Breastfed babies can be finicky about taking a bottle. You can’t really blame them: after weeks of getting the good stuff fresh from a warm, snuggly source, it must be shocking to open your mouth for a meal and find a whole new delivery system in place. We get it, baby. But for a mom returning to work or just needing some time off from round-the-clock baby-care, worrying about her tiny tot taking a bottle is stress she doesn’t need.
Like many things about caring for a baby, getting your babe to take a bottle will either be ridiculously easy, or a case of trial and error, with the final, personalized solution the result of tiny tweaks and adjustments to find what your baby likes best. We hope it’s easy-peasy for you, but if it’s challenging, try these ten tips.
1. Time it right
A good time to introduce a bottle is when your baby is about four-weeks-old. You want to wait until you’ve established breastfeeding for both your body and your baby, which takes three to four weeks. If you’re heading back to work, make sure you start your little one on a bottle at least two weeks before, to give both of you enough time to adjust.
2. Offer a bottle after you’ve nursed
Your baby has to use different sucking styles to drink from a bottle, so it’s important to get your baby used to the bottle’s nipple. Choose a time when your baby is rested and happy—after a morning breastfeeding session could work—to put a very small amount of milk (an ounce or less) in a bottle and offer it to your baby. Let your newborn play with the nipple and become familiar with it. Try dipping the nipple in breast milk so that your little one gets a taste and wants to latch on for more.
3. Choose a breastfeeding-friendly bottle
The type of bottle and nipple you choose can play an enormous role in whether or not your baby accepts it. You want one that mimics the breastfeeding experience as closely as possible. Try the award-winning Munchkin LATCH bottle, which is specifically designed to simulate breastfeeding for babies who switch from breast to bottle and back again. A slow-flow nipple, which doesn’t flood your baby with milk, is essential because it releases the milk at the same rate as the breast.
4. Give the job to someone else
For some infants, if mom is doing the feeding, only the original source will do. Your baby knows your smell and won’t understand why you’re offering a bottle instead of breast. Take yourself out of the equation and have your partner or another caregiver take over. Then go for a walk or run some errands, anything to get out of the house while this feeding is happening.
5. Feed on cue
As with breastfeeding, it’s important not to wait until your baby is starving before offering a bottle. Unlike adults, who will eat anything when hungry, babies tend to be more finicky and difficult when they want to eat! Watch for hunger cues and be ready with a bottle at the first sign that your baby is hungry. Try squirting a little milk into that tiny mouth to whet your babe’s appetite and get him excited about the bottle.
6. Take your time
Your baby might not take to this newfangled feeding system right away, and that’s ok. If your baby won’t try the bottle and starts crying, soothe your little one and back off for a few minutes. Don’t force it, but gently offer it again in a few minutes. Still no success? Put the bottle away, wait five minutes, and nurse your baby. Then offer the bottle again when your baby is comfortably full, happy, and more likely to be open to trying new things.
7. Customize your milk
It’s customary to run a bottle of refrigerated milk under some hot tap water to warm it up—the thought is, that’s how it comes from the breast. If your baby’s not having it, though, you could try offering cold or lukewarm milk and see if he prefers it that way. Also, some picky little ones have been known to reject thawed frozen milk (only freshly expressed breast milk will do for those tiny divas!), so experiment there too.
8. Try different positions
With bottle feeding you can and should be flexible when it comes to feeding position. Just changing up the way you or your caregiver is holding your baby might be enough to encourage your baby to eat. Some babies want to be snuggled in the cradle hold as if they are nursing, while others might prefer to sit up facing out, or even recline in a bouncy seat while taking a bottle. One dad we know found the only way to get his son to take a bottle was to hold him, facing inward, in a Baby Bjorn carrier. You could also try strolling around during the feeding.
9. Pick the right pacifier
A baby who’s used to sucking on a breast as long as she likes might need a little extra something to settle down after a bottle feeding. A pacifier like the Munchkin LATCH pacifier, specially designed not to disturb baby’s natural latch, will do the trick and help keep baby happy for long after a bottle-feeding is over.
10. Try, try again
Depending on your baby’s personality, it might take some time before he or she accepts a bottle. It’s important to stay calm and keep trying, switching things up to find out what works for your little one. Try different times of day. Some moms are successful getting baby to finally take a bottle when they offer it first thing in the morning, when their baby is the most hungry. Once your baby has accepted a bottle, start using it for at least one feeding a day—maybe the bedtime feed, which many moms feel is a great one for their partner to handle (while mama takes a mini nap, perhaps?).
Speaking of mom breaks, make sure you’re caring for yourself while you’re apart from your baby. Pumping schedules can be challenging to maintain perfectly—especially if you’re pumping at work!—and the last thing you want to do is be leaking on the job. Stash nursing pads, like the Munchkin LATCH pads, in your desk or bag so you never have to worry about wet splotches on the front of your blouse.
If you’ve tried all these things without success, try to relax. Your baby might not accept a bottle until the moment you drop him off at daycare. Babies won’t starve themselves, but they can be stubborn. Your little one might hold out until she absolutely has to bottle-feed before she actually does it. And expect your baby to do some serious cluster feeding when she sees you again. Good luck, mom!
(This post was sponsored by Munchkin. Munchkin rids the world of the mundane by developing clever, innovative solutions that make family life safer, easier and more fun. Shop Target today for savings on the Munchkin LATCH bottle.)
