4 month old refuses bottle. The child refuses the bottle - how to teach? Longing for mother's breast

A regular breast milk bottle, like a pacifier, helps the baby get used to food on his own. It is not always possible for mothers to feed their child if there are urgent matters. What if the child refuses to take the bottle? Here are a few points that will definitely help in this matter.

Why does the baby refuse the bottle?

Initially, it is important to establish the reason why the baby refuses the bottle. There are a lot of such points, but these are the main 4 nuances that you should pay attention to.

Mixture. The taste, temperature and even the smell are not to the liking of the baby. This is one of the most compelling reasons why a baby refuses a bottle. Sometimes, infant formulas with milk also have a different taste: for example, some are sweeter than others.

In this case, it is best to try all the options that are offered in order to settle on one thing. If the baby does not like the temperature of the bottle, then remember that it should be heated to 36 degrees, that is, in the same way as mother's milk.

If the baby refuses the formula bottle, fill the bottle with water, then with the expressed milk. Empirically, it will be faster to identify the cause of the failure.

bottle. There are times when the child likes everything, but the shape of the nipple is not the same. He starts to spit it out, trying to get rid of it. Maybe he does not like the flow of the mixture, which is either fast or slow. That's why any pacifier needs to be selected and tested on the spot to make sure your baby likes it. Also, you can purchase several different nipples to change them and observe which one the little one will like.

Lack of hunger. The child does not bottle feed because he simply does not want to eat. So, if you offer the baby milk, then he is likely to refuse it. On the other hand, it all depends on how many months the baby is, since the older the child becomes, the more milk is needed. At 2 months, the baby is unlikely to take a bottle in his hands, and at 6 he will drink from it to the fullest.

Body position. The position in which the baby is fed plays a huge role. Someone will be able to drink only in a sitting position, while others, on the contrary, need to be applied to themselves. This is another reason why the baby refuses the bottle completely.

These are the main reasons why the baby does not want to drink on its own and requires the mother's breast. Be attentive to how the child behaves during feeding.

What should I do if my baby is not eating bottled formula?

The first thing to do is to be patient. Before you lies a tiny man who needs to be accustomed to his first independent experience. Not all babies begin to quickly get used to feeding, especially if the mother is not around.

If the child does not want to eat the formula from the bottle, then you should follow the following instructions, which will definitely help. This is the plan further action in case the baby asks only for the mother's breast.

What to do if your baby won't bottle feed:

• A good way to help your little one is to split the meal into two parts. The first half of the meal is breastfed, the second is bottle feeding. So, some mothers take the baby in their arms, substituting their breasts, and then sit on a chair to change it with a bottle.
• sometimes you just have to distract the child so that he does not notice the substitution. Stand up, walk around with the baby in your arms, you can sing a song or tell something, and then bring the bottle to his lips. He will think that this is his mother's breast and will begin to suck it with pleasure.
• never insist that the entire contents be drunk to the end. Let the baby eat as much as he wants and can. If he pushed the bottle away from him for the first time, then don't be angry. Do not regard this behavior of the baby as bad.

The only reason why a baby refuses a bottle of formula is that new way He doesn't like feeding. In this case, it is better to choose a pacifier that is shaped like your nipple. For the baby, it will be more familiar, and the sensations will become familiar.

How to make a baby drink water from a bottle?

Drinking liquid is very important for the crumbs. It happens that the child does not drink water from a bottle. A spoon comes to the rescue, but with its help it is not possible to replenish a sufficient volume of the required liquid.

What to do if the child does not drink from a bottle:

• The most common taste that a baby gets used to is sweet. Water is tasteless, it may seem unpleasant and even nasty. To avoid this, try sweetening the liquid a little and give it to the child. He must like it;
• if the child does not want to eat from a bottle, does not perceive water from it, then take a special liquid for babies. It is sold in any pharmacy. This is purified water, which many babies drink the first time. The taste of such a liquid is sweetish, enriched with vitamins and other microelements;
• if the baby eats from a bottle for a long time and does not drink water, you should try to warm the liquid to the same temperature as the mixture was. The fact is that too cold water scares the baby. Therefore, the ideal liquid for drinking is room.

