Bottle Refusal Tips and Tricks

Bottle refusal of any kind can be incredibly stressful as a parent. Whether you’re introducing a bottle for the first time or tying a different style here are some things to try if baby isn’t keen on bottles yet!

First don’t wait till baby is too hungry! Bottles are a different skill and learning new skills when hangry is hard on everyone. Consider offering a bottle as a small snack (not a full feeding) or alongside a nursing session. Don’t be afraid to switch back and forth between bottle and breast during the same feeding. Unless your feeding plan says otherwise, let baby guide you with their fullness cues.

Offering a bottle to baby while sleepy is a great way to create a low stress positive opportunity. 

What’s your goal for bottle feeding? Establish the purpose of bottles in your feeding plan. If you need your baby to take bottles for returning to work or so you can be away for a particular event then start bottles sooner rather than later!

Let baby explore! Even if baby took a bottle as a newborn it’s likely brand new to them again. Bring out an empty bottle during a non-feeding playtime and let baby interact with it however they can. 

Check the nipple size. While you want to be using a slow flow nipple it still needs to be a size that’s best for *your* baby. If you have a very efficient nurser then they may get frustrated with the slowest of slow options - it’s okay to go up 1 size from premie if it helps your baby feeding comfortably.

Most importantly keep bottles positive and low stress! Just like we can’t force our babies to latch we really shouldn’t try to force baby to take a bottle either - this can create a bottle aversion and baby may have a hard time regulating their intake. If baby gets really upset, take a break. If you need baby to take a bottle sooner, maybe for supplemental reasons, consider using an SNS while baby is learning bottles. 

Happy bottle feeding!