7 month old won't take a bottle/formula

[sunshine05]

I posted a thread on here but no-one responded so I've changed the title in the hope that someone will!

I'm bf my 7 month old (apart from a bottle of formula at the dream feed that we've done since he was a month old) but i want to drop a feed but finding it much trickier than I thought it would be. He takes a bottle no problem at the dream feed but is refusing it in the afternoon. He will take a bit from a Nuby sippy cup but he only drank 60ml yesterday and 20ml today. I feel really bad that he's having hardly anything at this feed but don't want to give in. The fact that he's refusing is even more reason for me to keep trying as I don't really want to ebf. (I have two other kids and would love to spend more time with them and let DH have him for the afternoon etc.)

any other tips/advice?

[MistletoeBUTNOwine]

I'm in the same boat as you sunshine, except DS won't really drink from a bottle at all, maybe 20-30 ml and faffs about with the teat

Dd (9) desperately needs some mummy time

[Idontseeanyicegiants]

It's been a while since I did milk feeds but DD2 went off her bottles at around 9 months I think so we started to give her milk in either a doidy cup (oh how the iPad keyboard loves that word!), a cup with a straw or mix some into cereal for supper.
Of course current advice could make me sound like a terrible mother but it may be worth a try.

[sunshine05]

its frustrating isn't it Mistletoe? He's fine when he's half asleep during the dream feed but during the day he flatly refuses.

I have a doidy cup but not sure - my baby would grab it and it'd be all over the floor in a second!

Will keep offering it every day, hopefully he'll gradually have more, and if not I guess their milk needs are reducing at this age so mixing it into food, porridge etc like you say at least gets some more milk down them.

[gracegrape]

I would say persist with the cup. My DD2 refused every kind of bottle. I went back to work when she was 8 months and when she went to nursery I had to send a cup in. The first couple of weeks she drank no more than 60 ml each time. Then one day she suddenly polished off the whole cup and hasn't left a drop since. I tried all sorts of cups but found the basic Tommy Tippee cups with the spout worked best. Maybe it would work best if it's your DH or someone else who gives it to him while you aren't around?

[Scotinoz]

What about a straw cup? At seven months my baby wouldn't take a bottle and a sippy cup was like water boarding her. A straw is a winner though

[sunshine05]

Gracegrape I'll keep trying- he refused it completely yesterday but like you say maybe I'll have more luck with him drinking if I'm not there!

Scotinoz do you mean the beakers you can buy with a straw attached? Could try that too! It's frustrating but understandable I guess- why would he want formula when he can have the creme de la creme! It's like having to drink instant coffee when there's a coffee machine that could make lovely fresh coffee right next to you!