Breastmilk is a gift from nature made with perfect nutritional balance and a taste to support the growth of a newborn. Some mothers may choose not to breastfeed and the mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding will also have to use the baby formula to supplement breastmilk when the supply is not enough. The problem arises in the latter situation where the baby will be fed with both breastmilk and baby formula. The sweeter taste and the convenience of sucking through a feeding bottle will make the baby like the baby formula over breast milk.
The experts recommend the babies be breastfed at least until the age of six months. So if you are comfortable and capable of breastfeeding your baby, it is better to breastfeed them exclusively for the first half of his life. When your baby was introduced to baby formula for some reason and now refuses to be breastfed, there are few things you can do. Keep reading to know why babies love baby formula over breast milk and what you can do to solve this problem.
CONTENT
1.  Why does my baby like baby formula over breast milk?
2.  What are the differences between breast milk and baby formula?
3.  What are the reasons for the babies to prefer baby formula?
4.  How to make your baby like breastmilk?
1. Why does my baby like baby formula over breast milk?
Breast milk is naturally made to nourish the newborns but there can be babies who will not like breastmilk or prefer baby formula over breastmilk. There can be different reasons for breast milk aversion and you have to find out the reason to fix the problem.
The first step should be to observe whether the baby is uncomfortable and fussy while being breastfed but shows no discomfort taking the bottle. If it seems like the ability of the baby to be breastfed has caused the problem, you should find a way to make breastfeeding convenient for the baby. Experiment with new breastfeeding positions and see whether the baby is comfortable in one of those positions. Creating a restful surrounding with no distractions will help the baby to eat peacefully. Meet a lactation consultant and confirm that the baby is latching properly because a poor latch can make it hard for the baby to suck milk. If no position can make your baby stop being fussy during breastfeeding but has no issue sucking milk from the bottle, you can feed him breast milk from the bottle.
Some babies will refuse breast milk because they like the taste of the baby formula better. To test whether your baby refuses breast milk because of its taste try feeding pumped breast milk from a bottle. If he still refuses breast milk but drinks baby formula without an issue it means that he prefers baby formula because of its taste. Evaluate your diet and medications to find out what might have caused the off-taste of your breast milk. Consult your pediatrician to know further about what you can do to change the taste of your breast milk. Different allergies and intolerances also can cause the baby to refuse breast milk, so if you suspect that your baby has such a condition seek medical advice as soon as possible.
2. What are the differences between breast milk and baby formula?
Breast milk is a complicated combination of many nutrients made to meet the nutritional needs of a growing baby. Baby formula is artificially formulated as a substitute for natural breast milk and is rich in many nutrients. But there are many differences between breast milk and baby formula.
Breast milk has many health benefits to a baby and his mother unless the baby has lactose intolerance or reflux problems. These are few positive impacts that breast milk can make on a baby’s health.Â
- Promotes the growth of the brain and nervous systems which is associated with higher IQ levels.Â
- Increase the eyesight
- Prevents infections and hospitalization
- Minimize the risk for other health conditions such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Asthma and allergies, Digestions issues, Leukemia, Obesity, and Diabetes.
The babies who have special health conditions such as allergies and intolerances will benefit from specialized formulas.
Breast milk digests fast and easily so the babies who are breastfed will have fewer gas problems. When the digestion is fast the baby will get hungry soon and will wake up frequently during sleep. As baby formula will take time to digest, the formula-fed babies will sleep for longer stretches.
Considering the prices of baby formula, breast milk is the cheapest option to feed a baby. Formula feeding a baby will cost around $3300 annually which is six times higher than the average cost of diapers. Breastfeeding will add in some other costs such as lactation consultant fees, cost, and time for pumping and storing breast milk. If you are a working mother who will have to invest in pumping equipment and spend a good amount of hours pumping and preparing pumped milk for storage, the cost of baby formula is roughly the same as the cost of feeding baby formula to your baby.Â
In some circumstances, feeding your baby with baby formula will be the only option available. Following are some such circumstances.
- Babies whose mothers cannot breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed.
- Babies who have allergies to mother’s milk.
- Babies with galactosemia.
- Mothers who have transmittable viruses, such as HIV cannot breastfeed.
3. What are the reasons for the babies to prefer baby formula?
When breastfeeding some mothers will have to supplement their baby with baby formula. The babies who have taken both breast milk and baby formula may start to refuse breast milk for baby formula. Following are a few of the reasons which can cause aversion to breast milk.
- Taste
Baby formula will have a consistent taste while the taste of breast milk change depending on the diet of the mothers. Spices, garlic, and such food can change the taste of breast milk significantly and your baby will not like that taste. Some babies will prefer baby formula due to its consistency in taste.
- Convenience in sucking
Sucking milk from the breast does not look like a tiresome job for us but it takes a lot of energy for a baby to eat. Inefficient eaters will struggle more to suck from the breast. Milk flows out easily from the bottle with little effort so the babies will prefer to take the bottle than the breast.
- Distractions
The babies need to focus and put energy to suck milk from the breast. If you are breastfeeding in a room with many distractions such as loud voices or music, the baby will lose his focus. Feeding from the bottle does not need much effort so the baby will reject the breast for the bottle.
- Physical discomforts
When nursing is physically uncomfortable for a baby, he will refuse to be breastfed. Below are some reasons which can cause discomfort to a baby.
A forceful milk letdown
Overly hungry
Abdominal pains
Thrush
Reflux
Lactose intolerance
Food allergies
- Changes in mother’s scent
The babies are used to their mother’s scent. When it is changed babies will be confused and face difficulties in nursing. It is recommended not to wear scented body products in the first few months to avoid confusion related to the scent of the mother. The taste and scent of breast milk can also be affected by the foods and medications taken by the mother.
- Reduced supply
When your supply is low, the baby will have to put in extra work to suck milk from the breast. Still, he will not get enough milk in each feed. The baby will not prefer to take the breast when he knows that the bottle which lets him eat enough and easily is available. If you are concerned about the lack of breast milk supply you can consult a lactation consultant for further advice.
4. How to make your baby like breastmilk?
- If your baby prefers the convenience of bottle-feeding, feed him pumped breast milk from the bottle. This tip can also help the babies who experience discomfort or pain while being breastfed.
- If you suspect you are eating something that your baby is intolerant or allergic to or causing your milk to taste or smell differently, evaluate your diet and medications. Consult your doctor and take advice to eliminate potentially problematic foods and medications.
- Use fragrance-free body care products that do not hide the natural scent of you or the breast milk.
- In case that your baby refuses breast milk because he prefers the taste of formula, you can try mixing baby formula with breast milk. Gradually decrease the amount of formula mixed into breast milk until they are exclusively drinking breastmilk. Do not forget that mixing concentrated formula with breastmilk can over concentrate the nutrients.
- If you are a mother who is experiencing a lack of supply, a breastfeeding specialist or a lactation consultant would help you.
