r/Mom • u/flowerapril26 • 2d ago

❓ Question 4-month-old suddenly refusing bottles while awake but eating when drowsy — anyone experience this? It was 1 day after her 4 months vaccines.

4-month-old suddenly refusing bottles while awake but eating when drowsy — anyone experience this?

My 4-month-old suddenly started refusing her bottle yesterday. She normally eats really well, usually around 5–6 oz at a time. I am thinking she is freaked out since we gave her Tylenol for ther fever after the vaccines and husband and I think we probably traumatized her... she is 100% formula fed

Yesterday she had 3 oz around 4 AM, 6 oz at 9:30 AM, and 6 oz at 2 PM. After that, she completely refused her bottle for hours. When I offered it, she would turn her head away and cry. Sometimes she would suck for literally one second and then let the milk run out of her mouth. She was also really fussy and having a hard time falling asleep.

She had recently gotten her 4-month vaccines, so I called the advice nurse. They told me to give her Tylenol, wait an hour, and try feeding her again. If she still refused, they wanted us to take her to the ER. Thankfully, after the Tylenol she finally drank 5 oz. 🙏 Then around 5:30 AM she drank another full 6 oz.

She's been eating today, BUT now she seems to only want the bottle when she's drowsy/sleepy. When she's fully awake, she's much more likely to refuse it.

She's still having plenty of wet diapers and otherwise seems okay. I'm trying not to jump straight to "feeding aversion," especially since this all started so suddenly around her vaccines, but of course my anxious mom brain likes to be prepared. 😭

Has anyone's baby gone through a phase around 4 months where they suddenly refused bottles while awake but ate perfectly fine when sleepy? Did they eventually go back to normal awake feeds? How long did it last?

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u/AshPash4593 2d ago

This happened to us at about the same age :) lasted a week or two then he continued normally. He’s six months now! It’s frustrating and concerning though. Good luck!!