Has anybody got any advice on how to get my 3 month old daughter to take a bottle. I have been trying deperately for over 3 weeks with little success. I do not want to give up breastfeeding altogether but I do need her to take a bottle in preparation for my return to work in February. The whole family have tried to no avail!

Hi Tracy,
First thing I'd say is don't panic, you still have time before Feb. Have you experimented a little with different kinds of teats? Some babies just don't get on with some teats and like others for some reason.

For example, Avent have a breast-imitating teat that I've heard good things of:
http://www.avent.com/uk/en/bottlefeeding_silicone_teats.php

Hi Tracy i've heard that a doidy cup is sworn by. Another suggestion (bit of a crazy one)my friend used to wrap a bra she'd worn when feeding her son round the bottle. You'd have to get someone else to do the first few feeds though as if mum is there smelling of the milk your daughter is so used to she may suss something. She'll adapt to bottle-feeding soon enough.

Good luck

Thanks I will try both the avent teat and the doidy cup. Have just received a 'breast bottle' via mail order. It is supposed to be almost fail safe for reluctant babies. We'll see!

Keep us informed which is best or if any of them even work at all!

Hi Tracy, how are you getting on with the crossover from breast to bottle? It's never an easy one – why would a baby all soft and snuggled want to give it up?!
Things which can help:
Get someone else to try feeding with bottles for you. If your baby can smell you she will wonder why she's suddenly being given this alien bottle. It sounds like other family members have tried, but are you still in the room? One friend of mine even had to go out of the house before her daughter would give it a go with her gran!
Try different formulas, some babies just prefer the taste of a particular milk. Try these by getting the small ready-mixed cartons otherwise you might end up spending a lot of money on a box of formular you never use again.
Try different teats. Some babies prefer latex teats (most are made from silicon).
Try a cup with a spout rather than a bottle. Your baby may prefer to see breast and bottle as two very different experiences.
Good luck!

It probably sounds like a cliché, but be patient. Even if your baby takes to a bottle, she might suddenly go off it and you need to ease her in all over again. Mine did! About two weeks before I went back to work, my six-month-old suddenly took against the nanny goat milk formula he'd been drinking and I had to kick in with a with a massive expressing regime so he'd have something for drink while I was out! The rejection passed after about a week and we found another formula he prefered. I think he just wanted to keep me on my toes!

Try a 'Nuby' Teat or bottle. You can buy them in boots or Tesco's.

I tried everything else with Samuel and this was the only one that worked. It's softer than normal teats. Now he takes the bottle no problems.

I was meant to go back to work at 6 months and couldn't get Samuel to take the bottle so have stayed off another 6 months.

Claire.

Hi a doidy cup has a slope and handles. They can be found in " Blooming Marvellous" as well as other outlets. They are good .