Bottle refusal is defined as when a baby refuses to accept milk from a bottle, either initially or ongoing. Parents often seek support when their baby consistently refuses to take milk from a bottle and they are in need of:
- A nursing mother who needs to return to work.
- A nursing mother anticipating a separation for an extended period of time (multiple days away from baby).
- A family expresses the desire to share the load of feeding with a partner, grandparents, caregiver, etc.
Reasons for Bottle Refusal
If you are having trouble with Bottle Feeding don’t fret to early. It is completely normal for your child to occasionally refuse a bottle, but if your baby is consistently not feeding, you should consider the following:
Feeding disorder: A feeding disorder can make it difficult for a baby to consume enough food, which can lead to malnutrition. If you think your baby has a feeding disorder, you should see a doctor immediately. Do not confuse refusal of a bottle with total food
Bottle aversion: A feeding aversion can continue while it’s reinforced, and can increase the risk of your baby developing an aversion to eating solids.
How Feeding and Lactation Specialists Can Help
In any of these scenarios or reason for refusal, our feeding and lactation specialists will take a comprehensive look at why your child may be refusing a bottle by assessing the muscles of the mouth, observing behaviors when bottle feeding, troubleshooting and recommending different bottles, and helping you to create a daily feeding schedule based on a baby’s age and weight.
Questions and Concerns?
Having a specialist, such as a speech pathologist or an occupational therapist, that are also Certified Lactation Counselors means that you have an experienced, pediatric therapist and consultant that can help you through the beginning and transitional stages of feeding with your baby including bottle refusal. If you have more questions or any further concerns, call today (773-305-5543) to set up an assessment! We can further discuss your feeding concerns with one of our certified specialists. More information about our Feeding and Lactation services can be found here on our page.
