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Your Baby's Bottle-feeding Aversion: Reasons And Solutions
An infant bottle-feeding aversion is one of the most complex, stressful and confusing situations parents could face. Baby becomes distressed at feeding times and refuses to feed or eats very little despite obvious hunger.
Why won’t he/she eat? This is a question parents ask numerous health professionals while searching for a solution. Babies are typically diagnosed with one, two or three medical conditions to explain their aversive feeding behavior during brief appointments. Consequently, many parents don’t receive an effective solution from the health professionals they consult. This is why this book is so necessary.
Rowena Bennett is an Australian nurse who holds professional qualifications in various nursing fields including pediatrics, midwifery, child health, mental health and lactation consultant. She has over 20 years experience advising parents how to resolve infant feeding and sleeping problems. Rowena has helped over 1000 babies get over their aversion to bottle-feeding and enjoy feeding once again. Parents claim the relief is life changing.
In Your Baby’s Bottle-feeding Aversion, Rowena describes the various reasons babies display aversive feeding behavior, explains how the reader can identify the cause, and describes effective solutions. Included are step-by-step instructions on how to resolve a behavioral feeding aversion that occurs as a result of being repeatedly pressured to feed - the most common of all reasons for babies to become averse to feeding.
Your Baby’s Bottle-feeding Aversion provides practical professional feeding advice that not only makes good sense, it works!
Why won’t he/she eat? This is a question parents ask numerous health professionals while searching for a solution. Babies are typically diagnosed with one, two or three medical conditions to explain their aversive feeding behavior during brief appointments. Consequently, many parents don’t receive an effective solution from the health professionals they consult. This is why this book is so necessary.
Rowena Bennett is an Australian nurse who holds professional qualifications in various nursing fields including pediatrics, midwifery, child health, mental health and lactation consultant. She has over 20 years experience advising parents how to resolve infant feeding and sleeping problems. Rowena has helped over 1000 babies get over their aversion to bottle-feeding and enjoy feeding once again. Parents claim the relief is life changing.
In Your Baby’s Bottle-feeding Aversion, Rowena describes the various reasons babies display aversive feeding behavior, explains how the reader can identify the cause, and describes effective solutions. Included are step-by-step instructions on how to resolve a behavioral feeding aversion that occurs as a result of being repeatedly pressured to feed - the most common of all reasons for babies to become averse to feeding.
Your Baby’s Bottle-feeding Aversion provides practical professional feeding advice that not only makes good sense, it works!
224 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2017
562 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 7, 2021
This is an absolute lifesaver. My daughter has had feeding issues since she was nearly 11 weeks old. We did everything we could possibly think of: changed her milk (breast milk, formula, different formula brands), switched bottle nipples, bought different bottle brands, dream fed her, distracted her while eating by giving her toys, songs, shows, etc. Her feeding sessions would take anywhere from 1 - 1.5 hours on average. On the best days, she would drink her bottle in 40 mins. On the worst, it would take her 2 hours. She would cry and get fussy, stretch out, you name it. Since she has been steady in the ~40-45th percentile, her Dr wasn't too concerned but she did refer us to a feeding specialist. I recall that the specialist mentioned bottle aversion but said she was not concerned about that...she did mention a posterior lip and tongue tie. This had been mentioned before by lactation specialists and her dr, but no one was highly concerned. Plus, I knew deep down that while I wanted an answer, I didn't believe this was the issue. If she was distracted, she would down a 9oz bottle, no problem. That would not be the case with a severe tongue-tie (I did my research there).
She is now 8.5 months old and on a recent trip, I was at my wit's end. The distraction methods no longer worked and she fought the bottle IN HER SLEEP. We couldn't go anywhere until she had fed sufficiently. I also noticed she was starting to reject solids, whereas she had been doing perfectly (the solution from the feeding specialist was to start her on solids so that the milk feeding issues would go away). I came across many forums and someone mentioned Rowena's book. I immediately purchased the Kindle version and got to reading. Every single account sounded like ours, and I broke into tears. THIS. This was the problem all along.
As I write this, we are on day 10 of implementing Rowena's program. I am forever grateful to her. While it was a rough start, and we have had a setback day, the improvement I see in my daughter is night and day. She excitedly grabs the bottle from my hands. She repositions herself while feeding to look me in the eyes and smile (which I had no idea she stopped doing due to trust issues). She finishes her bottle in 10 minutes or less. She gives hunger cues (b/c we were always following the dreaded "charts" and never knew to let her tell us when she was hungry - I was not able to nurse her for long so this was something we didn't know as first-time parents). She gets angry if I accidentally drop the bottle. My husband one day stood nearby watching in complete shock. He was like "who is this kid???" :)
I highly, highly recommend this book. I understand that the idea of essentially starving your baby is awful. But in our case, she was already doing this by refusing any feed. We had to try something. And yes, the first few days are absolutely terrifying when they don't eat. But if you really follow the steps, and I mean, REALLY follow them, you will see improvement. We are still in the thick of it but yesterday, she had 32 oz all by herself - her highest has been around 27oz, and that is when we were essentially force-feeding or distracting her to eat. I also recommend finding Rowena's group on Facebook. It is a wonderful support group filled with resources. If you are going through this, know there is hope. And I send you a lot of virtual hugs b/c I know exactly what you are going through!
