Breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding

For nursing moms, having the flexibility to switch from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding and back once more seems like a dream.

It would brand a lot of activities much simpler — similar a dinner out, going back to work, or simply taking a much-needed shower. But if yous're dreaming about making this a reality, you lot may besides have concerns.

What if your baby has a hard time learning to drinkable from a bottle? What if your infant of a sudden refuses to breastfeed? What if your baby experiences nipple confusion?

Luckily, you don't need to worry too much. Most babies don't have trouble going from the chest to a bottle, and back to the breast. Merely keep in listen that breastfeeding is a learned behavior. It's all-time to avoid offering a bottle before you both become confident at this skill.

Here'southward what you should know about nipple confusion and what you lot can do to avoid it.

What is nipple confusion?

Nipple confusion is a broad term. Information technology can refer to a infant who refuses to feed from a bottle, or one who tries to breastfeed in the same mode they feed from a bottle. For a baby, the action of nursing involves coordinated movements of the rima oris and jaw.

In fact, these movements are unique to the act of breastfeeding. For something that babies make expect and so piece of cake, at that place's a lot going on.

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, these are the mechanics of breastfeeding:

  • To properly latch on to the breast, a infant opens their oral cavity very wide so that the nipple and a large office of the areolar tissue can achieve deeply inside.
  • A baby uses their tongue and lower jaw to do ii things at once: hold the breast tissue in place against the roof of their mouth, and create a trough betwixt the nipple and the areola.
  • The baby'southward gums compress the areola and their tongue moves rhythmically from front to back to depict out milk.

Drinking from a bottle doesn't require the same technique. The milk will flow no affair what a baby does because of gravity. When a baby feeds from a canteen:

  • They don't accept to open their mouth wide or create a tight seal with properly turned-out lips.
  • It isn't necessary to draw a bottle nipple securely into their rima oris, and there's no need for the dorsum-to-front end milking action of the tongue.
  • They tin suck only with their lips or "glue" on the rubber nipple.
  • If the milk flows as well quickly, a babe tin can stop it past thrusting their tongue up and forrard.

Signs of nipple confusion

If a baby tries to breastfeed in the aforementioned way they feed from a bottle, they may do the following:

  • thrust their natural language upwardly while they're sucking, which can button the nipple out of their oral cavity
  • fail to open up their mouth wide enough during the latch (in this case, they can't go much milk, and their mother's nipples volition be very sore)
  • become frustrated their female parent'due south milk isn't instantly available because information technology takes a minute or two of sucking to stimulate the let-downward reflex

The final scenario can exist an issue with an older babe. 1 instance is a baby whose female parent'south milk isn't as readily available because of a schedule modify like returning to work.

Longer stretches betwixt breastfeeding tin can reduce your milk supply. A baby may brainstorm to show a preference for the immediacy and ease of a bottle.

How to avoid nipple defoliation

The best manner to avert nipple confusion is to await to introduce bottles until breastfeeding has been well-established. This normally takes somewhere between four and six weeks.

You may be able to introduce a pacifier a little sooner, but it's even so all-time to wait until your milk supply is well established and your baby has regained their nativity weight, usually later on iii weeks.

If your baby is having trouble breastfeeding after you introduce a bottle, endeavour these tips.

  • Stick with breastfeeding if yous can. If that's not an option, endeavour to limit bottle sessions to when you lot aren't around.
  • Brand certain to practice expert breastfeeding techniques so you and your babe are both comfy.
  • If your baby seems to get frustrated because your milk isn't readily available, remedy that by pumping a bit to jump-commencement your let-down reflex before y'all nurse.
  • Don't wait until your baby is ravenous to breastfeed. Try to time it so you both accept the patience to get things right.

What if my baby refuses to breastfeed?

In the case of an older infant who shows a preference for the bottle over the chest, go along your milk supply upward past pumping regularly when you're away.

When you lot're together, make time to nurture your breastfeeding human relationship. Nurse more oft when yous're home with your baby, and save the bottle feedings for when you're away.

What if my infant refuses the bottle?

If your baby refuses to feed from a bottle altogether, in that location are a few things you can try. Come across if your partner or a grandparent can give your infant a bottle. If that's not an pick, try to proceed bottle-feeding sessions depression-stress.

Reassure your infant, and keep the mood playful and lite. Try to mimic breastfeeding as much equally you tin. Brand sure there's lots of cuddling and eye contact. You tin also switch your baby to the other side halfway through the feeding to modify information technology upwardly. If your baby gets upset, take a suspension.

Experiment with different kinds of nipples, too. Look for those that will supply your babe with enough milk to go on them interested. Once your infant is exposed to the canteen and understands that information technology's another form of nourishment, it won't take long for them to get on board with the idea.

The takeaway

There are resource available if you lot need help navigating bottle- or breastfeeding. Talk to your physician if you need a recommendation for a lactation consultant, or attain out to your local chapter of La Leche League International.