So nursing is going great, you’re getting the hang of things, but you just need to be away from baby for a bit. Maybe it’s back to work time, or date night away, but the baby won’t take a bottle! This is a common call for us, and we’ve got lots of tips to help!
First, why does this happen? In the first few weeks of a baby's life, suck is reflexive. This is why your baby will suck on anything that comes near their mouth, a finger, a pacifier, even dad’s nipple on accident sometimes! Around 6-8 weeks, the suck goes from reflexive to voluntary. When this switch happens, they can choose if they want to suck (i.e. whether or not they want to take the bottle!). It can also be related to poor oral function.
So our first tip is to introduce a bottle in the 3-6 week window, earlier if you prefer.
Secondly, come see an IBCLC at Wisco Lactation for an oral assessment! We all have advanced training to perform oral assessments that most lactation consultants do not have which means we can identify functional issues a baby may be having with the bottle, like poor suck strength or oral restriction. After this assessment, we may recommend exercises or bodywork to improve function. We also go through steps to get them interested in taking a bottle. Generally, we start by teaching them to suck on an empty bottle nipple, maybe have you practice this at home, and once they’re consistent, start introducing a small amount of milk.
Lastly, once we’ve ruled out issues with function, we can try a myriad of other things to connect with baby’s preferences. Trying different bottle brands, and different nipple flow rates can be a good place to start. If baby is used to a faster flow at the breast, then a newborn sized nipple might be frustrating for them. Similarly, if the flow at the breast is much slower than the bottle nipple, maybe going down a size could be helpful. We aim for baby to take the bottle in a timeframe of about 5 minutes per ounce.
Another thing you might consider is: do they actually need to take a bottle? Some babies over 6 months are perfectly content to start a sippy or straw cup of breastmilk. Or if you won’t be away long or frequently, even something like a syringe or spoon could be useful. Or leaning into solids while mom is away. One baby we know only took a stemless wine glass of breastmilk, now’s the time to get creative!
No matter how the journey with bottles goes, we’re here to support you!
Is your baby refusing the bottle? Book a visit with Wisco Lactation! We offer home & office visit in SE Wisconsin and NE Illinois. We also offer virtual visits worldwide.