Baby refuses to take a bottle, what to do?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Huynh Bao Toan - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

1. Why doesn't the baby take a bottle?

Baby is not really hungry: It is possible that normally a baby can breastfeed all the time even when not hungry, because babies like the feeling of sucking and lying in the mother's lap. So the mother mistakenly thinks that the baby gets hungry very quickly and feeds the bottle according to the time of breastfeeding. Babies usually only take bottles when they're really hungry, so if they're not hungry they won't cooperate. Unaccustomed baby: Many babies who have not been used to bottle feeding early, need time for them to know how to bottle feed and get used to bottle feeding. Because the teat is too hard: Babies who are used to the breast will find some nipples harder and harder to suck on, so they won't cooperate. Not familiar with formula milk: Many mothers are not used to expressing milk for bottle-fed babies, but instead use formula milk to replace breast milk for babies. However, babies may not be used to the taste of formula, so they refuse and refuse to bottle feed. Some babies come to the teething stage and also develop resistance to bottle feeding. Because babies have itchy gums, they like to bite their teeth into the teat instead of sucking on milk. There are some fastidious babies who may not be able to take the bottle because they are not familiar with the bottle-feeding by strangers or the bottle-feeding position the parents choose is not suitable for the child, making the child uncomfortable.

2. The baby refuses to take the bottle, what to do?

The fact that the baby refuses to take a bottle or suddenly stops taking the bottle makes parents very worried for fear of not providing enough nutrients for the baby. Parents wonder what they can do to improve their baby's refusal to take a bottle. Some ways to get the baby used to bottle feeding can be applied such as:
Should give the baby a bottle when the child is really hungry: If the baby is forced to take the bottle when the child is not hungry, the child's objection and non-cooperation is the most important thing. very normal. Let your baby really feel the need, need to recharge, then bottle-feeding the baby can be more cooperative. If the child is already eating solids, do not force the child to eat too much food at each meal, so that the baby will be full and reduce milk intake. Create a suitable environment when feeding your baby: When bottle-feeding a baby, it should be kept in a quiet environment, without creating factors that attract children to distract them. For children who have a habit of sucking on a pacifier or are in the teething stage, a few minutes before bottle time, you can let your baby suck on a pacifier or chew it first, then take the pacifier and replace it with a bottle. . Children should begin to learn how to bottle-feed with breast milk. Because babies are used to using breast milk, when learning to bottle feed, they should express breast milk in a bottle and let them practice bottle feeding. Children are used to breast milk, so cooperation will be easier. After babies get used to their parents, they can change to formula milk. However, if possible, it is still best to maintain breastfeeding by expressing milk, both to ensure the best balanced nutrition source and to reduce the cost of raising children. Change to a softer nipple, maybe the nipple is too hard, making it difficult for the baby to like or difficult to suckle every time. If so, parents can change the type of nipple to be softer, suitable for their child.

In the event that despite doing everything but the baby still does not cooperate with bottle feeding, in order to provide enough nutrients for the baby, you should:
Use a spoon to feed your baby milk, although this method is quite laborious but it is not too difficult to do. Children should use spoon to drink milk to help them provide adequate nutrition. If your child is older and can hold a cup to drink, help him or her drink from a cup. However, you should choose safe and easy-to-drink cups that will not cause choking on milk. The source of nutrition from milk is very important for children under 1 year old, so try to apply the above measures to provide enough nutrition from milk for your baby. But if the child still drinks too little milk, the weaning menu can be increased to a sufficient amount with all the nutrient groups for the baby.

3. How to recognize a child's nutritional needs?

If the child is not bottle-fed, parents will worry whether the child is eating enough every day, to know if the child is provided with enough nutrition, it is necessary to monitor the baby's development and other signs:
Baby is slow to gain weight or gaining weight is not up to the standard according to age, if it is found that after about 2 weeks, the baby learns to bottle feed but does not increase up to the standard, it means that the nutritional supply is not enough. Baby urinates less during the day, the amount of water put into the child's body at this time is mainly based on the use of milk. But if the baby does not suckle enough, the amount of urine also decreases, the urine is not clear, but yellow.

When getting used to a new thing like bottle feeding, it takes time for babies to accept and learn how to bottle feed. Give your baby time to practice bottle-feeding, but don't let your baby practice before 2 months of age because it will confuse your baby between breast and bottle, and some babies may refuse to breastfeed. Although the baby feels that the baby is suckling less, if the baby is still gaining weight regularly, it means that the baby is getting enough milk, there is no need to worry.
If the baby does not gain weight or is slow to gain weight despite doing everything, the baby should go to a nutritionist for specific advice. You should choose a reputable medical facility to examine your baby. In the case of children with prolonged anorexia, malabsorption, and growth retardation, parents should supplement children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins. help meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.