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Sometimes an accomplished mother is faced with a situation where the newborn does not take the breast immediately after birth or spends little time sucking, turns away from the breast, and cries. Similar difficulties occur among children whose natural feeding was initially successful.

Often young mothers faced with such a problem choose one of two paths. In the first case, the woman perceives the circumstances as the natural self-exposure of the baby, especially if the “strike” is practiced by a child older than six months. However, if the baby has not reached 1.5–2 years, he still needs natural nutrition. In the second case, if the child refuses breastfeeding, the mother resorts to pumping and bottle-feeding, which cannot be compared with full breastfeeding and is very tiring.

There is a third option for the development of events - to find the reason for the baby’s behavior. This path is considered the most acceptable, because in the end the mother will return full-fledged breastfeeding and a tender, touching relationship with the baby.

Can provoke breast refusal various factors. Some depend on the mother and through her actions she is often able to change the situation, while others cannot be influenced. In any case, it is possible to overcome the problem. The reasons that prompted a child to refuse the most nutritious food are usually divided into three groups:

  1. Resistance of the infant to feeding in the case when the first feedings were made through a bottle with a nipple, a pacifier was used.
  2. Temporary failure. It is distinguished by a rather long and successful period of natural feeding, which was interrupted by the child’s expressed protest. The reasons for such refusal usually lie in the child’s illness.
  3. Genuine refusal. It is considered the most difficult to overcome. The reasons for this group are the disruption of the psycho-emotional connection between the mother or baby. Resuming breastfeeding in this case requires time, patience and the desire of the young mother.

It is important to quickly find out why the baby does not latch on to the breast or starts crying during feeding. The sooner the cause is determined, the easier it will be to return to breastfeeding.

Using a pacifier or pacifier

Artificial breast substitutes in the form of nipples and pacifiers are considered the most common cause of failure. Pediatricians today are increasingly less likely to recommend using pacifiers. Nipples differ in structure from the shape of the mother's breast. A baby receiving an “artificial substitute” will begin to get confused. It is somewhat easier to obtain food from a bottle with a nipple than from the mammary gland. Therefore, when alternating several objects of sucking, the child will choose the easiest way to obtain food, refusing to take the breast. If you notice that the baby does not take the gland well, eliminate the nipples gradually, reducing the duration of contact with the object. Apply your baby to the breast as soon as required.

Violation of feeding technique

How to put a newborn to the breast, they teach in the walls medical institutions. But correct attachment is not always possible, especially for mothers of first-borns. Improper latching of the breast and uncomfortable feeding position often cause the development of sore and cracked nipples. As a result, the mother feels discomfort and seeks to reduce or interrupt feeding. The child does not receive valuable late milk and feels a lack of contact with the mother.
The baby should latch onto the nipple completely, including the areola. At the same time, his mouth is wide open, his chin touches his chest. More information about the criteria for monitoring correct attachment to the breast and possible feeding positions can be found here.

Bottle supplementation

Often mothers, trying to diversify the baby’s diet or in case of milk deficiency, introduce supplementary feeding in the form of artificial formulas. An unfavorable situation occurs when the baby receives mother's milk, but various types disorders, the pediatrician prescribes therapeutic nutrition: anti-reflux, fermented milk, anti-colic, hypoallergenic mixtures.

Supplementary feeding is usually given from a bottle. Any, even the smallest hole in the nipple will be larger than the nipple ducts. It is much easier to suck from a bottle; the baby gets used to not having to work to get food. When the baby is offered the breast again, he screams and gets nervous, spits out the nipple, because it is more difficult to get food. You can prevent this situation if you feed the baby from a spoon, a syringe without a needle, a cup, using the SNS system.

Discomfort

Breast refusal can be a sign of discomfort. The following factors may interfere with adequate feeding:

  • uncomfortable room temperature;
  • uncomfortable clothes (ties, buttons, appliqués can damage the baby’s delicate skin);
  • presence of diaper rash;
  • tight swaddling;
  • dirty diaper, etc.

This is why it is so important to create a favorable environment for feeding. Ventilate the room, treat diaper rash, change diapers, clothes, etc.

