When your breastfed baby won't take a bottle, it can be stressful and even a niggling scary. Babies are non always onboard when transitioning from breast to bottle. Whether you're going back to work or want others to help feed your babe, you might start to wonder: "What if my infant never takes a bottle?"

Don't panic. Unremarkably when your baby won't take a canteen, they're but struggling with the learning curve. They're new to the world so they accept a lot to acquire. Sometimes in that location may exist some motor skill or medical condition making information technology more than difficult. Merely no affair the reason, we're here to assistance.

Keep reading to larn the near common reasons why your baby may be refusing a bottle, tips for helping them get used to a bottle, and what may be going on if bottle feeding doesn't start to improve.

Not all canteen refusal looks the same. At that place can be a range of signs that your child is struggling to have a bottle, including:

  • Turning abroad from the bottle
  • Gagging or fussing equally the canteen's nipple nears their mouth
  • Being unable to latch/compress the bottle's nipple and limited milk
  • Chewing on the bottle's nipple
  • Sputtering or coughing while feeding
  • Not existence able to completely swallow their sip of milk, and so that some drips from their mouth

Why do many babies have problems when switching to a bottle afterwards breastfeeding?

At that place's no one-size-fits-all respond to this question. In most cases, bottle feeding bug aren't due to abnormal oral motor function, nor are they commonly due to an underlying medical upshot.

Actually, i of the nigh common reasons breastfed babies won't take a bottle correct away stems from not being introduced to one early enough in their growth. In fact, the number i mistake families make is offering a bottle also tardily.

Why timing is so important when introducing a canteen to a breastfed baby

Babies are born with an automatic sucking reflex. But at 2 to 3 months onetime that reflex becomes voluntary. In effect, that gives babies the ability to refuse a feeding if they're not comfortable with it.

If a infant hits this stage in their growth and has only fed from their mother'due south breast, they may have developed a "preference" for that method of milk delivery. Babies constitute a suck-consume-breathe blueprint that works for them and lets them handle their mother'due south milk flow.

When given a bottle, non but is the milk catamenia different, a babe has to adapt to a different nipple shape and texture. They also need to slightly adjust their posture from what they're used to. For someone and so new to the earth, making these kinds of changes tin can be hard and overwhelming, leading to fussing, tears and why your breastfed baby won't take a canteen.

When to introduce a bottle to a breastfed infant

In that location'south an ideal window of fourth dimension for introducing a canteen to a breastfed baby. You want to avoid doing information technology too belatedly, just you also don't want to do it as well early on. It's important to brand certain your babe gets the hang of breastfeeding and is getting enough milk earlier introducing a bottle.

We usually recommend waiting near two to 4 weeks after your baby is born before trying to bottle feed. Unless they were born early, nigh babies are ready past and then.

How to get a breastfed baby to have a bottle: 5 helpful tips

1. Switch dorsum and along betwixt breastfeeding and canteen feeding

You give your babe the best chance at developing their feeding skills if yous regularly switch betwixt bottle and breast in the midst of feedings.

two. Try giving the canteen when your babe is waking up

No thing the time of day, babies are more probable to accept a bottle when they're just waking up. The instinct to eat takes over when babies are still a little sleepy. Don't let your baby go overly hungry earlier feeding. That can result in fussiness and crying (a late feeding cue), and arrive harder to initiate feeding either by canteen or breast.

3. Create a relaxing environment each time you offer the bottle

Play soft, calming music – similar classical or folk. Sit down someplace where you can gently rock back and forth. And swaddle your baby with their hands near their face. Having a tranquillity, nighttime room with few distractions tin can help, besides.

Doing these things will relax your baby – in part because they will also relax you. Children sense and feed off the energy of the adults effectually them. And it's no different when y'all and your baby are adjusting to bottle feeding. If yous can be at ease with the varied routine a bottle brings, your babe will be more content, too.

iv. Have a family unit fellow member other than mom offer the canteen whenever possible

Each person volition agree your babe a little scrap differently for feedings. When your little one can get used to these differences early, it helps them acquire how to adjust their posture and then information technology'due south less likely to be an result when their sucking reflex becomes voluntary.

five. Try giving your infant a different type of canteen or nipple

Sometimes, the solution to bottle feeding problems is every bit simple as finding the right canteen or nipple. While there are nipple levels associated with historic period, every babe has their ain feeding style, which may not match their historic period or size. There are many different nipple and bottle types out there – trying to effigy out the best selection can exist an overwhelming process. Finding the correct fit is something that your baby's dr. or a lactation specialist can help yous with.

vi. Experiment with baby's canteen-feeding position

Your babe may also adopt to swallow while in a certain position, which typically differs from breastfeeding positions. Endeavour different angles and placements to meet if in that location is one they favor. For case:

  • Cradling them in your arm at a 45-degree angle while keeping their head and neck aligned.
  • Sitting upright so that their back is against your tummy.
  • While sitting or lying downwardly, bend your legs and position your baby so they confront you with their head resting against your knees, their back against your thighs and their anxiety on your breadbasket.