She is now 8.5 months old and on a recent trip, I was at my wit's end. The distraction methods no longer worked and she fought the bottle IN HER SLEEP. We couldn't go anywhere until she had fed sufficiently. I also noticed she was starting to reject solids, whereas she had been doing perfectly (the solution from the feeding specialist was to start her on solids so that the milk feeding issues would go away). I came across many forums and someone mentioned Rowena's book. I immediately purchased the Kindle version and got to reading. Every single account sounded like ours, and I broke into tears. THIS. This was the problem all along.
As I write this, we are on day 10 of implementing Rowena's program. I am forever grateful to her. While it was a rough start, and we have had a setback day, the improvement I see in my daughter is night and day. She excitedly grabs the bottle from my hands. She repositions herself while feeding to look me in the eyes and smile (which I had no idea she stopped doing due to trust issues). She finishes her bottle in 10 minutes or less. She gives hunger cues (b/c we were always following the dreaded "charts" and never knew to let her tell us when she was hungry - I was not able to nurse her for long so this was something we didn't know as first-time parents). She gets angry if I accidentally drop the bottle. My husband one day stood nearby watching in complete shock. He was like "who is this kid???" :)
I highly, highly recommend this book. I understand that the idea of essentially starving your baby is awful. But in our case, she was already doing this by refusing any feed. We had to try something. And yes, the first few days are absolutely terrifying when they don't eat. But if you really follow the steps, and I mean, REALLY follow them, you will see improvement. We are still in the thick of it but yesterday, she had 32 oz all by herself - her highest has been around 27oz, and that is when we were essentially force-feeding or distracting her to eat. I also recommend finding Rowena's group on Facebook. It is a wonderful support group filled with resources. If you are going through this, know there is hope. And I send you a lot of virtual hugs b/c I know exactly what you are going through!
April 17, 2020
Excellent book
Excellent guide for parents to understand the basics of child growth, behavior and how to get through bottle feeding aversion.
It was very useful for us that are at the moment going through the process of overcoming bottle feeding aversion.
Great advice and recommendations.
Excellent guide for parents to understand the basics of child growth, behavior and how to get through bottle feeding aversion.
It was very useful for us that are at the moment going through the process of overcoming bottle feeding aversion.
Great advice and recommendations.
August 20, 2022
I used this method for my baby's conditioned behavioral breast aversion and it has made nursing so much more enjoyable for both of us in less than a week! My baby would act hungry, but she would start crying when I put her into feeding position, drink a little bit and pull off crying, drink a little more and pull off agitated with her back arched, over and over until she finally became drowsy and finally ate well. This started around 3 months for us, and I didn't read the book until 5 months. For those two months, nursing was a nightmare.
I wasn't trusting that my baby would eat as much as she needs, so she didn't trust me not to pressure her to nurse. I used this method to teach us both to trust each other and enjoy nursing again. Now I pull up my shirt, put baby on my lap (or chest if baby was younger), and let her calmly make her way to my nipple and take as much as she wants. If she pulls off (calmly now!), I respect her wishes and don't do anything to encourage her to put my nipple back in her mouth.
The only reason I give it 4 stars is because the author goes on about how "feeding to sleep" is a bad habit, but then in another part of the book says that if baby falls asleep nursing/eating, it is a sign that she is content and satiated. I will share here for anyone else like me, I never woke baby up if she fell asleep from nursing and am still having success with baby staying calm at the breast. I do think the book fails to differentiate between "nursing baby so that they'll fall asleep" or "nursing baby while they're drowsy so they'll actually eat" and "letting baby fall asleep while nursing." The first 2 are trying to control/pressure baby while the third is following baby's lead.
Reading the book made me realize I was getting into a bad habit of saying "I want you to nurse right now because you're cranky and need a quick nap" when she probably wasn't that hungry, just tired. Instead, I have been using other methods to soothe baby (bouncing, walking, singing), and she takes a nap if she wants it. But there have been 3 out of her last 8 naps that she initiated eating while alert but then started getting drowsy while nursing and unlatched herself and calmly drifted off to sleep. I let her do this.
