Many mothers, having established breastfeeding in the maternity hospital and putting the baby to the breast at home, dream that they will feed the baby this way until weaning. But literally after a month or two, the child screams categorically at the sight of the breast, turns away his head, throws away the nipple, as soon as he starts sucking. What is this? Often this behavior is called refusal, and if the causes of such a problem are not recognized in time, you can transfer the baby to formula and deprive him of adequate nutrition and immune support in the form of breast milk too early.

Breast refusal has both physical and psychological reasons; you can understand them by carefully looking at the child and the situation as a whole.

Why does a child refuse the breast?

Refusing behavior is the child’s first statement that he is not part of the mother, but an independent person, but at the same time it is a difficult situation. The difficulties arise from the fact that the most common reasons for refusal are the relationship between the mother and the baby, if, in the child’s opinion, the mother’s behavior is not what he would have expected.

Often children do not attach to the breast, refuse to suck milk and get enough, but also, in principle, to contact their mother, as if “offended” by her. Moreover, it is precisely such protest behavior and refusals, no matter how paradoxical it may be, that the child demonstrates the fact how much he is interested in maternal affection and care, breastfeeding.

Usually, refusing behavior is a clear signal that the mother needs to understand the reasons for the baby’s discomfort, pay attention to communication with him, issues of care, etc. This is obvious because normal children cannot refuse those things that they urgently need; they are driven in life by survival instincts. Naturally, in today's situation, if his signals are not understood, he will be replaced with a bottle of formula, but this is the wrong solution to the problem. However, internal psychological problem

“mother-baby”, which led to refusing behavior, such a replacement of milk with formula will not solve, and sometimes will only aggravate.

In addition, a nursing mother must also remember that there are states of true refusal to attach and false ones (features of behavior associated with age).

Normal age-related features taken for breast refusal

At the stage of growing up of a child, after about three to four months of life, his vision gradually improves, and the baby can reach objects with his hands and grab them, can explore the world and learn everything new. Therefore, the baby tries to learn new skills, tries to roll over, gradually trains and spends more and more time exploring the world. But for now he is still too weak and helpless, but he really wants to taste, color and touch everything.

During feeding periods, the child may turn away, get distracted, looking at objects and things, try to play with the mother, the breast, which confuses her. Often, the mother may perceive this as refusing behavior when the baby is distracted by light or sound, new things and objects. Sometimes he, busy with his knowledge, may leave the GV for a short period of time. Often this behavior gradually goes away on its own, and the baby explores the world outside of feeding, and the mother, by practicing, will not be able to worry about giving up breastfeeding, doing it in such a way that the child can see it more clearly and comfortably.

Physical reasons that may interfere with the baby

Often, purely physical reasons distract one from the breast, which an inexperienced mother may mistake for refusal to breastfeed.

For example, there may be discomfort and anxiety before defecation or urination, and intestinal spasms. In this case, children may cry, squirm at the chest, become hysterical, and whine. Then you just need to wait a certain time for the discomfort to go away, and then put the baby back to the breast, or change feeding schedules, practice disembarking, or simply change the diaper, and continue feeding.

“mother-baby”, which led to refusing behavior, such a replacement of milk with formula will not solve, and sometimes will only aggravate.

In some cases, temporary failure may be caused by discomfort in the chosen position, stiffness of the neck or other muscles, sore throat, difficulty in nasal breathing, gum disease, or headaches. In this case, you need to find out the causes of the discomfort, eliminate it, change the feeding position, and remove the swaddling. It is important to closely monitor the baby in what situations the refusal behavior is repeated.

True refusal behavior: what causes it. Often, at the age of nine months and after a year, mothers say that children abandoned the breast on their own, although the period of self-weaning begins at approximately 2-3 years, as the baby ceases to need sucking purely physiologically and psychologically. The beginning of the period of separation of oneself from the mother as an individual, then closer to 9 months, the active and excessive introduction of complementary foods, water, formula, etc., can contribute to breast refusal at the age of 3-4 months. this suppresses the need to suckle due to the large amount of dietary calories supplied.

This is new in the baby’s life, it can captivate him so much that he seems to “forget” about the breast and milk. If the mother purposefully helps him with this, completely replacing breasts with complementary foods, this quickly leads to refusal.

Features of the mother’s physiology can cause refusal - the shape and size of the nipple, a gradual decrease in milk flow, the appearance of specific odors of the breast and milk with a certain diet, use of cosmetics, etc.

Often the cause of breast tantrums and temporary failures is a growth spurt and a temporary imbalance of milk against its background. For a couple of days, the flow and volume of milk becomes smaller (the baby literally hangs on the chest before a sharp increase in growth), while the baby is used to it literally pouring into his mouth. He may refuse to eat from a half-empty breast and make an effort. Be patient, calm down and feed, it will pass in a couple of days. Changing positions and changing the feeding environment will help in this situation.

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“Mom’s” factors of refusal behavior

Sometimes, due to fatigue and lack of sleep, the milk in the breast “squeezes” and it is difficult for the child to suck it out. This can lead to breast refusal behavior.

