My baby refuses bottle-feeding: what now?

Sometimes, babies who are given both forms of feeding suddenly reject the bottle. No reason to panic. Stay calm and try to find out what’s going on. Further on in this blog, we provide useful tips to make feeding your little darling a bit easier.

Sometimes your little one will turn their head away, cry, or push the bottle out of their mouth. This is no reason to worry right away. Every child has their own preferences and moods. Find out what may cause your child to behave in this way. Is your child sick? Is your baby teething? Or was there just too much going on in the area around your baby? Record the signals in your baby diary or in The Wonder Weeks app. Do they persist? Then consult your family doctor or the childcare clinic.

Refusing to drink from a bottle can be quite frustrating, but there are several solutions to make it easier for you and your baby. You will find a number of useful tips below. Feel free to try out what works for you.

• Pinky trick: let your baby suck on your pinky first before you give him or her the bottle. Subtly replace your finger with the teat.
• Dishwashing soap: use odorless dish soap or rinse the bottle and teat very thoroughly. Babies are sensitive to strange smells and tastes.
• Another baby formula: change the baby formula you are feeding. A different taste or smell can make all the difference.
• Adding sensations while feeding: Add something interesting to the bottle, such as a soft cloth or a piece of bubble wrap. This can distract your baby and stimulate their curiosity.
• Warming up the teat: Lightly warm up the teat and make sure it smells like you by wearing it in your bra.
• Small portions: Offer a bottle with small amounts of milk, especially if your baby is not very hungry.
• Remain calm: Stroke your baby’s lips with the teat first and wait for your baby to open its mouth.
• Adapting the teat: Experiment with different teat shapes. Some babies prefer a wide teat, others a narrow one. Try up to three types.
• Vary temperatures: Try to feed milk at room temperature if warm does not seem to work or vice versa.
• Posture: Hold the bottle in the breastfeeding position – possibly skin-to-skin – to make it an even more familiar experience for your baby.
• Get someone else to feed: Get another person to bottle-feed your baby so that your baby does not automatically expect to be breastfed.
• Freshly expressed milk: Use milk that has just been expressed. This tastes different from chilled or frozen milk.
• Don’t worry too much: Your little one will sense your stress. Stay relaxed and stop for a moment if you notice that your baby is getting upset.
• Distraction: Sing a song, walk around the room, or chat with your little one while feeding.
• Alternatives: If feeding from a bottle really does not work at all, try an open cup with thickened milk or cup feeding.

Sometimes nothing seems to work. Remember: You are not alone. Contact the childcare clinic or discuss your problems with a lactation consultant or a pre-linguistic skills therapist. Every child is different and refusing a bottle is – unfortunately – sometimes part of it.