Mom's Editorial

When the baby refuses to breast, a mother finds a million reasons to justify it. A few think that baby is already up for weaning, whereas, others may take it as a sign of insufficient milk. Regardless of the reason, it is very important to breastfeed the infant until a certain age. Through this article, we will learn about the causes and solutions when a baby refuses to breast.

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To start with, let us talk about the causes. There are several reasons behind this problem, which are divided mainly into 3 parts; associated with baby, with mother, and with milk flow.

1. Baby is having a coordination problem with sucking, which is further causing him troubles with swallowing and breathing reflexes.
2. Baby is born with some face/mouth abnormalities causing him trouble with sucking.
3. Baby is premature and has not gained enough strength required for latching and suck.
4. Baby is having troubles like colic, gas or any sort of mouth injury causing him trouble with breastfeeding.
5. There was no skin-to-skin contact initiated at the time of birth. Hope you know that this contact favors the creation of a single mother-to-baby relationship and favors the initiation of breastfeeding.
6. Instead of breastfeeding, a substitute was used and now your baby is confused.
7. The baby is under the influence of medication.
8. The baby is breastfed on one side.
9. The child is inconvenienced with breastfeeding (sucking).

1. Exhaustion
2. Excessive stress
3. Illness
4. Having medicine without any prescription
5. Unusual food in the diet
6. The difference in your smell; maybe you used some perfume.
7. Breast problems; too large nipples, too wide nipples, mastitis, sore nipples, and etc.

1. Too fast milk flow
2. Low amount of milk
3. Slowed flow at the onset of breastfeeding.

1. After having a good understanding of the reasons, let us now talk about the solution to this problem. The most important thing here is to keep an eye on the signs that say your child is hungry.
2. Observe your child carefully during breastfeeding. If he opens and closes his mouth, makes noise at the time of breastfeeding or does his head on your side, then all this indicates that your child is hungry.
3. Do not skip skin-to-skin contact. Make sure you practice this with your baby before breastfeeding.
4. To fix the flow of milk before breastfeeding, heat it on your breasts. Even a single drop of milk on the breast can stimulate your child’s appetite.
5. When the child is in a half sleep, try to breastfeed him.
6. Choose a place for breastfeeding, where there is complete silence and your child is away from everything that can distract him.
7. The position of feeding the baby according to the age is different. A position that you might be using for a year old baby, may not be suitable for a small child. Therefore, try different positions for breastfeeding, because your child may find one position more comfortable than the other.

ALSO READ – Home Remedies For Common Breastfeeding Problems

When a child refuses to breastfeed, sometimes mothers stop breastfeeding. It should not happen. If your child refuses to breastfeed, then you should definitely take out the milk from the breasts using a breast pump. With this, your body will continue to produce milk and you will not have problems related to breasts.

If you are worried that your child is not eating enough and dehydrated, then keep an eye on your baby’s wet diapers. Should you less than 5 to 8 diapers, talk to your pediatrician.