Breastfeeding is an integral part of the full and healthy development of each child.
But, due to the problems with lactation that every third woman has to face today, the feeding process turns into a real torment for both mom and baby, who does not receive the required amount of nutrients. It's one thing when the problem is a shortage of milk, but what to do if the baby himself refuses to take breasts and at the same time remains hungry?
The baby does not take breasts: mother's problems
Often the process of breastfeeding is disturbed due to the special structure of the mammary glands in the mother. If the nipple is very large, flat or retracted, it is difficult for the baby to take and hold it in his mouth. Such feeding is very tiring for the baby and as a result the child remains hungry. If over time the baby does not adapt to such anatomical features of the mother, it is worth using special silicone pads. In some cases, a woman may have a blockage in the duct milk or stagnation of milk, which cause a tightening and swelling of the nipple, which greatly complicates the process of breastfeeding. In this case, conventional decantation helps.
Sometimes the process of breastfeeding is disrupted due to the fact that a nursing woman takes certain medications that give milk a specific taste. A young mother should closely monitor her health. Incorrect attachment to the breast can bring tangible discomfort to both the baby and the lactating woman. One of the main problems is nipple cracks, which cause terrible pain.
To get rid of this defect, use specialized means based on lanonin. Do not use any traditional medicine, vasilin and vegetable oil - these substances can lead to the development of an allergic reaction. In addition, an extraneous smell and taste can cause the baby to not take breasts. If any pathologies of the breast are detected, timely treatment should be taken and regularly examined by a specialist.
If a lactating woman has a menstrual cycle or has a new pregnancy, the baby may refuse to breast due to a change in the emotional state of the mother. Be sure to monitor your diet, completely excluding caffeinated products, fatty and fried foods from the daily menu. A nursing woman should not abuse all kinds of nutritional supplements and vitamin complexes.
If you feel the need to take them, first consult with your doctor. It is also worth being extremely careful when using cosmetics, avoiding products with a sharp specific smell that can be unpleasant for your child.
In some cases, the problem may be in the well-known postpartum depression, when the mother may not respond to the crying baby, often leaving him alone in the room, rough and inadequate treatment of his child. Children, despite their young age, very subtly feel rudeness and cruelty, so they themselves begin to distance themselves from their mother. In this case, one should stock up not only with enormous endurance, but also with the help of an experienced psychologist who will help painlessly solve this situation.
Reasons why the baby refuses breast:
1. The sucking reflex is not sufficiently developed - it is worth working on this problem, often putting the baby to the chest;
2. With intrauterine development or during childbirth, the baby had hypoxia;
3. Bottle feeding is one of the most common factors why a baby refuses to breastfeed. Sucking from a bottle is much easier, but to get milk from a nipple you need to make an effort. Pediatricians recommend limiting the baby to bottles and nipples up to six months, because this is a very important period when all efforts must be directed towards maintaining breastfeeding. After giving the child several times a mixture or water from a bottle, be prepared to face protest and patience in order to accustom the baby to his chest again. Even if there is a need to introduce complementary foods, it is better to give your child food from a spoon or syringe.
4. Wrong posture during feeding - perhaps the baby is uncomfortable lying, very tired and not fully eats up. Optimum position - the head is slightly thrown back so that the nose is at the level of the nipple.
5. A short sublingual bridle is a defect that requires surgical intervention. In the presence of such a pathology, the baby may not refuse to feed categorically, but do it very slowly.
What to do if a baby refuses a breast?
Does your baby cry again, turns away from the chest, causing irritation and nervousness? Do not despair and begin to introduce complementary foods, if you wish, natural feeding can always be normalized, providing your baby with full development. First of all, it is necessary to create bodily contact between yourself and the child, creating a favorable atmosphere for feeding. Try to spend as much time as possible with the baby, hug, kiss the baby so that he can feel motherly love and care. During feeding, you can turn on beautiful relaxing music in the room, make the light more subdued. It is better if at this quivering moment in the room there will be no one except mom and baby. Try to create a favorable friendly atmosphere in the house, avoid quarrels and family scandals that can cause unnecessary excitement in the baby. Do not give up night feeding and sharing sleep - this is the best way to improve psychological contact.
The baby does not take breasts in late infancy
Since birth, your baby was happy to take breasts and now suddenly begins to refuse breast milk? The problem here lies not in the physiology of the mother and the characteristics of the child's body. The reason may be in acute respiratory infections, when it is very difficult for a child to breathe with a severe cold, stress when changing the environment, various diseases with a pronounced pain syndrome. Also, babies often refuse to eat during tooth growth. Again, the problem of rejecting breast milk may be the beginning of bottle feeding. The baby will understand that it is much easier to suck and will require a nipple, flatly refusing to breast.
According to pediatricians, there are often cases when children refused to take breasts after a prolonged absence of the mother. For example, you urgently left for several days on business or went to the hospital, at this time the child experiences stress caused by separation from his mother. If such a situation takes place in your life, after returning, try to spend maximum time with the baby.
After six months, children are very sensitive to extraneous noise. Pay attention, perhaps some sound in the house annoys the child and he is constantly distracted by him and cannot eat normally.
The baby does not take breasts - in which cases there is no reason for panic
Very often, young mothers exaggerate and exacerbate the situation, especially when it comes to their beloved child. If your baby refuses to take breasts, maybe he just hasn’t gotten hungry yet?
Fix the time between feedings and, if only 2-3 hours have passed, the baby is alert and does not cry, you should not suffer and give breasts by force. It happens that the baby sucks one breast more than the other, which causes concern to the mother. There is nothing wrong with that, perhaps it’s more convenient for the child or you yourself didn’t notice it, most often you gave this particular breast.
The baby does not take breasts - three main mistakes of young mothers:
1. When a child aged 4-6 months begins to give up breasts, many mothers perceive this as a natural weaning and calmly switch to artificial mixtures. In no case should this be done! Physiologically, the body of the baby and mother is ready to complete breastfeeding by 1.5-2 years.
2. Let the problem go by chance - if for a long time it is not possible to restore breastfeeding and the baby also categorically refuses to breast, enlist the support of specialists, girlfriends, relatives who will certainly help you with useful advice. For many mothers, problems with breastfeeding become a real problem and cause stress. Do not lock yourself - so you only make the situation worse. Read the blogs of experts, communicate in specialized forums with friends in misfortune, but in no case give up!
3. Never insist or break down on the baby if he does not want to take the chest. It didn’t work, try after a while, and if the attempt was successful, do not take your breasts until the baby bites and releases it himself.
If you are unable to independently establish natural feeding, do not give up and blame yourself for all the failures. Consult a breastfeeding specialist who will not only give valuable recommendations, but also provide valuable support throughout the period of struggle with this problem.
