how to overcome bottle aversion
Keep the texture level consistent throughout, carefully removing lumps. I don’t know exactly why I’ve got the aversion, maybe just a thought that it’ll smell bad, or taste bad, or just something totally irrational about putting my mouth on her genitals, or vice versa. On one hand, I knew that we needed to stick to the program – no pressure and back off at the first sign of rejection. He didn’t immediately scream as he typically did…. You couldn’t use distractions ( TV, toys, etc.. ) and you had to stick to this type of schedule until the aversion was conquered. Turns out she has CMPI and is like a different baby now she is completely dairy free. My daughter @madison._.willow has struggled with it since 8 weeks when she completely refused to breast and bottle feed. After we conquered the aversion, he was 100% happier baby who could do tummy time right after his feeds without any spit up or discomfort. I was done with it. The next day was bad. It doesn't suddenly cease because the feed has ended. Was this what it had to take? If we are able to overcome risk aversion, we are able to have more chances to make decisions that can make our lives more exciting, fun and grand. In my sleepless night that night, I stumbled upon Rowena Bennette’s book on Amazon on bottle aversions. Unpleasant or invasive medical interventions such nasal or oral suctioning, feeding tube insertion, intubation, being forced to take foul-tasting medicines could cause the baby to develop aversive behavior in relation to feeding. This not only causes more work and more worry for parents, it can cause additional problems for the baby over the long term. If you avoid giving your baby anything but smooth foods, he won't learn to chew properly and can develop a long-term aversion to chewy foods. By. Giving the paci and then switching it out for the bottle is pressuring baby and is a form of trickery. Remember, your baby is not doing this to spite you, but because she doesn’t know any better. And if I am looking for a discounted bottle, I have no business up in the counter — I will look only through the bottles places on the table in front. Children who don't chew properly try to swallow chewy foods without breaking them down enough, which can lead to gagging and vomiting. We have the opportunity for standing up for an idea or ideal — and we also strengthen our bodies, minds, and souls. Danny wasn’t anywhere near that weight – height chart. If it is painful for her to feed during the day or while awake, its reasonable to expect it would also be painful for her to feed at night or when ‘sleep-feeding’. After discharge, we went to our first appointment at the pediatrician’s office. At first, Danny was ok with the increased volume. The following list includes common causes. He was NOT happy about the switch. Parents often feel like their baby is rejecting them (which is not the case). But when it came to switching to formula, we were told he needed Alimentum. This does not imply that your baby is not affected by these problems, rather that these problems are unlikely to be the cause of her current problematic feeding behavior. Did your preemie have feeding issues? Losing some money, a bottle of water or even your home is most likely not a life-or-death scenario. We were officially aversion free! A feeding aversion refers to a situation where a baby - who is physically capable of feeding or eating - exhibits partial or full food refusal. It’s more important than ever to take a risk in life. As soon as we were  no longer able to feed Danny while he was awake, I knew we had a potential aversion on our hands. It was a Saturday morning in December when we started the program. I kept a journal of the the amount of formula he drank each day. Stress triggers a flight or fight response. He didn’t scream when being put in the feeding position. Turns out she has CMPI and is like a different baby now she is completely dairy free. After reading Rowena’s book I learned about pressure and force feeding a baby. Because the baby's aversive feeding behavior is a conditioned response, the resolution of a feeding aversion is not simply a matter of removing the stimulus and suddenly the baby willingly feeds in a relaxed state. I kept on questioning whether I was making the right decision. Your doctor might refer your baby to an occupational therapist for assessment of oral aversion due to a sensory processing disorder. After we were done, a decision was made: we were going to give Rowena’s program a shot – it simply MADE SENSE. As a therapist, it’s clear to me that a fear of confrontation is at the root of … In tears, I went down the rabbit hole of Dr. Google. Conditions affecting a baby's mouth, throat, esophagus or gastrointestinal tract, such as mouth ulcers, acid reflux, milk allery or intolerance, chronic constipation, could cause a baby to associate eating with discomfort. It was heartbreaking. As if giving a traumatic birth and experiencing NICU wasn’t enough – now they had to have their babies get NG and G tubes. Seven Ways To Cure Your Aversion To Risk. Failure to identify and eliminate the stimulus means baby’s conditioned response (aversive behavior in regards to feeding or eating) may continue to be reinforced, and thus her fussy feeding behavior or food refusal can continue for weeks, months or years. