Transitioning Breast to Bottle

He will figure it out...it's the rare baby who would rather starve than take a bottle. I run a daycare and run into this dilemma now and then with new babies. Some tips:
1) Make sure the bottle (and nipple) are warm - slightly warmer than breastmilk even.
2) Make sure nipple is the right flow size...usually it will say size 1, or easy, or beginner, etc.
3) Put a little sugar water on the nipple (this is actually used as a breastfeeding trick too) so they will start sucking.
4) When introducing bottle, don't let it be when he's starving and screaming already...do it in 1-2 hours after last feeding so he's hungry but not yet crying.
5) They seem to do better when it's not Mommy`feeding the bottle...aka, when there isn't a boob in their face that they'd rather have. So may take it just fine for the sitter
6) Just stick with it...takes a little work but he will catch on. 3 days should be plenty of time.

GOOD LUCK!

I agree with A.M.

He will figure it out, but it's something him and the sitter will have to do together. Try different bottles, but no matter what other suggest make sure it's slow flow, he needs to work for it, just like he has to do at the breast.

Also make sure that you are leaving 1 ounce of milk for every hour you are away. This is true no matter how old or big the baby get's. Expect some cycling when you get home (baby wanting to be stuck at the breast and eating almost non-stop).

These are normal behaviors.

OK, I've had several BF babies that were just sure they weren't going to take that horrible bottle thing.

The last kiddo I fought with this is what I did. He liked to be swaddled, so I would lay him down when it was feeding time (and he'd refused to take the bottle). Thankfully, he would settle down and either go to sleep or just zone out. While he was still drowsy and zoning I would have the bottle ready and quickly pick him up and start feeding him. He would usually just drink the bottle while sleeping. I know this is not a great long term solution, but I worked to keep the little guy from starving while he was at my house. Eventually he could be less and less asleep when I picked him up to feed him.

M

I would try a differently bottle....maybe he's getting too much too fast. I was a fan of Dr. Browns....they are like breast and minimize confusion. I had one that would only take those bottles, but she was a strong nurser. I also had one that was not a strong nurser and she would take anything haha.

I took my baby to daycare without any bottle practice beforehand. He didn't starve and adjusted very well. I took one brand of bottle with slow flow nipples (Tommee Tippee bottles were suggested because of their shallow profile) and planned on taking other brands if need be. I did have to take about six different brands of pacifiers before they found one he would take. Fortunately he was far less discerning about his bottles. Maybe I was lucky or maybe it is his easy going nature. At any rate it worked out fine. Good luck.