Breastfeeding Help!
Reliable information on
breastfeeding topics
by Heisje de Jong,
Certified Lactation Consultant
07.- NIPPLE CONFUSION <previous topic next topic>
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Healthy, full term babies don't need supplementary bottles with
water, glucose or formula.
All your
baby needs is your milk.
By giving bottles to your baby he will nurse less at your breast
and your milk supply will go down.
Another problem is the danger
of your baby becoming nipple confused. The sucking action in
feeding from an artificial nipple is quite different from suckling
the mother's nipple.
During breastfeeding baby's tongue, jaw and mouth work together
in a coordinated rhythm. Baby's tongue thrusts forward over the
lower gum to cup the breast, the lips are flanged out around
the areola, and the gums compress the collecting sinuses under
the areola.
During bottle-feeding, the action
of tongue, lips and jaw is very different. Since milk flows easily
from the bottle nipple, baby's tongue thrusts upward to control
the flow of milk.
His lips are pursed tightly around the artificial nipple and
the jaws do not need to compress the nipple to extract the milk.
When the baby tries to suckle the breast in the same way, he
fails to obtain the milk from the breast effectively or to stimulate
the milk let-down.
This is called "nipple confusion" and often results
in a frustrated baby who begins to prefer the bottle.
Studies found that many babies
become nipple confused if given a bottle during the first 3-4
weeks of life.
For some babies it may take many bottles, others become confused
after just one bottle.
If you plan to use bottles it is therefore best to wait until
your baby is at least 4 weeks old.
Pacifiers can change suckling patterns and cause nipple confusion just as a bottle nipple so if you are planning to use a pacifier it is better to wait until baby is about 4 weeks old. (See also section PACIFIERS).
If your baby does need to take
supplements for some special reason, it can be given in a way
that your baby does not become nipple confused. For example supplements
or medicines can be given in a cup (choose a plastic one which
you can bend to form a spout), a plastic eyedropper, a spoon
or a syringe.
Keep baby upright when you try this feeding methods and give
baby small sips at a time. To satisfy his sucking needs he may
want to suck on your clean finger.
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