Baby refuses the bottle: why? what to do ? 

If for the majority of babies, bottle-feeding does not represent any difficulty, it happens that some, either at birth or during weaning, are refractory to it. What are the causes ? How to cure it ? Here are the answers to your questions. With, always in the back of his mind, the idea that you should never force baby. 

Why baby refuses to bottle

Why baby refuses the bottle on the day of his birth 

A newborn who refuses the bottle on the first day of life, it is not necessarily worrying, as Dr Bert-Vignon explains: “ On the first day, the baby may still have a lot of “mucus” in the digestive tract, which comes up and makes it sicker. And then he can be very tired from his birth and not having enough energy to breastfeed. “ 

Another possible cause of refusal: he simply does not understand what we want him. ” The day before, he was in his mother’s womb, reminds the pediatrician. Fed by the placenta, he only had to open his beak to swallow amniotic fluid. Switching to meals is a real novelty in life, so the first few days after arriving he may not realize that it is time to move on. Little by little, he will understand the mechanism. The first day is really a day of transition. «

Why baby refuses the bottle on the second day after birth

From the 2nd day, the baby wakes up. It is then very unusual that he refuses the bottle. 

In this case, several causes are possible:

• A mismatch between the pacifier and the baby.
• The baby has a suck that is not yet ripe. 
• The baby has a pathology. He is sick, affected by an infection or digestive problems. 
• The baby is hypotonic (he lacks strength) or hypotrophic (his measurements are below the norms for his gestational age) 
• The baby may be bothered by a malformation or neurological pathology. 

   

Why does a breastfed baby refuse the bottle during weaning?

The situation is rare in the weeks following birth, but much more common after a few months of breastfeeding. And that’s quite logical, as Dr Bert-Vignon explains. There is indeed a major mechanical difference between breastfeeding and bottle feeding ” The mechanism of breastfeeding is different from bottle-feeding. At the breast, the baby is really involved because he actively breastfeeds to pump out the milk. With the bottle, the baby is much more passive. We ask for the opening of his mouth but once the nipple is in the mouth, it easily triggers the sucking reflex. The breastfeeding takes place almost unbeknownst to the baby. “

The causes of bottle refusal after breastfeeding can therefore be as follows: 

• Lack of habit: « With breastfeeding, babies have become accustomed to latching on and therefore sucking in a certain way. When they take the nipple from the bottle in their mouths, they don’t know how to proceed. It can happen. Don’t worry, most often the baby will get used to it. “
• Breast / pacifier preference: «We often talk about confusion (which is more of a preference) breast / pacifier, that is to say that if you bottle-feed your child even though he has not yet taken his bearings at the breast, he will get used to a more passive feeding mode, which is easier and will no longer latch on properly. But the reverse also exists. A baby who is used to breastfeeding may not find it beneficial to bottle feed. He may find little interest in silicone or rubber after having known his mother’s breast, which is very flexible, very soft, which smells good … It may have no charm for him. “

What to do when baby refuses the bottle?

How to help baby to drink from his bottle from birth? 

For newborns, in the first hours, the first days, there are little tips: 

• Choose the right moment. « For this, it is necessary to observe baby’s sleep cycles. Waiting for the baby to cry may not be the right time. Babies have sleep cycles that last a little less than an hour, so you have to watch for small signs of awakening, which can be the right times to offer him the bottle, when he has not yet his rhythm of cruise. Waking him up every four hours because he has not breastfed can work with some, but for refractories, it will be necessary bet on an area between two phases of sleep. »
• Stimulate “the reflex of the cardinal points”: the principle of bottle feeding is to solicit the baby’s participation. We never force. To solicit him, rather than putting the pacifier directly into his mouth, we will stimulate an archaic reflex, in this case the reflex of the cardinal points. It is a question of stimulating the circumference of the mouth with the pacifier. If the baby is ready to breastfeed, he will orient himself to take it in his mouth. 
• Try with another pacifier or bottle. Nipples do not all have the same consistency and flow of milk, and bottles do not all have the same air intake. A baby can have preferences: a pacifier softer than another, three-speed, first age…. a little advice to future parents therefore: do not immediately invest in a whole range of bottles because the baby may not like it. Better to try first.
• Support the baby’s chin : some infants have little endurance and do not have much energy. To facilitate breastfeeding, you can support the baby’s chin with your finger. 

   

How to help the baby to drink from a bottle during weaning?

• Anticipate weaning: « The moment parents choose for the withdrawal may not be when the baby is ready. The ideal is to anticipate so as not to rush the baby. We give it a try by choosing feedings that are not the most important of the day, usually at the end of the afternoon, when the feedings are increasing. “
• The bottle is given by a third person ” Some babies may not understanding why their mom gives them the bottle and not the breast, as usual. Babies recognize their mother by many things, and in particular by their smell, their touch, their voice… He can then twist his nose and pursed his lips, while he accepts the breast without worry. We therefore recommend that it be a third party, the dad or other, who begins the initiation to the bottle. “
• Give breast milk in the bottle
• Choosing the right pacifier: « Currently on the market there are nipples that try to mimic the texture of the nipple with very soft silicone..
• Opt for a fitted pacifier a valve : “There are also babies who are not comfortable with a bottle because they cannot have an active gait. The baby’s muscles are very powerful and sometimes, when he has the pacifier in his mouth, he will do it the same way as when he is at the breast, and will then receive a squirt of milk that will completely destabilize him. For these babies, there is a pacifier equipped with a valve. There is only one on the market (from the Medela Calma brand, editor’s note) and it forces the baby to suck as if at the breast. It is very wide to allow the baby to position his tongue correctly, as when he is at the breast. It reminds the baby of a feeling he already knows.

If the baby categorically refuses the bottle, despite all these tips:

• Use a duck glass or a straw. 
• Play with substitutes such as dairy products, only if they are suitable for his age.

If none of these techniques work, what should I do?

If none of these techniques or tips work, the first thing to do is to see a caregiver, who will thoroughly examine the situation. A baby who refuses a bottle beyond the first few hours of life, even though it is his only feeding method, has indeed probably an underlying problem that requires a medical examination.

A baby at the breast who refuses the bottle at the time of weaning has a very healthy reaction, he needs time to learn a new technique: he needs comprehensive support, preferably by someone trained in breastfeeding support. Small reminder: you should never force a baby to drink from a bottle. 

In any case, in case of difficulty, talk to your doctor or pediatrician.

* author of the book “The secret life of newborns: a small practical manual for the use of future / new parents”, ed. Eyrolles