Oh the joys of getting a breastfed baby to take a bottle. Neither of mine took one until they were over 12 months and had decided themselves that they wanted to give up the breast and move onto the bottle. Fortunately for me I did not have to return to work so although I tried quite a few times I just went with it but I did not know then what I do now so here are my tips to get a baby to take a bottle.
Natalie's Top Tips!
* If you have made the decision that it's time to stop breastfeeding due to returning to work or other reasons you need to be persistent. The same as when trying to get a baby to sleep through the night. If you stop and start then its confusing for them and they will make it harder for you each time if they think you are going to give in.
* Initially it may be easier if someone other than Mum does it as babies are not silly, plus they can smell the milk from quite a distance (certainly if Mum is elsewhere in the house) so the further away Mum is the better.
* Try lots of different teats. You can get lots of different shapes ( I would suggest the ones shaped like a nipple) and lots of different flows.
* Initially use your breastmilk and then change to formula if this is possible.
* Try different formulas. Taste your breastmilk, I know this grosses a lot of women out but it's actually delicious and quite sweet. If you know what your milk tastes like you can then find a formula that is similar to it. Goats milk is actually very similar to breastmilk which I would recommend and also I would recommend organic, some formula's don't have very nice things in them.
* It may work better if you try and feed them in the same room/environment as normal or it may work better if it's totally different so try both.
* Again it may be better if you hold them in the same position as you would normally breastfeed them or it may be better to hold them in a totally different position so again try both.
* Try different times of the day. Sometimes it works well if they are really hungry, sometimes this can be a disadvantage as they become too frustrated and upset so try when they are not necessarily due a feed but not straight after a solid feed.
* Try moving around/rocking/walking whilst feeding to cause a distraction.
* Put baby in a carrier, forward facing and go for a walk or stand in front of the T.V bobbing them up and down. Again all these things cause a distraction.
* I'm not advocating T.V watching but again use it as a distraction initially, sit them up and let them watch it whilst you feed them.
* Tap the bottom of the bottle with your finger to create a vibration.
* Be persistent but don't let it become too stressful for either of you. You want it to be a positive experience.
* Experiment with the temperature of the milk. Breastmilk is warm'ish' so initially try to get it a similar temperature but they may prefer it colder or at room temperature. Breastmilk can only be warmed once and thrown away if not used within 4 hours. If they will not take it and are eating solids instead of wasting it mix it into their next meal.
* Breastmilk tastes different after it has been frozen and defrosted so try to use fresh initially.
* You can always try with a cup instead of a bottle if all else fails.
Please only use glass or BPA free bottles. Sterilize them the way Nana used too in a saucepan of hot water, there are too many nasties in tablets and don't even get me started on microwaves and please no bottle propping.
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