Nipple confusion occurs when a baby tries to breastfeed the same way as they bottle-feed or when they completely refuse to bottle-feed. Both the process of bottle-feeding or breastfeeding involves a coordinated movement of the baby’s jaw and mouth.
Some of the signs that show the baby is experiencing nipple confusion are;
When the baby refuses to open the mouth wide when latching, once the baby moves their tongue up while suckling which pushes the nipple out of their mouth. The other sign is when the baby becomes frustrated because the mother’s milk does not come out instantly, this mostly happens to babies who are both breastfed and at the same time bottle-fed.
Some of the ways of fixing nipple confusion are; Watch the baby’s cues and breastfeed when they are hungry. Some of these hungry ques are when they wake up from their sleep, when they are fussy, when they start sucking their fingers or fist or when they wave.
The other way of correcting nipple confusion is by adjusting the breastfeeding position so as the enable the baby nurse easily. This involves trying out different positions until you find the best one that suits your baby.
When the baby is latching, check their mouth to ensure that they are sucking in the right way. To know if the baby is sucking effectively, their mouth should be wide open so that most of the areola that be in their mouth.
Another way is by introducing a newborn to breastfeeding first instead of pacifier and bottle and also reduce the number of times they use a pacifier of bottle-feeding.
Expressing also helps deal with the issue of nipple confusion because already the breasts are already stimulated to produce milk instantly and thus the baby would not be frustrated when sucking.
Dealing with the issue of breast engorgement is another way of avoiding nipple confusion. Breast engorgement is a process whereby the breasts are full of milk and they become firm and swollen.
This problem can be fixed by first expressing a bit before the baby latches so that the nipples can adjust and also the breasts can be soft for the baby to rest on it well.
Nipple confusion is a common temporal problem that is experienced with almost all babies and especially with first-time moms who are less experienced. Fixing nipple confusion can be easily done at home or if it does not work, one can seek a lactation consultant for more help.
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