i am trying to switch from breastmilk to formula and baby won't take formula... don't have much breastmilk left!
I have decided to stop breastfeeding/pumping, so I needed to know how to get my 3 month old to take formula (previously a champ at drinking from a bottle in general). i have now gotten many great suggestions on mixing breastmilk with formula and easing into it, and have had good success. Moms, thank you for all the great tips.
I had the same issue with my little one. He actually cried the first time I tried giving him formula! I did the same as what some of the other posts mentioned. I mixed in formula with the breastmilk gradually until it was just formula. I started with one ounce for the first few days and gradually increased the formula every few days. After a while the baby will get used to it. (if not trial some other formulas)
I agree, you definitely want to mix the breastmilk with the formula to help him transition. Is the problem the bottle, or whats in the bottle? Also how old is the baby? You may need to try a few different bottles to find the right one.
Have you researched information on how to increase your breastmilk production? Like tandem pumping, and there are some vitamin supplements that have been know to work.
Here are some sites that may help you, don't give up yet!
Babycenter has some great articles and bulletin boards and even a chat room to connect with other moms!
Good luck!
If you can pump, put it in a bottle with a 1/4 formula mixed. After that is no longer a chore put 1/2 and so on. Kid knows what he likes so you have to trick em'.
Good luck.
Have you tried a different formula?
My daughter didn't like Simalac and her Dr. said that and Enfimil are very similar but she loved Nestle Good Start and my Dr. seemed to think it was better anyway.
Also have you tried mixing them together?
They should drink the formula when that is all there is :)
Good luck!
Try different kinds. It took about 4 trys to find one my daughter would like.. also some babies like the generic consitency vs. name brand. It is thicker. Also mix prepared formula with Breastmilk slowly decreasing the breastmilk. That worked for me. Good Luck!
Your baby has to learn how to suck from a bottle, breasts and bottles are different, he/she may not have gotten the hang of it but will if you stop breastfeeding all together. my babies had a hard time at first but within a day they had figured it out, hunger does amazing things. be prepared for lots of crying, and stay strong, don't give in. be sure to check the nipple size and flow too, if the baby is over 4 months you need the middle flow not the slow, it is just too slow and to hard to get anything out of for them. hope this helps, good luck.
Is baby resisting the bottle or what's in it? If she's not resisting the bottle (you know that because she'll suck down a bottle of expressed milk no problem but not a bottle of formula) then it's the contents, but if she doesn't like the bottle even when it's got "the good stuff" you've got a different problem and you need to deal with that as well. The other suggestions you've gotten are good so the only new one I'd add is to ask if you tried letting someone else give baby the bottle when it has formula? (Mine initially saw formula as "daddy milk" I think which made her okay with it.) Have you tried positioning her more sitting on your lap facing outward as opposed to holding her in a cradling position? It's possible that if baby sees the whole formula experience as something different not as purely a replacement (even though that's what it is) you might get her to try enough to like it. Good luck.
how do you know you do not have much milk left,...just curious...mix half and half to transition
Add 2 oz of formula to breastmilk for one week. Then add another ounce or 2 for the next week. Then another 2 until it is only formula. (takes about 3 weeks to a month) When you get to an amount that the baby realizes it and doesn't like it, go back to the previous week's amount for a few more days and then only add 1 oz at a time from then. But, if you're completely out of breastmilk, don't fret. Your kid will kick and scream but will eventually get hungry enough to eat. You could try putting a drop of Karo syrup in a bad pinch and it should sweeten the taste to be more palatable. It will also make it more digestible. Watering down the formula with just ONE/two extra ounce of water seems to help too.
Have you tried gradually mixing it in? Start with just a small percentage of formula and keep increasing it a little at a time and see if baby will take it then. If you do it slowly, they hopefully won't notice the switch. That's how I got my son on whole milk.
