When it comes to feeding your baby, one thing that you will realize for the first few weeks of his life is that he will not have any problem switching from bottle to breast. But take a look at him when he turns two months old, that is when the problem will start.
In the second month, your baby will start to develop self awareness and that is the time when he can start making decisions and unluckily for you, the first decision that he is most probably going to make is to refuse his feeding bottle. This is a frustrating and tiring situation for you, especially if you will not be around to breastfeed him all day long.
If you are wondering what to do with this dilemma, here are some suggestions:
- Get a bottle with a nipple in similar shape with his pacifier.
If your baby loves his pacifier, then you should take advantage of it, try to look for a feeding bottle with a nipple that has the same shape as his pacifier. In this way, it would be easier for your baby to adapt to the feeding bottle since his mouth is already used to the shape of the nipple.
- Try to step away from the scene.
Maybe the main reason why your child is not accepting the pacifier is because he can see you and he knows that he can be able to have access to your breasts if he will just simply throw tantrums. That is why the best thing that you can ever do is to just simply step away from the scene. Have another person give the bottle to your kid without you around so that he will have no other choice but to get the bottle.
- Make the bottle look more appealing.
Keep in mind that your child has great sense. He would sense if you are doubtful about what you are doing or not. If you will be excited, he will be excited about what you are presenting to him as well. That’s why you should try to look confident, happy and excited when giving him the bottle.
- Avoid breastfeeding right away when he rejects the bottle.
When you breastfeed as soon as he rejects the bottle, your baby will think that he will always have a choice and it will just prolong his refusal. That’s why you should avoid giving him options right away so he would have no choice but to take the bottle.
- Wrap the bottle with your used shirt.
There is a huge chance that he will get the bottle if it is wrapped with your used shirt because since he can smell you, the baby would feel comfortable and safe.
Keep in mind that there is no easy solution for this dilemma. The truth is, you would have to try various ways to get your baby to bottle feed. The entire process can be grueling so you have to be very consistent and patient about it.
