The child takes the breast incorrectly: methods of attachment to the breast, nipple latching and the placement of the child’s lips on the nipple

Causes

There are certain explanations why the baby does not latch onto the breast correctly. The main reasons for this situation are the following:

The mother is feeding the baby from a bottle, or the baby is sucking on a pacifier. These factors create improper nipple latching, which naturally affects breastfeeding.
Stagnation of milk. The longer the mother delays the feeding process, the more difficult it is for the baby to latch. This situation can also arise when the baby sucks only one breast during feeding. In this case, experts advise to be sure to express milk from the other breast after finishing feeding.
Incorrect posture. It happens that the mother’s breast covers the baby’s nose during feeding, and it becomes difficult for him to breathe. In this case, the baby begins to spin and releases the nipple from his mouth. A similar situation can arise during a runny nose in a baby.
The baby may refuse to eat if the mother has cracked nipples. They bleed and change the taste of milk.
It is difficult for a baby to breastfeed due to physiological characteristics: short frenulum, tone of facial muscles.
The child is premature and weak.

Don't forget that there are sloth babies who simply don't want to exert themselves and quickly fall asleep while feeding. Pediatricians say that in such children, the hunger center in the brain matures quite slowly. Therefore, they gain weight more slowly. But there is no need to worry or interrupt breastfeeding. Sooner or later this center will mature, and the baby will begin to eat more actively.

Breast care during breastfeeding

During feeding, it is important not only to position the baby correctly, but also to carefully care for the mammary glands. Let's look at how to do this:

You should not wash your breasts before each feeding. This will cause it to dry out and lead to the appearance of painful cracks that do not heal for a long time.
When attaching your baby, it is important to ensure that he grasps not only the nipple, but also the entire areola. If the halos are too large, the newborn should be able to grasp at least part of them.
If your nipples are inverted or flat, you can use special silicone covers. You can buy them at the pharmacy.
Immediately after finishing feeding, try to keep your nipples open. This can be done while you are carrying the baby vertically to allow excess air to escape.
After this, wipe your breasts with a napkin or wash with warm water without soap. Apply moisturizer or sea buckthorn oil.

If the baby has eaten enough and there is still milk left in the mammary glands, you should express it.

This will help stimulate milk production later on and also prevent mastitis. Expressing can be done manually or using a breast pump.

Proper latching of the baby to the breast

It is quite easy to understand that your baby is not latching onto the breast correctly. The main signs of improper nipple latching are:

a woman’s breasts begin to hurt during feeding;
Cracks in the nipples may appear.

Normally, the feeding process itself should not cause any anxiety or pain to the young mother. The baby must suckle the breast in such a way that the woman does not feel pain: he reflexively lowers his tongue onto his lower lip, thereby protecting the breast from painful contact and compression. In this case, the nipple is directed towards the baby's sky, and it captures most of the areola.

Technique.

A child is taken, calm, hungry, but not too hungry, and not sleeping. Mom is also calm , has renounced all problems, sits comfortably reclining (for example, in a chair). The mother holds the child in her hands, talks to him, strokes him, looks into his eyes, thinks about how wonderful her child is. The child is naked (except for a diaper or completely naked). If it’s cold, you can cover yourself with a blanket (you can also unbutton the baby’s clothes so that skin-to-skin contact remains, but of course it’s better if the baby is naked or only in a diaper).

The mother places the baby vertically between her breasts, head above the chest. Mom's breasts are naked (it is very important that the naked child is adjacent to the mother's naked body!!!). The mother, reclining, always firmly supports him by the butt and hips, with the other hand on the shoulders (but not on the head!), creating a confident atmosphere. The child feels that his position in space is stable. That he's safe. Mom enjoys the child. Communicates with him affectionately, with love. He strokes it with his whole hand, not with his fingers. So he lies there, feeling his mother’s love, unity with her , acceptance of him, gentle interaction, for some time. Maybe 5 minutes, maybe 40 minutes. If it's cold, you can cover the mother and baby together with a blanket. It is very important that mother and child enjoy each other, they feel good and comfortable, nothing bothers them. Then the child, excited by the fantastic closeness with the mother, the smell of her body, touches, the smell of milk, groups up (pulls up his legs and arms), this means that he is preparing for feeding. He begins to poke his head into his mother in search of a breast. He begins to move a little to the side and down, continuing to poke at his mother. Mom helps him move, but only a little. Mom encourages him with her voice, supports him, maintaining a confident position, and at the same time freedom of movement, especially the head. It is not the mother who leads, but the child who leads - this is his innate instincts of searching for the breast. He slowly moves down and finds the nipple by the smell of milk. The nipple touches the baby's upper lip, then he reflexively opens his mouth wide and takes it. It is very important that the child does this himself and at his own request. It happens that it doesn’t work right away, the baby “gets lost” at the breast and gets upset, or latches incorrectly, painfully. In this case (in case of discomfort, pain), be sure to

you need to gently lift him back, calm him down and wait until the baby starts poking and looking for the breast again, and go all the way first.
In order for the technique to work, you must start over every time .
Maybe you need 5, 6 tries. When the baby has already taken the breast, during feeding try to press the baby's shoulders closer to you so that the head tilts back a little. It is advisable that the chin be pressed against mother's chest, then the mouth will open wider. A wonderful YouTube video created by the breast pump manufacturer Ameda illustrates self-attachment from about 2 minutes 40 seconds. The still images above are taken from this video. Unfortunately, the language of the video is English. Video address https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zln0LTkejIs&feature=channel_page