The book does spend too many sentences about ruling out medical conditions (allergies, reflux, difficulty sucking, pain), which I'm sure would be reassuring for some. But my chunky monkey never had trouble latching or gaining weight, I think for us the "pressure" to eat came from me not believing that she could get all the calories and hydration she needs in only like 15-20 minutes a day (she was always efficient, but became even more efficient as she got older and now only suck-swallows for like 3 minutes per nursing session). So I thought I needed to feed her while she was half asleep or hold her head if she got distracted so she would get enough!
I thought it was a nursing strike, and had heard that feeding baby when they're drowsy will help them eat more, but that actually broke her trust even more because she was mad that I made her eat when she wasn't fully aware. I also tried swaying or distracting her with music or a toy so that she would eat. But I realize now that these were ways to placate her when she was trying to communicate that she was afraid I would pressure her to eat. And in the long-term, just made things worse. I also have hyperactive letdown, so when baby would pull off after triggering the letdown, I would hurry up and put my nipple back in her mouth to prevent the milk from spraying all over her face and across the room.
Reading this book made me realize what I was doing and has really improved my nursing relationship with my baby. Highly recommend, with the one alteration that letting baby fall asleep right after nursing is not a bad habit.
I wasn't trusting that my baby would eat as much as she needs, so she didn't trust me not to pressure her to nurse. I used this method to teach us both to trust each other and enjoy nursing again. Now I pull up my shirt, put baby on my lap (or chest if baby was younger), and let her calmly make her way to my nipple and take as much as she wants. If she pulls off (calmly now!), I respect her wishes and don't do anything to encourage her to put my nipple back in her mouth.
The only reason I give it 4 stars is because the author goes on about how "feeding to sleep" is a bad habit, but then in another part of the book says that if baby falls asleep nursing/eating, it is a sign that she is content and satiated. I will share here for anyone else like me, I never woke baby up if she fell asleep from nursing and am still having success with baby staying calm at the breast. I do think the book fails to differentiate between "nursing baby so that they'll fall asleep" or "nursing baby while they're drowsy so they'll actually eat" and "letting baby fall asleep while nursing." The first 2 are trying to control/pressure baby while the third is following baby's lead.
Reading the book made me realize I was getting into a bad habit of saying "I want you to nurse right now because you're cranky and need a quick nap" when she probably wasn't that hungry, just tired. Instead, I have been using other methods to soothe baby (bouncing, walking, singing), and she takes a nap if she wants it. But there have been 3 out of her last 8 naps that she initiated eating while alert but then started getting drowsy while nursing and unlatched herself and calmly drifted off to sleep. I let her do this.
The book does spend too many sentences about ruling out medical conditions (allergies, reflux, difficulty sucking, pain), which I'm sure would be reassuring for some. But my chunky monkey never had trouble latching or gaining weight, I think for us the "pressure" to eat came from me not believing that she could get all the calories and hydration she needs in only like 15-20 minutes a day (she was always efficient, but became even more efficient as she got older and now only suck-swallows for like 3 minutes per nursing session). So I thought I needed to feed her while she was half asleep or hold her head if she got distracted so she would get enough!
I thought it was a nursing strike, and had heard that feeding baby when they're drowsy will help them eat more, but that actually broke her trust even more because she was mad that I made her eat when she wasn't fully aware. I also tried swaying or distracting her with music or a toy so that she would eat. But I realize now that these were ways to placate her when she was trying to communicate that she was afraid I would pressure her to eat. And in the long-term, just made things worse. I also have hyperactive letdown, so when baby would pull off after triggering the letdown, I would hurry up and put my nipple back in her mouth to prevent the milk from spraying all over her face and across the room.
Reading this book made me realize what I was doing and has really improved my nursing relationship with my baby. Highly recommend, with the one alteration that letting baby fall asleep right after nursing is not a bad habit.
September 4, 2024
I read this whole book in one sitting hoping that it would address the one reason my baby has a bottle aversion, and it didn’t. While much of the information was helpful, especially on why pressure causes the aversion to bottles, it does not address one of the biggest reasons for refusals to take a bottle: baby has been breastfed their whole life and now won’t take a bottle. In the case of my baby she knows how to take a bottle, isn’t having any health issues, eats solids, sleeps all night, but just refuses the bottle because she wants the breast. There isn’t even a BRIEF mention on what to do in this case.
