dodi cup (sp) and eventually baby was taking soem water, juice and then ebm. Sorry cant be of more help have you tried using diff cups? I would contact a breast feeding counsellor rather than hv? sometimes they are more up to date than hv?

good luck

 

[Maria1977]

Hi

I'm having the same problem, well haven't tried again for a month almost but my son will not take a bottle. He used to absolutely fine, but now he's not interested... well once in the last month but that's it, he just cries and cries til he gets boob.

I'm going to go down the cold turkey route, just waiting for my best mate to get back and so I can go out with her to distract myself because I feel so guilty, even though it's what I want lol

Sorry, not got any advice to offer other than the cold turkey seems like the best bet.

Are you still breastfeeding at the moment because she won't get dehydrated if you are. If you worry about it when you stop though maybe try a syringe of water?

Everyone has promised me that a baby won't starve itself so we just have to be tough and let them cry til they feed from the bottle... easier said than done!

 

[Leemo]

Hello Aerobaticrug,
I came across your feed and this website by chance looking for a solution to my problem. My little girl is refusing to take a bottle, having been bf for four months.
i was interested to know how you got on because I'm getting stressed!
Thanks.

 

[Maria1977]

I gave up trying with my son. I breastfed him until he was 1 year old, we stopped 2 weeks ago.

He now has milk in a beaker.

By the time he was 6 months he was down to 3 feeds p/day so it was no bother to keep breastfeeding him.

And from 6 months old he had water in a sippy cup, and still does.

It's not unual for BF babies to refuse bottles, short of trying every bottle out there, there isn't much you can do!

 

[Sarah13]

Hello Aerobaticrug,
I came across your feed and this website by chance looking for a solution to my problem. My little girl is refusing to take a bottle, having been bf for four months.
i was interested to know how you got on because I'm getting stressed!
Thanks.

I'm having the same problem! Ive recently put a thread on here about it. I got a meleda bottle which mimics breast feeding but that don't work either! I'm thinking of trying a beaker in a few weeks when he's a bit older but in the meantime I'm going to keep trying every few days