Weaning BF baby to bottle fed formula

As per my previous post I am still having problems getting my DS to take the bottle - cant even get it in his mouth! Have tried different teats etc, different people feeding him but nothing working. Going to persever for another week and then see how we are going. However how long does it take for your boobs to go back to normal and how can you wean from boob to bottle. What time frame is normal (assuming DS takes the bottle!). A couple of weeks, month etc? I am bridesmaid in July and would like to be finished breast feeding and have a normal sized chest again! I have exclusively BF DS for 5 months so far but am now finding he is pulling a lot more and my boobs are painfull so I am wanting to move him to the bottle asap. Appreciate any help. Thanks

Hi Helen, as said I use to expressed and feed DS with this in a bottle - well anyone but me could feed him. I then stopped expressing and just purely breast feed. (wouldnt do that again!!) Now I have decided to bottle feed formula - well trying to introduce it, I want to be 100% formula by July.   He will take formula off a spoon/medicine spoon etc, but not bottle and sipper cup ad he doesnt take much - maybe 20ml. I can also pour a small amount from a normal cup. Last night I was out so I breastfeed DS at 4pm and got home at 1am. DS was with my parents, he ate some farex easily and had maybe 20mls of formula with a huge fight. He then had his next feed breast feed at 7.30am. SO even starving him didnt get him taking the bottle! Plunket also said I need to give him at least 50ml liquid per hour if he is not getting a full feed at least every 4 hours.
I havent really tried the bottle lately, but DH, friends, family etc have and have tried on and off for an hour with no luck. I spent a day at the plunket centre who said to try for 5mins and if he is hysterical stop, cuddle then try again. After 5 mins if hysterical stop and offer no other food for 1 hour. Then try again from the bottle. If no luck wait another hour then offer the breast. If he takes some from the bottle persever for up to 30mins as long as he is obliging and not really hysterical. No one (including plunket) has got passed 5mins. He just screams, shakes, cries etc and his mouth is shut. Plunket did get the bottle in his mouth and he would not suck/swallow. Plunket suggested I hold DS with his back to my tummy so it is a different hold to a breast feeding hold. But I am having no luck. I really want him on the bottle as I am finding the breasts quite painfull.   

Also how do you cope with stopping breast feeding and the engorged breasts? Last night whilst I was out I had to go off to the bathrooms to hand express for some release whilst I was out and I was soo uncomfortable.

ds is 5 mths. he takes formula from a spoon so im sure its the bottle not the formular as he wont even take ebm from a bottle.... what are the old fashion bottles/teats you mention?? i am trying a bottle on the second feed... im not good at this patience thing, im finding it frustrating..

Hi Bizzy, I am heading away in July - end of July for 10 days, DS will be 7 1/2 months so I am wanting to wean him by then and have him on formula.   But I would like to start the weaning process now.

no wont take it from a cup either...so they only way he is now getting any liquid is via boob. I'm at my wits end and really struggling!

Thanks for this all makes good sense. I did leave my son from 4pm till 1am with my mum and he ate farex but did not drink anything. Yes he survived but one night is different to 10 days away! I've tried all the different feeding positions and as soon as he sees the bottle he closes his mouth and screams!
Appreciate all your tips.

Sorry to hear about the ongoing issues. Maybe you could look at giving water from a cup - so he gets the amount of liquid that he needs but is getting more of his food from actual food he eats and this seems to work quite well. A little bit of liquid often would be the plan.

Also is it worth talking to your GP about it?? My GP is really good with not only medical stuff but common sense stuff too, so sometimes he comes up with a different slant on things than other mums and plunket.

I have read a number of people who have gone from boob to cup so it can be done. Maybe get him to take water or expressed breast milk or formula from the cup. A little bit every now and again (which adds up ), this being his liquid intake. Then consentrate more on his solid intake for food. I know he is young but this is the way you want him to be in the end. He could just be ahead of his age.

We give Esme a cup sometimes. You have to sit them really upright and tip slowly. She sucks it up but sometimes it's almost like she's lapping it up like a kitten. The first couple of times were tricky but she got the hang of it. I use a small plastic one mainly but used a glass on the weekend and she was fine.