There are different situations when you need to know how to wean a baby to the breast. In 90% of cases, the process is carried out from the moment of birth. General principles and recommendations will help you avoid mistakes. Care must be taken, since in case of negative actions the baby may completely refuse to suck.
The process of feeding is an unforgettable stage in a woman’s life.
Natural nutrition for a newborn is mother's milk. It contains all the components that allow it to grow healthy and actively gain weight. Establishing breastfeeding is an important stage, which must begin in the maternity hospital. You should not expect success on the first day. This takes from 1 week to 2-3 months - each case is individual.
How to teach a child
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Weaning a baby to the breast should begin immediately after birth (if there are no contraindications). On the first day, he will not yet be able to fully suck or grasp the breast, but he will be able to get an idea of maternal warmth. Reflexes will start immediately. For a woman, the accustoming stage is associated with setting up the process of milk production. Proper lactation (without interruptions and with a sufficient volume of nutrient fluid) will take time.
Important! In most newborns, the sucking reflex is well developed. During the first feeding, you need to pass the nipple across the lips 2-3 times so that the baby opens his mouth and captures the areola.
You should not force the baby or try to help him. The reflexive grip must be developed independently so that the baby can then receive the volume of milk he needs. The woman will only need to apply light pressure on the mammary gland to activate production. In the first few days you will have to feed using colostrum. You cannot supplement with the mixture if the natural way of eating is a priority.
Proper training assumes that the baby will need to be attached to the breast, taking into account all the features:
- body position is comfortable;
- the head should be at the same level with the body (not sunken);
- shoulders should not arch or sink;
- mouth at the level of the areola;
- lips should not close.
The position of a nursing mother can be any. It is allowed to sit, lie or stand. You need to hold the baby with one hand, with the other to guide the breast and support the nipple so that it does not fall out.
Important! In some cases, the baby may turn its head in search of the breast. It should not be fixed; it is recommended to carefully guide the head. This way he will understand what needs to be done next time.
If feeding is done correctly, then during sucking the woman will feel a slight tugging in the chest. This is due to the fact that the baby makes an effort to get milk. It is often noted that the newborn refuses the breast, cries, or behaves restlessly. This is a normal effect if, before the training, another method of feeding was practiced: through a tube or using a bottle. Failure is also typical for premature babies or after interruption of breastfeeding for a number of reasons. A cesarean section can also delay training, since local or general anesthesia is used during the process.
For quick contact you will need to interest the baby
Early latch and its role in normalizing lactation
Immediately after birth, the baby is placed on the mother's breast. The baby grabs the nipple and sucks out a few drops of colostrum. It is important that there is skin-to-skin contact. What is it for? The fact is that in the womb the child was in a sterile environment. Walking through the birth canal, he “became familiar” with the mother’s microflora. Colostrum is also a microflora, and he receives it internally, populating his intestines with it. Colostrum contains immunoglobulins necessary for the baby’s successful adaptation to a new environment.
Early latching does not last long, usually 1-2 minutes (since prolonged latching may cause the baby to freeze). The benefit of early latching also lies in the fact that a woman starts lactation. When the nipples are stimulated, the hormone oxytocin begins its work to produce milk. This is why it is so important to put your baby to the breast immediately after birth. If a child is born weak, premature or sick, he is not put to the breast in the delivery room.
How to offer correctly
Offering and teaching a newborn to breastfeed follows certain rules. It is recommended to carefully study the rules for grasping the nipple and areola in the baby’s mouth, so that you can then monitor and help him. A variety of methods and techniques of “persuasion” are used that contribute to the development of reflex memory. In order for the baby to learn quickly, you will need to be persistent. It must be presented in a soft form, otherwise the child will receive negative emotions.
Nipple latching rules
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In 90% of cases, the baby latches onto the nipple correctly. In order to control the process, the woman is recommended to take a comfortable position. The best position is sitting or lying down, this way you can relieve some of the stress from the muscles of the back, abdomen and arms. After this, the baby is applied to the breast. It goes according to the following rules:
- bringing the child's face closer to the mammary gland;
- The baby’s shoulders and head need to be supported with one hand;
- direct the nipple to the baby's lips, then pass along them 2-3 times, bring it to the nose.
At this stage, the newborn grasps the nipple and begins active sucking.
General techniques of “persuasion”
In the literal sense, it will not be possible to persuade the baby. By “convictions” you need to understand gentle actions, help, and kind words. Hugs are important here; they help the baby feel the warmth of the mother's body.
Much of success depends on the belief that breastfeeding will be the main way of nutrition. Calmness and restraint will show the child that there is nothing scary in the sucking process. “Beliefs” also include strictly defined hours for taking small meals. It is recommended to use this technique in order to develop in him a reflexive concept of the connections between hunger and the method of satisfying it. In order to arouse interest, you should make sure that you fall asleep at your chest. Additional feeding tips:
- turn on quiet soothing music;
- make the light dim;
- accustom gradually (do not expect results on the first day);
- sing songs or tell stories.