The other issue I had with this book, and generally so much baby advice, is that it’s completely contradictory. She spends a whole chapter talking about the dangers of sleep feeding, but then says it may be necessary to hit required ounces if they refuse bottles during the day. She also says to not offer solids or breast milk while doing this since baby will just get their calories that way but then she also says if you breastfeed your baby to still offer at least two feeds a day. I’m sorry what? My baby is refusing to take a bottle because she knows I’ll just breastfeed her! There should be some info in here on cold turkey switch from breast to bottle. She mentions that it’s better if only one parent do this, but neglects to say that it should be the non-breastfeeding parent if baby is refusing because of that because otherwise she’ll just want that. It also says not to offer too much or it becomes harassment but also to offer regularly 🤦♀️
Something my husband thought of is that if you’re going to be offering them a bottle in the morning then every 3 hours or so (or if they seem hungry which will be a lot because they’re refusing to eat from the bottle) each time they refuse you’re going to go through sooo much formula/breast milk wasted. It may not be avoidable but she should definitely address that. This may be difficult for some moms emotionally AND financially. But considering she charges $365 for a consultation I don’t think accessibility is in mind for her.
The other issue I had with this book, and generally so much baby advice, is that it’s completely contradictory. She spends a whole chapter talking about the dangers of sleep feeding, but then says it may be necessary to hit required ounces if they refuse bottles during the day. She also says to not offer solids or breast milk while doing this since baby will just get their calories that way but then she also says if you breastfeed your baby to still offer at least two feeds a day. I’m sorry what? My baby is refusing to take a bottle because she knows I’ll just breastfeed her! There should be some info in here on cold turkey switch from breast to bottle. She mentions that it’s better if only one parent do this, but neglects to say that it should be the non-breastfeeding parent if baby is refusing because of that because otherwise she’ll just want that. It also says not to offer too much or it becomes harassment but also to offer regularly 🤦♀️
Something my husband thought of is that if you’re going to be offering them a bottle in the morning then every 3 hours or so (or if they seem hungry which will be a lot because they’re refusing to eat from the bottle) each time they refuse you’re going to go through sooo much formula/breast milk wasted. It may not be avoidable but she should definitely address that. This may be difficult for some moms emotionally AND financially. But considering she charges $365 for a consultation I don’t think accessibility is in mind for her.
December 31, 2024
This should be required reading for all IUGR/preemie parents. Practical, accessible, and incredibly helpful.
(FWIW, I don't usually count books like this on Goodreads, but I read the whole thing in two days and it truly was hugely helpful, so why not?)
(FWIW, I don't usually count books like this on Goodreads, but I read the whole thing in two days and it truly was hugely helpful, so why not?)
February 23, 2022
Will update once we applied the program for two weeks
Update 3: BUY THIS BOOK! this program works! We are one month into the program and she had no more feeding aversions and loves drinking her bottles! She has also gained 6 ounces.
Update 2: we are increasing feeding amounts from 3/4 oz to 5/6 oz. We even had two bottles with 7 oz!
Update 1: we are about a week into the program. The first few days were very rough but exactly according to what the book describes what would happen. However, I feel like we have made great strive towards overcome feeding aversions. My daughter no longer gags at the sight of the bottle. She actually opens her mouth and is accepting her feeding. We haven't had any tears in several days (mommy nor baby!) She has lost weight as expected. She is now only taking in slightly less than her identical twin sister.
Update 3: BUY THIS BOOK! this program works! We are one month into the program and she had no more feeding aversions and loves drinking her bottles! She has also gained 6 ounces.
Update 2: we are increasing feeding amounts from 3/4 oz to 5/6 oz. We even had two bottles with 7 oz!
Update 1: we are about a week into the program. The first few days were very rough but exactly according to what the book describes what would happen. However, I feel like we have made great strive towards overcome feeding aversions. My daughter no longer gags at the sight of the bottle. She actually opens her mouth and is accepting her feeding. We haven't had any tears in several days (mommy nor baby!) She has lost weight as expected. She is now only taking in slightly less than her identical twin sister.
March 2, 2023
Dnf @ 85% - no longer need the info
December 2, 2022
We were at our wit's end with our baby's bottle feeding crisis. Each feed was a battle of wills and incredibly stressful for the baby and us. I searched till the corners of the internet, but couldn't find anything addressing the specific behaviours we were seeing at feeding times. Then I chanced upon this book and the moment we read the description, something clicked. Each and every page had something that we had observed or gone through and it was almost creepy how close she was to describing what exactly we were going through. Searching for answers for bottle refusal for a bottle fed baby returned propaganda material in favour of breastfeeding or recommendations for specialised and more expensive formula or custom bottles and nipples (surprise surprise). The method was difficult to follow initially but we trusted the process. We saw changes from the first day. A week of practising this and our baby is already opening her mouth and reaching out to the bottle in anticipation in the simple bottle, nipple and formula we were initially using. No fussing or cries and she is feeding comfortably close to the amounts she was taking before but in 5-10 mins. No hour long feedings that end in tears! Hoping this lasts and would definitely recommend this book to every parent struggling with bottle feeding!
