Bottle Refusal / Bottle Struggles Consultation

Cost: $200
Duration: 60 minutes

A consultation for you and baby in the comfort of your home (service area includes Louisville, Boulder, Gunbarrel, Niwot, Lafayette, Broomfield, Superior, and Westminster).  Prior to the appointment, you’ll be asked to complete a consent for care and a short intake form (if this is your first appointment). This appointment is helpful for families where the baby is struggling with or seeming to refuse to feed from a bottle.  These babies are usually doing most of their feeding at the breast/chest.  When a bottle is offered, the baby may seem to play with the bottle nipple or push it out of their mouth. The baby may not suck on the bottle at all.  This tends to happen when the baby is 8-12 weeks old and can happen even if a baby was able to drink from a bottle when they were younger.  This may seem like the baby is choosing not to drink from the bottle, but usually it is because they are having a hard time drinking from a bottle due to something with their oral anatomy.

At this appointment, I will assess the baby’s oral function, discuss which shape of bottle nipple might be most helpful for your baby, and explain how to help your baby learn to feed from the bottle.  At the end of the appointment, the family will have exercises and tools to use with the baby to help the baby learn to drink from a bottle.  Generally, if parents are able to follow the care plan, babies gradually improve their ability to drink from a bottle over the two weeks following the appointment.  Please note, outcomes vary depending on each situation and baby and no specific outcome can be guaranteed.  This service includes two weeks of follow up via phone/text or email to support the baby’s progress.