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Midwife and child health nurse Jane Barry explained why you should not force your baby to feed when they drink a different amount of milk than usual.
Bottle-fed babies and breast-fed babies are fed in different ways. One of the main differences is that breastfed babies regulate their milk intake, while bottle-fed babies are more influenced by the person holding them and the bottle.
The bottle can easily see how much milk the baby has drunk. It is also easier to compare with the amount of feeding in the early days, and it also reassures parents that babies can drink as much milk as they drink. Although having this kind of clarity can also cause concern.
It's easy to worry when babies don't drink as much milk as they usually do, or when they make a fuss and reject their usual quota (the amount of milk suitable for their age).
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Knowing that your baby is not eating well can put you under pressure. Source: iStock.
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For many reasons, babies may start to become picky eaters. Physical discomfort, feeding too quickly, being submerged in milk, and/or associating breastfeeding with pain are some common causes.
Even after these problems are resolved, the infant's behavior may continue because they have developed a "picky eater" habit.
Normally developed, healthy and thriving babies know when they are full and need to stop sucking. Unless they have problems with their digestion or intestines, their stomachs communicate with their brains that they are full, or they just want to be full.
If their baby does not drink the same amount of formula every time, then parents who like to control themselves may worry about what will happen. The core of it is to sincerely hope to give the baby the best. Over time, these concerns will become more complicated-babies become more and more picky about feeding, and parents have come up with various ways to get their babies to drink more milk.
Related: My baby is crying. Is it colic?
When parents try to "eat more," babies become more and more picky. Source: iStock.
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When babies are picky eaters, a battle of wills may begin. They will do their best to express that they do not want to feed anymore, but the parents keep pushing the bottle onto the baby. Then the baby may develop an aversion to eating.
Infants who hate feeding can be bottle-fed, but they can only partially feed or may refuse to feed altogether. Feeding aversion means that they no longer associate feeding with happiness, but with feeling stressed. Parents also feel anxious about the timing of feeding and communicate their feelings to the baby.
Distraction then becomes the default strategy during feeding. Parents usually start to shake, walk, and bounce, and usually do their best to get the baby to suck rather than leave the pacifier. Soon after, feeding is no longer a time of relaxation and calm, but becomes bearable instead of enjoyment. This is important for babies and parents.
The bottle can be tolerated rather than enjoyed. Source: iStock.
Individual babies will show signs of their own "satisfaction", but usually:
Some or all of these behaviors are typical.
When the bottle is close to their mouth, they feel pressure. Source: iStock.
It is important to respect the baby's right to know when to eat and when not to eat.
The biggest motivation for babies to suck is hunger. Although babies already know that feeding is unpleasant and stressful, they may not feed even if they are hungry.
Written for Kidspot by midwife and child health nurse Jane Barry.
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