Parents Fearful of Baby’s Feeding Changes
Mothers are experiencing anxiety and sadness as their babies transition away from breastfeeding, questioning if they're doing things right and fearing the emotional impact on both parent and child. This reflects a common parental worry about milestones and letting go.
SOURCES (60)
“My daughter is 4 weeks old and has been breastfeeding from the chest since birth. She has taken a bottle twice and has struggled each time but has still consumed the whole bottle. She has absolutely refused all pacifiers we’ve tried for her. We’re trying…”
“Hello! I have a 5 month old daughter, 4 months and 1 week adjusted. So far I feel like I've found a happy medium with Bubs Goat Milk. She is gaining weight on it really well, and her poops have been what I assume is normal, pasty dark green. With other formulas like Similac 360 she had diarrhea, and then she had constipation on Hypoallergenic when the pediatrician thought she might have a digestion issue after the diarrhea. She still can get quite fussy, but I am wondering if that's more”
“Hello Parents, My almost three year old daughter refuses to give up her Dr. Browns bottle. She only drinks water out of it, but refuses to use a sippy cup. She also likes to go to bed with it at night and drinks water out of it while sleeping. We really want to break this habit but are not sure how. Anyone else have this issue? submitted by /u/Cultural_Part3738 [link] [comments]”
“I have a dentist appointment this afternoon. I pumped this morning for babe to have some milk while he’s with my mom. My question is if she does need to give him the bottle do I need to pump again? Edit to add he’s 6 weeks old submitted by /u/TightVisit9120 [link] [comments]”
“we successfully got my 1 yr old off formula a few months ago and strictly on whole milk. however she does not want to drink milk out of anything except a bottle. she loves to use a straw cup for water and does so well with it, but she refuses to take milk out of it. we also tried those 360 sippy cups and again she won’t even try. if it’s water she will try to use it. i think it’s a comfort thing more thank anything else? currently trying to over water the milk so it tastes worse out of a bottle”
“My breastfed 3 month old started sucking her fingers to soothe herself to sleep. I’m not against it yet because she seems happy and I’m glad she’s figuring herself out. With my oldest child (formula baby), we gave him a paci at 6 months when he started teething and he only used it for a short period then one weekend my parents successfully weened him off it and he never had it again. My question is, do I let her keep sucking her fingers or give her a paci? We’ve given her a paci a couple times s”
“Hi ladies I’ve been working on drying up my milk this past week but I’m seeing no results 😅🫠 side note: we made it to 3 years 🥹🥳 I’m so proud of us and my body! Now I’m trying to figure out how to dry it up. I’ve been on Sudafed for 7 days (I got sick and I’m very congested so I thought it would be perfect to help with drying up.) I’ve also been putting cold cabbage leaves on. However, the girls are still filling up and even if I barely press to self express, there’s still milk 😅😅 so do yo”
“My little man is about to turn 1 in a few days, so far I have cut down the formula in his bottles to just morning, nap, and bedtime. He has 6oz of formula right when he wakes up, 2 ounces at nap time, mixed with 2ounces of milk. And 4oz of formula mixed with 2 ounces of milk. He has 3 huge well balanced meals a day, that also includes dairy, and at least 2 healthy snacks. I know you’re only supposed to give 16oz of milk max a day. I guess my question is : do bottles previously offered just turn”
“Ever since I started solids, my baby (6M+) has been drinking less milk. She’s already in the low average when it comes to her weight and now this makes it worse. The past two days she straight up refused the bottle and would cry a lot. She doesn’t even want to put it in her mouth. But what’s strange is that she loves eating solid foods (puree). She eats it normally, and I would say even more than the required amount, but she won’t drink milk! I have to put some milk in the food then. I’m so stre”
“My little one is five months old and has been exclusively breast-fed since birth. He’s maybe had 40 bottles his entire life. I am worn out and exhausted, I really wanna switch to formula for my own reasons. I feel like it would be nice to have help with feedings and I’m ready to start to get my body back. I also would like to try to be healthier and lose a significant amount of weight. I feel guilty for wanting to switch to formula because I don’t really have any issues physically breast-feeding”
“I don’t know what to do, my breastfed baby is just over 3 months old and I’m going back to work on Monday and she is refusing a bottle. We’ve been trying on and off for the past couple weeks and trying before every feed this week and she doesn’t do anything except chew on it or scream. I’m in panic mode right now because we have no time left and I’m not sure what to do. Working moms who breastfed, how did you get your baby to take a bottle for daycare? submitted by /u/Lambamham [link”