Flat nipple

If the mother has flat nipples, this can become a problem with breastfeeding. But don't panic and switch to mixed type nutrition. Anatomical features can be corrected. To do this, continue to put your baby to your breast. It is important to do self-massage. Buy special silicone nipple covers. By systematically following the recommendations, the mother usually notices that feeding is improving. The baby is also interested in receiving good nutrition and over time can adapt to the characteristics of the mother's breast.

Milk deficiency

Feeding problems arise due to a deficiency of milk, its complete absence or changes in taste. To increase lactation, you need to regularly put your baby to the breast and feed him on demand, and practice night feedings. It is also important to review the diet, exclude spicy, smoked ingredients, onions, and garlic. These products can give the nutrient maternal fluid an unusual taste. It is useful to include in the menu lactogenic mixtures, decoctions and teas that stimulate milk production. Physiological periods of decreased milk supply, which are called lactation crises, are usually temporary and last no more than 7 days.

Diseases

The child’s ailments, pain, and weakness often become the reason for refusal. A runny nose that appears in a newborn often interferes with normal breathing when receiving food from the chest. Other ailments that are accompanied by pain when receiving food can cause a strike. Even after successful treatment, the baby may associate feeding with pain, which causes reluctance and fear of receiving food from the breast. Pathologies that often become the cause of failure are:

  • runny nose;
  • stomatitis;
  • otitis;
  • colic;
  • nasal congestion;
  • a sore throat.

When the first symptoms of the disease appear, you should consult a doctor. Medical worker will prescribe treatment and tell you how to organize feeding during this difficult period.

Dr. Komarovsky notes that refusal to eat often occurs during teething. Examine the baby’s oral cavity, lubricate the gums with cooling gel.

Lack of contact with mom

Breast refusal can be caused by psycho-emotional problems. Mom and baby are closely connected and feel each other on a subconscious, intuitive level. If the mother has a negative attitude, is afraid of spoiling the child, is afraid of changes in the shape of the breast, and rarely takes the baby in her arms, the baby will definitely feel a distant attitude and will not want to take the breast. To prevent such a problem, establish tactile contact, practice co-sleeping, organize night feedings, master the “nesting” technique, the Christina Smiley method. During this period, it is important to sensitively monitor the baby’s needs and exclude visits, massages and other contacts with strangers.

Do not allow the baby to cry at the breast, do not force him, do not be overly persistent. Such actions will only complicate the situation.

The child refuses one breast

You can often encounter a situation in which the baby refuses one breast, but at the same time willingly takes the second. This behavior can be caused by frequent latching on one breast and ignoring the other. When a baby gets used to eating on one side, he develops a strong reflex, and a change in position will cause a protest. Because of this, the amount of milk in the unclaimed breast will decrease and the gland itself will visually become smaller than the one that the toddler eats.
Often the reason is concentrated in the child’s feeling of pain in the area of ​​failure (for example, ear pain).

To correct the situation and eliminate the imbalance, you need to act thoughtfully and consistently:

  • continue to give your baby the refused breast;
  • put the baby to sleep so that he is on the uncomfortable side, this will allow you to give a small breast during night feedings;
  • use it in the evening or when your little one is sleepy;
  • During the day, carry the baby in your arms so that his head is located at the abandoned breast.

Establishing the mechanisms of lactation and accustoming the baby to the second breast will take more than one month. It’s worth getting ready to work hard and be patient.

True and false refusal

It is important to recognize impending failure early stage. There are a number of signs that can help you understand that the little one will soon refuse to receive nutrition from the mammary gland. The following behavior on the part of the infant can signal refusal:

  • the child is capricious at the breast during the day, but eats calmly in his sleep;
  • the baby does not suck, but simply holds the nipple in his mouth;
  • During feeding, the baby is worried and nervous;
  • The baby stopped falling asleep during feeding.

In the presented situation, it is important not to get confused, but to take preventive measures. It is much easier to prevent a problem than to fix it.

True refusal occurs against the background of stress, destruction of the internal connection with the mother. The false version has similar symptoms, but does not have a deep root cause.
When a baby grunts, cries, or turns away, this does not always indicate that the baby intends to stop breastfeeding.