These are the most common ways to teach a child to drink from a bottle. Keep a close eye on your little one, because only he can show you what he likes and what he doesn't. In any case, all children are initially afraid of bottles, believing that this is something foreign.

The task of every mother is to try to explain and show her child that this is a new way of feeding, which one day will come in handy.

Switching to formula milk or short-term weaning of the mother is not possible without a bottle. What to do if the child refuses to drink from it? What are the little idealists' reasons for this?

1. The wrong nipple

Sometimes, a child refuses a bottle because the nipple is uncomfortable for him - it may be too soft or, on the contrary, hard. Another reason is too fast or slow milk flow. Usually, pacifier replacement solves these problems.

2. Colds

The kid refuses because he has a cold, perhaps he is worried about a sore throat, nasal congestion, and there is no appetite at all. If this is true, try to visit the pediatrician as soon as possible, before meeting him, clean the nose and feed the baby in an upright position.

3. The desire for mother's breast

Breastfed babies often do not recognize the "fake" and rebel against any change. Try to replace yourself with a close relative, for example, dad, for the first week of getting used to, so the baby will not have a reason to demand a breast and “adaptation” to the bottle will pass more calmly.

4. Teething

The whims in this case are understandable - the first teeth cause inflammation of the gums and their increased sensitivity, as a result of which the child does not eat from the bottle. Before feeding, use a special anesthetic gel (if the child is not allergic to it) or a cold teether.

5. Don't like milk

Perhaps the fussy little one does not like the taste of new formula or breast milk after. If it is formula, consult your pediatrician for a replacement. Pay attention to the temperature, too warm or cool food is one of the reasons.

If the baby continues to refuse food, visit a doctor, it may not be a cold, but other diseases, such as ear infections, high blood pressure, or thrush.

Some mothers are forced to switch to formula milk when breastfeeding is not possible. However, here parents may encounter a problem when the baby does not eat the mixture. But this nutrition is extremely important for the crumbs, even if he is already switching to complementary foods. The volume of complementary foods at first is not enough for the baby, so it should be supplemented with breast milk or formula until the baby completely switches to adult food. In addition, some babies switch to artificial feeding before the start of complementary foods.

artificial feeding

Modern milk formulas are developed using new technologies and are maximally adapted to the composition of breast milk. Released today different types nutrition that is suitable for different categories of children, including newborns, allergies, premature babies and babies with insufficient body weight, a child with a lack of any vitamins or elements.

Of course, no formula can replace mother's milk, but sometimes parents have no other choice. In this case, it is important to choose the right food for the crumbs and organize artificial feeding. When a baby does not eat formula or a baby refuses breast milk, he does not eat enough and does not receive the important elements and nutrients that the baby needs for harmonious growth and development. In this article, we will learn what to do if the child refuses formula.

First of all, it is important to understand why the child does not want to eat. Having determined this, you can eliminate the cause, and then the baby will eat properly and fully, according to the norm and recommendations of pediatricians. Let's take a closer look at the reasons for the refusal of the child from the mixture.

Features of nutrition of infants

Often the child is not hungry and does not need as much food. Children older than 4-5 months are already switching to more infrequent feedings, the intervals between which become longer, but at the same time, one portion size also increases. Therefore, by the time of feeding according to the old regimen, the baby may not yet get hungry.

As practice shows, a newborn eats about seven to eight times a day with an interval of three hours. Milk formula for crumbs at 4-6 months can be given every 3.5-4 hours. If the child feels well, develops and grows normally, there is nothing wrong with the fact that he will eat less, no. If the baby refuses to eat, offer the mixture again after 30-40 minutes.

