Breastfeeding is not an easy process, it can be quite painful. Unpleasant sensations are primarily associated with such causes as cracks, lactostasis and wounds. The latter appear when the baby begins to bite his chest. Almost every mom went through this test. This phenomenon may have several reasons, but any of them must be eliminated in order to prevent a baby from developing a bad habit. At this difficult stage, many women are tempted to stop breastfeeding, but if there are no medical indications, it is important to try to save it.
Benefits of Natural Feeding
No one has the right to impose someone else's opinion on the mother of the child if for some reason she cannot or does not want to breastfeed her child. But before switching to artificial nutrition, she is advised to carefully consider her decision so that, if possible, neither she nor her baby will be infringed. Breastfeeding has a number of undeniable advantages for children.
- Nature has foreseen everything. Breast milk is balanced and contains exactly the amount of proteins, fats, vitamins and other components that a child needs for full development and growth.
- Breastfeeding according to WHO studies enhances immunity. This means that the child will be less at risk of contracting respiratory diseases.
- Naturally fed children are less likely to suffer from allergic diseases than babies who eat the mixture.
- Breast milk in its composition contains substances that resist the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria that cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and intestines.
- Specialists who observed children who were naturally fed, noted for them high rates of visual memory and vision. This proves that HB stimulates the development of the brain.
- Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
- Unlike artificial nutrition, breast milk is always at the optimum temperature and always fresh. There is no need to get up at night, just put the child next to him.
- Breastfeeding is an irreplaceable tactile and visual contact. The child feels protected and surrounded by care.
As you can see, there are many pluses for the baby in breastfeeding, so it is important to keep it, even if the baby bites his chest. Moreover, this problem with the right approach is quickly resolved.
Teething
One of the main reasons a child can start biting is teething. As long as he does not have a single tooth, he will clutch at the nipple with his gums and pull, which is also quite painful. Teething of the first teeth can leave mom with unpleasant consequences such as a bite of the chest, wounds on the nipples. The situation will worsen if a woman also has cracks from feeding.
Since it is impossible to stop the process of tooth exit, it is necessary to alleviate the painful sensations, which lead to the fact that the child bites his chest.
Special cooling and analgesic gels will help in this matter. As a rodent, you can use teethers, rubber toys, crackers, apples and any safe items.
Mixed feeding
Sometimes a baby bites her breast because her mother feeds him alternately, then with a mixture, then with milk. As a result, he gets confused when the nipple is in front of him, and when the nipple is. And the pacifier can be pulled and nibbled, which he is trying to do with the mammary gland. Children, accustomed to a dummy, also often bite, not seeing anything unnatural in this, because for them it is a habit.
Getting the mixture through the bottle, the little one gets used to the fact that he gets the food without any effort, because the mixture itself is poured into the mouth. Therefore, often such children as a result completely refuse the breast or simply play with it and do not eat. If there is a need for additional feeding, it is recommended to do this with a syringe or spoon.
Child's malaise
Infants cannot yet speak, therefore they report their problems in ways that are accessible to them. If his stomach hurts, fever, or there is another type of ailment, he will try to report this to his mother. To attract attention, the child bites his chest. He doesn’t eat, but only hurts. Do not scold the baby in this case, it is better to direct all efforts to identify the problem and its elimination.
Separately, it must be said about the common cold. When a baby has a stuffy nose, it cannot fully eat, as breathing is difficult. The kid may be angry at what he wants to eat, but he cannot. The solution in this situation will be the vertical location of the child, then the mucus will move away from the nasopharynx.
Incorrect attachment to the chest
A common reason why a baby bites a breast is the incorrect attachment of the baby to the chest. The correct posture during feeding - the baby captures not only the nipple, but also the areola around. The chin and nose should rest on the chest, but so that the mammary gland does not impede the child's breathing.
If a baby’s nipple slips out of her mouth, he can bite and pull to hold it. To prevent this from happening, mom should monitor the baby and not be distracted during feeding. Therefore, it is recommended to exclude at this time the phone, TV and other distractions. If the baby is in the right position, then he will not bite his chest.
Lack of milk
During lactation or during long breaks in milk feeding, there may be little. If the baby bites his chest severely, then this may mean that he does not have enough food and is hungry. In this case, the baby will try to squeeze everything from the mother’s breast to the last drop, up to the point that it will bite.
To calm the baby, you need to feed him. If a woman will feed the baby with a mixture, it is important not to offer him a bottle, since then there is a risk of a complete rejection of natural feeding.
To install lactation, you should regularly apply the baby to the chest, as well as consume lactogenic products, drink more fluid to stimulate milk production. If necessary, the pediatrician will prescribe stimulating medicinal teas.
