Is Your Baby Refusing the Bottle? Here’s What You Need to Know...

Having a baby refusing the bottle can feel overwhelming.

Especially if:

• You’re returning to work.

• You have an upcoming trip.

• Your baby used to take a bottle just fine.

• Or your formula-fed baby suddenly refuses the bottle out of nowhere.

I know this stress personally.

Before Elliot was born, I worked in lactation and confidently said, “My baby will never refuse a bottle.”

Fast forward a few feeding challenges, a vacation, and 5.5 months of life later, Elliot completely stopped taking a bottle.

He wouldn’t take more than half an ounce. And half of that ended up on his clothes.

If your baby stopped taking a bottle…
If your 3 month old is refusing the bottle…
If your 10 month old is pushing it away…
If your baby refuses the bottle and cries…

You are not alone.

Let’s talk about why this happens and what you can actually do about it.

Having a baby refuse the bottle can be a stressful experience for parents (I know it was for me). 

What is Bottle Refusal?

Bottle refusal is when a baby persistently rejects the bottle, showing frustration, difficulty or reluctance to drink from it. 

This can happen at any stage...

Common times for it to happen are:

• 3-4 months when the suck reflex is integrated
• 10-11 months when babies start eating solid foods well
• During teething
• After illness
• After a hospitalization
• When transitioning from breast to bottle
• Or seemingly out of nowhere
  

The most common concerns I hear from parents are:

• “My baby doesn’t want the bottle anymore.”
• “My baby is not interested in the bottle.”
• “My baby pushes the bottle away.”
• “My baby refuses the bottle and cries.”
• “My baby stopped taking the bottle.”

Sometimes babies:

• Hold the nipple in their mouth but won’t suck.
• Play with the nipple.
• Gag or sputter.
• Act like they want it, but their tongues move all around the bottle.

Most of the time, parents report that their baby took the bottle fine for a while, but now refuse it.

Understanding why your baby is refusing the bottle determines what to do next.

 >>> TRIED ALL THE THINGS, BUT YOUR BABY WON'T TAKE A BOTTLE? I CAN HELP. <<<

Why Is My Baby Refusing the Bottle?

There are two major categories:

1. Situational (Temporary) Bottle Refusal

2. Non-Situational (Skill or Transition-Based) Bottle Refusal

Let’s break these down.

What Causes a Baby to Refuse a Bottle?

I want to spend a second distinguishing between two types of bottle refusal:

Situational or temporary

Situational Bottle Refusal

This is temporary.

Your baby is generally healthy but refusing the bottle because of something happening right now.

Common causes include:

• Teething
  
• Colds or congestion
  
• Ear infections
  
• Growth spurts
  
• Developmental distractions
  
• Changes in routine
  
• Recent hospitalizations
• Milk temperature differences
  

If your baby is teething and refusing the bottle, or your baby is sick and not drinking milk, appetite often improves once they feel better.

Situational refusal usually resolves within a few days to a week or so.

Non-Situational Bottle Refusal

This is more common in babies who are primarily breastfed.

Your baby may:

• Be 3 or 4 months old and suddenly refusing the bottle.
  
• Have taken a bottle before but now won’t.
  
• Struggle switching from breast to bottle.
  

This often happens when:

• The suck reflex integrates around 3-4 months.
  
• There are subtle oral motor challenges.
  
• The bottle flow doesn't match the flow of the breast.
  
• They prefer the breast’s movement and feel.
  

A 3 month old refusing the bottle is very common. What makes it more challenging is that it usually coincides with mom returning to work.
A 4 month old refusing the bottle is also common, as babies become more aware and opinionated.

This usually requires intentional strategy, not just “try another bottle.”

Bottle Refusal by Age

Parents search by age because they’re trying to figure out what’s normal.

3 Month Old Refusing Bottle

3 months is the most common age I see for bottle refusal.

At this age:

• Reflexive sucking becomes voluntary (they lose the reflex that makes them suck on the bottle).
• They undergo a lot of changes in the structure of the mouth and jaw.
• Babies are more aware.

If your 3 month old is refusing the bottle, it’s often skill-related and due to changes in the mouth, not stubbornness.

Your 3 month old is not refusing the bottle because they only want to breastfeed. Most of the time, they are actually unable to drink from the bottle even though they want to.

4 - 5 Month Old Refusing Bottle

Four months brings:

• Continued oral structure changes of the mouth and jaw
• Distraction
• Changes in development
• Increased awareness

Your 4-5 month old baby may:

• Struggle to stabilize the nipple in their mouth.
• Push the bottle away.
• Turn their head.
• Seem uninterested. 

This does not mean they don't need milk. 

