Is your baby refusing their bottle?

Postnatal, Your questions

It’s not easy to introduce a new way of feeding some breastfed babies. Would you like to give an occasional bottle? Would you like to start weaning? Are you about to start daycare and want to introduce a bottle to ease the transition?

Introducing bottle-feeding from 3 months of age

In fact, it’s easier to introduce a bottle to a baby from time to time when he’s less than three months old. After that, he’ll understand the difference very well, and most of the time, he’ll have chosen his mother’s breast. He’ll be eager to claim his rightful place! However, you must be careful to master breastfeeding with your baby before offering him a bottle, so as not to confuse him.

It’s dangerous to use a bottle with a baby who’s struggling to latch on to his mother’s breast, as this could compromise breastfeeding through poor practice. That’s why it’s generally recommended not to give a bottle to a baby under 4 to 6 weeks of age, to avoid confusion between the breast and the bottle nipple, and the subsequent difficulty of continuing breastfeeding. At this age, if the baby is suckling very well, the mother has no injuries and the bottle will only be given occasionally, the initiative can be put forward.

Alternatives to bottle-feeding

It’s not unusual at all for parents to tell me that their baby cries and refuses the bottle outright, even after several attempts.

Remember that babies learn by repetition. As a result, a baby who initially refuses the bottle needs to be confronted with the same bottle, possibly several times in a row, before finally adopting it.

  • Here are a few tips to make this transition easier:
  • Use breast milk in the bottle;
  • Make sure the temperature of the milk in the bottle is the same as that of the breast-feeding bottle;
  • Choose an age-appropriate teat;
  • Run the silicone or rubber teat under warm water to soften it before offering it to the baby (we don’t want to heat it up, just soften it);
  • Try to give him the bottle at night, when he’s half-awake. If he refuses, don’t force him. Simply wait a while, rocking him, and when he tries to suckle, offer him the bottle again. You can repeat this technique 3 or 4 times. If it doesn’t work, you can give him his milk in other ways. You can use a spoon, a glass (regular, spouted, 360 or straw) or even a small tube called a dal. It all depends on your baby’s age and ability to cope with these different possibilities.

Bottle-feeding a baby under 3 months old

If the baby is less than three months old, it’s usually quite easy to give him a bottle, preferably with mom’s milk for its obvious quality and so as not to change the taste. During the night feed, when he’s still drowsy, it’s often a good time to try it out, and mom can sleep a little longer. He’ll probably wince at first, but then, driven by hunger, he’ll take it and go back to sleep.

It’s a good idea for mom not to be close by, as the smell may make him a little more confused about the bottle. The role of the non-breast-feeding mother or father will be crucial in bringing about the change, which will often be quicker and easier (via association, another person = another way of drinking). It’s a good idea to support your baby’s learning process by giving at least two or three bottles a week, to keep him accustomed to drinking in a different way. Don’t worry, as breast-feeding returns so often that the baby doesn’t have time to lose interest in breast-feeding, or to influence milk production in favor of bottle-feeding, unless, once again, you tried the experiment too early and the baby wasn’t skilled enough with breast-feeding.

Baby over 4 months

If your baby is over four months old, don’t force him or her to drink from the bottle that we like to give sporadically – get out your glass instead! From the age of four months, it’s possible to feed your baby from a glass, so that he can be fed by other means than breastfeeding if the need arises.

With a child aged 6 months and over, you can get him used to drinking a little water during the day while playing with him, and then milk. The parent can help get him to drink in this way.

Integrating glasses

Don’t forget that non-refluxed glasses are very difficult to suck, so it’s best to remove the anti-reflux at first to get him used to them. You’ll then be able to check the flow rate poured at a time, and soon he’ll be able to do it without you. A baby who occasionally takes the glass to drink allows the breast-feeding mother to take a little rest or escape a little without fear of chaos at home. Recommendations suggest that, from 6 months of age, babies should be offered water by the glass 2 times a day, and milk as needed to accompany their meal (360 glass, spouted glass, ordinary glass and glass with straw after 7 months).

Following this article, you can watch the video on bottle-feeding, to help you see things more clearly.

Marie Fortier
The Baby Expert

Article updated: January 2025.

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