Is your baby refusing bottle feedings, even if he had always taken to them? Discover the 9 things you need to try to end the bottle strike once and for all.
It happened out of nowhere. All this time, my baby had been taking his bottle like a champ. It didn’t matter whether he was drinking expressed breast milk or formula—like clockwork, he’d finish a whole bottle with no problem.
But around seven-months-old, the bottle strike happened. He no longer sat still long enough to finish a bottle. He’d push it away or simply play with it, hoping that would “pass” for drinking. And he preferred to be up and about, not sitting in one place finishing his meal.
The trouble was, he’d get hungry later on, whether during the day or even at night. He began waking in the middle of the night, hungry for milk, or wake up cranky from a nap because of an empty stomach.
What to do when your baby is on a bottle strike
It’s common for babies to go on a bottle strike, especially at that age when they’re more mobile. They’re more interested in their ability to crawl, sit and touch everything in sight. Their bodies also don’t grow as fast and don’t need as many calories as they did during the early stages of infancy.
If your baby is going through the same thing, don’t worry. I tried a few ways to end the bottle strike, and I hope they can work for you too. In fact, take a look at one mom’s story after trying these tips:
“The last couple of days I have seen a real change in him. He had 880ml yesterday which he hasn’t done in a month. Hopefully he can keep it up. I will keep you posted. Thank you kindly!” -Sarah
1. Offer smaller amounts of milk more frequently
With your baby more mobile and curious about his environment, drinking may not be his priority. Rather than sitting him down for a long period of time to finish a bottle, try offering smaller amounts more frequently.
It’s sort of like how adults break up our meals. Rather than sitting down for three large meals, we break it up into smaller meals and snacks throughout the day.
See if your baby will take to that schedule. You might offer half the amount you usually do, then reserve the other half to drink with his snack. If he continues to refuse even that, you may even want to keep the bottle nearby and offer it a few minutes at a time.
This doesn’t establish the habit of sitting at the table for meals, but if he prefers to snack on the go, this may be a temporary solution to look into.
Either way, you’ll want to measure the bottles in smaller amounts so you don’t waste the milk. For breast milk, measure just the amount you need. If you’ve been pumping into bags, divide your usual amount into two bags so you don’t waste it. For instance, if you usually fill a five ounce bag, fill two 2.5 ounce bags instead.
The same is true with formula. Don’t fill a whole bottle your baby won’t finish any time soon. Instead, measure about half what he normally takes and make another bottle when he finishes the first.
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2. Offer the bottle in a boring room
With so much to see and do, no wonder babies would rather explore than drink their bottles. Take away the temptation and instead offer the bottle in a boring room.
This could be their bedroom after a nap when it’s still dark and quiet. Find a subdued room in your home that lends itself to a calm environment. Avoid bright, loud rooms especially with other people that might distract your baby from finishing his bottle.
And if that doesn’t work…
3. Offer the bottle in a new environment
If the boring room doesn’t work, do the opposite and feed your baby in a new room. The novelty of feeding in this unfamiliar place or way may capture his attention so much that he continues to drink the bottle without a fuss.
A few ideas include giving the bottle in your backyard or patio, in a different bedroom than where you’re used to, or in his high chair. Any place that you normally don’t give his bottles might be enough of a change to draw his curiosity and allow him to finish his milk.
4. Introduce solid food to mix things up
If your baby has been drinking the same formula for months, there’s a good chance he’s getting tired of it. Mix it up by offering solid food during the day. Not only will solids help supply the calories he may be lacking, but they can also add the variety he craves.
If you already offer your baby solids, try giving it to him along with his milk. He can either drink milk along with his meal, or drink it before or after the meal. He may begin to associate different tastes with the experience of drinking from a bottle.
Read more about offering your baby solid food.
5. Change the nipple flow of the bottle
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission—at no extra cost to you—if you make a purchase.
Bottle nipples come in all sorts of shapes, material and flow. What once worked for your baby in the early months may not be cutting it now. For instance, a slow flow nipple could make it more difficult for him to suck. Or perhaps you’ll have more luck with the brown nipples instead of the clear.
Experiment with changing the nipple shapes, material and flow to see if one works better than what you have.
