What to do when your baby won’t take a bottle

“Help! My baby won’t take a bottle!”

This is one of the most common concerns breastfeeding mums have! They feel the pressure to start offering a bottle early to make sure bub will take one later on (there is definitely no guarantee btw!). This is also a concern for many mums who are returning to work soon.

So many mums feel stressed out by this! So, what can you do?

The first thing to think about…. Does your baby REALLY need to take a bottle???

As mentioned above, introducing a bottle to your baby when they are newborn, does not guarantee that they will accept a bottle later on. As babies get older and more aware of the world, they have more control over whether they want to do something or not. On top of that, introducing a bottle does come with the risk of baby developing a bottle preference. This is where they come to prefer the (often) faster, easier flow of the bottle, as to having to actively work to get the milk from the breast. In some cases, this can cause your baby to refuse the breast.

Depending on your baby’s age, they may not need milk while away from you and can get through the day with just food and water (usually around 9 months) and breastfeed when you’re with them again. You can minimise the time without breastmilk by breastfeeding right before you leave for work (or at day care/carer drop off) and then as soon as you pick them up in the afternoon. You may find that your baby wants to breastfeed a number of times between pickup and bedtime and sometimes overnight to reconnect with you and catch up on their breastmilk. This is normal!

If your baby is younger than 9 months, they will likely still need some breastmilk through the day but there are ways you can give breastmilk other than in a bottle. Many mums choose to offer expressed milk in a sippy cup/straw cup/no spill cup (whatever they drink their water in is perfect) or an open cup/normal cup like adults would use (obviously they will need help with this). These are great alternatives to bottles and reduce the risk of your baby developing a bottle preference and refusing the breast.

Cup feeding can be used as early as newborn using a small cup like a medicine cup, moving on to bigger cups as the amounts your baby drinks increases after the first few weeks. To give your baby milk using an open cup, hold your baby in an upright position and hold the cup so that it rests on their bottom lip and reaches the corners of their mouth. Tip the cup so the milk reaches your baby’s lip. Do this very slowly so the milk doesn’t rush into your baby’s mouth and overwhelm them. Your baby will lap at the milk like a cat. It is important that you don’t pour the milk into your baby’s mouth, as this can cause them to choke. Your baby may pause now and then just as they do when feeding at the breast. Keep the cup in place and your baby will start drinking again when they’re ready.

If giving a bottle to your baby is right for you and your baby, but they just won’t take it, here are some things you can try:

• Try your best to stay calm. Your baby will sense your anxiety and frustration, and this can make them less willing to try.
• Try feeding your baby while walking around. Doing this in an upright position and facing outward away from you can be helpful as well (having your baby in a carrier can make this easier).
• Try giving your baby a bottle in a completely different place to where you would breastfeed (eg. A different room)
• Have a bath with your baby and offer the bottle while you’re in there. Baths can help both of you to relax.
• Try offering the bottle when your baby is still sleepy – either when they’re just waking up from a sleep, or just nodding off to sleep.
• Have someone else offer the bottle while you’re out of sight in another room

If these strategies do work and your baby starts taking the bottle, paced and responsive bottle feeding is important to reduce the risk of bottle preference and overfeeding your baby. You can read more on this HERE.