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They are their own little people, and they KNOW how much their bodies can handle. His tiny belly wasn’t able to handle all that volume. Jul 20, 2020 - Learn how to overcome the issue of baby refusing bottle in this comprehensive guide about feeding aversion and specifically, bottle-feeding aversion. Parents wrote that they could only feed their babies in a semi-drowsy state or only while they slept ( dream feeds ). Obviously a mother cannot force her breastfed baby to feed. Once the condition causing the baby's discomfort is effectively treated, her troubled feeding behavior will fade and disappear. In the NICU, so much emphasis is placed on feedings. The distress displayed by babies who have developed an aversion to feeding can be so intense that it appears like they are suffering from pain. The program outlined in Rowena’s book told us that we had to take all pressure away from feeding. After his 3 PM feed, he cried himself to sleep and was able to take a short nap. If rejected again, put away the bottle and go on with your day. If your baby predictably feeds well in certain situations, for example during the night or while drowsy or asleep, pain is unlikely to be the cause of her aversive feeding behavior at other feed times. There are many techniques that can be used by your therapist. Truly heartbreaking. He would spit up an oz, sometimes more, sometimes the entire feed. It is absolutely disgusting. 7 Ways To Overcome Anxiety About Corona Virus. Until one day, he’d decided that he wasn’t going to be force fed gross Alimentum any longer and no amount of physical power was going to change his mind. (. Identifying the cause is essential if the problem is to be resolved. This is the eco guilt talking. No matter how much “I” wanted him to drink more – I had to learn how to trust my son and he had to learn how to trust me again. This can be contributing to the continued feeding aversion. Danny hated it. This article describes reasons why hungry babies refuse to eat. He would arch his back, turn his head away violently and fight me during every single feed until I eventually won by pressuring him to eat and basically shoving a nipple down his throat. I bought 5 different bottles with 3 different flows for each of the bottle and nothing worked. 2. This is particularly true of infants who are tube fed early on. I made this infographic based on my personal experience with Danny’s bottle aversion – please feel free to reference it, share it and use it to help you correctly identifying an aversion. When he woke up, he was LIVID. It is not uncommon for children to seek out oral … Parents also have the additional worry about their baby’s health and growth. If your baby is still fussing or fighting feeds two weeks after commencing medications, there's a good chance that acid reflux is not responsible her troubled feeding behavior. After talking to the doctors, we made a decision to go ahead and start the program recommended in Rowena’s book. Clamp her mouth shut and turn her head away from the breast, bottle, spoon or food. Please note: H2 antagonists and proton pump inhibitors used in the treatment of acid reflux are extremely effective in reducing the production of stomach acid. On the other hand, I seriously worried about dehydration. I kept on with absolutely NO PRESSURE during feeds. . Yes, food aversion due to underlying medical cause happens. Babies can develop an aversion to breastfeeding, bottle-feeding and/or solid foods. The next day, I reached out to our speech therapist and pediatrician. I learned that I was the one responsible for Danny’s aversion. on. In my opinion, no baby care problem is more soul destroying for a parent than an infant’s feeding aversion. At 5 PM he drank 6 oz, and at 8 PM another 4 before pushing the nipple out. In the NICU, so much emphasis is … If the above strategies fail to resolve a baby's aversive feeding behavior some healthcare professionals recommend one or more of the following strategies to address growth concerns. And it definitely cannot be achieved without asking parents about their infant feeding practices. It sucks to admit, but I definitely played a part in the development of his bottle aversion. We went on with our routines. We bought the book and devoured it in pretty much one sitting ( each reading it on our phones). We, as parents, MUST TRUST our little ones when it comes to feeding. [Photo: ... Why Sprite is ditching