• When switching to a bottle or your baby is refusing a bottle, introduce a bottle slowly and at a calm time without any rush.
• Experiment with different bottle types, teat shapes, and flow rates.
• Try paced bottle feeding to help your baby adjust more easily.
• Consider involving another person to bottle-feed your baby, especially if you have been exclusively breastfeeding.

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Whether you’re moving on from solely breastfeeding to bottle or combination feeding, or your baby just seems to be going through a fussy phase, it can be pretty frustrating if they refuse their bottle, especially if you’re planning on going back to work soon. 

Before you try every bottle brand on the market to find one they like, it’s worth noting that almost all babies will accept any type of bottle eventually, it just takes a little perseverance and the right tool kit of techniques.

How to switch from breastfeeding to bottle feeding

Transitioning from breast to bottle can be smoother if done gradually. Start by offering a few breastfeeds with a bottle of expressed milk, perhaps at a time when your baby is calm but slightly hungry. Experiment with different teat shapes and flow rates until you find one your baby accepts.

 

 

Are they feeling unwell?

They may find it uncomfortable or painful to feed if they have a cold, an ear or throat infection, or thrush. Seek advice from your doctor as soon as possible if you think your baby has an illness that’s putting them off their bottle.

Is it a phase?

Is bottle refusal a phase? Yes, in many cases, bottle refusal is temporary. Babies often resist new routines or equipment, especially if they are used to breastfeeding.

With patience, consistency, and experimenting with different techniques, most babies eventually adapt.

Do they need to be winded?

During feeds, your baby takes in little air bubbles which can get trapped in their little tummy. This can cause them discomfort and sometimes lead to colic.

If your baby seems uncomfortable during or after a feed, spending a few moments burping them can really help to relieve discomfort caused by trapped wind.

You can burp your baby:

• Over your shoulder: With your baby’s chin resting on your shoulder, support their head and shoulder area with one hand, and gently rub and pat their back. It can help to walk around while doing this.
• Sitting on your lap: Sit your baby on your lap facing away from you. Place the palm of your hand flat against their chest and support their chin and jaw (don’t put any pressure on the throat area). Lean your baby forwards slightly and with your free hand, gently rub or pat their back.
• Lying across your lap: Lie your baby across your lap face down. Supporting their chin (don’t put any pressure on the throat area), use your free hand to gently rub or pat their back.

If these methods don’t work and your baby still shows signs of trapped wind (crying, arched back, drawing legs into tummy, clenched fists), try lying them on their back and gently massaging their tummy and moving their legs back and forth.

Is the teat blocked?

You can test for this by turning the bottle upside down, it should drip quickly. If not, it may be blocked which will not allow your baby to feed comfortably and cause them to feel frustrated. If the teat is blocked, simply replace it with another sterile teat. If the problem persists, you may need to try a different flow rate.

What can I do to encourage my baby to take a bottle?

Here are some comprehensive troubleshooting questions and handy bottle acceptance tips and tricks that may help your baby to take a bottle.

Six is the magic number

If your baby is not taking to a bottle right away, you may be tempted to keep buying different bottles and teats to try until they accept one.

Six tries of the same bottle is likely to be as successful as trying six different bottles one at a time. So, save your money and persevere with the bottle you think is closest to a breast in shape and movement.

Have someone else give the bottle

For breastfeed babies, they generally prefer the breast if you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding. They’re uniquely designed to give baby a warm and comfortable feeding experience. So, if you find your baby is distracted when you’re trying to give them a bottle this could be why.

This could be the optimal time to call in help from your partner, friends or family members. If your baby gets the message that you’re not around, they might be more likely to accept a bottle feed from someone else. Bottle feeding is a great opportunity for others to enjoy bonding with baby.

Try offering the bottle when the baby is not very hungry

When babies are having a tough time taking a bottle, it can help to offer it to them between feeds when they’re not overly hungry. As we all know, learning a new skill takes patience and effort, and we all have more of both when we feel full, content and calm!

 

 

Switch up the temperature

Some babies prefer warmed milk, some room temperature, and others cold. Experiment a bit to see if your baby has a preference. You can also try warming the teat by placing it in warm water that’s been boiled and left to cool a little.

On the flip side, is your baby’s teething, you can chill the teat in the fridge before the feeding to help relieve sore gums.

Try to feed in a quiet space

Everything feels better when you’re relaxed and comfortable, right? That goes for bottle feeding baby, too. Try to create a quiet and comfortable space to feed in. Somewhere away from distractions like the sounds and lights of the TV.

It’s not always easy, especially if you have other children around, but it’s important for you to have some quiet time too.

Try different feeding positions

Bottle feeding your baby means that you can switch it up and try holding them in different positions. Some babies like to sit upright when feeding, and this can help reduce reflux. Try holding baby facing out to look around the room, or sitting propped up on your legs.

You can also try feeding your baby while walking around and gently bouncing, swaying or rocking to help them feel calm and relaxed. Remember, never leave your baby alone to feed with a propped-up bottle as they may choke on the milk.

Try skin-to-skin contact

Maintaining eye- and skin-to-skin contact are great ways to bond with your baby, and dads, co-parents and other key adults who spend lots of time holding and feeding baby can also experience a surge of feel-good nurturing hormones.

UNICEF states that skin-to-skin contact also…

• Calms and relaxes baby
• Regulates the baby’s heart rate and breathing, helping them to better adapt to life outside the womb
• Stimulates digestion and an interest in feeding
• Regulates temperature
• Enables colonisation of the baby’s skin with the mother’s friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection

Get to know your teats

If your baby is refusing the bottle, it’s sometimes a good idea to get them used to the teat on its own first. Try bringing the teat (without a bottle attached) to baby’s mouth and rub it along their gums to help them get used to the unfamiliar texture.

Then, encourage baby to suck by placing your finger inside the teat and rubbing it gently on their tongue. Finally, you can add some drops of milk to the teat and offer this to your baby. If at any point your baby pushes the teat away or show that they’re not interested, then stop and try again another time.

Try different teat flows

All babies and parents are different and the flow of milk from a bottle may feel very different to the flow of milk from your breast. So you may need to slow down or speed up the flow through the teat you use on your bottle.

Babies do have to learn slightly different suckling techniques to feed from a bottle, and generally (but not always) milk flows faster through a teat than from a breast.

Most babies start with an extra-slow or slow flow teat so that they get used to the new sucking action needed to take milk from a bottle, without being overwhelmed. But if you had a strong flow of breast milk, they may find that slow flow is too slow and therefore prefer a faster flowing teat.

 

Let baby to latch on their own

It can help to tickle baby’s upper lip and nose with the teat and wait for them to open wide to latch on like they would when breastfeeding, rather than putting it directly into their mouth. Make sure that baby latches onto the wide base of the teat and not just the tip. Both of their lips should be flanged outwards, as they would be when breastfeeding.

Switch between breast and bottle

We know that as a parent, you’ll do whatever’s needed to keep your baby fed. So, if you’re struggling to make the switch to solely bottle feeding, you could try to introduce a bottle gradually alongside breastfeeding, this is known as combination or mixed feeding.

How to keep your baby hydrated when they’re refusing a bottle

If your baby refuses the bottle, it’s essential to maintain hydration. You can try offering expressed breast milk via a syringe, cup, or spoon if bottle feeding isn’t working. Keeping feeds frequent, calm, and consistent helps ensure they continue to get enough fluids.

When to ask for help

Finally, whether you’ve chosen to bottle feed with formula or expressed milk (or a combination of both), we know that it can be difficult from time to time.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your midwife, health visitor or other parents who’ve bottle-fed if you need help and support. You’ve got this.