6 - 9 Month Old Refusing Bottle

6-9 month old babies sometimes still have not mastered the bottle. This was the case with Elliot. Despite feeding therapy, he never figured the bottle out. Instead, we focused on introducing the cup (as discussed later).

If your 6, 7, 8 or 9 month old baby used to take a bottle, but suddenly stops, here is what I think about…

• Distraction Is at an All-Time High: Between 6–9 months, babies are socially aware and wildly curious. If your baby is pushing the bottle away, they may simply want to:
  • Look around
  • Crawl
  • Practice new skills
  • Watch people
  •  It means feeding may need a quieter, lower-stimulation environment.
• Solids May Be Competing With Milk Around 6 months, solids are introduced. Some babies think: “Food is fun. Bottles are boring.” If your baby is eating solids well but refusing the bottle, make sure:
  • Milk is offered before solids.
  • Solids are not replacing milk too early.
  • Caregivers understand milk is still the primary nutrition source under age one.
    
• Teething Starts: Many babies get their first teeth between 6–9 months. If your teething baby won’t take a bottle, check for:
  • Swollen gums
  • Increased drooling
  • Night waking
  • Chewing behavior
• They May Be Ready for a Different Drinking Method. Some babies in this age range:
  • Refuse bottles
  • But happily drink from a straw cup
    

If your 6 to  9 month old is refusing the bottle consistently, you may experiment with:

• Straw cups
  
• Open cups (with support)
  
• Milk mixed into purees (under the supervision of your pediatric provider)
  

At this stage, flexibility can be helpful.

10 - 11 Month Old Refusing Bottle

If your 10 - 11 month old is refusing the bottle:

This may be due to:

• Increased solid intake
• Bottle flow being too slow
• Preference for cups
• Developmental independence
• Teething
• Or weaning behavior

At this age, we often transition to:

• Straw cups
• Open cups
• Milk mixed into solids

It’s less about “fixing” bottle refusal and more about adjusting strategy.

What Does Bottle Refusal Look Like?

Bottle refusal can manifest in various ways. Some common signs include:

Turning away: The baby turns their head away from the bottle.

Crying: The baby cries or fusses when the bottle is offered.

Pushing the bottle away: The baby uses their hands to push the bottle away.

Refusing to suck: The baby holds the bottle nipple in their mouth but refuses to suck.

Playing with the nipple: Baby moves their tongue around but won’t suck

Attempting to suck: Sometimes babies look like they want to take the bottle, but are unable to.

Babies with situational bottle refusal often have decreased appetites and may take smaller amounts than usual, though they still take some portion of the bottle whenever it is offered.

Recognizing these signs can help you identify bottle refusal early and take steps to address it.

Is Bottle Refusal a Phase and How Long Does Bottle Refusal Last?

For many babies, bottle refusal is situational and they will start taking a bottle. The duration can vary widely depending on the underlying cause. Some babies might refuse the bottle for a few days, while many babies never end up taking bottles.

If bottle refusal is due to teething or a temporary illness, it usually resolves once the baby feels better. However, if the refusal persists for an extended period, it might be necessary to explore other underlying issues or seek advice from a healthcare professional (like me).

Bottle Refusal and Teething

How do you know if bottle refusal is related to teething?

Teething is one reason a baby may refuse a bottle. 

The process of teething can cause gum discomfort and pain, making sucking on a bottle nipple uncomfortable. Signs that teething might be the cause of bottle refusal include:

- Drooling: Excessive drooling is a sign of teething.

- Chewing on Objects: The baby might chew on toys or their fingers to relieve gum pain.

- Irritability: Teething can make babies irritable and fussy.

- Swollen Gums: Red, swollen gums can indicate teething.

Here’s the deal: most teething babies STILL take bottles easily. Theoretically, if your baby is teething and refusing a bottle, they should start taking it once the pain is gone. You can try a dose of weight-based tylenol to see if it helps your baby take a bottle. If it doesn’t, your baby is likely not refusing a bottle because of teething. 

Not interested in tylenol? You can try offering a chilled teething ring before feeding to numb the gums or decrease the swelling.

Is your baby closer to 3 or 4 months? Yes - teething can affect babies this young, however, it happens more commonly right before teeth erupt through the gumline. 

If your baby is around this age and won’t keep a bottle in their mouth ever, there is likely something else going on.

How to Overcome Bottle Refusal & Bottle Refusal Tips

Bottle refusal can feel overwhelming to overcome - especially when it is not related to illness and is persistent.

There is a huge mental barrier when you are worried that your baby is not going to eat while you are separated.

I see moms who are considering quitting their jobs or driving to daycare twice per day to feed their baby.