December 27, 2023
Our baby was born 8 weeks early and spent 10 weeks in the NICU. The last 5-6 weeks were focused on getting her to eat. She just wouldn't take more than 25% by mouth. Finally, they sent her home with an NG tube. With the help of the advice in this book, we were able to confidently change our approach, and she started taking full bottles within days. Very approachable and empowering.
March 8, 2023
We are almost 2 weeks into this program, and so far, it has been an absolute life saver. I prayed for help with my baby and God lead me to this book. Follow the rules TO A T and you will see results.
February 28, 2022
I wish I found this book earlier before my baby came. So much information. Should we have found this, we wouldn't mistakenly diagnose him with being colicky and bottle feeding aversion won't happen. Highly recommend for all parents !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2020
Excellent book
Helped me and baby establish good feeding habits. Every parents who bottle feed should read this irrespective of whether their baby has feeding aversion or not
Helped me and baby establish good feeding habits. Every parents who bottle feed should read this irrespective of whether their baby has feeding aversion or not
November 27, 2019
Very Informative!
This book helped put my mind at ease that I could turn my baby’s feeding aversion around! I can’t wait to get started with this program and help my baby enjoy eating again. Also looking forward to reduced anxiety during feeding times! We can do this!
This book helped put my mind at ease that I could turn my baby’s feeding aversion around! I can’t wait to get started with this program and help my baby enjoy eating again. Also looking forward to reduced anxiety during feeding times! We can do this!
August 2, 2021
This book was a lifesaver!!! I was losing my mind trying to get my baby to take a bottle for months and this book is the only reason I was successful, after so many appointments with lactation consultants and so much reasearch. So grateful for this resource! Highly highly recommend.
May 7, 2018
Very helpful
Very practical and nurse is knowledgeable my daughter son-in-law and me (grandmother) use guidance in this book feeding issues were solved
Very practical and nurse is knowledgeable my daughter son-in-law and me (grandmother) use guidance in this book feeding issues were solved
February 12, 2020
Skimmed on how to prevent aversion
We have a picky baby who prefers the breast. Skimming this for advice on presenting the bottle was helpful in alleviating some anxiety.
We have a picky baby who prefers the breast. Skimming this for advice on presenting the bottle was helpful in alleviating some anxiety.
July 9, 2020
Life saver book for sure
Baby didn’t have a feeding aversion but we sure were on the path to one 🤦🏻♀️
Baby didn’t have a feeding aversion but we sure were on the path to one 🤦🏻♀️
January 30, 2021
Great book
Very well explained. We were able to get our exclusively breastfed baby to enjoy feeding again within days of following the recommendations outlined in this book
Very well explained. We were able to get our exclusively breastfed baby to enjoy feeding again within days of following the recommendations outlined in this book
September 21, 2025
TL;DR: This book is fantastic and worked very well for us.
--
My baby was born with a low birth weight. During the first days at the hospital, we were given a table to record how much she had consumed and a chart for feeding amounts. We were told that it was crucial she drank these amounts (or more) within a strict 3h schedule, as babies that small don't typically wake up from hunger. Thankfully, she was a strong baby with a healthy appetite: she consistently ate more than "the minimum" amount without us having to force or trick her into drinking more from the bottle.
Before leaving the hospital, I asked the staff how long we should follow this strict diet. They instructed us to continue until advised otherwise at her checkups. So, we continued with these numbers, and our baby kept growing at a speedy rate. The nurses were happy with her progress, encouraging us to "keep doing what you are doing."
At around 2 months, we were told that her weight was good enough that we could relax during the night and let her sleep as much as she wanted. However, during the day: "keep doing what you are doing."
And then 3 weeks ago, teething began. We noticed something was happening with her lower gums, and it seemed to be bothering her. We thought this was causing a loss of appetite, but she still needed to eat the prescribed amount, right? We became quite persistent during feeding times.
Over the next several days, she stopped drinking at exactly 70ml every feed, and became irritated if we tried to give her more. Each feeding became a struggle between us and our baby, as we had - without realizing - become fixated on the feeding amounts. After ten days, she was only drinking 30ml and beginning to cry the moment we sat her down. The pediatrician who examined her couldn't find any reason for her aversion to eating, and dismissed teething as the cause, stating, "milk teeth cannot cause discomfort severe enough for them to stop eating. No fever, and she eats? I'm happy". We were not happy.
Luckily, I found this book. And already a few pages in, I understood that this was our problem. Her gums were no longer swollen and she was a happy baby, smiling and cooing (and with a tiny bump in her lower incisors)... but feeding time came, and she cried and resisted.