6. Offer the milk in a sippy cup
Another option is to transition your baby to a sippy cup. He may or may not already be drinking water from a sippy cup, but offering his milk in one could encourage him to drink more of it.
Start with transition sippy cups to make the move from bottle to cup smoother. A few to try are:
Want the best transition sippy cup? Check out more ideas here.
7. Wean your baby from nighttime feedings
Ask your child’s pediatrician if your baby is able to sleep through the night without feeding. If so, consider weaning him from them.
You and I take in our calories during the day, and we don’t eat at all while we sleep. At some point, so can your baby. It’s hard to consume so much during the day when you’re also eating at night. Help your baby drop the nighttime feedings to encourage him to take in his calories during the day.
Here’s a quick summary of how to do that:
- Record when your baby typically wakes up for the night. For instance, he might wake at 11pm and 3am.
- Set your alarm 30 minutes before the wake up times. Don’t wait for him to wake up to cry for milk. This helps break the association between crying and getting milk.
- Wake the baby to feed. At those designated times, feed your baby the same amount or time you usually do. Give him milk at these set times, even if it means waking him up to do so.
- Give extra milk the next day. Increase the amount of milk he gets by the same amount you had reduced. If he had two bottles reduced by half an ounce each, add half an ounce to two of his bottles the next day.
- Reduce the amount the next night. Wake him up at the same times, but decrease the amount of milk you offer by half an ounce. If he typically drinks 5 ounces each feeding, offer 4.5 ounces instead.
- Continue to repeat every night, reducing the milk by half an ounce each night until it’s so little you don’t need to bother waking him up.
Ideally, your baby will begin to eat less at night and more during the day.
8. Find the reasons for the bottle strike
Life happens and can disrupt our days. Is your child unwell, or perhaps teething? Is he going through a curious stage or one where he demands independence and autonomy? Maybe you as a family are going through changes, such as moving to a new home or going back to work.
Think about possible changes in your life and how they can be affecting your child’s willingness to drink from a bottle. Often you’ll find that once that change has settled, he’ll go back to taking his bottles again.
9. Let go of control
I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to let go of control. I have things planned, down to the ounces of milk my babies took or the times they nap. So when things don’t go according to plan, I get frustrated and wonder why kids don’t do the things they’re supposed to.
Except even adults don’t work that way. You and I don’t always have the same appetites day by day.
Instead, let go of the control. We shouldn’t impose our plans on kids when they’re not ready or willing to oblige. Take it week by week and see if he takes the bottle then.
If you’re worried, give his pediatrician a call to voice your concern and see what she says. Bring it up at his next appointment and see whether he’s growing and gaining enough weight.
More than likely, he is. He may not need as many calories, or that he’ll pick it up again at a later time once he’s explored enough.
Take a look at my video below for more tips:
Reader suggestion: Experiment with the temperature of the milk
SSBE reader Ashley pointed out that babies have a preference for milk temperature. Some babies are fine with cold, while others like room temperature, and still others like their milk warm.
Depending on your current temperature, see if your baby will take to a different temperature. If you’ve been giving room temperature formula, for instance, you might test to see if warm formula makes a difference.
Thanks, Ashley!
Conclusion
A bottle strike can be frustrating and worrisome. We wonder whether he’s gaining enough weight, and the change of schedule becomes a hassle to our day. Sometimes we even think this is their way of “testing” us and feel even more determined to win the battle.
But that’s rarely a successful way to do it. Find different ways for your child to take the bottle, from feeding in different rooms to eliminating nighttime feedings. See if you have better luck offering milk in smaller amounts, and try offering it with solids or in a different cup.
And most importantly, let go of the control you might be forcing on your baby. While you can decide when and what your child eats, ultimately, he decides how much, even if that means going on a bottle strike once in a while.
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Ashley says
February 8, 2017 at 4:29 pmAll of your tips are fantastic, and I think you’ve covered just about everything that could possibly cause a bottle strike and how to deal with one.
I wanted to add one tip though for teaching a breastfed baby to take a bottle. I have helped several mamas who haven’t been able to get their baby to take a bottle, simply by warming up the formula or breastmilk a bit warmer than you normally would.