A father bottle feeds a baby in his lap.

No matter what position y'all use, remember to angle the bottle so that milk only comes out when your baby sucks, and never prop the bottle in their mouth. As well remember to never lay your babe completely apartment while feeding.

What to do when an older infant is refusing to take a bottle

The breast to bottle transition is certainly easier if you introduce a bottle at the correct age. But even if your baby is already 2 to three months old, information technology'due south nonetheless possible. In addition to the tips above, you can aid your baby practice with a pacifier.

A pacifier can help babies grade and strengthen their sucking ability. Consistently offer a pacifier to help soothe your baby when they're fussy, if yous're non already. This helps your babe learn to organize their rima oris motility, which volition at-home them. One time that becomes routine, begin offer your baby a pacifier for 20 to 30 seconds when you lot go to make a bottle. Doing so will help them more calmly gear up for canteen feeding.

Gently pull on the pacifier every bit your baby sucks it. Brand sure to do this at to the lowest degree 3 to v times a day, including when your baby is using the pacifier to prep for a canteen feeding. These slight tugs volition assist your baby learn how to resist releasing the seal they've formed on the pacifier's nipple. And that can strengthen their latch on a bottle's nipple, too.

When the above tips don't work, there may be another reason your baby is refusing a bottle

If you lot've been trying at-habitation strategies for a few days and your baby doesn't seem to be getting more comfortable taking a canteen, call your baby'southward doctor. They can aid make up one's mind whether a medical issue may be present or connect you with a specialist if needed. Other reasons why your baby is refusing a canteen tin can include:

Reflux issues can cause pain with eating

Babies tin become heartburn, too! When a infant has reflux, food and stomach acid flow from the tum back into the esophagus (the tube the carries food from the mouth into the stomach).

Reflux causes babies to feel discomfort or pain when eating, which understandably affects feeding. Symptoms that may point to reflux problems include:

  • Arching or stiffening their back when feeding
  • Crying, fussing and getting red or watery optics while feeding
  • Coughing regularly during feedings or right after them
  • Refusing to drink or accepting only 1 ounce of milk or less
  • Falling comatose while feeding
  • Having poor sucking and animate coordination
  • Taking a long time to eat or drink

It's important to know these deportment tin can occur and not be related to reflux. It'south common for babies to have a fussy time of day or be more than tired some days than others. If symptoms are ongoing, a baby can exist evaluated and treated for reflux.

Facial or oral structural differences can make latching difficult

If reflux doesn't appear to be the problem, your babe's physician may refer you lot to a rehab specialist similar me.

I've been helping moms and families who struggle with the transition to bottles for almost a decade. Information technology'south part of my work as a speech communication therapist at Park Nicollet. You might think, "My babe's problem is with eating – not talking. What does speech therapy accept to exercise with that?" The reply could be, a lot!

The shape or structure of a baby's cheeks, rima oris, tongue or jaw can impact their feedings. That's because these torso parts affect how they're able to latch both to the bottle, as well equally to the breast. For instance:

  • Thin cheeks with petty to no fatty pads make it difficult for a babe to hold their tongue in identify to feed
  • A tongue-tie(where the tissue that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the oral cavity is too short) can limit a babe's ability to motion their natural language from side to side in their mouth or past their lower lip to feed
  • A tongue-tie that's been clipped requires a baby to relearn how and where to move their natural language to feed, and create new muscle memory
  • A "vaulted" palate (where the roof of the mouth is higher and narrower than the typical apartment U-shape) causes boosted space in a baby's mouth that tin can make it harder for their lips to class a tight seal

Weak oral muscle tone or lack of oral stimulation can make information technology hard to go plenty milk during feeding

It'due south possible that a babe just doesn't accept the force to get what they need during a feeding. This could be the example even if they take very normal oral motor actions.

If your baby is refusing to take a canteen, we're just a phone call away

Always experience empowered to phone call your baby'southward md or make an appointment with them. They tin connect you with unlike types of breastfeeding support, including drop-in breastfeeding support groups and lactation consultants who assist with both bottle and breastfeeding issues. They can also refer you to a pediatric rehabilitation specialist.

Our incredible nursing staff is as well here for you. HealthPartners patients can call 800-551-0859. Park Nicollet patients can call their clinic directly during regular business hours, or 952-993-4665 if it's later hours. For questions and communication on new baby care, you lot can too call our 24/7 BabyLine at 612-333-2229.

Notice a doctor who tin help

Are you however looking for the correct doctor for your new baby? We have hundreds of doctors and clinicians beyond the Twin Cities, cardinal Minnesota and western Wisconsin, that tin help you with all your questions.

While you may be wondering how to get them to have a canteen today, you'll go it figured out. And then the question will exist: How tin can I become my child to swallow their vegetables?