jeudi 5 octobre 2017
What to Do When Your Baby Refuses a Bottle
My first baby was an equal opportunity eater. Breast, bottle, breast milk, formula . . . as long as she was getting fed, it was all fine with her. It was something I took for granted, not realizing that her easygoing feeding philosophy was a boon to my life in terms of being able to work and socialize kid-free. During the 14 months I breastfed her, I never had to worry about whether my being away from her for a few hours (or even a few days) would prevent her from getting the nutrition she needed.
Then I had my second baby, and to my utter dismay, the kid absolutely refused to take a bottle. No matter what I did, who I passed him off to, or how long I left him, he just couldn't bring himself to let a plastic nipple pass his lips, instead going on hunger strikes whenever I was out of nursing range. I tried every kind of bottle, filled with breast milk and various types of formula, but my son was adamant about boob-only eating for the entire year I breastfed him, not taking a bottle even once.
Thank goodness he got teeth and started eating solids early because leaving him, knowing that he would starve himself until my return, was the epitome of mom guilt. Even when he started drinking from sippy cups, he would only accept one that was filled with juice or water until he was weaned. Only then did he take his first sip of milk not straight from my boobs.
If you have a baby who's a breast-is-best kind of eater, check out these nine tips to try to get him to bottle feed and, if he's as stubborn as my kid was, how to survive without feeling like your boobs (and the rest of you) are being held hostage.
- Think nipples. Walk into any baby store's bottle department, and the number of nipple options will probably make your head spin. Unfortunately, there's no magic formula for figuring out which one your baby will prefer, so invest in multiple options and try them all. If you're trying to feed a newborn, remember that a slow-flow nipple will ensure that your baby doesn't get an overwhelming amount of milk, while a faster-flow nipple will probably appeal more to an older baby.
- Pump your breast milk. Trying to transition from breast to bottle and breast milk to formula simultaneously might be the culprit for your baby's bottle rejection. Take one step at a time and offer your pumped breast milk in a bottle first, allowing your baby to get used to the new delivery method before they have to also adjust to a new flavor.
- Pass off feeding to someone else. Breastfed babies often have trouble taking a bottle from their moms, whom they know have another, more appealing eating option at the ready. Instead, enlist the help of Dad, Grandma, or a trusted childcare provider.
- Flip your feeding script. If you have to be the one to feed your baby a bottle, don't do it in the same place or position as you usually breastfeed. Try a new room or chair, or walk around the house instead of staying stationary. A new environment might help your child also accept a new way to eat.
- Express some milk onto the bottle's nipple. Some babies just don't immediately get that a bottle contains food. By expressing some breast milk onto the nipple, your child will be signaled immediately that milk lies within and will be more likely to try to work for more.
- Breastfeed first. If your baby is overly hungry, putting in the work to feed from an unfamiliar bottle might just be frustrating for both of you. Instead, feed your child from your breast first, stopping when they're happy but before they're full. Then hand them over to a partner, who can give them a bottle to finish up the feeding.
- Schedule a night away. Physically separating yourself from your baby for a longer period might be your best bet. Let your partner or another capable relative take over for a night.
- Use alternative feeding methods. If your child really refuses to take a bottle and you have to be away from them for a length of time, consider alternative methods of feeding them. Will she take milk from a spoon or even a medicine dropper? Is he old enough to eat prepackaged or homemade baby foods? Can she drink from a sippy cup, and if so, will she take milk from that?
- Realize that this is a passing stage. You most likely aren't planning to breastfeed your baby for life, and even if you are, she'd eventually discover the joys of chicken nuggets, applesauce, and mac and cheese. Although this stage might seem never ending, there will be a day when it's a distant memory. Trust me, I survived a baby who never took a bottle, and so can you.
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