In the hospital, and in a lot of baby classes, moms are instructed to heat the milk to room temperature and to test it out on the wrist to make sure it isn’t too warm.
I have actually found (I have 9 children, and have used formula for the youngest 3), that room temperature milk will end up being too cold for the baby by the time you actually sit down to give the bottle. And if the milk is too cold, the baby will not want to take more than a sip or two.
So, if you warm the milk up a little bit more than room temperature, it ends up being perfect.
Nina Garcia says
February 8, 2017 at 7:19 pmThis is such fantastic advice, Ashley! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m going to add it to the post as a reader suggestion 🙂
Nur Syahirah says
April 7, 2017 at 5:31 amMy son coming to 9 months old soon.. Right now he refuse to drink when each time i make him the milk.. Is it because of milk also? should i change milk?
Nina Garcia says
April 7, 2017 at 6:33 amYes, I would definitely experiment with the formula you offer. Each baby has his own preference, and you might have better luck with a different brand!
Meera Ravi Kumar says
March 10, 2018 at 4:27 pmHi madam my daughter is 2 month old she is refusing formula feeds and sticking to breast milk only. Usually bottle feed is given when I feel my breast milk is not adequate. She is quite hungry but still refuses feeding from bottle we tried spoon and other methods but notg is working plz help me out madam
Nina Garcia says
March 10, 2018 at 6:39 pmHi Meera,
I would try to have someone else feed her besides you, as she might be confused as to why she’s drinking from a bottle when you’re the one feeding her. Also, experiment with different bottle nipples—sometimes you might need one with a bigger hole so the milk comes out, or perhaps a smaller one if too much is coming out. And perhaps give room-temperature formula and not cold ones.
Farha says
August 15, 2018 at 1:10 amMy baby is now 1 year old & I tried lots of bottles but she refuse to drink formula milk as well as cow milk. So night time she can’t sleep peacefully & crying all night.
Nina Garcia says
August 15, 2018 at 7:35 pmHi Farha! I would experiment with more things besides bottles, from nipple sizes, who offers milk, when to do it during the day, different kinds of formula, different temperatures, etc.
Catherine says
August 17, 2018 at 8:58 amHi madam,
My baby isn’t 3 months old. I’m breastfeeding my baby but I will give him 1 bottle at night before sleep which my little one daddy can help me to feed him if feed bottle. However, from last week, he suddenly refused to drink bottle. I tried to give him 6 different bottles with different nipple and increase the flow to medium flow, but he still refuse to drink bottle. How can I let drink bottle again?
Thanks
Nina Garcia says
August 17, 2018 at 1:13 pmHi Catherine! I wonder if he simply has a preference for breastfeeding and would rather nurse than bottle-feed. I’d also make sure he had enough time between the last feeding and the bottle, in case he’s not hungry. I’d also experiment with bedtime, in case he’s overtired and needs to sleep earlier, or see if he prefers a different formula brand as well. It’s so hard to tell—I’d check in with the pediatrician if you’re concerned, but otherwise, it’s a lot of trial and error to find that fix!
Elin says
October 7, 2018 at 12:59 pmI’ve downloaded the tracker but don’t know what the R and L stand for under the minutes column. Can you shed some light on this please.
Thanks in advance
Elin
Nina Garcia says
October 7, 2018 at 7:19 pmHi Elin! R and L stand for right and left breast, so you can track which side and for how long the baby nursed for.
Elin says
October 8, 2018 at 5:22 amThanks
jaimmie says
October 22, 2018 at 8:07 pmhi. i breastfeed my 8month old before going to work, and my mom take charge giving formula, but my baby refusing it..almost a month but she still refusing it.
at night we breastfeed she wake up many time. i offer my breast but i dont know if my baby get enough milk from me.
plss help me.. i tried all the tips that i read but still not woking…
Nina Garcia says
October 23, 2018 at 6:18 amHi Jaimmie! I would first check with the pediatrician to see if the baby is getting enough milk, as he or she would know best whether what you’re offering is enough. As far as the baby refusing the formula, I would experiment with a few things: you could try a different formula, a different bottle, a different nipple (for instance, a faster flow one now that he’s an older infant), or even pumping breast milk and feeding that in a bottle.
