X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

When your breastfed baby refuses to be bottle-fed

4 min read
When your breastfed baby refuses to be bottle-fed

Don't panic if your baby refuses the bottle. There are better options to get your baby to drink through a bottle or to drink via other means. Try one or all of these suggestions-- each baby is unique.

Babies are smart and they can be funny– in an unpredictable way. Even when you have fed them with a bottle before, chances are your breastfed baby refuses bottle when he turns one month and beyond. They somehow know the difference between their mother’s breasts and the bottle.

Seeing this happen can be frustrating and stressful especially when a mother plans to go back to work in a few weeks. A similar predicament happened to one of our FB friends, Jessica Lee.

She has been breastfeeding her baby but when she introduced a bottle of expressed breast milk, her baby wouldn’t take bottle feeding.

So, what do you do if you are in this situation? Would it be alright if you just follow the advice to wait until your baby gets hungry and drink from the bottle?

Can you force feed your child or are there better options?

Here’s what you can do if your breastfed baby refuses bottle

Every baby is different, so try some of these suggestions from mothers who had tried and tested them and see what works for you:

Partner Stories
How to Raise a Super Smart Baby? Check Out These 12 Tips!
How to Raise a Super Smart Baby? Check Out These 12 Tips!
Inside Your Baby’s Mind: Understanding Cues, Cries, And Smiles
Inside Your Baby’s Mind: Understanding Cues, Cries, And Smiles
The Almost Magical, Mum-tested Way To Get Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night
The Almost Magical, Mum-tested Way To Get Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night
The Ultimate Guide For Parents About Newborn Baby Weight Loss And Gain
The Ultimate Guide For Parents About Newborn Baby Weight Loss And Gain
  • Ask another person to feed your baby from a bottle without you in sight. If the mother is around, a baby won’t settle for anything less but his mother’s breasts so seeing you around, your baby will be refusing bottle feeding. But when he or she knows that you are not there, he or she would most probably take the milk offered through a bottle.
  • Use different teats and find out which is acceptable for your baby. Try different nipples and see which one is good for your baby. There are many mothers who recommend using NUK orthodontic nipples which can equalize pressure or the NUK yellow-colored teats which looks closely similar to breasts.
  • Make the nipple warm before giving the bottle to the baby. Sometimes, babies would prefer a warm nipple just like their mother’s rather than a cold one. So, you can let tap water or warm water run through the nipple before giving it to baby.
  • Include your baby’s feeding bottle along with his or her toys. Let him or her play with a feeding bottle and allow him or her to become familiar with it. Then put a little water, juice or breast milk in it. Encourage him or her to latch on to the nipple. If he/she can already do it then put one feeding of milk and give the bottle to drink the next time. He or she will just look at this as part of playing. Most probably would not notice that he or she is being fed.
  • Feed baby by using a dropper, spoon or “sipper” cup. If your breastfed baby refuses bottle still, then it’s time to turn to the alternative methods. You can use a dropper, a spoon or a cup depending on the age of the baby. Use a dropper if baby is still less than six-months-old. Let baby sit in an upright position. Insert gently a small medicine dropper into your baby’s mouth and slowly squeeze the milk into his or her mouth. Spills are but normal but you can do it better as you continue to do it. Use a deep plastic or a soft rubber-coated spoon for babies at least six months old. For older babies, using a cup will be just fine. Though it takes more time to feed baby through these methods, it is all worthwhile. And you will notice that your baby can be fed in ways other than breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Finding ways to feed your baby can be exhausting. But if you are patient and consistent, feeding will turn out easy. And, you won’t have to worry that your baby is starving while you are not at home.

Also read: When your baby goes on milk strike

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Karen Mira

  • Home
  • /
  • Baby
  • /
  • When your breastfed baby refuses to be bottle-fed
Share:
  • Having Trouble Introducing The Bottle To Your Breastfed Baby? Here Are Some Tips

    Having Trouble Introducing The Bottle To Your Breastfed Baby? Here Are Some Tips

  • 5 tips to wean your child off the bottle

    5 tips to wean your child off the bottle

  • ‘You Will Always Be a Part of Us’: Singaporean Family Gives Helper of 20 Years ‘Long Service Award’

    ‘You Will Always Be a Part of Us’: Singaporean Family Gives Helper of 20 Years ‘Long Service Award’

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

  • Having Trouble Introducing The Bottle To Your Breastfed Baby? Here Are Some Tips

    Having Trouble Introducing The Bottle To Your Breastfed Baby? Here Are Some Tips

  • 5 tips to wean your child off the bottle

    5 tips to wean your child off the bottle

  • ‘You Will Always Be a Part of Us’: Singaporean Family Gives Helper of 20 Years ‘Long Service Award’

    ‘You Will Always Be a Part of Us’: Singaporean Family Gives Helper of 20 Years ‘Long Service Award’

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.