The opposite situation may also occur, when the flow of milk is strong, the baby chokes and it is difficult for him to suck so actively and quickly. He may also react to the capture of such a full breast with refusal behavior.

Simple methods can help in these situations:

In the first - rest, calmness and intake of warm liquid, stimulation of lactation
In the second, expressing a small volume of milk so that its flow becomes weaker. You can change your position so that your breasts are nipple up - lying on your back or reclining.

Sometimes, due to a new pregnancy or the onset of menstruation, the taste of milk may change. It may also change when you take certain foods, when you start going to the gym, and physical activity, when taking medications. In this case, the refusal is temporary, and you should not worry, you need to be more persistent in feeding.

If the breast becomes rough and the nipple stretches, it is uncomfortable for the baby to grasp it, and he may refuse to take it. In this case, pumping the breast until it softens and normalizes the shape of the nipple will help.

Dummy as a reason for refusal

Most common cause breast refusal becomes banal, a bottle with a pacifier as a replacement for sucking on the mother's breast. Often the reasons why they appeared in the baby’s life were prolonged and frequent hanging on the chest, whims, crying and fatigue of the mother, the desire to simply relax and get out of the house. Instead of paying attention to the child and figuring out what is causing the hanging on the chest (lack of milk or lack of attention and affection), the child is replaced with a rubber surrogate for his mother. Often the cause of whims could be illness or discomfort, a request for reassurance on the chest and a feeling of warmth. His parents did not understand him, and instead of helping him, they gagged him with a pacifier.

“mother-baby”, which led to refusing behavior, such a replacement of milk with formula will not solve, and sometimes will only aggravate.

Parents need pacifiers, for children they are an unnecessary item, they are not physiologically adapted to sucking simulators, nature is designed to suck only the mother's breast.

There are two problems with pacifiers and bottle nipples - physiological and psychological. Both of them in combination lead to refusal behavior in many cases. Let's take a closer look:

To prevent breast refusal, even if supplementary feeding with formula is necessary, it should be given from a special spoon, cup, or sippy cup that does not imitate sucking on a nipple and does not create “nipple confusion.”

Psychological moments

Sometimes the reasons for breast refusal are obvious, like those we listed above, but in some cases the problem is hidden much deeper. Sometimes this is the mother’s subconscious rejection of the child, her internal unpreparedness for motherhood, which the baby feels. Outwardly, the mother can perform all the functions assigned to her, takes care of the baby, breastfeeds him, but deep inside she lives a worm of doubt, resentment towards herself for an unsuccessful birth, illness, any influences, fears that she is not doing well, not will be able to feed, etc. Fatigue and stress, family problems and poor nutrition may set in, and the thought subconsciously comes to mind: “if only I could stop feeding and giving formula, it will become easier for everyone.” Children at this age are very vulnerable and sensitive, they easily pick up such subconscious thoughts and fears, and are sensitive to the atmosphere in the family, experiences, quarrels, etc. If something is wrong, the child can demonstrate his attitude towards this situation and his mother’s thoughts through refusing behavior.

What to do if you refuse breastfeeding?

The most important thing is to find out its cause and eliminate it, then it will be easier to deal with both the failure itself and its consequences. It is important to establish full and close contact between mother and baby, restoring lost trust and warmth. This can help:

Organization of joint sleep day and night, feeding on demand,
Constantly being carried in arms, in a sling, frequent hugs, touches and kisses,
Massage with mother's hands with tenderness and affection, conversations, lullabies,
Creating rituals for going to bed, bathing, walking: autumn children are conservative in this regard, for peace of mind they need repetition of the same actions, everything new can frighten them.
Frequent night feedings are the easiest way to overcome refusal, starting with night and early morning feedings, when the baby suckles at the breast in sleep and half-asleep.
Attachment to the breast with simultaneous rocking, caresses, skin contact - calm and regularity, patience.

“mother-baby”, which led to refusing behavior, such a replacement of milk with formula will not solve, and sometimes will only aggravate.

It is important against the background of all these measures to strictly monitor the sufficiency of milk; a constantly hungry child under stress is unlikely to want to overcome breast refusal. A lack of nutrition and fluid leads to starvation and, and then it is not far from illnesses, against the background of which the failure will only worsen.

Upon immediate request, you need to breastfeed your baby at any time and anywhere, despite the opinions of others. Only the unity of the baby's mother is important, and not the opinions of others.

In the most serious situations can be used " nesting method“-staying in a darkened room alone for mother and baby around the clock (interrupting for food and going to the toilet) until the previous feeding and latching routine is restored. This is important for both. To help overcome refusal, you can call a lactation consultant or ask for advice from experienced breastfeeding mothers.

Alena Paretskaya, pediatrician, medical columnist

Mother's milk is the natural and most valuable food product for a baby. If a child who has not reached one year old, this indicates that a problem has arisen to which he reacts in the only way possible for him.

A healthy infant will never refuse food without reason. When this happens, it is necessary to understand why the child refuses the breast. If the baby is capricious and turns away during feeding, this may be a signal indicating the emergence of some kind of problem. We can talk about such a phenomenon as breast refusal when the baby does not want to suckle milk for several days: from 2 to 5-6. All this time, you need to carefully monitor the child’s behavior and condition in order to identify the cause of the disorder. The problem may be simple and easily fixable. In other cases, great efforts and consultation with a doctor will be required.