Ocean L says
October 26, 2018 at 1:35 pmThis was so helpful! Even with this being my 3rd boy, I thought I was an expert, turns out, not so much! Each baby is different after all! 😉
Nina Garcia says
October 26, 2018 at 8:01 pmI’m so glad it came in handy! Isn’t it crazy how different kids can be, even with the same parents and household?
Christina says
November 21, 2018 at 1:06 pmMy son is 8 months old and he has never been a huge fan of formula, but now he will barely eat 4 oz at a time. He LOVES his pureed food, but we are a little worried about him getting enough calories. Are there any foods we should consider giving him that will be a little more hearty? I am going to try your other suggestions too – his sister was a food vacuum, so this is all new to us!
Nina Garcia says
November 21, 2018 at 8:09 pmHi Christina! I can see why you’d be concerned, especially since formula or breast milk is the main source of nutrition for babies up to a year old (with solids only as a supplement). It’s fantastic though that he loves his purees, and you should keep encouraging his curiosity and excitement about solids. If you’re looking for hearty food, you might try calorie-rich solids like sweet potatoes, avocados, hard-boiled eggs, and some meat.
I’d actually check with his pediatrician to see if they’re concerned with his weight gain, because often kids start drinking less because their bodies just aren’t growing as fast a pace as they used to. Add to that their curiosity with their environment and new mobility, and sitting a while drinking from a bottle may not be as exciting to them. More often than not, they’ll say that he’s growing just fine and that there’s nothing to worry about. Either way, it’s always good to have that reassurance.
May says
December 30, 2018 at 2:03 amHi, i understand the point of baby temporarily choosing not to drink, but any pointers on how can i get him to stay hydrated? He is not yet drinking water in large quantities, and still learning to drink from a sippy cup.
This might sound funny, but could he have suddenly developed an aversion to my breastmilk?
Nina Garcia says
December 30, 2018 at 6:47 amHi May! I’d check with your pediatrician to see if there are any signs of dehydration in your little one. More than likely, he’s simply preferring other things at the moment than drinking, but it doesn’t hurt to ask about possible signs of dehydration and what to do moving forward.
mhau dela cruz says
January 22, 2019 at 3:27 ammy daughter is 1year and 4 months old she is refusing formula feeds and sticking to breast milk only. even shes quite hungry but still refuses feeding from bottle we tried spoon and other methods but nothing is working plz help me out.
Nina Garcia says
January 24, 2019 at 7:52 amHi there, since she’s over a year old now, check with your pediatrician as she likely can stop drinking formula and stick to breast milk or even cow’s milk (or other alternatives). Now is also the time to make solid food a regular part of her meals.
Sarah says
January 30, 2019 at 7:06 pmMy 4 month old has been having lots of trouble with his bottle feeding for about a month now. He was having alot more when he was born to what he is now. I’ve tried changing formulas, swaddling him, dream feeding. I’ve pretty much tried everything. Its absolutely stressing me out. The most he will have in a bottle is 120ml and that’s during his night feed, during the day he has 60ml – 80ml if we are lucky. He does have shocking wind and has been teething and two teeth have come through.
Nina Garcia says
January 31, 2019 at 11:49 amHi Sarah! It’s definitely stressful when our babies don’t get enough of what we think they need, whether it’s formula, food, sleep. I can relate to that panicky feeling when you realize your baby hardly ate, or that he’s been awake for hours. I’d double check with his pediatrician to see what they think about his feeding patterns. They’ll be able to weigh him and see where he falls in the growth charts. Even though the amount he drinks feels super small, you might find that the doctor says this is okay. And if it’s not, hopefully they can recommend even more resources to help you through. I’d also check your baby’s diapers to see if he’s peeing and pooping enough, and record those, so that you can report it to your doctor. That’s usually another indicator of whether they’re getting enough food or not (for instance, not enough soiled diapers can mean not enough food). Hang in there Sarah and keep us posted on how it goes.
Sarah says
February 1, 2019 at 1:58 pmThank you for the reply. The last couple of days I have seen a real change in him. He had 880ml yesterday which he hasn’t done in a month. Hopefully he can keep it up. I will keep you posted. Thank you kindly!