There is such a thing as false breast refusal. It is observed in babies in the first month of life, as well as in children after six months. In the first case, the baby is small and does not understand how to latch on to the breast, what to do to get milk, and the nipple may also fall out. All this worries the little one, he begins to be capricious and cry.

If a 6-month-old baby stops breastfeeding and doesn’t want to eat in the usual way, this does not mean a complete refusal of breastfeeding. Children at this age become curious, and the slightest noise, a stranger, or a TV on can distract him from the process of eating. Eliminate distractions.

What should a mother do?

Despite the fact that the reasons for refusal are different, the mother’s actions should be the same in all cases. It is important to do everything possible to maintain breastfeeding during the first year of life. To do this, you should enlist the support of loved ones, their help and understanding. Lactation consultants advise women to follow a simple algorithm:

  • Avoid artificial breast substitutes. If there is no nipple (bottle), only the breast remains. The baby will have no choice; the feeling of hunger will force him to work for food.
  • Establish an emotional connection, tactile contact. Carry your baby in your arms more. Only the mother should feed, bathe, and walk the child. Talk to your child, sing songs, recite rhymes, give a massage.
  • A good solution would be to sleep together. This will create round-the-clock contact with the baby and improve lactation.
  • Walk less in public places. It is important for the baby to understand that he is safe. Home is the best place for this.
  • Offer the breast in times of special need.
  • Don't insist, don't swear, don't scream or cry. Emotional condition mother directly influences the process of returning to breastfeeding.
  • If your baby begins to lose weight due to refusal, feed him with a spoon. Dissatisfaction with the sucking reflex will become an additional incentive to return to harmonious feedings.

When a child does not want to eat his mother's breast, it is important not to get upset or panic. It is necessary to accept the fact that returning to the natural way of obtaining food can be lengthy. Calmness, consistency and patience will help you cope with a strike.

One fine day, a nursing woman discovers unusual changes in the behavior of her newborn baby. The child suddenly becomes whiny, capricious, refuses to breastfeed and becomes irritable. If the baby’s age at this moment has reached 3 months, then we can safely talk about the development of false breast refusal.

Such behavior on the part of a baby can cause a storm of indignation among young mothers. False refusal to feed is a variant of the norm, so a conscious and correct approach to solving this issue will allow you to quickly cope with the problem without causing serious consequences.

What is false refusal of breastfeeding

When a newborn baby reaches three months of age, changes occur in his body that are directly related to knowledge of the outside world and adaptation to its conditions. A three-month-old baby is very receptive to the information around him, so the usual feeding regime causes a natural protest in the baby. Despite the fact that the child strives to learn as quickly as possible the world, his natural needs for eating food do not disappear.

The main sign of this condition is the child’s increased attention to everything around him and whims caused by the need for food. Due to lack of experience, some young mothers perceive this phenomenon as the child’s reluctance to drink mother’s milk.

This thought pushes the parent to transfer the baby to artificial milk formula. Similar situations arose several decades ago, when women, seeing the dissatisfaction of their newborn child, preferred to transfer him to feeding with milk formula or semolina porridge.

Reasons for false refusal

The true reason for a child’s false refusal to breastfeed is those age-related changes in the child’s body that occur as they grow older. The baby's need to explore everything that surrounds him increases, so the next attempt to attach him to the breast is perceived by the baby as something distracting and annoying.

This situation is completely physiological, so to combat it, a young mother only needs to reconsider her behavior and take certain measures. Newborn children under the age of 1 year are faced with pathological factors that lead to refusal to breastfeed.

These factors include:

  1. Violation of feeding technique;
  2. An increase in the density of breast tissue, as a result of which the child does not have full access to breast milk;
  3. Using and feeding with a bottle. If a young mother practices natural feeding, then she should not be given artificial milk formulas at the same time, after consuming which the baby will not want to accept mother’s milk. If for a number of reasons a woman is forced to feed her baby expressed milk, then a special drinking cup can be used for this;
  4. Intestinal colic, during which the baby not only refuses breastfeeding, but also cries a lot. To learn how to prevent the formation of this problem, read the article at the link;
  5. Increased body temperature;
  6. The use of cosmetics by a nursing woman, the smell and taste of which is unpleasant to the child;
  7. If the mucous membrane of the infant’s oral cavity is damaged;
  8. In case of nasal breathing disorder.