Another variation of the self-application method (on Suzanne Colson's website, see about her). Suzanne Colson calls this process biological nurturing .

About this wonderful way of feeding, which activates the newborn's reflexes and makes them work to help the mother, and activates maternal behavior, appropriate hormones, self-confidence and joy from motherhood in the mother. Details: https://www.gvinfo.ru/bn

How to get your baby to eat?

So, if a baby doesn't latch on correctly, what should a mom do? Stop feeding altogether? Of course not. First of all, don’t be nervous and calm down. Secondly, do not interrupt attempts to teach the baby to grasp the nipple correctly. If a woman wants to maintain lactation and teach her baby to latch onto the breast correctly, then she should listen to the advice of specialists.

Their recommendations are:

First you need to find out why the baby began to latch on the breast incorrectly.
It is necessary to offer your baby the breast as often as possible, not only for feeding, but also to soothe or before bed.
Mommy needs to remain calm, not get irritated and not use force. This can only change the situation for the worse.
Stop using pacifiers and pacifiers for a while. The child gets used to sucking from a bottle, as it is much easier to do. Until the baby learns to latch onto the breast correctly, you can supplement it with a syringe, spoon or pipette. At the same time, you need to constantly offer the breast.
Start feeding not on time, but on demand. This method of feeding on a schedule is a thing of the past. Babies who are constantly with their mother sleep and eat much better.
Some pediatricians recommend starting to practice co-sleeping with your mother. They say that this will help improve feeding.
The mother needs to be with the baby as often as possible, take him in her arms and stroke him.
It is necessary to create comfortable conditions for feeding: choose the right position, muffle all extraneous sounds, turn off bright lights and clear the room of unnecessary people. Don't be afraid to experiment with your choice of poses. This will help you choose the right one for yourself and your baby, in which both will be comfortable.

If the mother cannot cope with the problem on her own, then you need to seek help from a pediatrician or a breastfeeding specialist.

How long should you breastfeed your baby?

The optimal period for breastfeeding a child is 2 years. Previously, pediatricians insisted that a baby should be weaned off the breast every year, but today we are talking about two years. We can conclude that this decision is largely individual. There are no hard deadlines. As the baby grows, the composition of mother's milk changes, it adapts to the child's body, the amount of nutrients in it is sufficient to satisfy the needs of the growing body. Of course, starting from 6 months, additional nutrition, juices, purees, etc. are necessarily introduced. But it is not at all necessary to deny a baby breast milk if the mother has it. The end of breastfeeding varies from family to family. Trust your intuition, but try to feed your little treasure yourself for at least six months.

To watch a video with detailed expert instructions on successful breastfeeding, you can purchase our course

Young mothers, remember the main thing - the best, perfectly balanced food for a baby is breast milk. Don't worry that breastfeeding will ruin your figure and will prevent you from losing the weight you gained during pregnancy. These are all myths.

Breastfeeding is the key to the health of not only the baby, but also the excellent health and amazing beauty of his mother!

Whether a mother will be able to breastfeed her baby for a long time and with pleasure largely depends on how she does it in the first week after giving birth. Our tips will help you get through the difficult period of starting lactation without hassle.

Choosing a feeding position

If the baby does not latch onto the breast correctly, then you need to pay attention to the position during feeding. Perhaps the baby is simply uncomfortable, and this is the main reason for improper nipple latching. First you need to take the baby in your arms and pay attention to the position of his body and head. The mother's hand provides support for the baby's back and neck. Some women prefer to feed lying down, on their side, in which case the baby lies nearby. There are several positions for breastfeeding a baby that will be comfortable for both the baby and the mother, and will ensure complete release of the mammary glands.

Why doesn't my baby latch on after a bottle?

Most often, mothers have the same problem - breastfeeding combined with artificial feeding. Unfortunately, this is a common problem, because mothers who breastfeed improperly often start bottle-feeding their baby so that he does not go hungry. The reason that mothers begin to offer artificial milk is the child’s refusal to breastfeed.

