Why Is My Baby Refusing the Bottle? When Feeding Therapy Can Help
Bottle refusal can be frustrating, especially when you feel like you have already tried everything. Maybe your baby used to take a bottle and suddenly stopped, or maybe they have never really accepted one in the first place. Either way, it can quickly turn feeding into something stressful for both you and your baby.
The good news is that bottle refusal is common, and there can be several reasons behind it. There may be something about the bottle system, feeding position, milk flow rate, oral-motor skills, or overall comfort that is making feeding more difficult.
At BloomBaby Occupational Therapy & Wellness, we provide in-home pediatric occupational therapy and feeding support for families throughout the Baton Rouge area. One of the things we look at during feeding therapy is not just whether a baby will take a bottle, but why the bottle may be difficult for them.
Why Is My Baby Refusing the Bottle?
Feeding may seem simple, but it is a full body activity. Babies have to coordinate tongue, lip, and jaw movement while also coordinating breathing and swallowing. Core strength, head control, body symmetry, and sensory regulation are all factors that play a role in feeding efficiency, as well.
Some babies have been exclusively breast fed and have mastered the oral motor pattern needed for breast feeding, but bottle feeding is a different motor skill! Other babies may have been relying on newborn reflexes, such as the suck reflex, for the first weeks of life and now have difficulty once bottle feeding becomes volitional. Some babies may be struggling due to suboptimal bottle system selection, such as the wrong nipple shape and/or nipple flow rate.
You may notice your baby turning their head away, frequently unlatching, arching, crying, taking only a small amount, or becoming frustrated as soon as the bottle is offered.
When that happens, the goal is not simply to keep trying until the baby gives in. It can be much more helpful to figure out what is making feeding difficult in the first place.
Signs Your Baby May Need More Feeding Support
Every baby is different, but it may be worth looking into feeding therapy if your baby:
Consistently refuses the bottle
Becomes upset when the bottle is offered
Has trouble latching onto the bottle nipple
Frequently pulls away during feeds
Coughs, sputters, or seems overwhelmed while eating
Loses milk from the sides of the mouth
Takes a very long time to finish a bottle
Gets tired before finishing a feed
Arches or appears uncomfortable while feeding
Has difficulty switching between breast and bottle
Will only feed in one very specific position
Seems tense or uncomfortable during feeding
Do I Just Need to Find the Right Bottle?
This is one of the first things most parents try, and sometimes a different bottle or nipple shape can be the solution. However, it has to be the right bottle for YOUR baby. Prior to seeking intervention, many parents have tried multiple different bottles without success.
Bottle feeding should be a “just right challenge.” The goal is to challenge the baby to use the correct oral motor pattern, such as a deep latch on the nipple and use of tongue to extract milk from the bottle, but you don’t want the feeding task to be too difficult that the baby gives up. We find the “just right challenge” by finding the appropriate bottle system for your baby. Just increasing the nipple flow rate or blindly trying another bottle is not the solution.
A feeding evaluation can help determine whether your baby is having difficulty with positioning, oral-motor skills, coordination, sensory responses, endurance, body symmetry, or another part of the feeding process.Instead of continuing to guess, you should have a pediatric occupational therapist trained in infant feeding therapy assess the whole body and the whole picture in order to provide individualized treatment.
How Can Pediatric Occupational Therapy Help?
Many parents do not realize that pediatric occupational therapists can help babies with feeding.Feeding is one of a baby's earliest daily activities, and occupational therapy can support the motor, sensory, and developmental skills involved in eating.
During a feeding evaluation, we may look at how your baby positions their body, uses their tongue and jaw, manages the bottle nipple and milk flow rate, and coordinates sucking, swallowing, and breathing.We can pinpoint the problem and provide an individualized treatment plan tailored for you and your baby. Depending on your baby's needs, feeding therapy may include recommendations for positioning, pacing, bottle or nipple selection, oral-motor development, and ways to make feeding feel calmer and more comfortable.
Why In-Home Feeding Therapy Can Be Helpful
One of the benefits of in-home feeding therapy is that we get to see your baby where feeding actually happens.You do not have to pack up all of your bottles, supplies, and baby gear and try to recreate your normal routine in a clinic.Instead, we can look at the bottles you already use, where your baby usually eats, how they are positioned, and what typically happens during a feeding.
That can make it much easier to come up with realistic strategies that fit into your everyday life. BloomBaby Occupational Therapy & Wellness provides in-home pediatric occupational therapy and feeding therapy throughout the Baton Rouge area, allowing families to receive support in a familiar and comfortable setting.
When Should I Ask for Help?
You do not have to wait until feeding feels completely overwhelming before asking for help.If bottle feeding has become stressful, your baby consistently refuses the bottle, you are preparing to return to work or send your baby to daycare, or you simply feel like something is not quite right, it may be worth having a feeding evaluation.
Sometimes even small changes can make a big difference once you understand what is the cause of your baby’s discomfort.
Feeding should not feel like a battle every time. The goal is to help make feeding feel safer, easier, and more comfortable for both you and your baby.
In-Home Feeding Therapy in Baton Rouge
If your baby is refusing the bottle or having difficulty with breast or bottle feeding, BloomBaby Occupational Therapy & Wellness offers individualized pediatric feeding therapy in the comfort of your home.
Emily Daigle, OTR/L, C/NDT works with babies and families throughout the Baton Rouge area to support feeding, oral-motor development, motor milestones, and overall infant development.
If you are wondering why your baby will not take a bottle or whether feeding therapy may help, BloomBaby is here to help you better understand what may be going on and find a plan that works for your family.
Call: 225-614-2882
Email: emily@bloombabyot.com
