Q of the Day: 5-month-old refuses bottle

My baby doesn't like the bottle. I want to pump and give her the bottle since she is 5 months old and teething right now. Do you have any suggestions?

If you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding for the first five months, it might take your daughter a few days to get the hang of the whole bottle thing, because babies need to use different mouth motions to get milk from a bottle. Here are some tips: first, plan to introduce the bottle a little bit earlier than your baby’s usual feeding time, so she’s hungry but not so ravenous that she’ll get frustrated and frantic if she can’t get the hang of the bottle right away. Then, have someone else offer her the bottle for the first few feedings, preferably when you’re out of the house. Babies can smell mom’s milk from 20 feet away, and that can distract and confuse them. So hand your baby and a bottle of pumped milk to your partner or a sitter, and run an errand or take a walk! If your baby still rejects the bottle after a few tries, try experimenting with different nipple styles and shapes—your baby may prefer latex over silicone, or have an easier time with an orthodontic shape.