The child does not want to eat
The reverse side of underfeeding - the baby is full, does not want to eat. Most often, children of the first year of life, after eating, want to sleep. If he wants to take a nap, but his chest is poked, the baby begins to be mischievous. Signs that he does not want to eat - the child bites his chest, twirls his head.
Forced feeding can provoke rejection and even complete abandonment of the baby from natural nutrition.
To attract attention
The young mother has a lot of housework. In addition to caring for the baby, she remains with such responsibilities as cleaning, cooking, shopping. And also a woman wants to spend a little time on herself. For all this turmoil, the fair sex does not always have time to play with the crumbs, read a fairy tale or just talk.
Despite the fact that children at this age do not speak, they are very fond of communication. They need mom’s attention constantly, for it at this time it personifies the whole world.
If a child bites his chest with his teeth, it is possible that he lacks attention. To understand that this is precisely the reason, you need to make sure that the baby is not sick, his teeth are not cut and he is full.
It is very easy to correct this situation, it is enough to allocate more time to just stay with the baby. And if possible, transfer part of his duties to someone from the household.
Kid playing
In addition to all the stated reasons, there is also the simplest, but not less common one. Often, if a child bites his chest, he indulges. This phenomenon applies to children older than six months. The kid wants to be naughty and play with his mother. Usually at such a moment the bully has cunning on his face and a sly little light in his eyes.
The games of young children often make others grimace in pain. Children can hit, painfully pull their hair, pinch and bite. Parents need to stop such games in advance, while their baby is not in the habit.
How to wean a baby to bite a breast?
Whatever the reason that the baby bites while feeding, it must be eliminated. Otherwise, the mother will not receive any joy from feeding, she will each time subconsciously prepare for pain and negativity. These emotions are transmitted to children along with milk. Breastfeeding should not be a feat on the part of the mother.
So what if a baby bites a breast? In the matter of weaning from this bad habit, it is important for the parent to be patient.
- If a child has bitten a nipple, you can not shout at him or even raise his voice. A loud reaction can scare the baby to tears. In the most severe case, he may even completely refuse to take the chest, remembering the negative reaction.
- When you bite, you need to look at the baby, calmly remove the breast and explain that it hurts mom. Most likely, this will need to be done several times, but soon the baby will understand the relationship that as soon as he bites, a source of heat and food moves away from him.
- As soon as a woman felt pain, she needed to release the mammary gland from her grip. It is not recommended to pull the chest, trying to pull it out of the child’s teeth. He will not let her go like that, and the nipple can be injured. An effective way is to put a finger in the corner of the mouth of the crumbs. Then he will bite him, and the nipple, meanwhile, can be easily removed.
- If the baby cries as soon as it loses its breast, you can not immediately give it back. The child should be reassured and after a couple of minutes continue feeding. In the event of a repeat of mischief, the procedure is performed again.
- When the baby eats quietly, mother needs to praise him, pat him on the head. In no case can you do this when he bites, otherwise he will learn that his mother likes it.
- As soon as the baby falls asleep, it is necessary to carefully remove the nipple from the mouth so that in a dream he does not pull it.
Breast care
Even if the baby does not bite, at the beginning of the breastfeeding path, the mammary glands suffer greatly. A woman who has recently given birth has cracks and stagnation of milk. This can lead to serious illness. Therefore, the fair sex can not be negligent in the condition and hygiene of her breast.
The mammary glands should be washed daily with water at room temperature, the optimal amount is 2 times. For water procedures, it is important to choose a liquid soap with a neutral alkaline balance. It is not recommended to wipe with hard towels, it is better to get wet with paper towels. It is forbidden for a nursing mother to take a bath too hot or cold, or rub the bust with a hard washcloth.
For the speedy healing of bites and cracks, ointments with retinol are used, as well as lanolin - natural animal fat. These funds effectively soften and heal wounds. A manganese solution should be used to disinfect injuries. You can not smear the injured areas with iodine, brilliant green or alcohol, they tend to corrode the skin when it gets into the wound.
Experts recommend using breast pads and changing them as often as possible. Nipples need to be isolated from constant humidity, otherwise injured areas will heal for a very long time.
To relieve pain from bites, compresses from white cabbage sheets will help.
For cracks in the nipples, silicone pads can be used. If the wound is only on one breast, it is recommended to start feeding with a healthy breast.
Many young mothers at one time or another think about how to wean a baby to bite a breast while feeding. Some of them prefer to endure pain, but in fact, getting rid of a bad habit is simple, you just need to show a little patience.