It is important to extend full milk feeding of a child until 1.5-2 years.

Only upon reaching this age is the child psychologically ready for a complete transition to solid food. Therefore, if a newborn does not take the breast, you should not rush to switch him to formula milk or offer him a bottle of milk - then it will be difficult to get him to suckle again.

Reasons for breast refusal

To understand why, a variety of factors need to be taken into account. If the newborn is not yet 2-3 months old, then perhaps he has not gained enough body weight and does not have enough strength to suck. Tension that occurs during bowel movements can interfere with calm feeding. Often, the cause of breast refusal is the child’s painful condition. This could include oral thrush, a cold that causes fever and nasal congestion, or intestinal colic due to accumulated gases. In addition, when a child is teething, he becomes capricious and may refuse to eat. Other obstacles when natural feeding I can be:

presence of other people in the room;
loud sounds;
shape and degree of permeability of the nipple;
breasts overflowing with milk;
usage ;
bottle feeding;
change in the taste of milk;
foreign odor coming from the mother;
complementary foods that are too nutritious;
weak or strong pressure of flowing milk.

Upon reaching 3-4 months, the newborn begins to actively respond to others. The presence of strangers during feeding distracts him. He begins to turn his head, trying to see everyone, and stops sucking. An unusual shape or too large size of the nipples leads to the fact that the child is unable to properly grasp and hold the nipple. This interferes with the normal swallowing process. Tight nipples also often cause breast refusal, especially in a newborn in the first month of life or a premature one. Such a baby does not have enough strength to suck out a sufficient amount of milk. Early bottle training has a negative impact. Receiving nutrition in this way is much easier than pulling it out of the nipple with effort. It is no less harmful to give crying child pacifier. Other muscles work to hold it in the mouth, and when it comes time to feed, it is difficult for the baby to readjust. Complementary feeding becomes a reason to refuse mother's milk if the additional food is more than necessary or it is overly nutritious.

How to overcome breast refusal

Knowing the reasons why breast refusal occurred, it is much easier to both prevent the occurrence of such a situation and correct the current situation:

In order not to accustom your child to a bottle ahead of time, fruit juice and it is better to give complementary foods from a spoon. Even if he is already used to it, it will be easy to return to breastfeeding. To do this, you need to apply it to your chest every time, and, if necessary, supplement it with a spoon.
Often the mother does not know what to do even though she is full of milk. In this case, before feeding, you need to take a warm shower, lightly massage the mammary glands and express a little milk to make them softer.
If a newborn eats from one nipple but turns away from the other, it is enough to change the feeding position and put the baby to it first.
It is of great importance for the well-being of the child healthy eating mother. The diet should include milk, cottage cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to exclude foods that can negatively affect the child’s condition: cucumbers, garlic, horseradish, beets, peppers, mustard, smoked meats, oranges, etc.

There are many tricks that allow mothers to cope with their baby’s refusal to breastfeed:

It is better not to use a pacifier when breastfeeding, especially if the baby is weak: extra strength is spent on sucking.
Many mothers worry that flat or inverted nipples will lead to breast refusal. Overcoming this is not difficult, since the shape of the nipple does not play a big role. It is necessary to ensure that the newborn's mouth tightly covers the areola. Then the milk will flow where it should without any obstacles.
If the flow of milk is strong, the baby may choke. To avoid this, you need to apply it to your chest so that it is on top. Then he will suck the milk himself and calmly swallow without refusing.
A similar method should be used by those women whose milk flow is weak. Can solve the problem right choice I. You need to put him on the bed and lean over him so that the milk flows out more easily. In this case, it is necessary to hold the breast, otherwise it may cover the baby’s nose.

Regardless of the health of the child, a nursing woman should avoid perfumes, soaps and other substances with a strong odor. Often because of this, the baby refuses to take the breast.

Nature has rewarded women with a priceless gift breastfeeding. Thanks to him, babies from the first days of life can receive better food, which you can imagine, in the quantity required by the growing body, changing the composition depending on their growing needs, optimal temperature, enriched with vitamins and minerals, safe and 100% natural.

You can praise breast milk endlessly, which once again proves its undoubted benefits and indispensability.

It’s good if the baby eagerly awaits the next feeding, but what if, for no apparent reason, the baby began to refuse breast milk. Why? What to do? You will learn about this and much more today.

From this article you will learn:

A child’s refusal of breast milk, especially one under one year of age, will undoubtedly upset any mother, because everyone understands that there must be a good reason for such a phenomenon. The sooner it becomes known, the better it will be for both.

No baby refuses breastfeeding voluntarily; as a rule, this happens due to:

Uncomfortable position chosen for feeding;
Inconvenience of latching on a breast that is full of milk;
Physiological features of the structure of the mother's nipple;
Anatomical features of the child;
Milk fat content;
Changes in the taste of milk;
Lack or lack of breast milk;
Development of oral diseases;
Development of respiratory tract diseases;
Feelings of any kind of discomfort;
Unstable psycho-emotional state mothers;
Reluctance to breastfeed by the mother herself.
A sudden change of situation.