green bottles Impact I'll pull some documents and as soon as I hear from you, I'll send them to you. If medical treatments fail to resolve your baby's feeding problem, extend your search to cover other potential causes, in particular behavioral reasons such as being pressured to eat. However, pain is not the only reason for babies to become distressed during feeds. Consequently, countless families needlessly suffer emotional and financial stress associated … A process of elimination can help you decide if pain is likely. I became obsessed with feeding him and making sure he grows. He wasn’t sick, him gums looked fine and he was a happy, content baby all other time of the day. Without taking risks, you can’t move your life forward. We tried different bottles, different nipples, different flows, different temperatures of the formula. My daughter was NG fed until last week due to a feeding aversion. It was incredible to see the change in him. He began to physically fear the bottle. Of course, Danny rejected his first feed of the day. Therefore, they are ill equipped to guide and support parents to resolve this complex and highly stressful situation. If you think your preemie MAY be developing an aversion, I strongly recommend reading Rowena’s book ( no, I am not getting compensated for sharing her resource ). Seek medical advice from your pediatrician before implementing ANY program in combatting your child’s aversion. While they may forget themselves and start sucking, they’ll quickly turn their head away, gag, or vomit. An aversion involves a conditioned response. A baby with an oral aversion will refuse both the breast and the bottle. DON’T GIVE YOUR BABY MEDICATIONS BEFORE OR AFTER FEEDS. We asked for “safety” recommendations ( the minimum amount of oz’s Danny needed to drink in order to function ). Pain fades away. His doctor made a point to tell me that the most important thing for him was to eat and to grow. By Szilvia Lanzas. He wanted nothing to do with it. This wasn’t leading anywhere, and it wasn’t going to end well if we didn’t deal with the issue right away. We felt that we could no longer continue feeding Danny only while he was in a semi drowsy state. They can display aversive behavior to lumps in food or the smell, taste or feel of certain foods. Please note: DO NOT use any of the above strategies unless advised to do so by your baby's doctor. If we force our ideas of “how much they SHOULD be drinking”, an aversion is most likely inevitable. Discomfort associated with acid reflux or milk protein allergy or intolerance, chronic constipation is not restricted to feed times. Complex Child is an online monthly magazine about caring for a child with complex medical needs or a disability. He was wailing and I was on the verge of a mental breakdown as well. Jun 2, 2019 - Learn how to overcome the issue of baby refusing bottle in this comprehensive guide about feeding aversion and specifically, bottle-feeding aversion. She was on maximum dose of gaviscon, ranitidine, omeprazole and domperidone and still continued with severe reflux symptoms. A baby may develop an aversion owing to fright as a result of a choking episode. If you are dealing with an aversion right now, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I knew I couldn’t just sit idle and “wait it out”. The following treatments are often recommended by medical practitioners to remedy a baby's troubled feeding behavior suspected of being caused by pain. I used to do the same thing, until I learned that it was attributing to the problem. I read every single review. So whatever methods you are doing right now, change immediately. We needed to act NOW before it got out of hand. Hello Moms, Have any of you were able to overcome bottle aversion?!! If rejected, wait 5 minutes and offer it again. I continued my research on aversions. In fact, it is suggested that a baby is over their bottle aversion before moving to solid foods. Children with a sensory processing disorder perceive sensation differently to other children. Being comfortable with risk means changing your mindset–here’s how. Why Overcome risk aversion? How to control your anxiety during these times? Changing formula, Reflux Med and Therapy? Repeated stressful feeding experiences can cause parents to dread feeding times. He checked all the boxes for an aversion, and I had zero doubt that this is what we were dealing with. With the rise in reported cases of the new corona virus around the world, many people are feeling anxious and afraid about a looming pandemic. But time is running out and you need to find a … My takeaway from the experience was this: If you think that your baby may be experiencing an aversion, TRUST your baby and your instincts. Holding on tight to what you have isn’t always the best option anymore. He opened his mouth, drank the formula willingly and pushed the bottle out when he was ready. A feeding aversion