There is no need to rush, as the child should feel harmony and peace at this moment.
Important! If special persuasion techniques are used, a feeding bottle is not used.
Gentle Perseverance
When thinking about how to get a baby to suckle, you need to remember that the foundations of success are gentleness, patience and love. If the baby does not latch onto the breast or refuses, cannot hold the nipple or does not fully latch on to it, the mother should gently guide the baby’s actions. Also, the mammary gland should be in a position that is comfortable for the baby.
Bottles do not contribute to breastfeeding
Rules for weaning a baby
Rule #1. We breastfeed often. In the first days after birth, the mother may not have milk. But this does not mean that you do not need to put your baby to your breast. Mom does not have a lot of milk, but she has valuable colostrum. It should be given as often as possible. The more often the baby eats, the more milk will be produced in the future.
Rule #2. We feed on demand. To establish feeding, you need to feed the baby not according to a feeding schedule, but on demand. A newborn baby is still weak, it is difficult for him to pull on the breast for a long time. And the baby’s stomach cannot accommodate a large amount of food. Therefore, a baby may often require the breast, even more than once an hour. After lactation improves and the baby gets stronger, the intervals between feedings will increase and the routine will return to normal.
Rule #3. We apply it correctly to the chest. A common reason that a baby spits out the breast is precisely due to improper attachment. When applied correctly, the nipple is located deep in the baby’s mouth and “looks” up towards the sky. Incorrect attachment is evident when:
- the child has grabbed only the edge of the nipple;
- the mouth is not open wide;
- the baby smacks his lips while sucking;
- The mother experiences pain during and after feeding.
If difficulties arise with latching on to the breast, a mother can always contact a breastfeeding specialist or a pediatric nurse at the maternity hospital. They will tell you how to teach your baby to latch onto the breast correctly.
You can also read our article “Tips on how to properly breastfeed your baby.”
Rule #4. 1 breast for 1 feeding. Do not rush to give the baby a second breast until he has completely emptied the first. At first glance, it may seem that the breast has emptied, but in fact, “hind”, fattier milk remains in it, which is also necessary for the baby.
Rule #5. No breast substitutes! If in the postpartum period the baby is reluctant to take the breast, then nipples, bottles and pacifiers will only aggravate the problem. Breastfeeding will be even more difficult once your baby learns to drink from a bottle.
Rule #6. We express only when necessary. It is necessary to express the breast when lactostasis has developed and when the woman is separated from the child and does not have the opportunity to feed him. Sometimes babies may refuse the breast because it is too firm and full of milk. In such a situation, it is recommended to express some milk before feeding. It will be easier for your baby to breastfeed.
Why do children refuse breastfeeding?
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There are reasons for a child to refuse breastfeeding. Experts highlight the following:
- active use of pacifiers and pacifiers;
- bottle feeding (immediately after birth or at the time of interruption of breastfeeding);
- improper attachment to the breast (the baby experiences discomfort during this period, which makes him refuse next time);
- disease of the newborn (congenital, acquired disorders or the common cold);
- colic and abdominal pain;
- the beginning and active phase of teething;
- changes around (increased attention, cold, heat, bright light).
The use of creams or perfumes with a strong odor can negatively affect the desire to breastfeed. You also need to monitor the foods that are included in the diet - some of them cause changes in the taste of milk. Refusal from this method of feeding may be due to the fact that the child is already quite old. In some cases, on the contrary, it is easier to accustom someone to breastfeeding than to wean them off it.
One of the frequent questions regarding breastfeeding that mothers turn to a consultant with sounds something like this: “I can’t give my baby the breast, he loses it all the time,” “Since birth, the baby hasn’t taken the breast, I was told that I have flat nipples and need to be fed from a bottle”, “We’ve been trying since the maternity hospital, but we just can’t breastfeed the baby”... Why does this happen and what can be done?
Situation one. The newborn does not latch on immediately after birth.
One of the rules for successful breastfeeding, formulated by WHO, is to begin breastfeeding within the first half hour after birth. That is, the baby should be put to the breast after birth as early as possible, in fact, even in the delivery room. But sometimes it happens that the mother offers the newborn the breast, but he does not grab it or suck it. The reason may be that the breast is offered too early, literally in the first 10 minutes after birth. The fact is that immediately after birth, the child needs a pause, time to rest, because he has gone through such an important and difficult path! And the mother needs to wait a little while he comes to his senses, until he shows signs of readiness to suck. After 10-15-20 minutes, the newborn begins to show activity - twisting its head, squeaking, waving and pushing with its arms and legs, as if trying to crawl. If you pick him up, he turns his head to his chest and opens his mouth, showing a search reflex. All this says that now the baby can be offered the breast and he will readily begin to latch on to it. At first, attempts to latch on can be awkward, since mother and baby still need to adjust to each other. The baby may lose the breast, or suck too weakly. Mom needs to be patient, and after several attempts everything will definitely work out.