Don't overfeed your baby. Due to overfeeding, the child will not only refuse the next feeding, but will also feel uncomfortable. As a result, flatulence increases and weight increases, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting may appear. Some children may develop obesity and even diabetes. To avoid complications, stick to a normal diet.

The daily norm of the mixture for a child up to four weeks is up to 120 ml. For children of one to three months, it reaches 150-180 ml, at three to five months it increases to 180-200 ml. After four to five months with the introduction of complementary foods, the daily volume of mixtures is gradually reduced.

First food

Many babies don't eat formula at the start of solid foods. The taste of adult food may seem more interesting and varied to babies than fresh milk. In this case, it is recommended to reduce the amount of mixtures, but you cannot completely refuse such supplementary feeding!

The first complementary foods for artificers begin to be introduced as early as four to five months. As the first adult dishes in the baby's menu, they include vegetable purees and dairy-free gluten-free cereals, then the child begins to be given fruit purees, juices and compotes. How to properly introduce complementary foods into the baby's diet, will tell.

Switching from breastfeeding to artificial feeding

After the end of lactation, lack of breast milk, with a serious illness, separation from the mother and for other reasons, parents are forced to transfer the child to artificial feeding. Then the baby can be naughty and not take any milk formula. In this case, you need to be patient, choose the right food and taste that the baby will like and will not cause digestive problems.

Health problems

Health problems reduce appetite or force the crumbs to refuse food altogether. Common colds and fever can be among such problems. After all, adults during the flu or SARS also want to eat less, and many cannot eat at all. In addition, newborns and babies up to 3-5 months often suffer from colic and bloating.

Other problems in this category include pain in the ears and throat when it hurts for a child to swallow. The baby cannot comfortably eat milk formula from a bottle and with a blocked spout. In this case, special ones are used that easily and comfortably remove accumulated fluid and mucus from the nasal passages. For colds, pain in the ears and throat, jaw, with severe indigestion, be sure to contact your pediatrician!

Cutting teeth and pain in the gums - common cause refusal of the baby to eat. During this period, the baby experiences pain and inflammation, because of which he feels discomfort and cannot eat normally. Some children even have diarrhea or nausea, which also causes them to refuse food.

Eating and having a bottle with a pacifier in your mouth only reinforce the negative feelings. In this case, you need to wait and do not force-feed the baby. By the way, special children's reduce pain and discomfort.

Selection and preparation of the mixture

An improperly selected and prepared mixture is a common reason why a baby does not eat the mixture well. Today, manufacturers offer a lot of different mixtures, and it is important to choose proper nutrition. Remember that the composition can cause allergies in a child, disrupt the functioning of enzymes. In addition, it may not taste like it. It is especially difficult for babies to switch to artificial mixtures if they have been on breastfeeding for a long time.

It is important to choose a mixture according to the age and needs of the child. When choosing, consider the characteristics of the body of the crumbs and consult a pediatrician. Prepare food according to the instructions and dilute the powder correctly!

Often a change in the mixture and taste that the baby is used to leads to the fact that he eats little or refuses to eat. Therefore, if you have found a suitable formula, do not change products unless it is necessary for age. But in rare cases, it happens the other way around, when the crumbs are already tired of the taste. Then try another product. But before changing, be sure to consult a pediatrician!

If your child is allergic, choose a hypoallergenic goat milk formula marked “GA”. For newborns and babies up to six months, highly adapted and adapted products with the designation “1” are chosen. For children older than six months, partially adapted and casein mixtures with the label “2” are suitable.

For children older than a year, milk formulas “3” are chosen, and for a premature baby and with a lack of weight, the product “0” or “Pre”. Fermented milk mixtures are classified as clinical nutrition and are given to babies with frequent constipation and regurgitation, stool disorders and digestive disorders. Learn more about how to choose and prepare a formula for babies, as well as a rating best products, you will find .