refers to a situation where a baby, who is physically capable of feeding or eating, exhibits a partial or full food refusal. Even when held, he had this low, painful whine that accompanied him whenever he exhaled. After 45 days of ZERO pressure, he drank 28 – 36 ounces of formula willingly. There are many other possible reasons for a baby to display aversive behavior in regards to breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or eating solid foods. He began fighting me every single time I would try to give him his medications. Skip feedings or meals without distress; or appear hungry but refuse to eat. Here are a few clues. Hindsight 20/20. My daughter was NG fed until last week due to a feeding aversion. Similarly, if your baby's troubled behavior continues two weeks after switching to a specialized hypoallergenic formula, the reason may be that milk protein allergy or intolerance is not the cause. The cause of an infant feeding problem could be due to one or a combination of different causes. If growth is compromised it may become necessary for the baby to have a feeding tube inserted to deliver nutrients directly into her stomach, bypassing the need for her to feed. I prepared the bottle, and put him in the feeding position…, He looked at me and then at the bottle. The percentage of babies who display avoidant feeding behavior as a result of an aversion to breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or solids is unknown. Bottle aversion and pain is a definite issue with GERD. Your doctor might refer your baby to a speech therapist to assess her ability to suck and swallow effectively. Now, if I am looking for a sweet jam, I will only look at the top aisle. I prepared myself mentally for another rejection. Conflicted feeding behavior where baby takes a few sucks, sharply turns away or arches back, cries, quickly returns and wants to suck again, takes a few sucks, turns away or arches back, cries, returns to feeding and so on, is often interpreted by parents and others as pain, but its not necessarily due to pain. It broke my heart to read about parents whose babies were dealing with an undiagnosed aversion ( especially NICU parents and babies ). At one end of the spectrum, a baby might simply refuse to eat a particular food owing to a bad experience while eating that food. Prior to tube feeding, many children start to limit their oral intake because of medical issues — reflux, food allergies, motility issues, aspiration, or … The book had a Kindle edition, and based on the reviews from other parents it was going to give me advice on how to deal with his aversion. Your baby would display signs of discomfort or distress at other times in addition to feed times. The following are a few examples of problems that have the potential to develop when an infant feeding aversion continues over the long term. They may even refuse to allow anything to touch their mouth. But not as bad as Day 1. find out all about it. [5] It happened because of several factors which were applied to him overtime. Danny lasted on my breastmilk for 6 months ( I had a solid frozen supply left ) and I was happy I was able to give him 6 months worth of my breastmilk. However, following repeated exposure baby learns to associate the act of feeding or eating with the stimulus and may then start to fuss or refuse to feed or eat prior to the stimulus occurring. Feeding a baby should be an enjoyable experience for all involved, however when baby repeatedly refuses to feed despite being hungry this makes feeding a frustrating and stressful experience for all involved. She may also miss out on the developmental skills gained from feeding from a breast or bottle and from eating solid foods. So you need to be sure the diagnosis is correct. Regardless of the frequency of treatment, therapists should focus on reinforcing the positive as small and measurable goals are practiced in a controlled and structured treatment environment. I, of course, just thinking that since Danny was prescribed it, continued weening him off of my sweet tasting breastmilk and onto dog-poo-smelling Alimentum. Published. You could see how hungry he was. We reached out to a Nurse Practitioner we kept in touch with from the NICU and asked similar questions. Next, came the meds. Sure, it’s a pain and can be traumatizing, but it’s not like it was 200.000 years ago. When a baby has developed a feeding aversion, feeding becomes stressful for the baby and for parents. Any feeding situation that results in a baby becoming frightened or stressed has the potential to trigger partial or complete food refusal. Our mission behind this business is to help raise awareness for infant bottle aversion and help spread the word for other suffering mothers like myself. Babies who have developed a feeding aversion will often refuse to be fed while lying in a parent’s arms. Like being late, or not being the first one to arrive makes me wanna cry, unmanageable breathing issues and … He didn’t take a nap, and by the time 8 PM came around he was really pale, looked dejected and completely exhausted. Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve tasted Alimentum…. Feeding in a drowsy state also does not help baby overcome feeding aversion. He was crying nonstop. Your Baby's Bottle-feeding Aversion: Reasons And Solutions Hell Will Come for Us All Xenocide Aversion (The Mentalist Series, Band 1) Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating: A Step-by-Step Guide for Overcoming Selective Eating, Food Aversion, and Feeding Disorders (English Edition) Tyrant Hyperbolic absolute risk aversion All-Inclusive Self-Assessment - More than 700 … To him, starving was “safer” than accepting the bottle. January 5, 2021 January 5, 2021 by mattannadanny. To encourage a child with oral aversion occurring due to a sensory processing disorder to feed as normal as possible requires a very long process lasting months or years. Please share any story if possible!!! Post was not sent - check your email addresses! For her, the only milk supply she cares about comes from her mom. Failure to accurately identify the stimulus is likely to result in a treatment plan that is ineffective. Identifying the cause of a feeding aversion, explaining this from a baby's perspective and providing parents with information on effective strategies to resolve this problem is not something that can be achieved during a brief consultation. Moving to solids doesn’t take away a baby’s feeding aversion and can even make them adverse to solid foods. Nishitha Prakash . After his second Barium Swallow Test showed aspirations and not much improvement from the first, I threw in “the pumping towel”. [Desensitization is defined as the diminished emotional responsiveness to a negative or aversive stimulus after repeated exposure to it. We must be sensitive towards our little ones and respect them just as much as any other human being. So how can you tell if pain is the cause of a baby’s troubled feeding behavior? Has anyone tried to overcome an aversion … I made a point to start giving him more milk right away. I was giving Danny his 2 reflux medications 3 times a day, right before feeds via the nipple. A breastfed baby may develop an aversion to breastfeeding in situations where the mother repeatedly attempts to force her baby to the breast (owing to concerns that her baby has not fed for long enough). “Unfortunately, as bottle aversion is a behavioural issue, all they could really do is give her an NG (nasogastric) tube for her nutrients. That would be a huge step back – it would be a complete blow to all of the feeding struggles we already overcame. Without pinpointing the stimulus its possible that the baby may continue to be exposed to the stimulus and as a consequence her aversion to feeding will continue to be reinforced. The baby fusses, kicks and screams during the feed. Is this what parental neglect looks like? The fight was simply too much. Preemies are more susceptible to aversions. There was a lot of pressure for Danny to drink all of his milk, so he can grow and get stronger and eventually go home. 3. He rejected his second feed of the day: cried bloody murder, arched his back and clamped his mouth shut. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me, 10 Times I Wanted to Slap Someone While in the NICU. children with severe oral aversion overcome challenges in such a way that allows them to best develop emerging skills. Oh, and by the way, we never resumed the reflux medications. I pressured him into eating and force fed him when he refused to finish his feeds. Possibly because aversive feeding behavior displayed by babies is in general poorly recognized, often misdiagnosed and mismanaged. To say that I felt discouraged and defeated was an understatement. Danny rejected his morning and afternoon feeds, but at 3 PM he accepted the bottle and drank 3 oz. My plan was to dream-feed him a bottle if this last attempt didn’t work out, as stated in the book, and suggested by our doctor. Address the underlying cause. Danny’s bottle aversion didn’t just happen overnight. The treatment of a feeding aversion differs depending on the cause or stimulus. An older baby or young child might miss out on important vitamins, minerals or nutrients as a result of food refusal. Therefore pain is typically the first thing blamed by parents, and by health professionals during brief consultations, when other causes for a baby's aversive feeding behavior are not obvious. I used to do the same thing, until I learned that it was attributing to the problem. I contacted our pediatician and explained the situation and our findings. I began mixing his medications into his bottles instead. If your baby's aversion presents primarily as food avoidance, consider the possibility of behavioral causes. Feeding in a drowsy