Hi,
I hope this is in the right section.
I have been breastfeeding for 3months but although we have tried to get our 12 week old DS to take an occasional bottle, he just wont, at most takes 2oz and once or twice has taken 4oz.
I have decided to quit breastfeeding all together and now want him to take a bottle full time. up until now he has still been waking 3-4times per night to feed, and my experience with my 2yr old DS is that when he was on bottles he fed more each time and slept better at night.
Yesterday i decided to go cold turkey, and he took 2oz, then 4 oz 3hrs later, the 2oz 3hrs later again, then another 2oz 3hrs later. at this point i knew he was going to be up up all night without any food so i breast fed him. he slept for 3hrs but then was up every 1-2hrs during the night. tried the bottle then, he refused, so i just ended up breast feeding him to try and get him some sleep.
can someone please advise the best way to approach this? trying one or two bottles a day has not worked to date as he just holds out as he knows the breast will be coming and we will cave in, hence deciding to go cold turkey.
what i am most worried about is with a lack of food that means a lack of sleep for him, which means he gets upset and OT, and in that state will never take the bottle so its just a vicious circle.
is it smart to just try bottles during the day and breast at night, or should i just go bottles all the way, and if he is up and OT just battle through and eventually he will be hungry enough/realise that its only bottles from here on in?
I dont mind it being tough, as long as i know there is a light at the end of it, and at the minute i am so confused i cant quite see that.
Any help or thoughts much welcome, really need something to cling onto at the minute!
Thanks in advance