Breastfeeding
Challenge: Nipple Confusion
When
a baby is latched on properly their nose and chin
will touch the breast as they suckle, you should
be able to see and hear that they are withdrawing
and swallowing breast milk. A baby will have trouble
latching on when they have nipple confusion. A
baby may become nipple confused when they are
fed via the breast and the bottle or if they are
given a pacifier for sucking comfort. |
Breastfeeding
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Solutions for Solving Nipple Confusion and How You Can Prevent
It
Normally
babies are not born to with nipple confusion, so avoiding
it can be done easily by eliminating the things that cause
it. Artificial nipples and pacifiers are the main causes of
nipple confusing. If your baby has to receive a bottle do
to absence of the mother, for instance if the mom works out
of the home, make sure that they have establish a good nursing
relationship first. If your baby struggles with latching on
properly or if they are not a pro at nursing you will want
to hold off on introducing the bottle. Thankfully there are
many alternatives to a bottle if you need to feed a baby breast
milk. A cup or syringe will work fine, although a baby will
likely prefer the breast to anything.
In
the event that your baby does get nipple confusion there are
some things that you can do to get your baby latching on and
sucking properly. Offer your baby milk only by breastfeeding,
in the event that there will be time that mom will be away
from the baby and they must receive expressed breast milk,
then feed them using a cup or syringe. Offer breastfeeding
not only as food but also as a comfort, make it a special
experience so that a baby with nipple confusion finds it as
an experience that they will want to happen again. You may
find that your baby is more likely to try breastfeeding if
there is skin on skin contact or if they are just waking from
a nap. If you have a sling carry your baby around in it as
much as possible between feedings.
You
will know that you baby is latching on properly if they are
face towards the breast without having to turn their head,
are opening their mouth wide before they clamp down on the
breast and that the areola is in their mouth and their chin
and nose touch the breast. When you are positioning your baby
on the breast give them lots of encouragement, open your mouth
to show them and praise them when they latch on and begin
to suckle.
Getting
a baby nursing correctly will not happen over night and getting
over nipple confusion can be something that is very hard on
mommy and baby, for this reason it is extremely important
to prevent it in the first place. Even one bottle one time
can cause nipple confusion if your baby isn't ready for it.
In some cases it helps to discuss nipple confusion with a
a La Leche League Leader or a lactation consultant to help
your baby start latching on properly and suckling effectively.
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