In order to talk about a false refusal of breastfeeding, the baby must be carefully examined, making sure that the cause of such behavior is not an organic or functional pathology. Only a face-to-face consultation with a pediatrician will help in this matter.

Symptoms

The condition called false refusal of breastfeeding can be recognized by the following characteristic clinical signs:

  • At each breastfeeding, the baby expresses dissatisfaction and cries;
  • During feeding, the baby reluctantly grabs the nipple and constantly turns his head to the sides;
  • Instead of fully sucking the mother's breast, the newborn makes sluggish movements that are not accompanied by the release of portions of milk;
  • During the feeding process, the baby is constantly distracted by extraneous sounds and focuses his attention on surrounding objects.

This condition greatly disrupts the entire process of breastfeeding, which affects the condition of not only the baby, but also his mother. Before claiming that the reason for this behavior is a false refusal, it is worth making sure that the woman does not consume foods that can affect the quantitative and qualitative indicators of breast milk. Onions and garlic, spices, fish, smoked meats, legumes and white cabbage can give milk a sharp taste and smell.

How to deal with false refusal

Regardless of the fact that a three-month-old baby is in a state of heightened attention to everything around him, his growing body does not cease to need a regular supply of nutrients. If the baby flatly refuses the mother’s breast, then the woman should carefully express 20-40 ml of breast milk into a bottle and thus feed the hungry baby.

If the newborn expresses active protest, then the woman does not need to make violent attempts to attach him to the breast. To begin with, it is important to calm the baby by rocking, stroking and quiet conversations. When the baby calms down, carefully try again to breastfeed. In this state, the child will stop being distracted by surrounding objects and phenomena.

During the entire period of restoration of the usual feeding regimen, it is necessary to completely stop using pacifiers. For 3 days, you need to put the baby to the breast only in a half-asleep state, when nervous system the baby ceases to be too excitable.

We can talk about the return of pacifier nipples only 14 days after the restoration of normal feeding. Such events not only contribute to the normalization of the relationship between mother and child, but also act as a prevention of false refusals of breastfeeding in the future.

According to pediatricians, the best way prevention and control of false refusal to feed is the establishment of a strong psychological connection between the child and his mother. For this purpose, a woman should carry her baby in her arms as often as possible, and also talk to him in a calm voice.

From the living space in which the child is located, remove objects that are too bright, as well as attributes that may be conspicuous. It is not recommended to keep sources of strong odors or use perfumes in living areas. Also avoid bright lights, harsh and loud sounds. Other family members should not distract the young mother from feeding.

If a young mother has decided to breastfeed her newborn baby for up to 1 year or more, then it is important for her to prepare herself to overcome such a crisis. False refusal of natural feeding is a variant of the physiological norm, therefore the fight against it is effective and necessary. In the fight against this condition, patience and support from loved ones are crucial to help you not give up.

If the baby is healthy, but refuses to attach to the mother’s breast, then correct and consistent actions on the part of the mother will solve this problem within a few days. If the mother does not plan to continue breastfeeding, then a period of false refusal creates the necessary conditions to adapt the child to artificial milk formulas.

Currently, pediatricians all over the world are fighting to preserve breastfeeding, convincing them of its usefulness and indispensability. Often, when establishing breastfeeding, women are faced with the problem that their newborn baby refuses breast milk already in the first month of life. Let's figure out why a child refuses breast milk and how to fight to maintain breastfeeding.

The baby does not suckle because the breast is tight

This reason is most common; the baby simply physically cannot suck milk. You can suspect this based on the following signs:

  • The breasts are firm to the touch and sharply increased in size
  • The baby is not gaining the required weight

In order to overcome tight chest syndrome, it is worth fulfilling the requirements of the memo:

  1. Get advice from a breastfeeding consultant;
  2. Try not to panic and stress, try to relax as much as possible;
  3. Before breastfeeding, perform a stroking massage of the breast, back to the ribs;
  4. A warm shower directed at the chest or even feeding while lying in a warm bath in the initial stages can help;
  5. Try a position called reverse feeding, in which the mother sits on top of the baby, allowing the baby's breasts to dangle. At the same time, gravity promotes better fluid outflow;
  6. Directly during feeding, you can massage the glands, moving your fingers from the base of the breast (armpit area) to the nipples.