So we tried to mentally prepare as best as we could and started to follow the "golden rules" of the book. On day 2, she had stopped crying when sitting to feed. And although she ate less than we were comfortable with during day 2 and 3, she began eating as before by day 5. She now happily feeds and moves the bottle away with her tiny hand when she's full.
Adapting wasn't easy; it meant acknowledging that, perhaps, we should have been advised to change our feeding strategy earlier. We had to rethink our perceptions about feeding amounts. It was hard to not encourage her to drink more on the days she ate less: she seemed confused, the bottle was not being offered several times, so maybe she was still hungry? But after a couple of days, she just learned to be clearer with her cues for when to keep going or when to stop.
So if the beginning of my story sounds similar to yours, and your baby is healthy despite their eating problems, perhaps this book can help you as well.
--
My baby was born with a low birth weight. During the first days at the hospital, we were given a table to record how much she had consumed and a chart for feeding amounts. We were told that it was crucial she drank these amounts (or more) within a strict 3h schedule, as babies that small don't typically wake up from hunger. Thankfully, she was a strong baby with a healthy appetite: she consistently ate more than "the minimum" amount without us having to force or trick her into drinking more from the bottle.
Before leaving the hospital, I asked the staff how long we should follow this strict diet. They instructed us to continue until advised otherwise at her checkups. So, we continued with these numbers, and our baby kept growing at a speedy rate. The nurses were happy with her progress, encouraging us to "keep doing what you are doing."
At around 2 months, we were told that her weight was good enough that we could relax during the night and let her sleep as much as she wanted. However, during the day: "keep doing what you are doing."
And then 3 weeks ago, teething began. We noticed something was happening with her lower gums, and it seemed to be bothering her. We thought this was causing a loss of appetite, but she still needed to eat the prescribed amount, right? We became quite persistent during feeding times.
Over the next several days, she stopped drinking at exactly 70ml every feed, and became irritated if we tried to give her more. Each feeding became a struggle between us and our baby, as we had - without realizing - become fixated on the feeding amounts. After ten days, she was only drinking 30ml and beginning to cry the moment we sat her down. The pediatrician who examined her couldn't find any reason for her aversion to eating, and dismissed teething as the cause, stating, "milk teeth cannot cause discomfort severe enough for them to stop eating. No fever, and she eats? I'm happy". We were not happy.
Luckily, I found this book. And already a few pages in, I understood that this was our problem. Her gums were no longer swollen and she was a happy baby, smiling and cooing (and with a tiny bump in her lower incisors)... but feeding time came, and she cried and resisted.
So we tried to mentally prepare as best as we could and started to follow the "golden rules" of the book. On day 2, she had stopped crying when sitting to feed. And although she ate less than we were comfortable with during day 2 and 3, she began eating as before by day 5. She now happily feeds and moves the bottle away with her tiny hand when she's full.
Adapting wasn't easy; it meant acknowledging that, perhaps, we should have been advised to change our feeding strategy earlier. We had to rethink our perceptions about feeding amounts. It was hard to not encourage her to drink more on the days she ate less: she seemed confused, the bottle was not being offered several times, so maybe she was still hungry? But after a couple of days, she just learned to be clearer with her cues for when to keep going or when to stop.
So if the beginning of my story sounds similar to yours, and your baby is healthy despite their eating problems, perhaps this book can help you as well.
November 25, 2023
Overall a good book, but the program is not applicable if baby's aversion is solely due to reflux. We abandoned the program on Day 5 after baby showed NO improvement. As we rehydrated baby with pedialyte and milk using a syringe, spoon and sippy cup, we discovered:
--Baby doesn't mind Elecare
--Baby doesn't mind other bottles/nipples
The following day, we altered the appearance of our Dr. Brown bottle (of which she is TERRIFIED) by wrapping a headband around and taping handles. She took the entire bottle without fear. She now eats with zero fear due solely to changing the appearance of the bottle.
This won't work for everyone, but we suspected that our baby's aversion was due solely to her severe reflux and NOT due to any coercion techniques from mom and dad. Now we have confirmation why Rowena's technique did not work for us. However, we will use many of the solid feeding techniques from Rowena's program.
Also, please check with your pediatrician regarding hydration. The program makes no mention of wet diapers...but baby NEEDS 2 wet diapers per 12 hours. If no wet diaper in 9 hours, it's probably time to intervene. Dehydration can be a serious risk if baby doesn't eat all day during the program (as ours didn't).
I hope this is encouraging for someone in a similar situation. If your baby has confirmed reflux issues, the aversion may not be due solely (or even partially) to coercive feeding techniques.
