Refusing to Eat

The only time my little porker refused the bottle/breast was when she was teething, as another mother suggested. The drooling is a sure sign that, wether or not you can feel his teeth beneath his gums or not, his little mouth is getting ready to cut teeth soon.

Time to start stocking up on teething toys! We had all sorts of cold rings and refrige/freezer toys for my daughter, but she ultimately liked a frozen dish towel and baby orajel. Smear a little orajel on his gums before he has his bottle, and see if that helps. I also used to massage my daughters gums and she seemed to like that, but I don't know if that was something she was just into.
Never fear, this too will pass!

Perhaps he has reflux. Was he arching his back at all after his bottle? Drooling was the first sign of teething for our son, but I think most kids like having something on their gums, such as a bottle nipple, when they're teething. Maybe try a little Baby Orajel before the bottle just in case? I also agree that an ear infection could explain this behavior. An ear infection would make sucking painful. Even if your son isn't tugging on his ears (which my son has yet to do after three ear infections), he could have an ear infection. Definitely call the pediatrician!

Hi J.,
My daughter did the same thing at that age. She was teething and sucking on the bottle made it hurt due to the suction. I went up one size in nipple so it wasn't so hard. Her pediatrician told me that she probably wasn't teething, but I had noticed some blanching where the two front lower teeth would be so I knew it wouldn't be long. I didn't feel any major bumps either, but a few weeks later two little teeth appeared and she didn't stop teething until all 20 teeth were in. Poor kid never got a break! Have you taken him to his doctor to rule out something else like an ear infection? I tried those teething tablets without success, but a lot of my friends L. them. Good luck!
L.

Is he fussy only at feeding times, or is he genrally fussy throughout the day? I asked this because my youngest always had a terrible time eating. She was very collicky, and I noticed that she spit up quite a bit. She also was not sleeping very well. (in 20-40 minutes intervals for a total of 9 hours each day) Finally our doctor thought she might have reflux. If your son is only fussy at feeding time, then he probably is getting what he needs. But, I would still check with his doctor just to make sure.

If it is teething, one thing we used to do was give them a frozen pacifier. I noticed that after washing it in the dishwasher some water would get trapped in the nipple of the pacifier. So, I figured out how to squeeze the nipple under water to fill it up all the way, then I placed it in the freezer. Both my girls loved to suck on the "binky pops" whenever their teeth were bothering them. It also works well when little ones bite their tongues or lips, and bumps in gerneral. Good luck.

I would still talk with a pedi... if you haven't already... not eating is supposedly an indicator of not feeling well. Sucking on a bottle should feel good to those eventual little teeth...

Good luck!