“For those of you with a strong letdown, what’s the fastest your baby has ever had a full feed? My baby tends to often have only five minute feeds, and this last feed was only 3 1/2 minutes from one breast, but he always seems satisfied until the next feed. So I’m just really curious if it’s even actually possible that he’s getting a good amount? I mean, I know he has to be because he’s having good poop and pee diapers and his weight gain is perfect. He’s not even four months and he’s 18 1/2 poun”
“Hey everyone, looking for some experiences or advice from parents who have seen something similar. My daughter is 8 months old. She is breastfed at home and takes bottles at daycare. We recently started sending one solid meal with her to daycare, and she gets her second meal at home. I asked her teachers to offer the food around her usual feed time, as long as she seems patient enough for it. The last couple of days, she did great and ate a good amount of her meal! But then about an hour later,”
“Hi, my LO is almost 4 months and starting daycare next week. I EPed my first kid for months and it wrecked me mentally so I hate pumping. With me going back to work, I was always planning on starting to weaning by 4 months. I had a plan to slowly wean by replacing one feed by a bottle (of formula, because I hate pumping), over the course of a month or so. But, because I was lazy and it was more convenient when I was taking care of the baby alone during my leave (and did I mention that I hate pum”
“Our eight-month-old daughter has stopped gaining weight. She's been refusing the bottle for about three months, taking at most two ounces of formula before stopping. She strongly prefers breastfeeding, but her mom isn't producing enough milk to sustain her. We've tried solids, but she hasn't taken to them either. Even breast milk in the bottle she will not take it. We tried about 10 different bottle/nipples. She's also very very attached to her mom. She wakes from sleep cryin”
“I've always tended to have an over supply and am grateful that I still have a fairly comfortable freezer stash. Since going back to work at 6 months, however, I've been depleting my freezer stash faster than I've been filling it. Now that my period has returned, my supply has really dropped. This weekend I was home all day with my 7.5mo and I could not satisfy her. I can feel my supply has significantly dropped. I started power pumping yesterday and I am going to give Legendairy Liqu”
“I have managed to EBF my 14 week old little one with the odd expressed breastmilk bottle thrown in every so often without much trouble. Partner and I went away for the day this week and baby was left with my parents and she took expressed milk bottles all day without any fuss. She took a 6oz formula bottle with no fuss too when the expressed milk was all finished although drifted off whilst having the formula wouldn’t be put down in her cot without waking back up. Now I’m thinking about being ab”
“7 month old baby has recently started spitting out her milk. She will drink her bottle and just spit it all out or she will fill her mouth just to spit it all back out. Has anyone else's baby done this? submitted by /u/puzzledn [link] [comments]”
“I've got like 4 questions I think, idk this is a stream of consciousness and I want yall to add yours so im stopping breastfeeding, my daughter is almost 9 mos old and js sprouted her first teeth. my nipples don't like that so were done anyway I want something to commemorate my breastfeeding because it was beautiful and everything and im proud of myself. I've seen like resin jewelry and stuff made with it but I think they're ugly tbh, I only like certain stones and stuff”
“My baby is 7 months and I am trying to switch her from being EBF to bottle with formula. I have not been successful in my efforts and not really sure where to go from here, or if I just need to be more patient. I have already tried… Straw sippy cups Dr.Brown’s milestone sippy straw cup NUBI sippy cup Avent flow bottles (slow flow and fast flow) NUK bottles Dr.brown natural flow anti-colic bottles Cup feeding Using breast milk in said bottles Using formula in said bottles I have been doing this o”
“Did your baby have a slightly difficult time transitioning to whole milk? Ours has been on whole milk formula but has had some minor issues transitioning. Is there just an adjustment period? Currently trying A2 milk. submitted by /u/Shadow_stash [link] [comments]”
“I have a question about my 5mo (almost 6mo) solids and cow milk intake. Short story: When is it appropriate to give small quantities of cow milk? Just enough to make a baby porridge, not as baby’s main source of food. Long story: she breastfeeds, and unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) I’ve had such a blissful nursing journey that I forgot to keep up with bottles for her. So while as a newborn she took a bottle, she doesn’t anymore. I don’t particularly mind, we don’t have any trips planned wh”