Nina Garcia says
February 1, 2019 at 8:26 pmYou’re welcome, Sarah! I’m glad the article was helpful 🙂
Nisa says
March 28, 2019 at 8:08 pmHi, my 10months old daughter refuses milk for almost 3 weeks now. Before this strike, we have been dream feeding her but now she totally refuse. She’s having a bit of cough & flu and teething. We tried changing to another formula, put in a sippy cup but still refuse. Should I be worried that she’s only consuming like 200ish mls per day? Or is this a phase that will pass.
Nina Garcia says
March 28, 2019 at 8:29 pmHi Nisa! It can definitely feel alarming when your baby isn’t taking in as much milk as she normally does, especially when she’s sick. I’m guessing that feeling sick isn’t helping her drink the milk she normally does. She might have a loss of appetite, or a stuffy nose or scratchy throat could make the physical act of drinking uncomfortable. I’d speak to her pediatrician to see what they recommend. They’d be able to weigh her and make sure she’s gaining enough weight, or to examine her physically to see where to go from here. Hang in there!
Amy says
April 10, 2019 at 2:50 pmMy 9 month has not been gaining weight. He is such an active baby, he needs extra calories to keep up. We have just started him on a higher calorie solid food diet per his dr, and just as quickly as we started, complete bottle strike. Just when we are trying to get his weight up, he wants nothing to do with the bottle and will even go out of his way to find it so he can throw it. Only drinks 2 oz at a time. He is now up all night long hungry. I don’t know how to wean him off night feeding when he is drinking 12 oz or less during awake hours. This little guy has me very stressed!
Nina Garcia says
April 10, 2019 at 6:36 pmBig hugs, Amy! It’s hard when we can’t get them to do what they need to do. I’d start each meal time with a bottle so that you can at least offer it when he has an empty tummy. Hopefully he’ll be more willing to drink more than the 2 oz per sitting that way. And of course ask his doctor what they recommend, given this new behavior.
Komal K says
April 17, 2019 at 2:04 pmHello,
My daughter is 15 months & went cold turkey for 10 days now. She refuses milk every time, have tried different sippy cups, open cups, spoon . Nothing is working. She was trying to drink one day & now back again to not having any milk. I know yogurt, cheese will help provide calcium. But I really want her to drink milk at least once . Any suggestions?
Nina Garcia says
April 17, 2019 at 6:25 pmHi Komal! One thing you might want to try is giving her the milk slightly warmer or at room temperature. If the milk is cold like how we drink it, the temperature can feel different from breast milk or formula.
Rashell says
June 12, 2019 at 11:15 pmHi nina. Rightnow i have an almost 8months baby and just yesterday he started refusing bottle milk..he does not even want to drink 1once…just nothing. He takes breast good and a little bit of solid food at day time. And im i just dont know what to do. Do you have any advice for me? Please
Nina Garcia says
June 14, 2019 at 10:10 amHi Rashell, have you tried the tips in the article? I would also check the bottle and nipple flow to see if he needs a wider flow to get more milk.
Berveley says
June 22, 2019 at 4:42 pmMy baby is 8months and refuses 2 drink his formula milk but cries, and his been bottle fed from birth he only wants water, is it normal or he might be sick?
Nina Garcia says
June 23, 2019 at 6:12 amI’d experiment with different formulas or perhaps even solids. He should still get the bulk of his nutrition and hydration from either breast milk or formula at this stage, so I would keep pursuing other options instead of giving water only. And reach out to his pediatrician to see what they recommend, too!
Ajayi Tolulope says
September 14, 2019 at 8:41 amHello Nina pls my baby is 7 going to 8 month old but has not been eating good food since I introduce formula after 6 month breastfeeding to him
Sadia Hoque says
November 3, 2019 at 5:51 pmHi …my 14th month’s old baby boy doesn’t want to drink milk at all ..I don’t know why ? It’s like a strike of bottle..if he sees a bottle he started screaming and crying..he is losging his weight ..usually he was so happily takes his formula but now what happed I don’t know ..at night also he is continuously refusing milk …please help me …I’m so stressed and worried…