Change, they say, is constant. As a new mom, that’s what you’ll constantly be experiencing with your little bundle of joy. As your baby changes in size and appearance with each passing day, they also change in behavior. Weaning your baby is one stage of their life where you won’t understand what they want.
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It can be frustrating if your baby fights bottle but hungry. You wouldn’t want to see them crying and restless instead of eating and sleeping peacefully afterward. There are various reasons your baby will exhibit such behaviors, and this blog post will examine them and provide possible solutions to relieve the situation.
The 7 Reasons Baby Fights Bottle But Hungry
1. Your baby still craves breastfeeding
The most typical reason your baby fights bottle but hungry is that they are recently weaned but still crave breastfeeding. Most babies don’t transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding quite well and would be uncomfortable during meal times.
What you can do to remedy this situation is to ease off the transition process for your baby. You should make the change a gradual one rather than abrupt weaning. Give your baby some time to adjust to each step of the gradual change, and with time they’ll get used to feeding from the bottle.
2. Your baby isn’t very hungry yet.
If you try to feed your baby when they’re not yet very hungry, they will most likely struggle with the bottle. Though hungry, there’s not yet enough drive to want to take in food at the moment. What you should do to solve this problem is to allow your baby to get hungry enough to want to eat. That way, they’ll instinctively desire to satisfy their hunger and eat without struggling.
3. Your baby dislikes the bottle.
If your baby doesn’t like the texture or feel of their feeding bottle, then they’ll always struggle during meals. You should change your baby’s feeding bottle as a way of helping them overcome this challenge. You can get a new one with a different shape, tit, or size and observe how your baby reacts to the change. Some of the best baby bottles you can try out are the Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle and the Comotomo Baby bottle.
4. Your baby doesn’t feel well.
Loss of appetite is a usual sign of illness in babies, so your baby will resist the bottle if you try to feed them at such times, even though they’re hungry. You should consult a doctor immediately if you notice any illness in your baby. With proper medical attention, your baby should be eating well again without resisting the bottle.
5. Your baby hates the milk.
Your baby fights the bottle but hungry, probably because they don’t like the milk you’re feeding them. It may be the flavor, the taste, or how the milk feels in their mouth. Despite being hungry, they’ll find it hard to drink if this is the case. You can try changing the milk brand you’re feeding your baby. You should also warm your baby’s milk and make it the same temperature as natural breast milk.
6. Your baby isn’t eating in a comfortable position.
Your baby may be hungry and ready to eat but may not want to because they feel uncomfortable with how you position them. It would help if you tried another feeding position or got your partner or someone else to feed them.
7. Your baby may be teething.
Babies naturally feel much discomfort when teething and may resist the bottle during meals. If that is the case with your baby, then you should make them feel less pain by rubbing their gums. You can also change and regulate the temperature of their milk as teething babies find cold milk more tolerable. Your baby will stop crying and fighting during bottle feeds once you help to reduce the pain of their new tooth.
Conclusion
Besides these 7 reasons your baby fights bottle but hungry, stomach aches, allergies, and distractions can also contribute to the problem. Giving soft stomach massages, identifying and eliminating allergy causes, and turning off all distracting lights and sounds at feeding times will help overcome the issues.
You must, however, not fail to consult your pediatrician if the situation gets out of hand. Lastly, you should encourage your baby to stick to a feeding routine to help program their body system to be hungry and expect to eat from the bottle at set times. With time, you will get over baby fights bottle but hungry problems.
