Our baby is four months old and until about two weeks ago she was exclusively breastfed. She was a tiny newborn and although she's doubled her birth weight, she is still on the tiny side, so our pediatrician said we need to be feeding her more. With my return to work, we began to introduce one formula bottle a day to supplement breast milk since I simply do not get enough to sustain her via pumping during the day.
The problem is that she is refusing the formula - she'll taste it, linger at the bottle and then push it away. We've tried quite a few brands, power and liquid. I know it will take some time for her to get used to it, but what formulas have worked best for your breastfed babies? Or do you have any tricks to getting them to take it? Many thanks!
My daughter at first refused formula also. I tried similac advanced formula. She was exclusively breastfed until about 4 1/2 months. So then I tried mixing a bottle with half formula and half breast milk and she took that. After that she was fine with an all formula bottle. So maybe try that? I hope it works!
I breastfed my son for a month, but just wasnt producing enough for him. So we went to the Similac Advance and He never refused it. Thats the Only one we ever had to try, I guess it sounds like were very lucky. Good Luck :-)
When I switched to formula, my doctor said try similac, and I mixed part breast milk, with the formula then just uped the formula part little by little until baby is used to the taste.
Also maybe it is not the formula you are using but the bottle you are using. Baby might not like the nipple you are using. Thats what happend with me and my son. The formula was fine but he hated the bottle so I got a playtex drop in liner bottle and he wont use any other bottle now. Its the closest bottle to nursing so it feels more like nursing for baby so you might try that as well.
I recommend this for to my new moms. www.BestBreakfastEver.com. My nephew started on this instead of formula when he was 4 months old.
B.
Family Success Coach
I would suggest adding an ounce of formula at a time to the breastmilk that she is already fond of and over time adding more and more formula to the breastmilk until she is none the wiser. At least this way she is getting your breastmilk and will be getting the added calories from the formula that she needs.
Carnation Good Start was wonderful for our kids. I did both BF & formula successfully using Carnation. Can you use goats milk at this age? That may the way to go, if you can.
Breastmilk is much sweeter than formula. Just keep offering and she'll eventually give in.
Hello, With my little granddaughter it wasn't the formula as much as it was the nipple. My daughter had a slew of different bottles and nipples before she found the right one.
Good luck with your precious little baby.
K. K.
Absolutely good start. It doesn't smell as awful as the other formulas, and seemed a little thinner too. My son much preferred it.
If your baby is good at taking a bottle, just start feeding her a bottle that is 3/4 breastmilk, 1/4 formula. When she is willing to take that, slowly start increasing the amount of formula and reducing the amount of breastmilk.
Does she take bottles with breastmilk easily? As someone else mentioned, it might not be the formula at all, if she isn't accustomed to bottles. Don't give up on breastmilk, if you can. Keep trying to boost your supply! Good luck!
Updated
If your baby is good at taking a bottle, just start feeding her a bottle that is 3/4 breastmilk, 1/4 formula. When she is willing to take that, slowly start increasing the amount of formula and reducing the amount of breastmilk.
Does she take bottles with breastmilk easily? As someone else mentioned, it might not be the formula at all, if she isn't accustomed to bottles. Don't give up on breastmilk, if you can. Keep trying to boost your supply! Good luck!
Try playing with the temperature and the nipple flow.
I also had to supplement around your daughter's age and we used enfamil. As others have suggested, you could mix it with your breastmilk. However, formula is harder to break down than breast milk so you might have to start with the type that's gentler on the stomach (at least this is what our pediatrician told us). We had to do that and our son took to it. She may be refusing it also because of that. I think enfamil makes one called gentle ease? you could start with that--and keep in mind once you feed her it she may stay fuller longer as a result. Also, try and not shake the bottle and give it to to her immediately if she has a sensitive tummy. Our doctor told us that is like giving a baby a carbonated drink and to let the bubbles settle down at first.
You may also want to have your husband or someone who is not you give her the bottle. Because she bonds with you when you breastfeed her, she may reject the bottle from you. Instead it could be a bonding opportunity for someone else who can't breast feed her like her dad or a grandparent when that is possible. She will eventually take to it--just give it some time, and try not to worry.
Hi, I would sometimes mix some of my breast milk with formula, my baby would refuse formula also at the begining, so when I weaned him off breast milk, I would do 3/4 breast milk to 1/4 formula, and then gradually moved up, maybe this can help you supplement a little.
good luck