The above potential possible reasons refusals have a different nature and not all of them depend on the mother, so in order for everything to fall into place, we will go through each point in detail.

Feeding technique and position

A baby's reluctance to latch on to the breast is often due to poor latching technique. A lot has been written and said about this, but still, there are problems in this issue does not decrease.

Breastfeeding specialists, in order to teach inexperienced mothers how to breastfeed their babies correctly, produce many visual aids and brochures that clearly illustrate the entire procedure. The only thing left for the parent is to study them and practice. If you follow the instructions and your own feelings, kids are rarely dissatisfied.

In short, the key to success lies in the fact that the child grasps not only the nipple, but the entire areola with his mouth, and the nurse should not experience pain.

The most successful feeding positions are those that provide equal comfort to both mother and baby. They are as follows:

Lying down, when mother and baby are freely parallel to each other;
Lying down when the baby lies on the mother's arm;
Lying down, when the baby lies next to him on the pillow;
Lying with a “valet”, a position in which the position of the child’s body is fixed with a bolster;
Sitting, when the baby is held on the elbow bend of the arm;
Sitting from under the arm, when the baby is laid on a pillow, and the mother holds his head in the palm of his hand;
From above, when the child is located on the stomach of the mother, who is in a reclining position.

"The box is full"

At the initial stages of lactation, the breasts literally burst with incoming milk. At certain moments it even begins to leak involuntarily, sometimes very copiously. If a similar picture is observed in you, then refusal to feed is associated with:

Excessive pressure of liquid, which the baby is unable to cope with;
The hardness of the areola of the breast.

In both the first and second cases, there is only one way out - you need to express a little, and then put the baby to the breast.

Nipple structure

An excessively inverted or flat nipple becomes a serious obstacle to adequate breastfeeding. In this case, the child’s refusal to milk depends on the woman’s physiology.

A radical solution to the problem is to switch to artificial nutrition. But, before depriving the baby of the opportunity to grow on natural food, it is worth trying humane ways to solve it:

Do not interfere with your child's nipple development. If he sucks them regularly, over time they will accept the required form;
When feeding, use special pads. These devices will help avoid injury to the delicate skin of the halo.
Knowing about your characteristics, begin to pull out the nipples even before the baby is born or immediately after his birth. A light mechanical impact will help develop them quickly enough.

To give the nipple an elongated shape, use people's council: Take the syringe and carefully cut off the front of it. Apply the resulting tube to the nipple and pull the piston (it will pull the nipple inward). Do the procedure for 5-7 minutes every day, morning and evening.

Anatomy

A baby's refusal to give milk may be due to the fact that the frenulum of his tongue is too short, as a result of which he cannot properly latch onto the breast. You will not be able to solve the problem yourself; only a surgeon can fix it.

Full fat milk

You've probably noticed that the baby sucks at the breast with pleasure for the first few minutes. A little later, he begins to spin and even break away from her. This is due to the fact that at first the milk gets into his mouth almost effortlessly, and later this process slows down and becomes more complicated.

Since there are many sloths among babies, the refusal of milk is associated with their reluctance to “work.” In this case, you can do this:

Help the baby with your hand, pushing the milk from the edge of the breast (from the armpit) to the nipple;
Massaging your breasts before feeding.

Don't forget: foremilk is liquid and enriched with vitamins and minerals. It is followed by the rear, which is fattier, denser and high in calories. In order for a child to grow well and gain weight, he must empty the breast completely.

Taste and smell

The reaction of most babies to the slightest changes in the taste of milk is critical. If it tastes even a little bitter or smells unpleasant, feeding the children becomes very problematic.

You can avoid giving up milk as a child by following food diet and giving up “dubious joys.” Plus, it will negatively affect the taste baby food Maybe emotional condition mother and the physiological processes occurring in her body.

The usual taste and smell of breast milk can be changed by:

spicy foods;
pickles;
garlic and onion;
fried food;
smoked meats;
spices;
carbonated drinks;
medicines;
alcohol and nicotine;
menstruation.

Not enough milk

If a child begins to refuse the breast, perhaps there is simply nothing in it, or if there is, it is very little. In this situation it may help:

Attachment to the baby's breast on demand (and not according to a schedule), in order to stimulate lactation;
Pumping “to the last drop”;
Consumption of foods and drinks that increase milk flow.

Sores

Refusal of milk may be associated with the development of various ailments in the baby:

thrush;
otitis;
runny nose;
sore throat;
formation of wounds in the mouth;
colic

Each sore requires medical consultation (with the exception of infant colic), proper treatment and prevention, after which the baby begins to eat as well as before.

Discomfort

Feeling any kind of discomfort is also a common reason for breast refusal in children. Anything can interfere with them:

heat;
cold;
diaper rash;
burning;
seams on clothes;
wet diaper;
tight swaddling;
cutting teeth and many others. etc.

Eliminate any inconvenience and continue feeding the baby.