I have empathy for everyone going through this struggle. This issue has plagued us for months and months. I hope everyone has breakthrough sooner than later~
--Baby doesn't mind Elecare
--Baby doesn't mind other bottles/nipples
The following day, we altered the appearance of our Dr. Brown bottle (of which she is TERRIFIED) by wrapping a headband around and taping handles. She took the entire bottle without fear. She now eats with zero fear due solely to changing the appearance of the bottle.
This won't work for everyone, but we suspected that our baby's aversion was due solely to her severe reflux and NOT due to any coercion techniques from mom and dad. Now we have confirmation why Rowena's technique did not work for us. However, we will use many of the solid feeding techniques from Rowena's program.
Also, please check with your pediatrician regarding hydration. The program makes no mention of wet diapers...but baby NEEDS 2 wet diapers per 12 hours. If no wet diaper in 9 hours, it's probably time to intervene. Dehydration can be a serious risk if baby doesn't eat all day during the program (as ours didn't).
I hope this is encouraging for someone in a similar situation. If your baby has confirmed reflux issues, the aversion may not be due solely (or even partially) to coercive feeding techniques.
I have empathy for everyone going through this struggle. This issue has plagued us for months and months. I hope everyone has breakthrough sooner than later~
December 10, 2025
Clear advice in the form on golden rules to follow to improve feeding issues. I tried one feed following her no pressure and follow babies lead rule. Will continue to follow the principles and then give an updated review!
Updated review: I have only been putting some of the advice into practice for about 1.5 days. My daughter was showing conflicted feeding and I was finding feeding times really stressful. I have already noticed a huge different. I know there will be ups and downs but on the whole she is showing improvement. One key message in the book is to have trust in your baby to decide how much they need and show when they have finished. It is really important to read the whole book and not skip to the golden rules. The suggestions I found most helpful were:
1) Zero pressure
2) If baby shows signs of fussing/ conflicted behaviour, take the bottle away and have a 5 minute break. I adapted this slightly and allowed more than 2 offerings in an hour but made sure to increase the gap.
3) Don't focus on the daily amounts shown on the formula tin/what health professionals say they should be aiming for. Every baby is different. I was getting a little too obsessed with these amounts thinking she had to reach them every day.
I have already seen a huge improvement in both my thinking and my babies feeding. I would 100% reccomend this book to anyone bottle feeding regardless of whether you having issues or not! Excellent advice.
Updated review: I have only been putting some of the advice into practice for about 1.5 days. My daughter was showing conflicted feeding and I was finding feeding times really stressful. I have already noticed a huge different. I know there will be ups and downs but on the whole she is showing improvement. One key message in the book is to have trust in your baby to decide how much they need and show when they have finished. It is really important to read the whole book and not skip to the golden rules. The suggestions I found most helpful were:
1) Zero pressure
2) If baby shows signs of fussing/ conflicted behaviour, take the bottle away and have a 5 minute break. I adapted this slightly and allowed more than 2 offerings in an hour but made sure to increase the gap.
3) Don't focus on the daily amounts shown on the formula tin/what health professionals say they should be aiming for. Every baby is different. I was getting a little too obsessed with these amounts thinking she had to reach them every day.
I have already seen a huge improvement in both my thinking and my babies feeding. I would 100% reccomend this book to anyone bottle feeding regardless of whether you having issues or not! Excellent advice.
December 6, 2024
Okay, I read this book for breastfeeding aversion. I think the idea is suuuper valuable - most parents don’t realize they pressure their babies. This was indeed life changing.
I personally don’t agree with a methodical approach of “do not give in for the next 3 hours after the baby rejected”, cause I find that equally control. I see why it works and I see that many parents need rules that are spelled out like this, instead of following their intuition. However, we managed to overcome our aversion even if I allowed her to nurse again in 30 min. The key is not to over offer and not to pressure. So if after 30 min, my baby only nursed 10 seconds, I’d just let her go. She came around in 2-3 days. I also continued feeding to sleep cause she asks for it. I don’t see a problem with that at all honestly. I think the problem is if you first get your baby drowsy so they start feeding without being truly aware. But feeding to sleep if initiated by them is perfectly okay I think.
I personally don’t agree with a methodical approach of “do not give in for the next 3 hours after the baby rejected”, cause I find that equally control. I see why it works and I see that many parents need rules that are spelled out like this, instead of following their intuition. However, we managed to overcome our aversion even if I allowed her to nurse again in 30 min. The key is not to over offer and not to pressure. So if after 30 min, my baby only nursed 10 seconds, I’d just let her go. She came around in 2-3 days. I also continued feeding to sleep cause she asks for it. I don’t see a problem with that at all honestly. I think the problem is if you first get your baby drowsy so they start feeding without being truly aware. But feeding to sleep if initiated by them is perfectly okay I think.
October 14, 2022
but. this. book.