state also does not help baby overcome feeding aversion. That number slowly started to increase every day until we reached 22oz ( even though it was suggested that he drank 28 – 32 oz at that time  for his age ). The entire world is scared at this point of time. What is bottle-feeding aversion? Offer the bottle again during the next scheduled feed ( 2-3 hours later ). If your baby feeds well at some feeds for example in a sleepy state, or has fed well in the past prior to developing a feeding aversion, its unlikely that the source of her fussy feeding behavior or food refusal is due a sucking or swallowing problem. How To Overcome Your Baby’s Bottle Aversion? We do work on it the same as a picky eater with how we are presenting foods, etc (as well as continuing to treat the underlying causes and make sure to follow dietary restrictions). The next few hours were hell. I heated up some more formula and tried to offer him “seconds”, but he rejected it. Please comment below and share your experience. Your Baby's Bottle-feeding Aversion: Reasons And Solutions Hell Will Come for Us All Xenocide Aversion (The Mentalist Series, Band 1) Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating: A Step-by-Step Guide for Overcoming Selective Eating, Food Aversion, and Feeding Disorders (English Edition) Tyrant Hyperbolic absolute risk aversion All-Inclusive Self-Assessment - More than 700 … Once you know if your baby has a feeding aversion or not, be sure to address the underlying cause. . In my latest book, Your Baby’s Bottle-feeding Aversion, I describe. The transition between the breast and a bottle can be slow, but a gradual introduction of bottles solves that problem. If your baby is content between feeds, pain is unlikely. Without much hesitation, Matt and I decided to go for it. I was always stressed out and worried about him not eating enough. The percentage of babies who display avoidant feeding behavior as a result of an aversion to breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or solids is unknown. Chewing helps develop … Matt and I informed her that we wanted to go ahead with the program. While the above strategies can be effective in minimizing growth delay associated with a feeding aversion in some cases, they generally do nothing to address the underlying cause of a baby's fussy feeding behavior or food refusal. Initially, baby's fussy or distressed behavior occurs in direct response to the stimulus (the thing or situation causing the feeding experience to be unpleasant, stressful or painful). Babies who exhibit oral aversion (the reluctance, avoidance, or fear of eating, drinking, or accepting sensation in or around the mouth) refuse to eat or experience significant distress during feeding, causing them to receive inadequate nutrition. A feeding aversion can become even more complex when other feeding problems are involved. … His fighting was getting stronger and stronger with every single feed. I have read about aversions briefly. Both of them said that is was NOT a bottle aversion and that “we needed to give it time”. He was irritable, cranky and just wanted to be held most of the day. https://www.babycareadvice.com/blogs/bottle-feeding/feeding-aversion It was really frustrating because I was really trying to make him gain weight but he would just split everything up. She NEVER wanted her milk. And began the most difficult few days of our lives post discharge from the NICU. He paused and I thought that we were going to break through, but then proceeded to cry even harder…. If your baby displays any unusual signs that might indicate illness or a physical problem, or if you are worried that your baby is suffering from pain, have her examined by a doctor. He was way below that “curved line”. But then he started to spit up A LOT. We highly recommend working with a feeding therapist to help your child overcome oral aversions, begin to form a positive relationship with food, and learn the oral skills necessary for eating and food progression. A vicious cycle can develop. The last straw came when we were switching from breastmilk to formula. (See bottle-feeding problems.). A food aversion may start when a baby wants to breastfeed rather than take a bottle. As a result of being tube feed the baby is prevented from self-regulating her dietary intake (deciding for herself when she is full) and she may become desensitized to her own internal cues that indicate hunger and satiety (satisfaction). 11 months ago. When he would spit up, I’d get upset and think that *all that work* was for nothing ( thawing the milk/ heating up a bottle / thickening the feed / waiting for the thickner to take effect ). By 3 PM he still hasn’t drank any type of liquid and I was beginning to worry about dehydration. I felt so incredibly relieved that he was able to at least take in 8 oz by himself without a fight.
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