Emotional background

The baby very sensitively captures the emotional state of its mother. If she is upset, scared, excited, tired, or consciously or unconsciously does not want to continue breastfeeding, milk refusal will occur immediately.

Only the woman herself can correct the situation, because her thoughts are controlled only by her.

A change of scenery

Leaving his usual habitat and finding himself in a new one (for example, when moving), the child experiences severe stress. New sounds, unfamiliar smells, unfamiliar cribs, toys and even a blanket leave their mark on the baby’s condition, which can result in a refusal of breast milk.

The way out of the situation is:

Creation calm environment around the child;
Surrounding him with familiar objects.

As you can see, the baby refuses breast milk for a reason, so if this happens, do not waste time and look for the “root” of the problem. By eliminating it, feedings will return to normal.

Breastfeeding is a natural process established by nature itself. But in order to establish breastfeeding, sometimes you have to make a lot of effort. The most common problem for mothers of infants is when the child refuses to breastfeed. In this article we will look at the reasons for children refusing to breastfeed, as well as ways out of this situation.

A child’s refusal to breastfeed can manifest itself in different ways:

The child refuses to take both breasts.
The child refuses only one breast, but continues to suck on the other.
The child does not completely refuse the breast, but behaves differently than before: after sucking a little, he cries, turns his head, and is capricious.
While awake, the baby refuses to take the breast, while in sleep he sucks normally.

Why does a child refuse the breast? Let us consider in detail the possible causes of failures and methods for overcoming them.

During illness, children behave in an unusual way: they sleep restlessly, are capricious while awake, and have poor appetite. If you have a runny nose, nasal congestion does not allow the baby to fully breastfeed; if you have a sore throat or ear, the baby will also experience discomfort. The reason for refusing milk can also be stomatitis, intestinal infection, ARVI or other diseases.

Overcoming. If a mother detects symptoms of an incipient disease in her baby, the first thing she should do is contact pediatrician to begin the prescribed treatment as soon as possible. As your baby recovers, his appetite will normalize. In some cases, it is possible to put a baby to the breast after symptomatic treatment (for a runny nose - after nose drops, for stomatitis - after treating mouth ulcers).

Bottle feeding

There are significant differences between pacifier and breast sucking. Getting food through a bottle is easier for a baby than from the breast. In some cases, the child refuses to take the breast after sucking the nipple. Systematic supplementary feeding with formula leads to the extinction of lactation, to a noticeable decrease in the amount of breast milk, which affects the nutrition of the baby. Not satisfied with such a small portion of breast milk, the baby cries, turns away from the nipple, feeling hungry. And mommy again rushes to help her child with another bottle of the mixture.

Overcoming. How to return a baby to the breast when supplementing with formula? It will not be possible to solve this problem in one go. The most important task in this case: completely abandon the bottle. The transition can be made gradual, as well as reducing the portion of the mixture. It is better to organize additional feeding with the mixture from a spoon or syringe. At the same time as giving up the bottle, it is necessary to reduce the intervals between breastfeeding. More details about how to return the baby “to the breast” again are written in our article.

Using pacifiers and pacifiers

A pacifier is a kind of substitute female breast. milk baby strives to kiss his mother's breast not only at the moment of hunger, but also when he is anxious, uncomfortable, when he wants to sleep. With its frequent sucking, the baby stimulates the mother's nipples, which, in turn, stimulates increased lactation. Frequent breastfeeding has a beneficial effect on the amount of breast milk. A mother who breastfeeds her baby on demand will not suffer from milk deficiency. It is wrong when a woman, feeling sorry for herself, gives her child a pacifier.

A pacifier is harmful for 2 reasons:

Sucking on a pacifier reduces the baby's need to suckle frequently, which can lead to a decrease in mom's milk supply.
Due to the pacifier, the baby develops improper sucking. The pacifier latch and the breast latch look different. This is why getting used to a pacifier can cause a baby to refuse to breastfeed.

Overcoming. Give up the pacifier completely, no matter how difficult it may be.

Feeding the baby according to a strict regime

Diet, although rare, can still cause breast refusal. This all happens due to the fact that when breastfeeding is established, feeding according to the schedule does not provide copious discharge milk. In order to have enough milk, it is necessary to organize frequent sucking, which does not happen with regular feeding. The breast may be half empty at the time of feeding, which is why the baby begins to get angry. Mom perceives everything as a refusal to breastfeed. Although, in fact, the baby does not have enough nutrition.

Overcoming. If the baby refuses to breastfeed precisely because of compliance with the feeding regime, then it is necessary to switch to feeding on demand. The baby may require breastfeeding 1 or even 2 times per hour, the mother needs to be patient. Within 1-2 days of frequent breastfeeding, milk production normalizes.

It should be noted that adherence to a diet does not always lead to children refusing to breastfeed. Feeding on demand is important at the very beginning of lactation and up to approximately 3 months.

Incorrect chest grip

A newborn baby may refuse his mother’s breast because he simply does not know how to suck the breast correctly. A recently born baby is still very weak; many babies have a weak sucking reflex. They take the breast very reluctantly, hold it in their mouth and fall asleep. Some babies nurse a little at a time, and then, after 20-30 minutes, start crying again.

