Why is my baby suddenly refusing the bottle?

Yesterday the bottle was fine. Today it is betrayal.

This one happened to us with no warning. Ari had used the same Perfect Match bottle from the beginning. Then one day she decided it was absolutely not acceptable.

We checked the usual things

The teat flow, milk temperature, feeding position, a blocked nose, teething and who was holding the bottle can all change a feed. Sometimes the bottle itself is the answer.

We bought bottle after bottle over three very long days. While trying to make sure Ari was fed, we used a pipette. That was something we did in a stressful moment, not advice for another parent to copy without help from their baby’s doctor or nurse.

Then she accepted a Dr Brown’s bottle

There was no grand logic to it. She simply accepted that bottle, and we never switched back. When she had thicker AR formula, we also needed a teat that could handle the thicker milk.

What helped most was stopping the fight. We offered calmly, paused when she became upset and tried again later. Forcing it only made the bottle feel like a battle.

If you have a nursery deadline, start practising before the last few days if you can. A different person, a different room or a sleepy feed may help.

If your baby is refusing most feeds, has fewer wet nappies, seems unusually sleepy or has signs of illness, speak quickly to your baby’s doctor or nurse.