Mistakes when attaching your baby

In order for milk to flow in sufficient quantities, the baby must hold not only the nipple, but also the areola in his mouth. If the latch does not occur correctly, the baby remains hungry, as evidenced by poor weight gain and frequent crying of the baby.

How to teach a baby to suck properly? To do this, you should follow these rules:

  • Start feeding when baby is calm and not crying
  • For a softer areola, lightly pump your breasts before breastfeeding.
  • It is advisable to lubricate the areola and nipple with milk, press with your fingers for better grip on the nipple, then offer the child to eat
  • While sucking, make sure that the baby does not stop holding the areola in his mouth.

Too fatty milk

Due to physiological characteristics, human milk comes in two types. At first, less high-calorie milk is released, more liquid, but no less healthy. It is easy to drink, since the consistency is watery, and the child does not need to make a lot of effort. This type of milk is followed by another, thicker and higher in calories. Some babies stop sucking the moment the change occurs. The fact is that resorption requires a lot of strength, which the baby may not have or may simply be lazy.

How to help your baby refuse breast milk:

  • Massage your mammary glands before and during feedings
  • Feed your baby from both the left and right breast so that he can suck more foremilk
  • Review your diet. It happens that milk becomes excessively fatty due to the fact that the mother abuses dairy products or nuts
  • The mother should drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day so that the milk is sufficiently liquid

Breast milk may not taste good

It is a mistaken belief that a newborn baby is not able to distinguish between taste and smell. Immediately after birth, physiology endowed the small tongue with hundreds of papillae capable of distinguishing tastes. From this we can conclude that the child refused breast milk because of its pleasant taste.

What foods could the mother eat, thereby spoiling the taste of breast milk? This could be spicy garlic and onions, spicy foods, various spices, and so on. Moreover, taking certain medications or homeopathic remedies can change the taste of milk.

In order to improve the taste of breast milk, you need to:

  • Eliminate from the menu those foods that the baby does not like
  • Carefully read the instructions for the medications you take. By doing this, you will not only not worsen the taste of the milk, but will also prevent the harmful effects of drugs on the baby’s health.

Baby illnesses can interfere with breastfeeding

In addition to the reasons listed above, concomitant diseases can get in the way of establishing natural feeding. Let's look at each in more detail.

Thrush

If the baby has refused to breastfeed, it would be a good idea to look into the baby’s mouth. You may notice small sores or sores on your gums, roof of your mouth, cheeks, or tongue. Most likely, these are the first symptoms of a disease called candidiasis.

The cause of this disease is the excessive growth of a fungus of the genus Candida. In this case, the child refuses mother’s milk not because of laziness, it just hurts him when the food ends up in his mouth.

Nasal congestion

Sucking at the breast requires the baby to breathe through his nose. If the nose is clogged with snot or there are dry crusts in the nasal passages, inhalation and exhalation will be difficult, and the baby often cries. To prevent this from happening, you need to make sure your nose can breathe freely. Immediately before breastfeeding, remove mucus using an aspirator or small syringe, then rinse your nose with saline.

The child refuses the breast

What to do when a child refuses to breastfeed? | Anyuta Zhurilo

breast refusal/what I did///MamochkaDi

About breastfeeding consultants and feeding until milk disappears completely - Komarovsky

It is important not to use cotton swabs or self-made turundas for cleaning. The fact is that microscopic particles of cotton wool or gauze may remain in the nasal passage, which can subsequently irritate the nasal mucosa.

In addition, it is necessary to carefully monitor the comfortable temperature and humidity level in the room where the baby is. The ideal temperature is about 21 degrees and humidity from 40 to 50%.

Colic in a newborn

Colic can be easily recognized. During feeding, the baby suddenly stops sucking, a grimace of crying and pain appears on his face, his legs are drawn up to his tummy, and a characteristic cry appears, signaling that the baby is in pain. Of course, the child does not want to eat in this state, so the mother must help the child in order to be able to feed him milk.