It happens that young mothers mistakenly take the usual behavior of a newborn as a refusal to take the breast. It is wrong to think that a baby, having just been born, will skillfully latch on to the breast. Sometimes the mother takes the baby and expects him to do everything himself - move to the breast, open his mouth and grab the nipple. But a newborn does not yet have such a skill, there is only a set of reflexes (searching, sucking). He still does not know how to control his body, he can suck on the side of the nipple, or even on clothes, turn his head in search of the breast (mothers may decide that the child is turning away from her), lick the breast... The baby has simply never seen her before and knows exactly how to handle it. For the first time, the child needs help.
Another reason why a newborn may refuse to latch on may be a difficult birth. Then the baby may simply not have the strength to suckle. Children born prematurely may have little strength, and in case of severe prematurity, the sucking apparatus may also not yet have formed. In this case, you will have to wait until the consequences of childbirth pass and the child gets stronger enough. If this happens quite quickly, after a few hours, then the first feeding will simply be a little “late.” If recovery takes several days, then the mother will need to express milk during this time and feed the baby with it. Colostrum is especially useful in this situation, since although it is released in a small volume, it has a lot of unique properties that support health. It is advisable to organize supplementary feeding of the newborn not from a bottle, so that he does not get used to the bottle type of sucking and does not refuse the breast in the future (read on). It is important not to give up trying to attach the baby to the breast and, as the condition improves, the baby will begin to suck mother's milk. Sometimes the lack of desire to breastfeed in a newborn is associated with the use of medications during childbirth, for example, anesthesia. Then you also need to wait a while and offer the breast.
If the mother and the newborn were separated after birth and the first feeding did not take place, the baby was bottle-fed, then when they meet, he may also refuse to breastfeed. Because he didn’t have time to get to know her, and was already accustomed to another object - the bottle. The breast differs from the bottle in shape (to take the nipple, you do not need to open your mouth wide), smell, taste (especially if the baby was supplemented with formula). There is also a significant difference in the sucking mechanism and in which muscles are involved. In this case, the mother will have to be patient and spend some time retraining the baby back to the breast. The time depends on many factors - the period of bottle feeding, the persistence and calmness of the mother, the condition and character of the child, and so on. Children begin to latch on to the breast much faster if they have not been bottle-fed before. Therefore, if necessary, it is better to immediately try to supplement feeding in other ways - from a pipette, a syringe without a needle, a special or regular spoon... And of course, as soon as the baby is with the mother, you need to remove the bottle and start offering the breast. A specialist should determine the need and amount of additional supplementary feeding in such cases!
Situation two. The baby cannot hold the breast.
It happens that the baby actively searches for the breast, grabs it, tries to suck, but constantly releases it. Sometimes this happens simply because of the movements of the baby himself - he can twist his head strongly, turn it away from the breast and, of course, lose the nipple. Typically, this behavior is associated with an active search reflex, and goes away with age. The mother just needs to hold the baby's head after he is attached to the breast. It is best not to hold the back of the baby’s head, but to hold the head closer to the neck, placing the thumb on one side and the other four fingers of the hand on the other.
It may be difficult for a newborn to latch onto the breast if there is a lot of milk in it. Then the breasts are tight, dense, the areola area is hard and it is uncomfortable for the baby to hold it. It helps to soften the breasts by pressing your fingers in the areola area for several seconds, as shown in the picture. If milk flows heavily from the breast, then the child may also throw it, as he is choking. In this case, it helps to use feeding positions in which the pressure of milk is not so strong, for example, when the baby is on top of the mother or a lying position.
Very often, a newborn loses breasts if the mother has small, flat or inverted nipples. In this case, it is more difficult for the baby to hold the breast in his mouth, and the mother needs to learn to help him latch onto the breast well. In principle, the shape of the nipple does not matter, since with proper attachment the child should suck not the nipple, but the breast. As practice shows, with proper breastfeeding, the nipples often stretch out. With the correct grip, the child does not suck the breast, but grabs it with his open mouth about 2-3 cm. The tongue is on the bottom, as if sucking and holding the breast. In the case of flat nipples, using breast shields can make the situation a little easier, since the shield imitates a long nipple and the baby has something to grab onto. But with such sucking, it is more difficult for him to obtain milk, he may gain little weight, and the mother may experience stagnation of milk. Therefore, it is important for a mother to learn how to breastfeed correctly by asking for help from experienced women - medical staff in the maternity hospital, lactation consultants, or any women who have successfully breastfed their children. Breasts with unexpressed nipples should be placed in a wide open mouth, trying to immediately insert them as deeply as possible. You can form a breast fold with your thumb and index finger, placing them parallel to each other at a sufficient distance from the nipple. During feeding, the baby should be turned towards the mother and pressed tightly against her at all times to avoid sliding off the breast. At first, the mother will have to constantly monitor the attachment and possibly feed the baby the breast several times during feeding. But after a couple of weeks, the baby will learn to hold the breast tightly in his mouth.