“Found out I’m pregnant and my baby turns one in just a few days! I’m happy but also terrified of my milk drying up! He’s definitely drinking less than before but he stills nurses to sleep and I still pump at work everyday. I’m sooo scared my milk supply will just be gone and the thought of my baby being so confused and sad about that makes me want to cry! I feel so guilty and a terrible mom for getting pregnant and depriving my baby of milk :( Anyone else gone through this? Is there a chance my”
“Our 5.5 month old baby has only been finishing half her bottles these past few days and its stressing us out. We are formula fed using philips avent level 4 nips and she previously had no issues finishing her bottles. These days she's only finishing half and then turning her head and refusing to take more. We also did just start some puree veggies and fruits once or twice a day for just tastes. We suspect teething, she's drooling a ton, fingers are in the mouth all day, and her gums are”
“Stressed mom here! My 10mo baby and EBF has always been on the small side, and we're not big people at all. Very healthy baby so far. We started solids at 6mo and my main focus was very dense foods, with high nutritional value: bone marrow, butter, peanut butter, cottage cheese, veal, eggs, some veggies, virgin olive oil, fatty fish, occasionally some brown bread. Rarely some fruits and not too sweet. Fast forward on our last appointment 2 days ago and doctor said I've been doing great f”
“My baby is on infant kendamil formula and still takes enough milk as he barely enjoys solids - doesn’t eat any meat and is super picky - and is turning 1 very soon - What did you do when your baby turned 12 months old? How did you stop formula or decrease it ? Did you stop bottles completely and switch to sippy cups.? submitted by /u/bananas0320 [link] [comments]”
“I would like other mom’s opinions. 😀 Question 1)how did you transition from formula to straight organic whole milk? Also did you change the bottle? I was using Dr Browns glass bottle for formula. Question 2) does your 1 year old really eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day? submitted by /u/germafobe69 [link] [comments]”
“Welp, we introduced the bottle at 4 weeks, no issues. lil homie was all good the first two times so we didn’t think there would be a problem. Now he’s 11 weeks old and with mom going back to work soon we decided to start practicing with the bottle again a few weeks ago and it has not been easy. The most of been able to get him to take is a little over an ounce and he almost always freaks out right after or before. Any dad tips would be huge. My wife will be working a normal job 9-5, mon-fri and”
“If you ever tried the alcohol free vanilla hack, were you warming the bottle up first & then adding vanilla? Or giving baby an ice cold bottle? submitted by /u/PhaseAggressive9238 [link] [comments]”
“FTM here. As the title says, I can't get my husband to quit giving warmed up bottle of breastmilk to our 2 month old after the 2hr mark. We got advice from lactation specialist that the expressed milk is good for 6 hours. Not 4. For some reason he now thinks re-warmed milk is now good for 6 hours. I follow the 2 hour rule. She doesn't seem to have tummy issues but I am concerned it's gunna cause a problem. Not to mention I've cut dairy from my diet to see if she has CMPA. We have”
“Any tips to help with a sudden supply dip after a nasty viral respiratory illness Been about 1 week and really can’t seem to keep up with the volumes my LO needs for bottles for daycare. Luckily have some in the freezer to help with this but is a temporary fix. Does the supply rebound? If so typically how long? Any tricks or tips to help? Currently I direct feed as much as I can and only pump when away from the baby which really varies. But I try to pump/make up the volume baby has taken in whil”
“Basically the title is the question. My daughter will be about 13 months for my next work trip and we’ll be down to nursing in the morning and before bedtime. If this is the routine you’re on, what happens if you’re not there? We just night weaned her so she won’t have anything overnight besides water, but she’s used to having some milk before bed so I guess I’m wondering if we should do a bottle or just serve milk with dinner in her straw cup. She will happily drink milk with dinner and hasn’t”
“My little boy is one year old today! I'm very proud of myself for making it to one year, including surviving being told to supplement at 5 days due to him losing too much weight and a 10 day breast boycott during teething a couple of months ago. He's currently taking some antibiotics that have to be taken on an empty stomach. This means for a few days I haven't nursed him first thing in the morning or nursed him to sleep at bedtime, just because of medication timing. But it has me th”
“I know the rule is milk is their nutrition for the first year but i know a lot of people stop formula/breastmilk at around a year old and i’m curious when to start that process? My 8 month old doesn’t eat much real food but i also don’t feed her real food when she’s hungry because i don’t want her daily ounces to drop off. I feed her 30-60 minutes after a bottle about twice a day. When should i transition to food first and milk second? and how do i tackle that? submitted by /u/One-Pl”
