A breastfeeding mother is under constant demands, and may need to feed her baby with a bottle on occasion. She may express milk with a breast pump for bottle-feeding with a sitter, or supplement with formula if she feels her supply is low. These mothers want to continue breastfeeding, even if a bottle is given to the baby from time to time.
While the arrangement works for most babies, newborns and infants sometimes struggle with the conflicting shapes and methods between breast and bottle.
The Shape and Flow of Nipples During Breastfeeding
Between human and plastic nursing methods, a great amount of contrast exists. The mother's nipple fits inside a baby's mouth in a different way from a plastic bottle nipple will. The breast is brought all the way back through the infant's mouth so that milk will flow directly down into her throat, and the work of baby's tongue and jaw are needed to draw the milk out.
A plastic nipple, on the other hand, isn't as flexible as a breast is. Plastic nipples stay in the same basic shape, never traveling farther than the front of the baby's mouth, and only requires suction to get milk flowing.
The amount of milk instantly available to an infant is the next factor that leads to confusion for the baby. Unless milk has already begun to flow on its own, a woman's body requires a minute or two to "let down." This means the infant must be content to stay on the breast for a short time without any reward. The plastic nipple, however, lets gravity begin the flow of milk directly into a baby's mouth without any need to wait.
Nipple Confusion
The work required to drink from a mother's nipple, combined with a wait time, can be frustrating to a baby. If the infant has found it easier to drink from a bottle, she may fuss at the breast. This is a warning for the mother to consider breastfeeding alone until the child is better established.
Removing the bottle from the feedings usually remedies the confusion, but there are times when a baby has chosen the bottle's plastic nipple and refuses to continue nursing. For a mother who has her heart and mind set on breastfeeding, the results can leave her with a sense of loss.
Preventing Nipple Confusion
Problems with nipple confusion will be avoided if mothers don't introduce bottle feedings to begin with. This may sound simpler than it is, since a new mother will be surrounded by numerous sources of pressure and advice.
At the hospital, some nurses are accustomed to giving bottles to all babies without asking. At home, family and friends can also be very persuasive in hopes of babysitting or lending helpful advice. These pressures cause anxiety for mothers intent on breastfeeding.
Preparation ahead of time makes the decision to breastfeed easier to stick with. It's important to tell hospital staff as soon as possible that the mother intends to breastfeed exclusively, whether announced verbally or with a birth plan that is outlined before arriving at the hospital. Among well intentioned friends and family, it is not necessary to take the disappointment of others personally if their advice can't be implemented.
Mothers need to simply remember that they do have a choice, and that they won't bring any significant harm to the baby if they choose to breastfeed alone. An infant who drinks from a bottle can still be happy and healthy, but mother and baby will have greater success with the breastfeeding experience if nipple confusion is avoided altogether.
For more ideas on a happy healthy baby, plus less stress for mom-
How to Get a Baby to go to Sleep and Stay Asleep
The Quiet Home Might Not be Best to Keep Baby Asleep
Brie Lindeboom - Brie Lindeboom currently experiments with permaculture, chemistry, and child-rearing on the California high desert.
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