Overcoming. It is possible to teach a child. The main thing is to figure it out yourself. With proper latching, the nipple goes deep into the baby’s mouth, while it “looks” up to the sky. If the baby takes only the edge of the nipple into his mouth, the woman discomfort or the baby smacks his lips, then the breast latch is incorrect. If the mother is inexperienced and the baby has refused to breastfeed, then she should contact a breastfeeding specialist who will help establish feeding.

Tight breasts or too fatty milk

Overfilled breasts or engorgement may cause the baby to refuse to eat. Think for yourself: hard breasts are difficult to grasp with your lips; they seem unnatural to the baby. Yes, and milk flows out of it with difficulty. The same thing happens if the milk in the breast is too fatty, then the baby has to make significant efforts to draw it out.

Overcoming. If your baby refuses to breastfeed when it is full, try expressing some milk. When your breasts become softer, try feeding your baby again. If such refusals have become systematic, then do not wait until the baby wakes up and protests - pump your breasts a little before he wakes up and demands feeding.

Irregularly shaped nipple

The non-standard structure of the nipples causes many problems for new mothers. It should be noted that problems with latching on such a nipple, if they arise, occur only at the very beginning of lactation, in the first month of the baby’s life.

Overcoming. Some or a combination of the following methods will help:

Breast and nipple massages.
Nipple exercises.
If all else fails, you can feed through silicone pads.

What to do if the baby refuses to eat from a breast with an abnormal nipple structure? In most cases, the problem goes away on its own after some time. The main thing is that the baby takes the breast and drinks from it. The nipple itself will acquire the desired shape over time (within 1 month).

The child refuses one breast

This happens, in particular, because there is less milk in the “unloved” breast or it is difficult to draw out.

Overcoming. What to do if a child refuses to eat from only one breast? Of course, you should try not to stop feeding from her. If possible, offer it exactly (when the baby is sleeping or when he is very hungry). What to do with milk? If the breast long time is not in demand, then express milk from it. If the refusal is persistent, then do not despair. It is quite possible to feed a baby with one breast.

Changes in the taste and smell of milk

A nursing mother's consumption of onions, garlic, lemon, radishes, and other foods that are too hot, harsh or spicy will leave a taste in the breast milk. The reasons for breast refusal may lie in its taste.

Overcoming. If the child categorically refuses to drink “spiced” milk, express it and throw it away. Study your child’s tastes and don’t eat what he doesn’t like! A nursing mother's food should not be spicy, fatty or salty! Do not allow yourself to smoke or drink alcohol under any circumstances.

Menstruation or new pregnancy

Can a child refuse breast milk during menstruation? During menstruation and pregnancy, the taste of milk actually changes. The baby may not recognize mother's milk and declare a protest.

Overcoming. If you have a baby in your arms, and at the same time a new pregnancy has begun, then it is best to start finishing feeding so that lactation does not affect the health of the unborn baby.

During menstruation, breastfeeding is temporary. After refusing the breast, distract the baby and offer him the breast after half an hour - an hour.

Too much feeding

On average, children should receive complementary foods from 5-6 months. Too active feeding of the baby leads to a decrease in the need for the mother's breast.

Overcoming. Agree on your child's menu with your doctor. You may need to reduce your complementary feeding portions to maintain breastfeeding.

Can a child stop breastfeeding on his own? Maybe. And this happens to those mothers who are afraid to spoil the baby with their attention, sometimes even ignoring his cries and screams. The child may develop social deprivation due to limited communication with other people. As a result, breast refusal may occur.

Prevention and coping. Pay attention to your child, play with him, communicate. While doing chores, let your baby watch you. Never ignore your baby's intense crying. It is important to be around more often and not become someone else’s aunt for the child.

Not enough milk

How can you tell if a baby is refusing breast milk due to a lack of it? The breast feels empty to the touch, the baby refuses to suck on it for a long time and cries again.

Overcoming. If there is little milk, you need to find out the reason for its decrease. Then follow these important tips:

Don't give up feeding! Continue to let your baby drink breast milk as often as possible (8-10 times a day).
Organize yourself good rest! Add daytime sleep to night sleep, and get help from your family.
Drink more fluids, try to eat something high in calories!
Think about your baby, how you feed him. Tender thoughts about a helpless baby lead to a rush of milk.
Organize a co-sleep session with your baby so you can feed him at night.
Stop giving your baby pacifiers and bottles of tea and water.
Reduce the amount of supplementary feeding; at the same time, give it not from a nipple, but from a spoon.
Feed only on demand, and no regimes!
Periodically do a light massage of the nipples and breasts.
Don't pump your breasts unless necessary.