Uncomfortable nipple

If the baby refuses the formula bottle, it may be uncomfortable for the baby to eat. An improperly fitted or new, still hard nipple can reduce appetite. Choose a comfortable soft nipple with a suitable shape and a medium-sized hole. Too large a hole will lead to increased milk flow, as a result, the baby will choke during feeding and swallow excess air. By the way, this leads to bloating and frequent profuse regurgitation.

Too small a hole, on the contrary, makes it difficult to supply milk flow. As a result, the baby lacks strength, air and nutrition itself. It is advisable to use the same pacifier model that the baby is used to. In addition, when choosing, follow the recommendations for the age of the child, which are indicated on the product packaging.

If a mother's milk runs out or there isn't enough milk, a bottle of formula is needed. There are times during breastfeeding when you temporarily have to express milk (for example, when the skin of the nipple is injured) and give it in another way. The need for a bottle also arises from 1-3 months - at this time, the baby is already gradually given water or herbal teas so that the tummy does not hurt.

Then the question arises: how to accustom a child to a bottle? Usually this does not present any particular difficulties, but sometimes it happens that the baby does not like something and he simply refuses the new way of getting food. It is necessary to identify such causes and eliminate them, then the feeding process will return to normal, and the baby will be full.

The need to use a bottle can arise for various reasons. It is important for parents to accustom the baby to a new way of eating for him, so that he becomes as natural as the breast.

The need for a pacifier bottle

As with a pacifier, bottle-feeding is not something you should get too carried away with, but sometimes it is indispensable. When a child eats only milk from the mother’s breast, such a need may either not arise at all, or it will be episodic and short-term - in case of injury to the nipple, when the mother is weaned from home for several hours, with temporary lactation disorders and replacing breast milk with a mixture and other emergency situations . Then milk from the breast is simple, and if possible, breastfeeding is resumed.

Why is it desirable to use the bottle as little as possible? It is usually easier for the baby to drink from it, while when sucking the breast, you have to make an effort. The baby quickly senses this difference and may like it so much that he refuses the breast and demands an easier option. For the same reason, if you need to drink a baby or a herbal decoction for colic, it is better to do this from a spoon or syringe without a needle.

In the case when the child already eats only the mixture, you can not do without a bottle. Artificial children eat this way for as long as the period lasts. breastfeeding, and only then they will switch to a spoon.

If the child is artificially fed, then he will be able to part with the bottle only when he learns to use a spoon (more in the article:)

Baby won't take a bottle

If a baby refuses a bottle, there is a good reason for that. Maybe not even alone. Mom needs to analyze the quality and condition of the bottle, nipples, the behavior of the baby and everything related to this process. Evgeny Komarovsky, together with other pediatricians, names the reasons why children refuse the method of feeding he proposed:

1. Formula tastes different from breast milk. If you had to give up breastfeeding early, it can be very difficult for other children to find an analogue of mother's milk. Mixtures are different, and their taste can vary greatly.
2. Unusual temperature. The liquid in the bottle should be the same temperature as breast milk, that is, 36-37 degrees. Too cold will irritate and can provoke a sore throat, and hot - burn.
3. Inappropriate pacifier shape. Finding the right pacifier is not difficult, since there are many of them on sale. Before giving it to the baby, you need to check the size of the hole. Through too small child it will be very difficult to suck out milk or water, and after too much, the baby will not have time to swallow it and will begin to choke.
4. Time inappropriate feeding. Naturally, if the child is not hungry, he will refuse the bottle - young children have a feeling of fullness with food.
5. Uncomfortable position. Babies in their first months of life respond well to the new way of feeding when they are held in their arms, as when breastfeeding. After 6 months, they can already choose a comfortable position for themselves.
6. External irritating factors. There are various reasons - an unfamiliar place, noise, heat and others.

Other reasons are possible, but less common. They will be determined by the state of health of the baby, but this is a new topic.

Try to eliminate all the most likely causes and then re-offer the bottle to the baby. At the same time, mom should be calm and balanced, not nervous.

