We saw in the previous topic some of the most frequent causes for which the baby can reject the mother's breast, although its nature is that of a mammal and is prepared to be breastfed from the first moment.
After birth
We can also find that the baby rejects the chest Despite a good start to breastfeeding.
One of the most common causes is, again, the pain, caused by an ear infection or some gesture that has caused him to feel discomfort in the oral or facial muscles.
Babies suffering Reflux They are also susceptible to manifest rejection of the chest, because it associates pain with food. The Colic They cause a lot of restlessness to children and abdominal pains, so it is not surprising that at that time they violently reject any attempt at breastfeeding.
Another issue to consider is allergies and sensitivities to foods taken by the mother, which causes the baby abdominal discomfort, excessive mucus, babies being able, instinctively, to reject breast milk that has the taste that causes such discomfort. In these cases, once suspected, some foods are usually eliminated from the maternal diet, especially dairy, and in many cases a significant improvement is achieved.
Troubled babies
Babies with sensory problems and maturational delay may have difficulty breastfeeding and in those cases the help of an expert is quite necessary to successfully stimulate them.
There are also mechanical problemsthat cause serious problems in breastfeeding such as cleft lip and a too short frenulum, but we can also help them overcome the difficulties associated with it.
Since breastfeeding is difficult due to the shape of the mouth, the palate or the tongue, the blowjob may be ineffective or a posture may occur in the incorrect placement in the mouth, which would also cause damage to the mother. Since these are very specific issues, and especially the frenulum, they really do get breastfeeding frequently ruled out, I leave them for a specific topic that I will dedicate to them in the coming days.
When breastfeeding was already established
It seems that most problems should arise in the first few weeks, but this is not the case. Otherwise we would only find weaning in those early stages of breastfeeding, but, in fact, there are many cases in which the mother decides to leave her against her initial desire, when complicated situations begin to occur later. Actually, a considerable part of the women are going to find ourselves at some point with a problem that temporarily hinders breastfeeding, but the real problem is that if we do not have real information and expert support we can stop breastfeeding having been able to continue with it.
There are babies who, suddenly and unexpectedly, begin to reject the breast, despite having had a good start in breastfeeding and growing properly with exclusive breast milk.
The most common cause is what has come to be called “breastfeeding strike". The baby lets breastfeed as before and even shows irritation and anger when we offer it insistently. It is quite desperate, especially if no one is right to help us understand what the child's problem is and give us effective solutions.
First we must rule out that some substance is changing the taste of milk, especially medicines or foods with a strong smell and taste. It should also be ruled out that it is the smell of some cream, gel, deodorant or soap that bothers the child, also avoiding creams that are put on the nipple like Purelan, and, if it is inevitable to use them, clean ourselves well every time.
We must also study the mucosa of the oral cavity, some ulcers or canker sores They are very painful and if the child suffers from them, it is most common for them to "strike" just as if they had fallen and damaged lips, jaw or tongue.
Babies can also happen to reject the breast if they are bad with sore throat, ear, shortness of breath, mucus and even stomach ache. With patience, waiting for acute discomfort to remit, we will maintain production in another way if necessary.
When the rise of milk is very intense and is also left too much time between teats the chest gets hard and it can cost them to grab the nipple, rejecting it. In that case, just as if there is a output reflex Too intense it is convenient to empty your chest a little manually, so that breastfeeding is easier for you.
Finally, another possible cause is that the outflow is slower at the end of the shot but the child is still hungry, so he will get angry and may get angry at the shot, but continue to show hunger. The solution, rather than quickly feeding the bottle, is to increase the frequency of the shots, so that production also increases.
This especially happens in the so-called "growth crisis", moments in which the child claims, because he needs it, more milk, and the mother's production has not been adapted immediately. By giving more breastfeeding and increasing night shots, production will usually be regulated naturally in a few days. Although it is the problem of the simplest solution, it remains one of the main causes of total or partial weaning after three or four months.
Conclusion
The reasons why a baby comes to reject the breast they are multiple and the rarest of them is a real hypolactia. Faced with a situation such as those reported, if the mother wishes to continue breastfeeding, seek specialized information and support if we do not find the remedy for ourselves.