“Hi! We’re transitioning to formula and testing different kind of bottles. I like the Lansinoh ones because they are easy to clean and baby doesn’t choke on them. But I feel that her bottom lip curls way to much down and leaves a visible line and her top lip looks red afterwards Is this normal? Does anyone have expercience with these bottles? Baby is just over 9 weeks TIA x submitted by /u/Sofiefoll [link] [comments]”
“I made a post a month ago about my newly-8mo being really into his solids and nursing less (was EBF before starting solids, will not take a bottle or have breast milk from a cup or otherwise - it's boob or bust over here). https://www.reddit.com/r/breastfeeding/s/tZnBC9NbzN Baby just hit 9mo and this trend has only continued. Yesterday he nursed upon waking at 6am then before his first nap at 9am, then did not nurse until today at 4:30am (so nearly 20 hours). He had plenty of solids and I of”
“Hi everyone! My 13 month old is suddenly off water. She used to enjoy drinking it and will now shake her head at her water bottle and take tiny sips and be done. For perspective over 4-5 hours she drank 20mls and that was many sips. I’m doing smoothies and juices to get hydration into her, she’s not on formula anymore as she weaned and has always hated formula. Won’t take to cows milk either. Has anyone else gone through this? I’m obviously aware not to over offer as it builds pressure but this”
“My 13 month old is a great eater but he still needs a bottle to go for naps and to bed at night. I don't know how to transition away from his bottles, he won't drink milk out of a straw cup, only water, and the hv said to keep giving him some milk. He's really struggling with going to sleep at the moment, he still needs rocking to sleep and up until very recently that wasn't an issue, I loved it. But he now fights every nap and bedtime, like screaming like he's in pain. As so”
“Hi all. I have an 8 week old in which I recently introduced formula in hopes to combo feed (enfamil neuro pro gold can). I didn’t mix formula with a little BM to introduce slowly. I was giving about 2-4 ounces once at night and once in the morning to get ahead with pumping. Then she suddenly went from daily poops to now being constipated for 3 days. She cries (a different cry from usual) and has her hands down by her belly. I bought biogaia probiotic drops to try (first day of giving them was ye”
“I am leaving my 14 month old who still nurses morning, night, and overnight for one night with my partner. I am worried because they don’t take milk well from cups (will drink some, but mostly just a sip or two) and refuse bottles entirely. I don’t know how my partner is going to get them down for the night and handle overnight wake ups since they nurse before bed and back to sleep most times. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any advice? I feel terrible having my baby go a whole day witho”
“My 11.5m old was fully transitioned to milk this past week and it is NOT working with her belly as she has had non stop explosive diarrhea. I’m taking her off the milk, back on her formula to settle her belly, and when it calms down I will try a different alternative, maybe lactose free milk or just like coconut/almond milk. Not sure yet. Willing to take any suggestions though. Either way, this girl is still waking up multiple times a night to feed. Usually 3 times. We have her crib in our room”
“14 month old likes to snack and nurse (i.e., take a few bites, get a sip, take a few more bites, get a bit more milk). A few days ago she asked for milk after eating some puffs and when she unlatched there were crumbs on my nipple. This is not the first time this has happened lol submitted by /u/FriendlyAvocado [link] [comments]”
“Started purees 3 days ago. My baby is 5+ months, and her pediatrician said I should give her about 1- 2 oz of water with purees. But she literally eats only 2 small spoons right now. Isn’t 1/2 oz of water too much for such a small amount of food? I thought babies usually start having water around 6 months, when they start eating more solids/cereal. When did you start giving your baby water, and how much did you give at first? submitted by /u/E20V [link] [comments]”
“Anyone else’s toddler prefer 2% over whole milk? I have it to my son one day as we ran out of whole milk and he chugged it immediately. Before, I’d just figured he didn’t like milk that much because he would only take sips; turns out it was just cause it was whole milk🤣 I only give him 2% now, the boy needs extra fat and calories 😮💨 submitted by /u/Status_Equipment_407 [link] [comments]”
Hi all, 6.5 month old has taken really well to solids and I am having to reign him in as he wanted to drop feeds too quickly and I was ending up…
“Hi all, I am expecting my first child in March next year. I plan on primarily breastfeeding him for ~1 year but would also appreciate the opportunity of giving him the bottle every now and then so dad can stay home with him while I grab a coffee with a friend, for example. My partner thinks it will be incredibly easy to switch between breast and bottle, however, I am not so sure. Can anyone share their experience with a primarily breastfed baby that also takes bottles? Is switching between the t”
