Breastfeeding Problems Concerning Your Baby
While you may have problems while actively breastfeeding your baby, your baby can have problems too. These problems should be addressed so your baby is comfortable and eating well and enough for them to grow and develop normally.
Teething & Biting
Babies can begin teething anywhere between six to ten months of age. This process can be painful for your baby, and they may be fussy. You can tell your baby is teething if they seem to have an ill disposition, are salivating, are chewing objects, or have slightly swollen gums. Because teething comes with pain, your baby can lose their appetite which means breastfeeding less frequently. This can induce weaning.
Often, babies test out their new teeth by biting objects, your breasts included. Because biting is painful and can cause nipple injury, some mothers take this as the time to switch their children from direct breastfeeding to drinking expressed breast milk from a baby bottle.
If you want to continue breastfeeding while your baby is teething, teach your baby not to bite you. If they bite you, remove them from your breast and allow them to chew on a teether for a while. You can also give them the teether before the feeding session. To prevent them from biting, make sure your baby is latched on well and as deeply as possible. This will require them to open their mouth wider and prevent the bite. Usually the reaction you give to being bitten, a jump or a cry of pain will also deter your baby from future biting.
Stool
While very young, your baby’s health can be determined by the kind of stool they produce. Since breast milk has a natural laxative component, your baby will have frequent stools, but it can vary depending on how much they eat and how old they are. In the beginning your baby’s stool is known as meconium. It is sticky and dark and will continue for the first couple of days after delivery.
By the third day after delivery or sometimes on the fourth or fifth, your baby’s stool will turn greenish brown until it turns mustard yellow, and then eventually light brown. Light brown stool may have bits of milk curds in it. At this stage your baby should have anywhere from four or more stools a day, usually sometime after each feeding session. This progression is normal.
Some babies continue to produce meconium stool after five days. This may mean that your baby is not eating enough or that your milk supply is not enough for your baby. If you notice the meconium stool continuing after the fifth day after delivery, call your doctor to see what can be done.
If you notice that your baby has green stool that continues for several stools, your breast milk may be passing too quickly through your baby. Usually this happens if your baby is not getting enough hind milk, which provides them with essential fats and also slows their digestion. To make sure your baby is getting enough hind milk, empty out one breast completely before switching your baby to the other breast.
Do this even if it means using the same breast for successive feeding sessions. If the other breast becomes engorged, you can express some of the milk to relieve the pain. This should solve the issue of green stool, and you will find that your baby will also pass gas less often.
As your baby gets older, stools will be less frequent. It is normal to have changes in frequency to less or more from time to time. This will usually begin a month and a half after delivery. However, if your baby’s stool decreases abruptly and is coupled with not wanting to feed, talk to your doctor. Something may be the matter.
Next Article: What is Colic?
|