  • It is necessary to ensure that the baby grasps with his lips not only the nipple, but also the areola. This will ensure that less air enters with the milk;
  • Try to position your baby during latching so that the baby's tummy is in close contact with you. There is an opinion that the heat emanating from the mother’s body contributes to better gas removal;
  • 10-20 minutes before feeding, place the baby on his stomach, this will also help the accumulated gases to go away;
  • During feeding, you can get the hang of giving a massage to the baby at the same time, gently stroking the tummy
  • Eliminate from your diet foods that cause excessive gas in your baby

Maternal conditions affecting the feeding process

Mom can also influence the quality of breastfeeding, both directly and indirectly. Let's find out what exactly can cause breast refusal.

Abnormal nipple structure

A woman may not know for the rest of her life that she has an inverted, small or too flat nipple. This is not a serious pathology, but it can cause the child to refuse breastfeeding completely or the wife to receive enough milk.

You can solve the problem with the help of special breast attachments that can correct irregular shape pacifier and make the feeding process as comfortable as possible for the baby.

Baby refuses only one breast

It happens that a child refuses to suck on one of the mammary glands. In this case, it is worth trying to find the reason for what is happening. If this fails, do not stop giving both breasts to the baby during night feedings, in the morning, when there is a good appetite, and so on.

If all else fails, you can continue to feed the baby on one breast, carefully ensuring that the little one gains sufficient body weight.

Pacifiers and bottles are the enemy of breastfeeding

The most common reason a baby refuses to breastfeed is using a pacifier or bottle. This happens when the baby is supplemented with food or complementary foods or given a pacifier to calm him down. Why does this happen and what should be done?

  • The hole in the bottle is made much larger compared to a natural nipple
  • Breast absorption occurs with the help of a tongue, and more effort is required compared to bottle feeding, where you only have to work with your cheeks
  • If the baby is bottle fed periodically, the mother will produce less milk.

How to solve the problem? First, you need to get rid of the bottle and pacifier as quickly as possible. If there is a need to feed or supplement your child, use only a baby spoon or cup. At the very beginning, it is recommended to use a syringe or cocktail tube. Judging by the reviews, these are the most convenient means.

Regarding water, it is worth saying that the baby does not need additional feeding if he is only on breast milk, and the temperature indicators correspond to those required for a small child.

Pseudo breast refusal

It often happens that mothers sound the alarm ahead of time. For example, during feeding, the baby cries and may turn his head, turning away from the breast. All a nursing woman has to do is to guide and correct the baby’s behavior in a timely manner. With a high probability, natural feeding will improve.

It happens that a child cannot grasp the nipple for a long time; first he takes it into his mouth, then spits it out, repeating his actions again and again. The above steps using overlays will help solve the situation.

You should not ignore the fact that a child, like any living creature, can simply be distracted while feeding. A sharp sound, bright light, or something else can distract the baby. Especially often this problem occurs in four-month-old children under seven months of age. Don't panic, worrying yourself about the problem of breast refusal. The mother must stubbornly insist on her own, waiting for the moment when the baby wants to continue the process.

In conclusion, it is worth saying that when giving up breastfeeding, you should not give up, you must fight to maintain breastfeeding until the last. Despite the fact that this is not easy, it is worth remembering that breast milk is an indispensable product for a child, no formula from a bottle can replace it. Try to figure out why the baby refuses breast milk. Feed your baby with joy and enjoy these months as long as possible.

Mother's milk is the natural and most valuable food product for a baby. If a child under one year of age refuses to breastfeed, this indicates that a problem has arisen to which he reacts in the only way possible for him.

A healthy infant will never refuse food without reason. When this happens, it is necessary to understand why the child refuses the breast. If the baby is capricious and turns away during feeding, this may be a signal indicating the emergence of some kind of problem. We can talk about such a phenomenon as breast refusal when the baby does not want to suckle milk for several days: from 2 to 5-6. All this time, you need to carefully monitor the child’s behavior and condition in order to identify the cause of the disorder. The problem may be simple and easily fixable. In other cases, great efforts and consultation with a doctor will be required.

