What Does an OT do About Bottle Refusal?
Do babies have jobs?
Ok, I had to start with a little occupational therapy humor, but it’s a question that deserves some attention.
Well, maybe not in the sense that they work for money, but they absolutely have jobs. We all do!
Jobs, occupations, things you do with your time- however you want to refer to them, babies have jobs to do!
From birth, babies need to eat, feed, play, bond, eliminate and sleep; and as they get older, their list of jobs grow and change.
For most babies, these jobs are accomplished alongside their parents over time, developing slowly into more efficient or independent tasks. But sometimes training on the job gets off to a rocky start.
That’s where I come in.
As an infant and maternal health OT, I am the “Big Picture Detective”, collaborating with families to look at gross and fine motor skills, milestones, environment, regulation and sensory processing to figure out what needs more support to accomplish each baby’s and family’s personal goals.
Take my most recent graduate:
This family came to me when their breastfed baby was 4 months old for bottle refusal. After working on some gross motor, fine motor and regulation skills with a dry nipple, we determined that the path was going to take a different direction- toward straw drinking.
We progressed by working on oral motor skills that would be needed for both a better latch at the breast and also those that would translate to drinking very small amount from a straw.
After a couple sessions, we introduced milk in a cup using assist with a honey bear cup and a one way valve.
At her developmental check up session at 6 months of age, Baby Girl had not only mastered straw drinking, but was able to drink the same volume she would at the breast and translated the skills to other straw cups the family had in the home.
During therapy we also worked on the gross motor, oral motor skills, regulation and transitions she needed developmentally to support safe and independent feeding.
At discharge, she was meeting all of her developmental milestones including sitting unassisted, munching, an interest in food and bringing food and toys to her mouth.
This is an example of an individualized, skilled plan of care, hard work and consistency from the family and following a baby’s lead.
(If you want to see her in action, check out my latest instagram reel below.)
Her job was to feed, but she needed some additional on-the-job training with someone who specialized in her job and her developmental age.
If your baby having difficulty with feeding or play, there is always a good reason! A skilled Occupational Therapist trained in infant oral motor skills may be able to help.
And if you are in Austin, give me a ring!
Struggling with Bottle Refusal: Steal my tips in my FREE GUIDE