A child refuses to breastfeed for several reasons:

Mom doesn't have enough milk
the child does not have a developed sucking reflex
the baby is unable to swallow properly at the breast to suck out milk and feed
The mother's nipples are not developed and they do not provide enough milk to the baby
the baby tried the bottle and tasted the food, which seemed tastier and more satisfying to him

feeding the baby: natural and artificial

When the baby does not want to take the breast, mothers notice that he begins to cry too loudly, turn his face away from the breast, and beat his arms and legs.
With such nervous behavior, many mothers begin to panic and express milk into a bowl, pour it into a bottle and offer it to the baby, noticing how easily he takes the bottle and drinks. There is another situation when the mother must leave - she pumps and leaves the milk for feeding
After such bottle feeding, the next time the baby may completely turn away from the breast and not want to take it, and then mothers literally force him and forcefully put it in his mouth

Feeding your baby is always a calm procedure. It should not involve screams, hysterics and whims, as well as mother’s disorders. If everything didn’t go smoothly, try to relax: play with the baby, give him a massage, stroke him and then, in a calm and non-restless atmosphere, tenderly offer him the breast again.

When a child eats milk from a bottle, he notices how easy it is for him. After all, from the hole milk flows into his mouth in sufficient and uninterrupted quantities. He does not strain his mouth to suck, the milk does not run out and his lips do not get tired. This way you can get a large amount of food in a fairly short time.

Cradle

This is the simplest and most common feeding position. The mother takes the baby in her arms in such a way that his head is located on the bend of her elbow, and her hand supports the small body. The woman also supports the child with her other hand. A variation of this pose is the “cross cradle”. The baby's head rests on the mother's left hand, and she holds the head with her right hand. Experts say that if a baby takes the breast incorrectly, it should be applied in this way.

Nipple latching rules

If the baby begins to latch on to the breast incorrectly, first of all the mother needs to pay attention to how he takes the nipple. The correct feeding position requires the nipple to be at the same level as the baby's nose. Intuitively, the baby opens his mouth and latch onto the breast. If the baby is experiencing difficulties, then the mother should help him. If the baby succeeds, the nipple touches the palate. Feeding experts suggest that young mothers do the following test: stick a finger into the baby’s mouth, and if the baby pulls it in correctly, a vacuum is created that makes it difficult to easily pull the finger back out. The nipple should not slip off during feeding.

If the mother hears smacking, then this is the first sign that the baby is sucking incorrectly. Normally, if you look from below, your baby's tongue should be visible between the breast and the baby's lower lip. Another sign that your baby is latching onto the nipple correctly is that his cheeks are puffy. If they are retracted, then the baby has taken the breast incorrectly. In this case, you should repeat the procedure of attaching the baby to the breast. It is also important to ensure that the baby does not rest his nose on his mother’s chest. This will make breathing difficult and he will not be able to latch onto the nipple properly.

Signs that your baby is not latching on correctly and is swallowing air are:

the child makes strange sounds;
his mouth is not open wide;
there is one nipple in the baby’s mouth (in this case the areola is visible);
after feeding, the nipple remains the same shape;
mom feels pain;
The baby gains little weight.

What could be the consequences? If the baby does not latch onto the breast correctly, he does not get enough to eat because he does not receive the required amount of milk. As a result, the child becomes restless, capricious, and has trouble sleeping.

How to properly remove the nipple from your baby's mouth

In fact, the baby does not suck milk, but presses the skin of the nipple and areola to the palate, while actively moving the tongue in the direction from the gums to the pharynx. That is, the milk is, as it were, squeezed out of the milk passages, and very quickly, since a negative pressure is created in the oral cavity, which has a strong suction property. If at this time you try to remove the breast from the child, removing the nipple from the mouth, you will most likely achieve nothing but severe and painful overstretching of the areola skin. As a result, nipple cracks form, heal poorly and quickly increase due to constant skin irritation with frequent feedings.

How to take breasts from a toddler without unpleasant consequences? The easiest way is to slightly open his gums by entering through the corner of his mouth with the tip of your finger.

. Air will enter the oral cavity through the gap that forms, and the pressure will equalize. All you have to do is apply a little pressure on the skin of the breast near the baby’s lips so that the nipple pops out on its own.

The second option is slower - press lightly on the baby’s chin and hold it there.

. You will feel how your finger prevents it from pressing hard on your gums and pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth. With each movement of the lower jaw, the suction force will decrease, and soon the baby will release the nipple on its own.

Often mothers try to hold the baby’s nose so that he, gasping for breath, opens his mouth and releases his breast. This is not physiological and can be dangerous for the baby

. Children breathe very quickly (at least 40 breaths per minute) and do not know how to hold their breath. Imagine what will happen if the baby feels a lack of oxygen at the moment when there is a lot of milk in his mouth? By abruptly throwing the chest, he can take a strong breath, aspirating (inhaling) food into the lungs. As a result, at the very least, a suffocating cough attack that frightens the mother cannot be avoided, and in the worst case scenario, the baby will develop aspiration pneumonia.