Removing the cause

In itself, accustoming to a new way of feeding is not something difficult. After all interfering factors are eliminated, you can see - the child will be happy to use this new object for him.

It happens that the reason for the refusal of the baby is a new nipple, although it does not differ from the previous one. Here the matter may be in the slight smell of rubber, which for some time remains on new things. To get rid of it, you just need to boil (we recommend reading:) the nipple for 2-3-4 minutes.

The psychological factor should also be taken into account. If, while feeding from a nipple, something scared the baby and he no longer wants to drink from it, parents will have to be patient to convince the baby that it is safe. It is necessary to periodically offer it again - gradually, subject to a calm situation in the house, he will take it.

The bottle should be offered periodically - gently but persistently. If the child refuses again, you should not scold him - it may take a little more time to get used to

The bottle-feeding process

If the causes are eliminated, it is not difficult to accustom a child to a bottle. To do this, you just need to periodically give it to the baby, and very soon he himself begins to drink milk or water from it. Since the nipple still mimics the breast, this will definitely happen.

To teach your baby, you can use some techniques that will help him better perceive a bottle with a nipple instead of a breast (permanently or temporarily). What can be done:

1. Give your baby a bottle when he is half asleep. Smelling the smell of milk, he will begin to suck and will not understand that he was given not a breast, but something else.
2. Choose the right time. It is pointless to offer food to the baby when he is not yet hungry, however, it is also impossible to wait for him to cry from hunger - this way you can generally bring him to hysteria. It is necessary to calculate the approximate time of the next feeding and offer him a new way.
3. Create an association. If a child is accustomed to receiving breast milk from his mother, for accustoming to a bottle, you can involve dad, grandmother or someone else from family members with whom the baby is in a trusting relationship. The same technique will be very useful when there is a temporary need for feeding in this way. The association with another person will be clearly fixed in the child, and the risk that he will refuse the breast in favor of the pacifier will be minimized.
4. Create a sense of security. Breastfeeding is not only a process of obtaining food, but also one of the moments of close proximity between mother and baby. When feeding from a bottle, you need to try to create a similar feeling: hold the baby in your arms so that he feels warm, talk to him affectionately, smile.

By 8-9 months, the baby will already learn to hold the bottle on his own, and then he takes it all by himself. Such achievements are very pleasing to children, because they see the result of their efforts and patience. True, another small problem may arise here - the bottle can become a new toy. Then you will need to convey the difference to the baby and as soon as he is sated,.

When nine months future mom waiting for the birth of a small miracle, then the most important thing seems to be the process of childbirth. She sets herself up, which will then be easier and simpler. In fact, only when the baby is born, and difficulties begin.

One of the main problems is the issue of feeding. A baby up to a year needs to eat often and a lot. And it often happens that it is impossible, or the mother does not have the opportunity to feed the baby on demand. Then a bottle of formula or expressed breast milk comes to the rescue.

But what if the child flatly refuses to take foreign objects into his mouth, preferring exclusively his mother's breast.

First, let's find out why the baby refuses the bottle.

Why a baby refuses a bottle: 5 main reasons

• The most common reason: do not like the content. Very often it depends on the temperature. Children, despite their angelic facial expressions, are, oddly enough, vindictive creatures. If you don't please them once, they will remember it for a long time. Therefore, the liquid should not exceed a temperature of 37 degrees, and it is better to offer water at room temperature.
• Unusual taste. If a child refuses a bottle of formula only, and takes the rest of the liquids with a bang, most likely he does not like the taste of the contents or the smell.
• Uncomfortable nipple. In the bottle with the mixture, the nipple may be too tight, the baby cannot suck out the contents, or, conversely, it is too large, so he chokes and is afraid.
• Unusual environment. Children, especially in the early stages, are very sensitive and receptive. If more than a dozen eyes are looking at them, he will never show his skills and will not drink “by order”.
• Inappropriate mode. It happens that the first time a child was offered a bottle at an inopportune moment, when he was not at all in the mood for lunch.

