10 Hassle-Free Tips to Make Your Baby Take the Bottle

We all know that nursing is the best way to nourish a baby. But it’s not always feasible for a mother to be with her baby 24/7. Whether you’re planning to return to work or want some freedom from feeding the baby all the time, introducing the bottle to a breastfed baby can be stressful when they won’t accept anything other than their mother’s nipple. They often hate the feeling of an artificial nipple in their mouth as they’re not used to it. They may associate eating with you so strongly that they don’t want to have a substitute or they may have a negative experience with taking a bottle. Whatever the reason,  you can make your baby take the bottle by following these 10 hassle-free tips.

1)    Start Early

Timing is very important for introducing new things to the baby. In the beginning, both of you’re learning the basic mechanics of breastfeeding. So, it’s important to wait for at least 4 weeks before you start bottle feeding to establish a good breastfeeding relationship and build up your milk supply. Starting early can also cause nipple confusion and your baby may refuse to breastfeed.

2)    Let Someone Else Offer the Bottle

It’s very common for a baby to refuse a bottle offered by their mother because they’ve strongly associated you with feeding and would want the milk from its regular source, i.e. from the breast, instead of a foreign one. So, let your spouse or some other relative offer bottle to the baby.

3)     Add a Sweetener

As long as your pediatrician approves, try bribing your baby by sweetening the milk. You can add some sweetened applesauce in milk, or offer them some flavored milk if they are a bit older. You can also try expressing some milk on the teat and see if it tricks the baby into accepting the bottle. Try offering some expressed milk in the bottle first and when the baby gets used to the bottle then you can try substituting with formula.

4)    Introduce a Pacifier

A pacifier is a great tool to teach the baby how to suck from a bottle. Thus, it’s great for introducing a bottle to breastfed babies. Pacifiers come in different shapes and sizes. So, find the one appropriate for your baby according to their taste and age. Also, introduce a pacifier after one month to avoid nipple confusion.

5)    Experiment with Different Bottles and Teats

Babies are aware of where their milk is coming from. If their bottle doesn’t feel like breast, then the baby might become fussy about it. There is a huge variety of bottles and nipples available in the market these days, all with different shapes, sizes, materials, and colors. Experiment with a few bottles until you find the best fit. Also, make sure the material of the nipple is the same as your baby’s pacifier. This will make it easier for the baby to transition.

6)    Consistency is the Key to Success

Be persistent if you want your baby to accept a bottle. Offering the bottle at the same time you breastfeed the baby would be a good starting point. If the baby won’t take it, do not force them back off and try again later. Offer the bottle every one hour or after 30 minutes for at least five minutes. Do not push the nipple into their mouth. Just place it on their lips and encourage them to open their mouth and take the nipple on their own. Maintaining consistency can be overwhelming. However, you will get hold of it as time goes by and before you know it, a routine will be established, and your baby will eventually accept the bottle.

7)    Try Different Holding Positions

If you hold your baby in a particular position while breastfeeding them then chances are that they will associate that position with breastfeeding. So, try offering a bottle in different positions comfortable for you and your baby. You could also try walking around the house and feeding the baby at the same time to distract them from the surroundings. You can go back to your previous position once the baby has gotten used to bottle feeding.

8)    Offer Bottle After Nursing

Offer the bottle before the baby gets too upset from hunger. The reason being, when they’re starving they might only want milk from their mom. So, try breastfeeding for the first half of the feeding session and then substitute with a bottle. This will make it easier for the baby to take up the bottle.

9)    Experiment with Temperature

A warm, steamy cup of milk is more inviting for us. The same is true for your baby’s bottle of breastmilk or formula. Nature intended for babies to drink warm milk – so it makes sense to give your baby a warm bottle. Try warming the milk before offering and see if the baby likes it warm or at room temperature. You can easily warm up the baby’s bottle in a bottle warmer. You can also try nipples with different flows to see which one is suitable for your baby.

10)  Be Patient

If at first, they strongly resist the bottle then try again and again. Don’t give up and keep offering them to make them get used to it. Some breastfed babies just take longer than others to take a bottle and that’s ok. So, try again every so often and make some small changes to see if any of them make your baby take the bottle of breast milk or formula. Ask fellow mommies for advice about how they made their babies take a bottle and then see if it works for you or not.

Below are tips that will make your baby take the bottle. However, what if you tried all the tips and none of them seem to work for you and your breastfed baby still keeps on refusing bottle? Well, you shouldn’t give up! There are many other options to try. What works for one baby may not work on the other.

If your baby is older than 9 months, then skip the bottle and go directly to feeding from a Sippy cup. Though drinking from a Sippy cup is difficult for a baby, but who knows maybe they’ll prefer it over the bottle’s teat. If all else fails, then you try feeding from a syringe and once the baby is used to the milk’s taste then slowly try introducing the bottle again. Don’t give up and remember to be patient and practice whenever you can.