What does it mean if your baby seems uncomfortable with drinking out of the bottle?

We all want the feeding of our babies to be as comfortable as possible and avoid any discomfort when the baby drinks out of a bottle. This goes for both you and your baby. This is when the choice of baby bottle comes in. A good bottle stops the baby from swallowing too much air. Too much air can lead to colic. Which in turn leads to a lot of crying. Approximately one baby in five in the Netherlands suffer from colic in the first months of their lives.

A good bottle supports a comfortable drinking position and makes sure that your baby drinks in a relaxed and consistent manner. This helps prevent colic. This way, the meal times proceed in a relaxed manner with less discomfort.

Common causes of restless drinking

Restless feeding can have several causes. If the flow of milk is too fast or too slow, this can sometimes affect the baby as he/she swallows too much air. An incorrect drinking position is often the reason for this.

If your baby is having problems latching on to the bottle and therefore cannot swallow properly, this can lead to gas forming in the intestines. Hunger or tiredness can also make it difficult for the baby to feed peacefully. Your baby will then drink too quickly or becomes too tired to drink.

How do you know if your baby is suffering from cramps, reflux or constipation?

When feeding, the baby gives off different signals to show that he/she is suffering from cramps, reflux or constipation. If the baby is suffering from cramps, he/she will be feeding restlessly, cry a lot, pull his/her legs up or have a hard, distended tummy.

If your baby turns his/her head away, the milk comes back up, the baby swallows a lot or becomes agitated directly after feeding, the cause is often reflux. If your baby does not have many bowel movements or the tummy is hard, the cause is probably constipation. These conditions make it uncomfortable to feed and causes your baby to feed with many interruptions. Thankfully, Difrax have several solutions available for when you encounter these problems.

The teat size and the bottle design and their effect on the feeding behaviour

The teat size and the design of the bottle play a significant role for how relaxed your baby feeds. If the teat is too small, it could mean that the baby has to work very hard for a mouthful of milk. And if the teat is too big, the flow of milk may be too fast which in itself is a choking hazard.

Both situations lead to stress during feeding. The design of the bottle is also important: if the bottle fits your child's drinking position well, this will prevent feeding problems. The bottle has a ventilation hole that reduces air intake and helps your baby drink in a more relaxed and consistent way. The right teat size and a good bottle design contribute to a more comfortable feeding time for your baby and for you.

Tips to make your baby feed in a more relaxed and consistent way.

It is often sufficient to make smaller adjustments for your baby to feed more peacefully. A teat size that fits with your baby's feeding rate leads to greater relaxation. Hold your baby more upright during feeding to make it easier to swallow and to prevent air from coming in.

Take short breaks during the feeding so that your baby can relax and burp if needed. A peaceful environment with little or no stimulation helps the baby focus on the feeding.

A bottle with a suitable opening for ventilation also helps since this keeps the air out of the feed. This helps prevent cramps. By being alert for signs of hunger and satiety and letting your baby set the pace, feeding will become a more pleasant and calming experience for both of you.

When should you change to a different bottle or teat?

Switch to a different bottle or teat when you notice that feeding times become a struggle for your baby. According to many parents and experts, the best baby bottles are those that reduce air intake. In addition, the flow of milk must be consistent and the bottle must fit comfortably in the hand. The S bottle from Difrax is often ranked as a favourite since this bottle fulfils all these conditions.

The anti colic valve helps to prevent your baby from swallowing air. This also reduces cramps and restlessness during feeding. The S shape of the bottle supports a natural feeding position which helps the baby feed relaxed and more evenly.

Our bottles are easy to clean and have teat sizes that adapt well to the feeding rate of your baby. The Difrax bottle is considered a good bottle for the daily feed by many parents.

When is it advisable to seek medical advice?

It is advisable to seek medical advice if your baby keeps crying during feeding. Also seek medical advice if your baby is having trouble swallowing, appears to have slow growth, regularly throws up his feed or is visibly in pain during or after feeding.

Are you not sure of whether your baby suffers from cramps, reflux or constipation? Or is the baby's feeding still restless? If so, it is a good idea to seek medical advice. A doctor can rule out anything more serious. The doctor is happy to discuss with you what may work for your baby. In the meantime, would you like to try making the feeding as comfortable as possible? If so, take a look at the bottles and accessories from Difrax for a bit of extra support. Have you got questions? Please feel free to contact us.