Things You'll Need:
- A breast pump
- Baby bottles
- Time
- Patience
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Step 1
First get a breast pump, and express some of your milk and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. See if your baby will take the bottle from someone else. Wait until the baby is ready to be fed, and then give the bottle to the baby’s father. Leave the room that they are feeding in.
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Step 2
It’s okay that the baby doesn’t go for the bottle at first and cries. The baby has only known your breast for weeks and to them it is a big change. Tell the father this and ask him not to lose his temper. It takes time.
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Step 3
Do not be tempted to go back into the room they are feeding in and take the baby to your breast right away. For some dads this is the first time they are feeding their child. Let them get used to each other.
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Step 4
To get the baby to realize that what’s in the bottle is what they have been having for weeks, have the father squirt a little of the milk onto the baby’s tongue so they can taste it. The baby, if hungry enough, will take the bottle.
Be close at hand just in case they get tired of the bottle and want you. If the baby drinks an ounce or two of the breast milk from the bottle, that is an accomplishment. -
Step 5
After your baby has accepted taking a bottle from someone else, you can then try to feed the baby from a bottle yourself. Beware though, the baby might still not take the bottle from you like it would from someone else.
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Step 6
Just keep at it and don’t give up. Give in the first few times to let the baby know that everything is okay. Start off with offering the bottle first, then switch when you notice that the baby wants your breast instead.
Comments
cherold598 said
on 6/22/2009 Excellent tips. It can be challenging to wean a baby sometimes. 5*
ducksberry said
on 6/22/2009 patience is so important when it comes to weaning....
dorigillman said
on 6/22/2009 very good article on getting a baby to take a bottle.