Hello!

My baby is 2.5 months old and is formula fed. He has always fed well but in the last 2 weeks he has really gone off his bottle. He should be on around 150ml per feed, and sometimes we struggle to get him to take 90ml, or even 30mls. He just cries the moment you put the bottle near his mouth and won’t take it.

He is very happy, active, engaged and seems to still be at a healthy weight. He normally poos every 2-3 days (and has from about 2 weeks old) and we haven’t noticed any difference in his bowels. We recently changed his teat which worked for about a day but now he is back to refusing.

He is also drooling a lot which is something new that has only started in the last 2 weeks as well.

We are not too stressed and will take him to the doctor if he continues to refuse. But I wanted to see if others had similar experience and, if so, if you have any advice.


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  • The Child and Parenting Helpline can be very helpful with these situations. Just keep offering and I’m sure he’ll pick up. It’s probably just a phase while teething


  • My babies were breastfed, I never had this issue. I would be to the dr for a check up tho. Non drinking causes dehydration pretty fast. Lucky you only a poopy nappy every 2 days. Wow!!!!!


  • My kids both went through times they just absolutely refused. Stay consistent and maybe offer in a diff bottle?


  • Sounds like he is starting teething. He might be reject the bottle as his month is sore.


  • Bub might be teething which in that case you could do with teething rings or cold wet washer rung out and kept in fridge. Could be need to try another teat again or different formula.


  • Is little one teething?
    Have you tried different bottles, I know that my little one sometimes only takes 30ml or 60ml I just go with the flow and give him another bottle when he wants it, but that’s just me. I hope you work it out, good luck mumma


  • I think it’s teething if he is drooling also as that;s the main indicator and some babies do get teeth early. Have you tried getting the same style teat as before? Sometimes they also just are not that hungry as long as he is no losing weight I wouldn’t be too concerned at least he is still drinking something.


  • Have you tried different bottles and again different teats? Different formula? Sometimes it is trial and error with children.


  • Expressed for my children, and also formula fed. At one stage one of them wouldn’t take the breastmilk which was gutting, as I was working so hard to express for him! But he just preferred the formula, so I stopped expressing after a while. Maybe he has gone off the taste of it and you could try a new formula? But as you say e is still doing all the right things – I thi k he will eat when he is hungry, and like you said, if it remains a problem, then a trip to the doctors would be in order


  • Sounds like teething to me too, use some bonjela before feeds and see how you go. Also cold wet face washers, or cold teething rings, especially during summer


  • I agree it’s likely teething. Sometimes even if they’re not in pain they feel something funny going on in their mouth and the bottle might amplify it. You’re doing and checking all the right things though so hopefully bub adjusts soon.


  • Did u changed formula recently?


  • It’s OK, and normal, for babies to eat a bit less during teething. Just keep offering food and your baby will feed again when the pain is gone. Ibuprofen can reduce the inflammation and minimize the pain, and help your child start eating again.
    Alternatively you could feed him when he’s sleepy or feed him per spoon/siringe


  • Sounds like teething to me – try a teething ring and see if he is happier. If he is generally happy and active, then I doubt you have too much of a problem. Does he bite down hard when you check his gums?


  • If you’re thinking of giving him something to chew on, I agree that teething could be a possibility, my son always enjoyed the rings that you can freeze.


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