Bringing a tiny human being into the world is no easy feat. Nine months of being a 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦’s all-inclusive 5-star hotel suite with a private amniotic fluid pool and five meals per day. But once the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 is finally done with their stay in the belly, the real fun begins, each day bringing something new.

You get used to one change and then another happens just as quickly as the last one did. One thing that stays constant is the need to eat. Many mothers choose to breastfeed their babies, building a nice bond between them that becomes a chore to break once the mom needs to be somewhere else for more than 15 minutes.

This grandfather found a loophole to trick his grandson into being bottle-fed without any fuss or yelling or crying, and, to be fair, isn’t that always the goal? Let’s get into the story!

Baby not liking milk from a bottle? Well, this granddad has a trick for you!

A viral video was shared by Wendy Rangel on TikTok, in which her dad put a 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 bottle through a hole in his t-shirt, the clear nipple of the bottle poking out. He carefully positioned it on his chest so that it wouldn’t move or drop, tapping around it to make sure it stuck.

He then bent down to see whether the milk would come through, Wendy laughing in the background, all the while the caption read: “My grandson won’t take the bottle so my dad tried something.”

One ingenious man in a viral TikTok video is seen positioning a 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 bottle inside his shirt to mimic a mother’s breast.

Then it was time for the real test – would the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 drink from it? The man holds the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 in his arms, trying to carefully position him to drink the milk, whilst also doing his best to not spill everything on the floor.

The boy seems quite confused at first as if to say ‘the heck is happening’, but then the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 boy spots the nipple and latches on instinctively, regardless of whether it belongs to his mom or granddad.

The scene leaves Wendy in stitches, her laughter booming throughout the room, whilst her proud dad rocks up and down with the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 happily chugging away at the milk.

As you can tell, he’s very proud of his invention. But the real test is – will the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 fall for it?

The video ends with a close-up of the hole with the man’s own nipple sticking out, a wet patch on the T-shirt showing what was left of the milk. He then rubs around it, sighing as if to say he’s sore from all the hard work he’d just put in.

First posted at the end of 2020, the video has since amassed an impressive 8.8M views and almost 2M likes. It was dedicated “to all the dads out there who struggle with their little ones not taking the bottle.”

He gets his grandson and carefully positions the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 in place, trying his best not to spill the milk.

Oh boy, did I go down a rabbit hole to find out all the reasons for them doing so. You bet imma share the findings! This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, so feel free to skip right ahead to the full video below, but to those that are as curious as I was – continue.

Typical signs that the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 is averse to the bottle, as described by Mamamade, include skipping meals with no signs of distress, appearing hungry but refusing to eat, becoming tense, crying or screaming at mealtime.

They also tend to take in very small amounts of milk before stopping to protest, averting their gazes and physically turning away from the bottle. Continuous behavior like this is not only distressing to the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 but the parents as well.

You’d think it’s the same thing, the nipple on the bottle imitating the mother’s, the milk often coming from the mother herself, so the flavor should be similar – definitely more similar than the formula! The question ‘why???’ plagues most parents, which is a good thing in the sense that it means you’re not alone and a solution must be somewhere out there.

From medical issues to an off temperature in the milk, there are dozens of reasons as to why babies refuse the bottle with a passion.

And it’s a victory! The 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 latches on almost immediately, the proud granddad rocking back and forth in encouragement.

Healthline detailed the top seven reasons for babies to flat-out refuse the bottle, starting with wanting to continue breastfeeding, not being hungry enough, feeling too sick or unwell to feed, being held in an uncomfortable position, not liking the temperature, flavor, or texture of the milk, or the bottle itself.

Last but not least, they might have had a bad experience with being bottle-fed before, such as associating it with reflux, gagging, vomiting, or an inferior milk to the one they’d been used to.

Main thing is – don’t panic. Babies cry and act silly sometimes because they don’t know any better. And it is your responsibility as a parent to read their cryptic signs and find the best solution for all of you, especially the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦. They won’t be cooking omelets any time soon, ya know. So, what can you do to make the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 love the bottle?

The shirt is a casualty in the situation, but as long as the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 is fed and calm, that’s a worthy sacrifice.

Here’s a bunch of suggestions from WebMD that sadly don’t include the ‘fake the boob’ trick the granddad pulled. First, check the bottle and the milk itself. The temperature of the milk should be around 37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 Fahrenheit, and refrain from reheating the milk in the microwave to avoid inconsistencies in temperature.

Also, don’t be afraid to taste the milk. If it’s got a weird, rancid, or soapy taste that makes you gag, chances are your 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 won’t like it either. Lastly, check whether the milk can come out of the nipple easily as there might be a block or the hole isn’t large enough for the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦’s wants.