My 3 month developed her bottle aversion at 2 months. Maybe from a case of reflux, I’m not sure. But after meds nothing was working. She would deny her bottle regardless.
The first few days were scary knowing she only got about 10oz. But by day 4 she was eating 3oz almost consistently.
Fast forward to today (2 weeks later) she’s eating 4oz almost every feeding. 3.5 if not 4.
Be strict. Follow the rules. I no longer have stress feeding my baby. And neither does she. It’s wonderful.
I’ve learned that some babies will regulate their own digestive system. I felt a lot of stress because my pediatrician said I needed to feed her more so when I tried it only made her aversion worse. She’s now eating enough almost daily and it’s so wonderful!!
My 3 month developed her bottle aversion at 2 months. Maybe from a case of reflux, I’m not sure. But after meds nothing was working. She would deny her bottle regardless.
The first few days were scary knowing she only got about 10oz. But by day 4 she was eating 3oz almost consistently.
Fast forward to today (2 weeks later) she’s eating 4oz almost every feeding. 3.5 if not 4.
Be strict. Follow the rules. I no longer have stress feeding my baby. And neither does she. It’s wonderful.
I’ve learned that some babies will regulate their own digestive system. I felt a lot of stress because my pediatrician said I needed to feed her more so when I tried it only made her aversion worse. She’s now eating enough almost daily and it’s so wonderful!!
August 11, 2022
the biggest relief ❤️
I had never felt like anyone understood our situation or that there was any hope for our sweet girl's feeding struggles until I found this book. We tried many formulas, bottles, nipples, even medications and nothing helped. When I found her website and realized our baby may have a feeding aversion, I bought and read the entire book in a day. I am so thankful to have found this. It's only been a few days following her recommendations and I already see such a change and improvement.
I had never felt like anyone understood our situation or that there was any hope for our sweet girl's feeding struggles until I found this book. We tried many formulas, bottles, nipples, even medications and nothing helped. When I found her website and realized our baby may have a feeding aversion, I bought and read the entire book in a day. I am so thankful to have found this. It's only been a few days following her recommendations and I already see such a change and improvement.
June 10, 2022
This was the only book I found in the topic of feeding aversion. I read it from cover to cover in one sitting. When I mentioned the book to my daughter’s speech therapist, she was familiar with it and supported all the conclusions drawn by the author, as well as her solution to feeding aversion. Excellent book on a very niche topic, glad I found it.
September 25, 2025
This is my first review, but I feel like I need to leave it for the other desperate parents. My baby refused all bottles. We started at 3 weeks like we were supposed to, but he never liked them. We definitely pressured him over these last few months. I just went back to work when my baby was 5 months old and the first few days were absolutely terrible. We found this book in our desperate online searches and started immediately. Day 1, my baby drank 3oz from a bottle in 24 hours. Day 2 he drank 10 oz. And day 3 he drank 20 oz. It's still a work in progress, but I highly recommend it to any parents of bottle refusing babies.
February 25, 2022
Very good info, I think it would work for strictly bottle fed babies that are already having a hard time feeding. However our little is bf well, and don’t want to risk supply issues if we followed this program.
August 6, 2022
The guide and recommendations are very good
I learned a lot about feeding my baby in this book, which I wish I had done before my baby was born or in the first month. Thus I would avoid so many new mother mistakes that caused the Aversion of the Biberon 🍼.
I learned a lot about feeding my baby in this book, which I wish I had done before my baby was born or in the first month. Thus I would avoid so many new mother mistakes that caused the Aversion of the Biberon 🍼.
May 28, 2024
Good information and relatable examples
I have premature twins born at 28 + 6 who are now 7 months (20 werks adjusted) and we have been in a constant feeding battle. The bottle aversion has gotten so bad we were strongly encouraged to have NG tubes put back in. Now that both my girls have "caught up" with weight gain I feel confident discussing with our pediatrician implementing these strategies and rules to reverse bottle aversion in both babies, mostly in Baby A. I finally have a sense of hope that we can reverse this issue and begin to enjoy feeding again. Thank you!
I have premature twins born at 28 + 6 who are now 7 months (20 werks adjusted) and we have been in a constant feeding battle. The bottle aversion has gotten so bad we were strongly encouraged to have NG tubes put back in. Now that both my girls have "caught up" with weight gain I feel confident discussing with our pediatrician implementing these strategies and rules to reverse bottle aversion in both babies, mostly in Baby A. I finally have a sense of hope that we can reverse this issue and begin to enjoy feeding again. Thank you!
November 2, 2024
We are only a couple days into this plan but already seeing a world of difference - even a smile during feeding for the first time in weeks!! I’m so happy with this book and highly recommend if you’re dealing with bottle aversions.
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