Situation three. The baby stops taking the breast.
For example, a child takes the breast and sucks, but after a short time throws it and screams. The reason may be improper attachment, which makes it difficult for the baby to suck out the so-called “late” or “hind” milk. It is thicker and more difficult to get out of the chest than the “front” one, which literally pours out on its own. While the milk flows easily, the child is calm, but when he has to work, he may begin to be indignant. In this case, it would be completely wrong to offer the second breast, since then the baby will receive only “front” milk, without getting to the “hind” milk, which is rich in fats and many enzymes useful for digestion. And this leads to various problems, from digestive problems to insufficient weight gain. The mother should calmly offer the breast to the baby again and be sure to monitor the correct attachment. In addition, if the child attaches incorrectly, he swallows a lot of air when sucking. The swallowed air begins to bother the baby and he may stop breastfeeding due to discomfort in the stomach. If the baby smacks or clicks while sucking, the mother needs to pay special attention to how he takes the breast.
When a baby experiences pain of any kind, he may also refuse to suck. This may include colic, inflammation in the ear (otitis media), headaches, and other health problems. For example, if a baby has a stuffy nose, it is difficult for him to suck, he suffocates and abandons the breast. Usually in such cases, the baby suddenly begins to refuse the breast, and at the same time becomes capricious and screams not only during feeding. You need to try to calm the child down, identify and eliminate the cause of the illness. You can try to find a feeding position that makes it easier for him. For example, in a situation with a sore ear, it may be easier for a baby if you feed in a position in which the sore ear is facing upward and there is no pressure on it.
Special situations, when the child at first took the breast willingly and well, and then stopped, may be associated with an insufficient amount of milk from the mother, when the child is capricious that he does not have enough. Then it is necessary to find out the reasons for the decrease in lactation and take measures. Or the baby’s behavior may be a manifestation of so-called breast refusal. Moreover, refusal is possible to varying degrees - the child does not take the breast at all, takes only in a dream, takes only in one position, bends over, and so on. The reasons for refusal behavior usually lie in the organization of breastfeeding itself and in the style of caring for the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the mother’s actions in detail, correct mistakes and establish psychological contact and feeding. And here you don’t need to be embarrassed to seek competent help from breastfeeding specialists or more experienced mothers who have fed their baby without problems. If there is a desire to breastfeed and mother’s persistence, any difficulties can be overcome.
Elena Shmakova, lactation consultant, member of the Association of Natural Feeding Consultants (AKEV), mother of five children
Errors during training
Sometimes, when thinking about how to quickly accustom a child to breastfeeding, a mother does not take into account the possibility of mistakes. There are a number of actions that cannot be performed in order for training to be successful. Also, special attention should be paid to developing the application technique. Choosing a position that is comfortable for you and your baby is very important.
Incorrect application
Pressing too tightly, lack of support for the shoulders or head - all this refers to incorrect attachment. At this stage, you need to provide the child with freedom to choose a position (with control). In the found position, further feeding is carried out.
What not to do
There are several prohibited actions during training for breastfeeding:
- use a pacifier;
- give a bottle;
- to be nervous;
- show impatience and anger.
On a note. The child senses the mother’s mood, so he may start crying in response. You should also not rush or make sudden movements.
How to resume breastfeeding
You need to know not only how to introduce a newborn to breastfeeding, but also how to return breastfeeding in case of interruption. Sometimes it needs to be moved due to illness. The main recommendation is to devote enough time to this process. It is important to establish close contact with the baby (snuggle, caress). It is best not to ask other relatives to look after him. You also need to reduce the time you spend in crowded places, as this will allow you to resume contact with the mammary glands at any time.
It is important for a young mother to learn the technique of how to properly teach a baby to breastfeed. The first thing you need to consider is that the bottle should not be used even as a means of supplementary feeding. Proper sucking is genetically determined (clan, family). That is why problems do not arise in most cases.
Premature baby
You may not be able to breastfeed if your baby is born prematurely and requires a hospital stay. Then, once your baby is able to breastfeed, it may take him a while to get started. Small babies have small mouths, so your baby may not have time to cuddle up to your chest until he's a little bigger. Also, a premature baby has less energy to breastfeed, so it may seem like he won't latch on, but he just won't be able to. In the meantime, you can give your premature baby expressed breast milk until he is big enough and has enough energy to latch on.