When there is no reason to worry

False refusal. Why infant distracted from eating? There is such a thing as a “false refusal”. The child is constantly distracted during feeding and looks around. However, he will not cry. This behavior is typical for children at 4 months and at 5 months. At this age, the child becomes curious and inquisitive, exploring the world. He wants to see the source of the sound, to see a moving object. If you remove the sources of irritation, feeding will improve.
Temporary short-term failure. Sometimes children, being close to their mother, are in no hurry to take the breast. This may be due to the process of urination or defecation. After the baby relieves himself, he may be capricious again, demanding to be washed and changed. After changing clothes, feeding will definitely return to normal!
Self-weaning. Sometimes a one-year-old child refuses food (mother's breast) for no reason. This is the phenomenon when a child ceases to need his mother's breast. As a rule, children wean themselves at the age of 2–3 years. But there are cases of self-exclusion at 10 months and at 1 year.

The signs of a newborn refusing to breastfeed are the same, but the reasons are different. At the very beginning, it is important to find out why the child refuses breast milk. To resume breastfeeding, it is important to be persistent and patient. Then the overcome refusal will remain a thing of the past.

Check out expert advice on how to help your baby return to the breast:

Breast milk - best gift, which is presented to the newborn baby by the mother. This is not only his nutrition, it is a way to survive and get stronger in the first days of life. In those moments when feeding is complicated by various problems, it is worth thinking about how to get rid of them in time and not harm the baby. Proper attachment will allow the mother not to experience pain and the baby not to go hungry.

Immediately after birth, a child has one main and very important need - to eat. Food for a newborn baby is mother’s breast milk, which is the main source of energy for him for several months and even years of life.
It often happens that young mothers who give birth for the first time simply do not know how to properly teach their baby to latch on to the breast and drink milk. The consequence of this is the baby’s screams and whims, his starvation, swallowing air while sucking the breast, excessive milk in the breast and pain due to this
You need to put your baby to the breast correctly, knowing all the nuances and needs of the child. Only correct attachment from the first days of life will become the basis for his entire subsequent life. In addition, if the baby learns to latch correctly, he will not harm the mother or hurt her
Pain in the chest most often occurs due to strong compression of the nipple by the gums and its cracking. Often the nipple bleeds and it is simply impossible to touch it, which makes feeding even more difficult

feeding, newborn baby

How to properly latch on to a baby?

In order for the baby to learn to suck milk correctly, it is necessary to follow certain important recommendations on his feeding. If a young mother listens to them, she will definitely be able to avoid subsequent problems with her health and the health of her baby:

Choose what is comfortable and correct position for breastfeeding. Feeding position is closely related to how your baby receives food. If he is comfortable, the nipple penetrates deep into his mouth. This means that it will not pinch the edge of the nipple and the mother will not experience pain. In addition, the correct position of mother and child has a good effect on the flow of milk, that is, lactation
There are two main positions: sitting with the baby in your arms or lying in bed. Both positions are quite comfortable, but they closely depend on the height and breast size of the mother. The fact is that it is difficult for very tall women to feed their baby in a sitting position. They need to bend their back strongly, which will already add pain to it. Therefore, it is best to place pillows on your knees and place the child on top. Another position involves feeding the baby while lying down, when both mother and baby lie parallel to each other. This is a very comfortable position that allows a woman to relax, but it is not possible for those whose breasts are too large. To feed the baby, you should bend your arm at the elbow and support the breast with the same hand, directing it into the baby’s mouth
Try to position your baby correctly. A newborn baby does not yet control his movements and does not know how to move at all, you need to position him in the most comfortable way. Raise his head a little so that his chin looks up a little. So it will be convenient and comfortable for him to deepthroat the breasts
Don't be afraid to help your baby. Of course, a newborn child has certain innate skills, but nevertheless, he cannot do anything without the help of his mother. Every time when feeding, the mother needs to take the nipple and stroke the baby’s nose with it so that he can open his mouth and look for it
The position of the nipple in the mouth must be correct: The areola (the dark circle of the nipple) should be at the level of his lips, and the rest should be in the mouth
Determine whether the baby has attached to the breast correctly It can be done very simply - it is done visually. Pay attention to his cheeks, if they are puffed up - this is a completely correct swallowing of the chest, if they are sunken - no

milk feeding, baby attachment

Most mothers of newborn children refuse or stop breastfeeding only because he starts it wrong at the very beginning. Problems of improper attachment should be addressed at the earliest stages to avoid all problems in the future.

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 is how you can get a large number of food in a fairly short time.

Why doesn't the baby take the second breast?

Another problem that mothers often notice is that the baby takes one breast during feeding and completely refuses to feed on the second. The reason for this may be:

satiety of the baby after the first breast
the fact that the baby could get pretty tired sucking the first breast
Mom did not develop enough nipples on the first breast
Mom's habit of feeding her baby in only one position

Most often this happens because when feeding, mothers choose the first and most comfortable feeding position for them. The baby takes the same breast first every time, and since it is the most “popular”, the channels in it are quite well developed and produce milk well. The second breast, due to the fact that it is always given to a fed baby or is given secondarily, remains slightly undeveloped.

It is for this reason that mother often feels that the second breast is full, heavy, painful and tugging. Most the right decision in such a situation there will be active pumping into a bottle. If you do not express milk, it is quite possible to get breast inflammation and lactostasis (inflammation of the mammary glands).

baby refuses second breast

To avoid stagnation of milk in the breast and improve the flow of milk in the canals, you need to pump regularly and give your baby breasts for development. Of course, the baby will have to work hard, but this is his obligatory function and job. Mothers should not give in too much to the child’s whims and react normally even to the most violent hysterics, because her stable emotional state is the key to health and good lactation.

