OBJECTIVE:

To provide practical, dad-friendly strategies for overcoming bottle refusal while promoting bonding, flexibility, and feeding success.

Why It Happens:

Babies may refuse a bottle for several reasons, including:

  • Preference for breastfeeding or a specific feeding routine

  • Unfamiliar bottle feel, flow, or nipple shape

  • Temperature of the milk

  • Feeding position or environment

  • Teething or growth spurts

💡 Dad Tip: Bottle refusal is common — and temporary. Patience and persistence go a long way.

Step-by-Step: What To Try When Your Baby Refuses a Bottle

1. Stay Calm and Keep Trying

  • Don’t panic or force the bottle — your baby can feel your stress.

  • Take a break and try again in a few minutes.

  • Sometimes it takes several tries over a few days (or weeks).

2. Try a Different Feeding Environment

  • Dim the lights, reduce noise, or change rooms.

  • Rock your baby gently or use white noise.

  • Try feeding in motion — walking or swaying may help.

3. Switch Up the Feeder

  • If the baby associates mom with breastfeeding, they may refuse the bottle from her.

  • Let dad (that’s you!) or another caregiver try instead.

  • Step away if needed — babies can smell breast milk from nearby.

4. Adjust the Temperature

  • Try warming the milk slightly — some babies prefer milk that mimics body temperature.

  • Warm the bottle nipple too to make the experience more natural.

5. Test Different Bottle Styles

  • Some babies are picky about nipple shape or flow speed.

  • Emulait bottles are designed to mimic the breast, which helps with smoother transitions — especially for mixed feeding.

💡 Dad Tip: Emulait bottles come with different nipple shapes and flows — try experimenting to find the best fit for your baby.

6. Try When Baby Isn’t Super Hungry

  • Offering a bottle when baby is calm and alert (not overly hungry or tired) can lead to more success.

  • Treat it like a casual intro, not a high-pressure feeding.

7. Offer Comfort and Bonding

  • Skin-to-skin contact, eye contact, and a calm voice can reassure your baby.

  • Don’t just offer the bottle — hold them, snuggle, and let them know you’re there for more than just food.

How Emulait Helps

Emulait is designed with the baby’s natural feeding behavior in mind — mimicking the shape, feel, and milk flow of breastfeeding. For babies who are struggling with bottle-feeding, this natural feel often makes the transition easier and more comfortable, especially when feeding from dad. The Emulait system also supports responsive feeding, giving you better control and a more consistent experience.