How to bottle train your baby

• Firstly - "calmness and only calmness" in any scenario and circumstances. The phrase that has set the teeth on edge: “The baby feels the mother and her emotional state” works 100%. Therefore, before offering a bottle to your child, convince yourself that this is necessary and is beneficial for the baby.
• Be patient. Despite the early age, children from the first days of life have their own character, their own requirements. Did not work the first time, offer again and again. Even from the tenth or fifteenth, but the child will understand that you wish him well and agree to your conditions.
• Watch your baby. Try giving him a bottle when he's in a good mood or hungry. If this does not help, choose another time, for example, when the baby is getting ready for bed. As a rule, during this period, a natural reflex is triggered and the baby instinctively takes the bottle.
• If the baby is not even a month old, the feeding position will be important. Position the baby as if breastfeeding. Offer breasts first. And then slowly change to a bottle. But it should also contain your milk so that the child does not feel a big difference and gradually gets used to the nipple. Subsequently, it will be possible to replace the contents with a mixture.

Some nipple training tricks

Experiment constantly! Children are unpredictable creatures. Today he likes a silicone pacifier, and tomorrow he will gladly take a rubber one. Stock up on a whole arsenal. Let them be of different sizes and connectors, from different materials. Remember, if a child refuses a bottle or a rubber nipple on the first day, this does not mean that he will never touch them again. Offer again after a short period of time.

It happens that a child needs different nipples for water and formula. He prefers to drink a simple liquid from a silicone nipple, or with an orthopedic bite, which is also not bad, but breast milk or a mixture only from rubber, which, although it costs several times cheaper, looks more like a mother’s breast. There is nothing strange in this, because we also eat soup from a large plate, and we prefer to eat main courses from smaller plates.

Be careful with your food choices. A child may refuse not at all from a container with a liquid, but from what is in it. If you offer bottled formula to your baby, he may not like the taste. Experiment again. Now on the market of milk porridges there is a huge selection of various price categories. Most blends in the same price range are the same and taste the same. Therefore, it is better to take food of different prices for the experiment. Pay attention to the composition. If the baby does not take the usual formula, try a fermented milk product. It is good for the intestines and differs in taste properties. When the child adapts to this food, other dairy products can be introduced. Alternatively, for the first time, you can choose a hypoallergenic mixture. It is the safest and most adapted to taste for breast milk.

If the baby does not take only water from the bottle, then try sweetening it a little. Do not be afraid of dermatitis or other allergic reactions, even at a very early age. A small amount of glucose never hurt anyone.

Try to keep the feeding regimen for a little more than three hours, if the child is not and. If the baby is more than six months old, then you can not offer food for four to four and a half hours. Hungry, he should treat the bottle with great indulgence.

Surprise your baby with unusual flavors. If a little over two months old, offer weakly concentrated apple juice in order to accustom him to the bottle. From 3 to 4 months, try a light pear concentrate.

If the child is not even a month old and the situation is hopeless, a syringe or a regular syringe can come to the rescue. Again, be patient and, when the baby is sleeping, slowly instill the necessary solution into the corner of his mouth. We note right away that this is a very long and laborious process, but sometimes this is the only way to pour medicine into the crumbs and required amount food.

If your baby is over six months old and you are switching from breastfeeding to artificial, then you may not need a bottle at all. Try using a drinker. But here too, prioritize your child's tastes over your own. Choose the color and shape that your baby likes best. Only if the cup is to your liking, your son or daughter will use it with pleasure.

If you don't have bottle formula from four months in the afternoon, you'll be fine with a spoon. To make the food a little thicker and not leak out, as well as for more satiety, you can add one instant cookie to the contents. The taste and texture will change.

Most importantly, don't worry and don't panic. After all, your condition is passed on to the child. And first of all, he really needs a happy and calm mother. Approach the problem philosophically, over time it will certainly be resolved. You will remember this little difficulty with a smile on your face!