Why does a baby only breastfeed at night?

Accustoming him to the pacifier plays a significant role in the fact that the baby refuses the breast. It is the pacifier that can replace his mother's breast. When the baby suckles, he calms down, feels his mother, her smell, and feels the warmth of the nipple. All these pleasant emotions a rubber nipple can be replaced, to which the child gets used to very quickly, as well as to bottle feeding
If you notice that the baby takes the breast well at night, but is picky during the day, this is his obvious whims. After all, at night he does this unconsciously and is not very nervous because he is not given a pacifier
Also make allowance for the fact that while awake during the period of growth of the first teeth (starting from two months), the baby feels unpleasant pain and he just needs to “scratch” them against something; rubber surfaces of the nipples are best suited for this
Pay attention to how the baby feels, whether his nose is stuffy and whether it’s easy for him to breathe - this is also the reason for the baby’s partial refusal of the breast and increased moodiness.
Carefully sort out your diet, the wrong foods (sour or bitter) can spoil the quality and taste of your breast milk and therefore your baby may be unable to breastfeed

breastfeeding at night

Why does a baby take the breast only while standing?

Such a feature of a child as breastfeeding only while the mother is standing is acquired only when mothers allow it. While caring for a child, women notice how boring, monotonous and difficult their life is: their back often hurts, there is no way to rest, relax or even take a shower. That is why they try to somehow diversify and make their existence easier.

One way to combine business with pleasure is the habit of feeding your baby while standing. This allows the mother to walk from side to side, if feeding is done using a sling or kangaroo, it allows the mother to do several things at once. In the end, the child gets used to eating only in this position, because it is not only convenient, but also interesting: a wide view opens up and you can observe many things; while moving, the mother provides the child with a kind of motion sickness.

feeding a standing baby milk

The principle of such feeding is based only on the individual habits of mother and baby, and that is why sometimes mothers feel certain inconveniences: the child refuses a different position, is capricious, turns his head away, and cries. It is possible to wean yourself from this position, but this requires time to develop a new habit.

The flow of milk into the canals does not depend at all on the position in which the baby swallowed the breast. Milk comes only when the baby completely sucks it from the breast, and its intensity depends only on the sucking efforts.

Why did the baby suddenly stop breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is the best thing a mother can give to her child, and in any case, she needs to try to ensure that lactation is correct, abundant and the baby is able to latch on. When problems arise with feeding, you cannot look for another solution to the problems; you need to direct all possible efforts to ensure that all the difficulties of feeding with breast milk are eliminated.

Breast refusal can be smooth or abrupt, and in any case, the problem should be solved immediately. Breast milk is food and drink for a newborn baby. If you can’t set it up on your own, you should contact a professional consultant who is present in every maternity hospital and women’s clinic.

There are several reasons for a child to abruptly stop breastfeeding:

Tight maternal breasts with undeveloped channels does not produce enough milk. The baby refuses to make an effort to get the minimum amount of food and begins to be capricious. To do this, you need to rub your nipples very often with a hard towel, drink plenty of fluids and express milk regularly.
Incorrect attachment the baby, as a result of which he does not receive milk from the breast or receives it in too small quantities. This leads to hunger, air trapping, colic and makes the baby nervous
Small nipples which are not convenient for feeding a baby
Unpleasant taste of mother's milk therefore, mother needs to carefully monitor what she eats, avoiding harmful products, gas-forming, bitter and sour. The cause of tasteless milk can also be mother’s menstruation or another pregnancy (a hormonal surge affects the quality of milk)
Alien smell can scare the baby away from the breast and make him capricious, so mothers should carefully choose perfume
Bad feeling makes the baby nervous and suffer from lack of appetite and that is why he can turn away from the breast, be capricious, cry
Introduction of complementary foods often gives the baby a feeling of fullness and other taste sensations that are brighter and tastier than breast milk. therefore, the baby requires less breastfeeding and is more capricious when he is fed the “wrong” food that he wants

The baby refuses to take the breast, what should I do?

In the case when a child refuses to breastfeed, every mother should think about what measures she will take in order to improve it. You should not ignore this problem, decide that this is the right choice for the child or a relief for the mother. Breast milk should last at least six months and it’s good if it lasts up to a year and a half
There is no need to be nervous about this, because the health of the mother is the key to good health and good lactation. You need to carefully monitor why such changes occurred and try to remove them as quickly as possible
Go to bed with your baby in the same bed so that he has access to you both day and night. breast milk, felt the smell and was not nervous
Take a break from any worries, home life and the causes of neuroses. Relax in peace and become lost only in your baby
Try to control his breast swallowing with appropriate recommendations
Make him work to suck out the milk, because the milk that is in the front and is located near the nipple is easy to suck out, while the milk that is in the back requires effort.
Eliminate all foods that spoil milk and include more liquid, cottage cheese, milk, nuts, meat, fish in your diet