Bottle Aversion & Refusal Support
For the Breastfed Baby
Bottle struggles are a very common occurrence. For most breastfed babies, the emerging signs of bottle difficulties will start to appear somewhere between 8-12 weeks of life.
Even if your baby was taking bottles well, in the early days, they may struggle to take them when they are older. In many cases, this is related to the fact that their natural, automatic suck reflex starts to fade, somewhere during month 2-3. However, other things can come into play too, which is what we’ll work through during our session.
The important thing to know, right now, is that there is hope! With the right type of support, babies can learn, or relearn, how to latch to a bottle and effectively transfer milk. Depending on their age, we can also introduce alternative drinking vessels, which is an added bonus.
Here’s what we will work on during our sessions, to get you there:
A full physical assessment of your baby’s sucking patterns. We will explore how your baby moves their body, their tongue and how they respond to sucking.
Testing out different bottle nipples. We will look at what you’ve already tried and potentially look at some alternatives too.
Positions for bottle feeding. The way a bottle is offered can make a huge impact.
Exercises to practice. Some babies need a gradual approach that includes specific exercises.
A daily plan. We’ll create an easy to follow, step by step action plan.
Alternative drinking vessels. Depending on the age of your baby, we may explore other ways to offer them milk.
Empathetic, understanding and realistic care. This is a no pressure, parent guided, baby led approach, that fits within the realities of life with a baby.
Kate is a Certified Breastfeeding Educator and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She completed all of her clinical training hours at Kindercare Pediatrics in Toronto. Kate holds a current certificate from Sick Kids Hospital, on Infant Mental Health, is a certified Birth & Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, yoga instructor, and also a trained primary school teacher (OCT and QTS).
Kate is also a parent who, like you, faced challenges during her feeding journey. She knows first hand what it’s like to navigate the steep learning curve of feeding a baby - or babies. She operates with 100% empathy and 0% judgement.
“Words cannot even begin to describe how grateful I am to have worked with Kate. She is absolutely fabulous. My baby girl refused the bottle for weeks and weeks, and had trouble nursing. Kate implemented a thoughtful plan with me and was incredibly supportive. My daughter is finally on the bottle - a big goal for us as I try to back to work. Kate made a huge difference in our lives - she was caring and responsive, always listening and adapting as we went. She turned a stressful situation into something manageable. She really just is so wonderful. Thank you, Kate!.” - Anishka and baby A, Toronto
Bottle Feeding Support Packages
Virtual Support
$135*
Tools for you to try out, with check in support.
1 online initial sessions of 30 minutes.
1 check in phone or video call.
Check in via email and messaging for 2-3 weeks.
Standard Session
$290*
In (your) home visit to optimize bottle acceptance.
1 in home session, of 1.5 hours.
2 follow up phone or video calls.
Check in via email and messaging, for 2 to 3 weeks.
Additional in home session, to check in on or solidify skills, at a reduced rate of $110.
*HST will be added at time of payment
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Most babies I work with will take a bottle within 2-3 weeks.
However, there are many factors at play, that will determine if your baby will take a bottle or not.
Understanding your baby’s unique needs and consistency will be the two key players.
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For most families, it takes 2-3 weeks of committed practice, before babies are consistently taking a bottle.
I have worked with so many different babies and it all unfolds a bit differently for them all. Some get the hang of things during the session and some take weeks for things to click into place.
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Yes! Here’s what I often recommoned.
Bottles: Most breastfed babies do well with a nipple shape that has a more graduated slope. This is often referred to as a triangular shape ^ , across social media.
The texture of the bottle can make a difference too. We want a bit of squish but not too much that it collapses in a baby’s mouth.
Brands that often work are Lansinoh, Pigeon, Evenflo and Gulicola.
Flow rate will matter too - we’ll want to discuss this before you purchase anything.
Milk: Expressed breastmilk or formula should be available. We will likely not get your baby to taking a full bottle during the first session (although, it has happened). 1-2 oz is a perfect amount to start with.
Other drinking vessels: Depending on the age of your baby, we may look at other drinking tools. This may include an open cup and straw cups. Small silicone cups, infant cups with a slight slant to them, and squeezable straw cups, are great starter vessels.
Before our session, I’ll let you know what to have ready for the session.
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We can work with your baby at any age. However, when babies are 6 months or older, straw cups and open cups become the more age appropriate drinking vessels.
Extra Information
Still have questions? Get in touch for a complimentary call to see if we’re the right fit for you and your family.
You can also browse our FAQ page, for more information about our services.
“Our experience with Kate was very helpful! She helped us through some breastfeeding hurdles initially and had some helpful tips when our daughter started refusing a bottle. We would definitely recommend her services!” - Leigh Ann and baby Betty, Toronto.
I’d love to hear from you.