“Im a new dad baby is due by november. My wife is saying she will stop direct breast feeding within 2 months since baby born. She says she use feeding bottle instead. Im not sure she is right. Is it safe? Will there be any problems. I dont know kindly advice me submitted by /u/lewdlust69 [link] [comments]”
“My baby feeds from breast 99% of the time. The only time she feeds from a bottle is once a night because I mix her vitamin d drops in there and I want to make sure she can take a bottle for when I go back to work. My mother in law is constantly wanting to feed her a bottle when she visits. I’ll be in the middle of breastfeeding and she will ask if I want her to make a bottle. It bothers me so much bc first of all don’t touch my breastmilk. I will make the bottle if she needs one. Second of all,”
“My 10 week old took 3.5 oz from a bottle then continued to nurse for 45 minutes with audible gulps. I put him down but then he started nibbling on his fist so he’s back on the boob nursing for the past 40 minutes still gulping away. Is this cluster feeding? Is it normal at ten weeks? submitted by /u/Longjumping-Ebb6208 [link] [comments]”
“Hey y’all. My sweet girl is 5 months as of today! I live in an EU country where the maternity and child health clinic recommends starting purees at 4 months for allergen exposure, which is what we did. I know the recommendation is different across the pond so let’s not focus on that. Last thursday we had a monthly checkup and due to slow height growth we were instructed to give baby as much food as she wants to three times a day. She loves food so I’ve given her as much as she wants, after nursi”
“So my baby is now 2.5 month and is BF apart from one bottle of expressed milk before bed which is 4oz and he may top himself up on me whilst getting him to sleep. Now here’s where I’m struggling. He won’t always take a dummy and uses my boob to go to sleep which I know is normal and I have no issue with. It’s just he will use me to go to sleep. Then get uncomfortable and be sick. Is he over feeding to go to sleep? During the day he feeds in laid pack or cradle position and does it (sick) And at”
“My baby is 3.5 months. I've always pumped randomly to have a bit of a stash in the freezer. We still haven't used any or a bottle. I now need to throw it all out because my baby has been diagnosed with CMPA, soy, egg, etc allergies. Can someone explain what the best way for starting s new bank? When do I pump? For how long? Thanks for the help! submitted by /u/danioreiro92 [link] [comments]”
“My five month old has had tiny tastes of a couple foods (chicken and tomato) but no full solid meals yet, as I think he's too young. But his interest in food is growing exponentially every day and its hard to keep him out of my food at meal times. I'm super excited to introduce foods to him, but I'm wondeirng how to go about it since he has CMPA. I know he can't have whole milk regardless, but can he have foods with milk in them? Does he have to have a completely milk free diet?”
“My 16 week old daughter has been combo fed since around 6 weeks. I would breastfeed her the majority of the time and we eventually introduced 1 bottle a day knowing I would have to go back to work at 14 weeks (and introduced some formula so I could build a freezer stash). She went through a whole bottle refusal stage around 10 weeks (which was so stressful) but eventually we found the right bottle and temperature for her. Fast forward to today, she is bottle fed 3-4x a day now that I am back at”
“Baby is currently 9.5 weeks. From 4 days, she cries mid feed ( after 2 oz roughly ) and doesnt want to drink. We need to calm her down before offering the bottle again- sometimes may take it or cries again with bottle in the mouth and just doesnt feed. She isnt arching back when we offer the bottle- but keeps crying. Or even if she is going back to feeding position - she starts crying. Doctor wasn’t concerned about anything ( always been a gassy baby). We are at our wits ends. Anyone has similar”
“Hi all - when my LO was born, we bought a bunch of ready to drink Enfamil formula because he had a hard time latching so I was incredibly paranoid that he’d go hungry. We kept the supply at home as back up, but he’s 7 months now and I just don’t think we need it around anymore. Any ideas on where we can donate the formula?? Our local church doesn’t accept private donations. submitted by /u/fluffypanda815 [link] [comments]”
“Today was my 14 month old’s first day with no bottles! He’d been down to one for a while and I kept putting off dropping it, but finally went for it today. It’s honestly been one of the most emotional milestones for me. Like, he’s truly done being a baby now. submitted by /u/Reasonable-Sound-378 [link] [comments]”
“We’re not sure if this is normal, but our baby boy is about 3.5 months old and for the last week or two, he has been averaging about 37 ounces a day or so. He is combo fed on bottles about 50/50 depending on how much my wife is able to pump in a given day. The last two days, he has eaten around 25-32 ounces. He seems happy and content and still has plenty of wet diapers each day from what it seems. Google searches says he was eating on the high side of average, and is now eating an average amoun”