Breastfeeding that should be fun can turn worrying when your baby experiences nipple confusion. This will probably make You are worried that the plan for exclusive breastfeeding for your little one will be disrupted.
Nipple confusion is a common condition in babies in the early days of life. Babies can be said to have nipple confusion when they have difficulty sucking breast milk (ASI) directly from the breast because they have previously been used to drinking breast milk using a bottle.
Reasons Behind Baby Confused Nipples
The main reason why babies get nipple confusion is because they are introduced to breast milk too early. Why so? Because to suck milk through the mother's breast, the baby needs to work hard by moving the 40 facial muscles.
Meanwhile, when sucking breast milk through a pacifier or pacifier, the baby does not have to struggle. He just opened his mouth and gave a little pressure, the nipple of the milk bottle was immediately issued. So, don't be surprised if babies who are given breast milk too early will be confused about their nipples when they try to breastfeed again.
Therefore, if you really want to introduce a pacifier or feeding bottle to your little one, ideally it is when your little one is 4 weeks old or when he is already proficient at breastfeeding directly from your breast.
sign Bbaby has nipple confusion
Here are some signs that you can recognize when your little one has nipple confusion:
- He doesn't open his mouth wide when he feeds from the breast, so he can't get a lot of milk.
- When sucking milk, the little one pushes his tongue, so that the mother's nipple comes out of his mouth.
- Your little one becomes frustrated or grumpy because the mother's milk doesn't come out right away, because she needs to suck for 1-2 minutes until the milk comes out.
How to overcome Nipple Confused Baby
If your baby has difficulty feeding after you introduce the bottle, here are some things you can do:
- Practice good breastfeeding techniques and learn comfortable breastfeeding positions. Do the exercise patiently.
- Continue to breastfeed as much as possible and limit the use of pacifiers or bottles when you are at home. Also, don't wait until your little one is hungry before breastfeeding.
- If your little one looks frustrated because breast milk is not available, work around it by pumping your breast first until the milk comes out a little before feeding your little one.
- If you want to introduce a pacifier or bottle to your baby, wait until he is able to suckle well from your breast, and usually when he is 4-6 weeks old.
- Seek help from a lactation consultant if it turns out that your little one seems to have a tendency to choose a bottle over the breast. A lactation counselor will help you find a solution so that your little one prefers to feed directly from the breast.
Premature babies will initially feed from a special pacifier and bottle, considering their ability to suckle the breast is not perfect. However, that doesn't mean premature babies can't suckle from the breast forever.
Mothers can still breastfeed premature babies directly from the breast, of course, after being permitted by the doctor. The best way to breastfeed a premature baby is by using the kangaroo method.
Nipple confusion is actually not a worrying problem as long as you are patient and follow the correct breastfeeding technique. To prevent this, do not introduce pacifiers or feeding bottles to your little one too early.
If your little one has nipple confusion and refuses to drink breast milk, either from the breast or from a bottle, you should consult a pediatrician so that appropriate treatment can be given.
