Feeding aversion or something else?
I'm honestly feeling so fed up and mentally drained.
My baby (almost 5 months now) was feeding really well until 3 months old. She was taking around 150ml (5oz) every 3 hours with no issues.
At 3 months she caught COVID (not sure if it’s related, but mentioning it just in case), and that’s when everything changed.
For some background: at 3 weeks old we switched to AR formula because we suspected silent reflux. The feeding issues she previously had were fixed within 24 hours and she was thriving on the AR formula.
But since 3 months old, she’s been refusing feeds and the pattern is always the same:
She starts feeding happily and takes about 60ml (2 oz)
Then she pushes the bottle away and tries to sit up
I burp her
When I try to resume feeding, she fights it—turns her head, gets frustrated, and tries to sit up again
The only ways I can sometimes get her to take more (up to 90–120ml / 3–4 oz) are:
Feeding her while walking (but she tries to get up multiple times)
Feeding her in the stroller
But this is exhausting and not sustainable. I am so stressed to go out in public because she will be refusing to eat. Also I don't feel comfortable feeding her in the stroller or somewhere else, I prefer holding her but apparently she hates it.
What’s confusing is that she was feeding perfectly before. She would have a burp midway and then she would happily resume and finish the bottle. It just suddenly changed at 3 months.
I’ve tried:
Different teats (flow levels)
Different bottle brands
Different feeding positions
Nothing has worked.
After 1 month of having these issues I switched from AR formula to normal formula thinking it might help. At first I thought it was improving, but it’s actually the same. So the formula was not an issue either.
Now I’m stuck wondering:
Is this feeding aversion?
Is it reflux again?
If it’s reflux, why would it suddenly come back since she was still on AR formula when the issues started?
Part of me wonders if she developed a feeding aversion after COVID—maybe she associated feeding with discomfort if she was unwell and we kept trying to feed her.
I honestly don’t know anymore. I just want feeding to be a positive experience for both of us.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Any advice or things I can try would really mean a lot.
Thank you 🙏