Let’s be clear: babies aren’t lazy. They’re compensating.
When you hear a parent say, “She just doesn’t want to work for the breast,” what they’re actually describing is a baby who’s burning through energy just trying to coordinate.
It’s not preference- it’s physiology. And here’s where things tend to break down:
Jaw Instability
When the jaw isn’t stable, everything else suffers.
You get a shallow latch, fatigue during feeding, and often a ton of clicking.
The baby tries to hold on, but without a strong, anchored jaw, they’re basically doing bicep curls with their face every time they suck.
Exhausting.
Poor Tongue-Jaw Dissociation
You know that moment when you see the whole jaw bobbing with every suck? That’s not efficiency- it’s compensation.
A lack of tongue-jaw dissociation means the tongue can’t move independently to create an effective seal or initiate a swallow.
So instead, the baby uses the whole lower face like a pump. It might look like effort, but it’s not effective effort.
Weak Suck-Swallow-Breathe Coordination
This is the holy trinity of infant feeding- and when it’s off, it’s game over.
Babies with poor coordination often start strong, then fatigue fast.
They’ll fall asleep at the breast, sputter at the bottle, or take forever to finish a feed.
What looks like “giving up” is actually neurological overwhelm.
They’re Not Lazy. They’re Working Overtime.
So let’s stop calling them lazy. Let’s stop labeling their survival strategies as preferences.
Because when a baby has to work this hard just to eat, it’s not a behavioral issue- it’s a cry for help.
If you’re ready to feel confident and prepared, join the Pediatric Feeding Hub and have on demand mentors to get it and want to help you feel confident in taking on your next feeding therapy client.
