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Ask Dr. Jana

An Infant Who Wants Nothing to Do with a Bottle
QUESTION
Dear Dr. Jana,
I've been nursing successfully for three months and now I want my son to take a bottle occasionally. He wants nothing to do with this idea. He cries or just lets the bottle sit on his lips without any attempt to suck it. We have tried every kind of nipple out there. Any suggestions?

— beth

ANSWER
February 1, 2001
Dear Beth,
A couple of suggestions come to mind. First, if you are the one offering him the bottle, see if he will accept it from someone else. For some babies, Mom becomes synonymous with breastfeeding and the thought of taking a bottle from you may be intolerable to him.

Also, if you've been giving him formula in the bottle, try offering him expressed breast milk instead. The exposure to a new mode of feeding combined with a new taste can be too much for some babies to adjust to, and he might do better if at least the flavor was familiar.

Last, I would suggest that you try offering your son a bottle at different times of the day. Not only are some babies particularly attached to breastfeeding at a certain time (usually the first and last feedings of the day), but some also are more willing to master a new skill--i.e., bottle-feeding--when they're not overly hungry. Others simply want nothing to do with a bottle unless they are really hungry. Experiment, and see what works best for your child.

Hope this helps. Your son should be able to master this skill sooner or later (although I can relate to the fact that sooner is preferable to later!).

— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.

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