These may work for some families, but sometimes it is not an option.

Some parents start solids early (like we did with Elliot) because baby has to eat.

Overcoming bottle refusal requires a lot of patience and some trial and error. Here are some tips to help:

• Try Different Bottles and Nipple SHAPES: By the time parents ask for help, they have often tried 5+ different types of bottles. I’m less concerned about the bottles than I am about the nipple shape. You can try different shaped nipples and different flow rates. Some favorites are:

• Dr. Brown’s with size 1 (comes with the bottles) or Transitional nipples

• Pigeon bottles with S nipples

• Evenflo

• Make sure the flow is fast enough: paced bottle feeding is great in some situations. This is not one of them. Until we know why your baby is refusing a bottle, we don’t want to make getting milk harder than it should be. The flow of the nipple should be fast enough that your baby isn’t putting in so much effort, but slow enough that your baby isn’t gagging or sputtering.

• Adjust milk temperature: Ensure the milk is at a comfortable temperature. Test different temperatures to see what your baby prefers. Generally, this is not the issue, but it’s something that is easy to try.

• Change feeding positions: Try different feeding positions. Some babies prefer to be held upright, while others might like a cradled position. Choose a location that is not where mom breastfeeds. Sometimes swaying, bouncing on a yoga ball or being outside helps. You may also find success when your baby is laying on their back on the ground, though it is counterintuitive. Whatever you do, make sure your baby has good support while feeding.

• Offer when calm: Offer the bottle when your baby is calm and not overly hungry or upset. Have you ever been hangry and then had someone try to give you food you didn’t want to eat? It would make you mad, too. 

• Start slow: let your baby use the bottle nipple as a pacifier. Point the nipple upward toward to back to help your baby stabilize the bottle nipple. If they consistently start sucking, try a small amount of milk. Continue doing this without pressure once or twice per day if they are interested.

• Try not to show your stress: Yes. It is scary and hard and frustrating, but babies pick up on that anxiety (easier said than done, right?).

• Be Patient: Don't force the bottle. If you try to force your baby to eat, everyone will lose. If they start crying when they see the bottle, make sure to stop.

• Consult a professional: If you’ve done ALL the things and your baby won’t take a bottle, it is time to ask for help. Click here for a one-on-one consult.

Bottle Aversion vs. Bottle Refusal

It's important to distinguish between bottle refusal and bottle aversion. Bottle aversion is a more serious and persistent issue when baby starts associating negative emotions with the baby bottle.

Bottle aversion can develop if a baby has had negative feeding experiences, such as being force-fed, severe reflux or experiencing pain during feeding. Signs of bottle aversion include:

- Intense distress: Extreme crying or distress at the sight of the bottle.

- Complete Refusal: Persistent refusal to drink from the bottle even when hungry.

- Negative associations: The baby associates the bottle with discomfort or distress.

Addressing bottle aversion requires a gentle and patient approach, which may or may not be different than a bottle refusal approach.

How to Avoid Bottle Refusal

Preventing bottle refusal can save a lot of stress for both the baby and the parents. Here are some preventative measures:

• Introduce the Bottle Early: If you're breastfeeding, introduce the bottle early when your baby still has a strong suck reflex, around 4-6 weeks, to help your baby get used to it.

• Make It Routine: Regularly offer the bottle even if breastfeeding to keep your baby familiar with it.

• Positive Associations: Create positive associations with bottle-feeding by ensuring the baby is comfortable and calm during feedings.

• Avoid Pressure: Never force your baby to take the bottle. Forcing can create negative associations and lead to aversion.

• Responsive Feeding: Follow your baby’s cues and offer the bottle when they are hungry and calm.

• Regular Practice: Even if breastfeeding, offer the bottle every other day or more frequently.

Bottle refusal can be a challenging and stressful issue for parents. Remember, every baby is different, and what works for one might not work for another. If bottle refusal persists, you’ve tried everything or it becomes a significant concern, message me at erin@fedwithloveco.com to talk about ways I can help or schedule a consult.

PS - I shared my story about Elliot refusing bottles. It made his 4-10 months so stressful. I was able to stay home from work until he was 9 months, but still had to be separated. We mixed breastmilk, formula and baby cereal into pouches while we were separated. 

He started taking a cup around 10 months, and we were able to move to cup feeding entirely around 11 months.

He is now a thriving toddler and kid, hitting all developmental milestones and without speech delays.

I will always remember how much of a struggle bottle refusal was, which is why I spent a lot of time doing continuing education in order to help families.

*This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase these products with my links, I will get a small percentage at no extra cost to you. This helps support my business and family.