Baby Refusing Bottle?

Tips for babies skilled in breast feeding and reluctant to take bottles, when you are at work.
Based on one of our members current issue.
Most babies will accept bottles, some will have little difficulty accepting.
-Choose time to introduce bottle when baby is relaxed and playing, not when hungry or crying.
-Allow husband or other carer be the one to introduce bottle.
-Hold baby comfortably, not in the feeding position as for breast feeding in your arm.
-Present teat, at lips, allow them to open mouth and take in the teat, hold bottle horizontally not upright.
-If they don’t take bottle, try wrapping bottle in mom’s cloth, feed while moving around, try different size or shaped nipples, alter the temperature of nipple, either my refrigerating it a cool one or wash in hot water and try warm teat.
-Allow paced feeding and  teach partner to watch for face cues when they want a break.

Most babies will take bottle eventually. Healthy babies can manage without milk for several hours, don’t get tense. If they really need milk, they won’t stave, babies are smart.
Other alternatives to bottle are sippy cup, medicine cup,spoon, coffee cup, oral syringe, supplementary feeder.
Aim is to get Expressed breast milk into them, anyway.

Happy feeding. 😊

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