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My 6 month won't take bottle
Hello!! Need some advice from all u breastfeeders ! My 6 month baba refuses the bottle, and the cup, any tips? I'm planning on feeding him until he is a year, but I have a chrimbo party comin up and would like to give him a bottle, I have tried giving him breast milk and formula, he also feeds to go to sleep, I think for comfort, also does anyone know if u can have an alcoholic drink and breastfeed? Thanks!! 
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Im not pushing it too much as i love feeding him, but i have to go back to work part time at 8 months so i will try a cup. I think bottle feeding is also best done by someone other than you, as, close to the boob your LO will know theres another option. my LO only sleeps after a BF too but when im at work im hoping occasionally a cup feed and a cuddle will do the same...not got much choice!
as for alcohol, one or two is fine - i think it only stays in your milk for a couple of hours so if your LO sleeps a good period at night theres nothing stopping you in the evening, although obv advisable not to get drunk or feed straight after drinking x
I was so proud but the Health visitor was so nasty when she came - she said nipple shields would reduce my milk supply, my LO would also never get on properly and i should pump and cup feed instead until my nipples healed. This seemed ridiculous as he was 2 weeks old - it would have been a lot of milk to pump off - and a ridiculous amount to feed him via cup. I tried 24 hours without the shield, made him mad as he was used to it, and made myself so unbarably sore again. So i resolved to use it and sod her advice - i know lots of people who've fed successfully with one.
My LO is now 4 months old, on the 91st centile and has always stayed on it, and has never had anything but breast milk via breast with the shield. When i bumped into her could not resist telling her with glee how wrong she was! It makes me very distrusting of their advice - i was also told so many different things from different people (a gem from the nurse at the GP surgery "do you think you're over feeding him? give him 5 mins 4 hourly!!!" LOL! My boy isnt fat, he's following his curve on the growth chart and is thriving - you cant over feed a BF baby and felt angry she was implying something was wrong with him instead of saying well done!
In the beginning i hoped id make BF for 6 months and then alongside food for longer, but it seemed a tall order. Now at 4 months i am daring to hope i get to your point. You've done so well, especaily with no support, it is a real commitment to BF and you do go through a lot. But i love it now more than anything, its definately a massive bonding experience and the pride and confidence i have from doing is great.
we go to a p/n group and there are only 4 of us BF. There are quite a few BF cafes around me but ive never been (im always worried ill get told off again!!)
Not much else to add on the bottle front im afraid as tbh we havent really cracked it much either. we're having a rest but i plan to start again soon - i cant give up with the going back to work and i do think it would be more soothing than a cup. They say if they are hungry enough they'll do it but you don't want them to be distressed do you, and i definately wont feel good about leaving him in a state or expecting my mum to cope with it. x
im so sorry your family haven't been supportive - mine are, and understand its the best thing, but it surprised me how awkward they were about me doing it to begin with. It is the most naturl thing in the world, you dont actually have to show any more than you would in a low cut top - and we are a society bombarded by boobs, page 3 models, etc. All we want to do is give our babies the best thing!! I think because a lot of our parents bottle fed its strange to that generation, in fact it is completely the logical way to feed and the way nature wants it!!
You've done a great job doing it despite those pressures - ive found people also dont appreciate the emotional aspect for mums and babies - its so lovely, its not just about eating.
At 10 pounds your LO will be a hungry growing baby, mine was nearly 9. And its only bottle fed babies that can be over fed, nature's too clever to let that happen.
Id love to get to a year alongside food but will hopefully keep giving some bfs till we've both had enough - so maybe longer. Apparantly babies hit a point where they are too interested in whats going on to bf and loose interest so maybe my LO will decide.
ive tried tommee tippee, advent and mam teats - was most successful with mam, i think because its a lot like his dummy. I have a tommee tippee feeding cup to try soon - it says suitable from 4 months although i think he's a bit young yet.
Tell everyone who says they want to see how much milk your LO gets - to look at his growth chart! He's getting spot on! And if they want to feed him - tell him maybe they should have given birth to him - he's your bubba and its a mother's privelage xxx
I am so thankful and grateful and lucky to be able to bf and have a big baba.. A few years ago I was Ill with anorexia so I'm so glad to have beat it to give birth to a beautiful healthy big baba and to b honest bf has benefited me much more than I ever thought it would.. I'm eating lots and lots to feed my baby and for the first time not watching Wat I eat because I'm bf.. So I'm going keep going!!
I think it's lOvely and I also agree its the way nature intended it to be,
Ur very wise ! All u said I totally agree with! Just wish there was more support in my area!
Xxx
http://www.nuby-uk.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=45&product_id=279
I don't understand how or why this was the only thing she would drink out of but a few of my friends had success with them too. In the end I was glad she never had a bottle because she progressed from this to a sippy cup to an open top beaker really quickly and easily.
You can get them in Tesco so might be worth a try.
Good luck!
Mrs B xxx
just to let you know babyjudesmum - after months of trying - my LO took a bottle of my milk from his dad tonight! YAYAYAYAYYYYYYY! Im 100% sure that it was giving him a 0-6month mothercare orthodontic dummy that did it, he learnt to suck on something which didnt involve the same action as breast feeding, he took a MAM bottle as this has a very similar teat to the dummy and i certainly wont be confusing him with different ones.
I know your LO doesnt take a dummy but mine wouldnt for a long time, however, while he got stressed out with me offering the bottle he didnt mind me trying to put the dummy in while he was laid playing and i had to let him lick it etc over some time before it clicked.
i'm really glad as im back to work in 4 months, i know theres a way to go but it gives me time to give him regular bottles now and im glad he can suck on something for comfort when im working. Fully intend to BF as much as poss though - we both love it.
xxx