How to teach your baby to latch correctly?

There are several ways to establish proper sucking.

In order for the baby to open his mouth, you need to lightly press on the chin.
You can pass the nipple across the baby's lips, after which he will definitely grab the nipple.
The nipple should be directed not to the lips, but to the baby’s nose. This will ensure proper grip.

Some babies need constant training until they learn to latch on correctly. Reviews from mothers say that there were cases when it was necessary to make 20-30 attempts per application. Sometimes training was delayed even for 2-3 months. The main thing is not to despair and keep trying. The child will learn sooner or later, and feeding will not be a burden.

It is equally important to know how to remove the nipple from the baby’s mouth if necessary. After all, it happens that the baby falls asleep during feeding and the mother is afraid to wake him up. The only way that will not cause concern to the baby is to insert the tip of the little finger into the corner of the baby’s lips and gently unclench the gums.

How to breastfeed your baby correctly?

A newborn who has just been born does not know or understand how he should now receive nutrition, because before everything happened by itself, but what now? It should be noted that during pregnancy, all babies master the general principle of sucking. Also, while in their mother’s tummy, they suck their fingers and fists, developing a sucking reflex. Therefore, immediately after birth, the baby instinctively opens its mouth, sticks out its tongue, trying to find a source of food. This is where the mother must put the baby to her breast, filled with colostrum. Moreover, it is important to do this in such a way that the baby and you feel comfortable. With proper latching on the breast, the baby will never injure you and will not swallow air. Therefore, it is advisable to master feeding techniques while still in the maternity hospital. How to properly breastfeed a newborn:

Step 1. Take a comfortable position. You can feed your baby while sitting, lying down or standing. It is important to follow the basic rule - the torso and face of the newborn must be in the same plane. It is advisable for mom to relax, the main thing is calm and comfort. You can put pillows under your back or cover yourself with a blanket if it’s cool, because feeding takes quite a long time. How to breastfeed a baby while lying down? Yes, just like sitting, the basic principles remain the same.
Step 2. We take the baby, holding him tightly to us, the head should be opposite the chest, the mouth should be at the level of the areola (brown circle around the nipple). Make sure that the baby's head is not thrown back and that the shoulders do not sag between your arms. , the other to feed and guide the chest.
Step 3. Start feeding. Using your thumb and index finger, we squeeze the areola of the breast from which we will give milk, achieving the appearance of a fold. We place it parallel to the baby’s lips. We pass the tip of the nipple along the baby's lips, wait until he opens his mouth wide, making sure that his tongue lies on the lower gum, and at this moment we pull him towards us, putting the areola deeper into his mouth. Please note that we are not bringing the breast closer to the baby, but bringing him closer to ourselves.
Step 4. Feed. After the baby begins to eat vigorously, you can remove your fingers from the areola and relax. In the first days, you will have to start feeding several times, since the baby will turn his head, lose his breasts, and fall asleep while feeding. It is important to patiently and persistently insert the areola into his mouth, at least a centimeter. Then the baby, while eating, will put pressure on the path of milk, stimulating its production. Remember that the baby will learn to eat properly only by the second or third week, and a stable skill will be formed by two or three months.

How can you tell if your baby is full?

A breastfed baby may gain weight more slowly than bottle-fed babies. This is considered the norm. The main thing is that it completely sucks out the required amount. If a newborn does not latch on properly, he may not have enough milk and gain weight even more slowly. To understand whether the baby has enough milk, the mother needs to analyze the following:

Amount of urine. Normally, 4-5 diapers (completely wet) should be changed per day.
Daily stool, which should be liquid for the baby and at least 5 times a day. The stool turns light brown.
After feeding, a woman feels that her breasts are completely empty.

A well-fed baby worries less and sleeps better. But this criterion is not decisive, since other factors can also affect sleep.

So, if the baby does not latch on to the breast, there is no need to be alarmed. The mother must be patient, persistent and try to maintain breastfeeding. It is important to continue to latch your baby to the breast, gradually teaching him how to latch onto the nipple correctly until he succeeds.

How often should you breastfeed your baby?

The answer to this question worries all young mothers. Everything is simple here. In the first days, when the baby is just born, his ventricle is still very small and poorly adapted to feeding. Colostrum is absorbed very quickly and a feeling of hunger sets in. Have you noticed that the baby begins to cry, open his mouth, stick out his tongue, and try to suck his fist? It's time to put him to the breast, let him eat, don't finish feeding until he interrupts it himself. It is recommended to organize such a diet during the first 5 days after birth. On average, it turns out that the baby eats 15-20 times a day. Do not intentionally wake the baby, let everything around him coincide with his own rhythm. Around the fifth day, mommy will have a significant supply of milk and can already switch to the diet recommended by experts, approximately 10-12 times a day.