Moving to a bottle from breast feeding -takes 50mls

[ashley10]

Just wanted to ask a quick question. I have been trying for quite a while to get my DS2 onto a bottle and now he will take about 50mls which is a big step for us! I am currently doing 4/5 feeds throughout the day and he is still feeding at least twice at night (he is 6.5 months old). So my question is whether that 50mls is enough for that feed (the mid-morning one). He doesn't seem to fuss and want the the boob afterwards? I also offer lots of water throughout the day for him. Wasn't even sure if I should be moving to 3 feeds a day to try and get him to take a bit more?

Thanks

[*Kara*]

A typical feed at 6.5 months would be anywhere from 6 to 8 ozs (175mls - 240mls)  Though this would be with 4-5 feeds total per 24 hrs.

How much water is he drinking right now?

he is a bit young to move to 3 feeds a day - this generally doesn't happen until 9/10 months of age.

What is your current eating/boob/bottle routine now?  Meaning, what times does he take milk?  Is he eating solids at all?

[ashley10]

We are going through a reflux flare/teething right now so our EASY has been a bit all over the place but this is what we generally aim for. He has been on solids since 4 months and doing really well. Just had a check up with the GP a couple of weeks ago and she would like me to move to 3 solids a day.

6/6.30am - Wake up
7am - BF
7.30am - Solids cereal + fruit
7.30-9am - Activity
9am - Sleep
11am - Wake up and bottle (I try not to give the boob straight away. If he doesn't drink then I feed but have been giving about 20mins to an hour between so he doesn't see the association)
12pm - Lunch some veggies and fruit
12.30pm - Activity
1.30/2pm - Sleep
3.00/3.30 - BF
4.45pm - Dinner veggies/chicken then fruit
5.15/30 - Bath time
6.00pm - Feed and bed
9.00pm Feed
11.00pm - Feed
And the last few nights won't settle at all and wakes every 10-30mins and ends up in our bed.

Not sure what is going on at night really. Still struggling with the bottle but am keeping going as would really like to wean him.

[ENMS]

Hey Ashley!

Just wondering, when did he start drinking from the bottle? Could his reflux flare be caused by formula? What formula is he on?

[ashley10]

Hey Elise!

No I have been trying to get him onto a bottle since 4 months. Has been on this formula for a while now and has had fine nights on it....not that he takes much at all! It is all a bit of a struggle right now! He is on Aptamil the newborn one.
Thanks so much for coming back to me so fast - so lovely to know that I am not alone. None of my friends have ever been through this so it is a bit tough explaining it all!

[ENMS]

I've known some babies that are milk protein intolerant and do fine while BF even if mom eats dairy but then formula makes them scream all night. but if he's been on it for a while before the flare up started I guess it can't be that.

my pleasure believe me, I KNOW how hard it is - I'm still struggling with it myself, and same here, none of my friends have been through it and unfortunately, they just can't understand

[ashley10]

He has completely refused his bottle today. Very unhappy baby.

[*Kara*]

I would be tempted to try a hypoallergenic formula... we don't have reflux here, but we do have some degree of intolerance to caesin protein in milk and I definitely did notice a slow reaction time... also worsening over time...

6.00pm - Feed and bed
9.00pm Feed
11.00pm - Feed
And the last few nights won't settle at all and wakes every 10-30mins and ends up in our bed.

Also this ^^  those night cluster feeds could be part of the issue (I assume they are boob)... that much in a short time could cause indigestion   He isn't hungry, it's just comfort... so might be best to try soothing in other ways for a couple of nights...

[ashley10]

Thanks so much Kara, yes I think the night feeds are also giving him indigestion too. It is definitely comfort so will try and resettle another way. Offered the bottle again today and no luck unfortunately. Refused outright. So I gave him some in a tupperware sippy cup (the only one he will drink from) and he took an 1 ounce. Not sure if I should even continue with the bottles or go for the sippy cup??

Going to just take it one day at a time right now because of reflux and him not being well a week ago but was really hoping to have him on a bottle by 7 months - have been trying for weeks and weeks! Thought I was getting somewhere on the weekend as he was grabbing the bottle and putting into his mouth and now nothing just pushes it away.

[*Kara*]

If he likes the sippy - I would go that route for a bit and see if he takes to it a bit better

[ashley10]

I will give it a go I think - feel like I am going backwards and that I will be feeding forever! Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

[*Kara*]

There is

[ashley10]

Thanks Kara. Feels like I have been trying to introduce formula for so long. Will keep on feeding but I bet by the time I actually get him onto formula it will be time to switch to cows milk! Do some babies just bypass formula altogether because they don't like it?

[*Kara*]

No idea hun.. I wasn't able to BF so DD had formula from birth and exclusively by 10 days of age. 

Are you trying to stop BFing or just use formula as a complement?

[ashley10]

I would really like to try and stop breast feeding if I can. I have done an elimination diet with the reflux and it is starting to become very hard for me.

[*Kara*]

Gotcha... maybe we should move you to the BFing boards then since Laura and I never BFd

[ashley10]

I actually have a post on there now Erin and Fiver have replied but I think it is going to take a miracle at this stage!