5 Problems Arising From Breastfeeding And Their Solutions
The best gift a mother can give to her baby in life is to feed him with mother’s milk from the moment he is born. However, it is sometimes not easy to successfully adopt a breast milk-based diet, especially if you are a first-time mom. Being well informed can help you solve the problems that come with breastfeeding.
There is no better food for your baby than the milk that your body produces after giving birth. The time to breastfeed the baby should be an opportunity for calm and tranquility, not for fear and trauma. Knowing the causes of breastfeeding problems can help you prevent or solve them.
5 problems that arise from breastfeeding
Deciding to feed your baby breast milk is a great decision. Learning to breastfeed, however, can be complicated. Problems resulting from breastfeeding increase the chances of early weaning or a change in the baby’s diet.
By reading the following list, you will find out what are the most common obstacles you may face when starting breastfeeding.
1. Wrong nipple grip
One of the biggest problems resulting from breastfeeding is the wrong grip of the nipple. In the following lines we will analyze the difficulty and the solution.
Problem. The baby does not suck well from the breast, because he only takes the nipple with his lips, thus causing other problems.
Solution. Use your index and middle fingers like pliers to grasp the nipple and gently insert it into the baby’s mouth. You need to make sure that the nipple and part of the areola remain inside his mouth.
2. Poor or abundant production of breast milk
Problem. During the first few months after giving birth, hormonal changes either increase or decrease the production of breast milk.
Solution. Let the baby’s requests establish the practice on which to regulate the production of breast milk. When it is believed that the production is abundant, it is recommended to offer the baby only one breast per feed. Otherwise, offering the breast to the baby’s free request is the best way to stimulate the production of breast milk in a natural way.
Advice. How do you know if you are producing the right amount of breast milk for your baby? You have to figure out if the little one dirties the diaper with the right frequency for his age. Also, make sure he is gaining weight in a normal way: if this is the case, you have no reason to worry.
3. Breast refusal
Problem. The baby refuses the breast for some of the following reasons:
- A bad experience, which comes from a wrong grip of the nipple or from an inadequate posture.
- The baby has already tried to suckle the bottle and finds that it takes more effort to get the milk out of your breasts.
- You may find the smell or taste of some product you use on your skin, such as perfume or lotion, unpleasant .
Solution. Avoid the use of cosmetics on the skin of your breasts and continue to offer the latter to the baby. Likewise, avoid using a bottle or pacifier. Be patient and hold the baby to the breast for as long as it takes to stimulate its sucking reflex.
4. Cracking and pain in the nipples
Problem. The cause of this frequent problem is due to a wrong position of the baby with respect to the breast or to a bad sucking on his part.
Solution. Try different breastfeeding positions until you find one that you both feel comfortable in. To facilitate milk ejection, it is recommended to apply warm cloths to the breast before breastfeeding. This will help to avoid some pain when the baby starts sucking.
In addition, to reduce the impact of the baby’s sucking force, you can use breast pumps. Similarly, you can use a few droplets of your breast milk as a lubricant for this area or use creams to renew the tissue and prevent it from cracking even more.
5. Mastitis
Problem. The breasts become congested due to a blocked breast duct, or because too much time passes between feedings. This warm breast milk is the preferred environment for germs that produce an infection.
Symptoms of mastitis. The area in question is hot to the touch, hard, sensitive, painful, red, with the presence of fever and obstructed.
Solution. The best solution to this problem is the baby’s frequent sucking. It is important to clarify that this infection is not harmful to him. We advise you to consult a professional, who will prescribe an antibiotic to fight the infection from the inside.
Being faced with breastfeeding problems is very common, so don’t be discouraged. Every drawback has a solution, which most of the time is easier than you imagine. You just have to be very patient and optimistic, certain that you will overcome any difficulty.