It is important to extend full milk feeding of a child until 1.5-2 years.

Only upon reaching this age is the child psychologically ready for a complete transition to solid food. Therefore, if a newborn does not take the breast, you should not rush to switch him to formula milk or offer him a bottle of milk - then it will be difficult to get him to suckle again.

Reasons for breast refusal

To understand why, a variety of factors need to be taken into account. If the newborn is not yet 2-3 months old, then perhaps he has not gained enough body weight and does not have enough strength to suck. Tension that occurs during bowel movements can interfere with calm feeding. Often, the cause of breast refusal is the child’s painful condition. This may include oral thrush, a cold that causes fever and nasal congestion, and intestinal colic due to accumulated gases. In addition, when a child is teething, he becomes capricious and may refuse to eat. Other obstacles to natural feeding may include:

  • presence of other people in the room;
  • loud sounds;
  • shape and degree of permeability of the nipple;
  • breasts overflowing with milk;
  • usage ;
  • bottle feeding;
  • change in the taste of milk;
  • foreign odor coming from the mother;
  • complementary foods that are too nutritious;
  • weak or strong pressure of flowing milk.

Upon reaching 3-4 months, the newborn begins to actively respond to others. The presence of strangers during feeding distracts him. He begins to turn his head, trying to see everyone, and stops sucking. An unusual shape or too large size of the nipples leads to the fact that the child is unable to properly grasp and hold the nipple. This interferes with the normal swallowing process. Tight nipples also often cause breast refusal, especially in a newborn in the first month of life or a premature one. Such a baby does not have enough strength to suck out a sufficient amount of milk. Early bottle training has a negative impact. Receiving nutrition in this way is much easier than pulling it out of the nipple with effort. Giving a crying baby a pacifier is equally harmful. Other muscles work to hold it in the mouth, and when it comes time to feed, it is difficult for the baby to readjust. Complementary feeding becomes a reason to refuse mother's milk if the additional food is more than necessary or it is overly nutritious.

How to overcome breast refusal

Knowing the reasons why breast refusal occurred, it is much easier to both prevent the occurrence of such a situation and correct the current situation:

  1. In order not to accustom the child to a bottle ahead of time, it is better to give fruit juice and complementary foods from a spoon. Even if he is already used to it, it will be easy to return to breastfeeding. To do this, you need to apply it to your chest every time, and, if necessary, supplement it with a spoon.
  2. Often the mother does not know what to do even though she is full of milk. In this case, before feeding, you need to take a warm shower, lightly massage the mammary glands and express a little milk to make them softer.
  3. If a newborn eats from one nipple but turns away from the other, it is enough to change the feeding position and put the baby to it first.
  4. For the child's well-being great importance has a healthy mother's diet. The diet should include milk, cottage cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to exclude foods that can negatively affect the child’s condition: cucumbers, garlic, horseradish, beets, peppers, mustard, smoked meats, oranges, etc.

There are many tricks that allow mothers to cope with their baby’s refusal to breastfeed:

  1. It is better not to use a pacifier when breastfeeding, especially if the baby is weak: extra strength is spent on sucking.
  2. Many mothers worry that flat or inverted nipples will lead to breast refusal. Overcoming this is not difficult, since the shape of the nipple does not play a big role. It is necessary to ensure that the newborn's mouth tightly covers the areola. Then the milk will flow where it should without any obstacles.
  3. If the flow of milk is strong, the baby may choke. To avoid this, you need to apply it to your chest so that it is on top. Then he will suck the milk himself and calmly swallow without refusing.
  4. A similar method should be used by those women whose milk flow is weak. The right choice can solve the problem. You need to put him on the bed and lean over him so that the milk flows out more easily. In this case, it is necessary to hold the breast, otherwise it may cover the baby’s nose.

Regardless of the health of the child, a nursing woman should avoid perfumes, soaps and other substances with a strong odor. Often because of this, the baby refuses to take the breast.

Breast refusal is divided into three types:
Self-weaning refers to giving up breastfeeding at the age of natural weaning. A child who refuses to breastfeed has matured psychologically and physiologically before weaning and simply stops taking the breast, having enough other nutrition.
False refusal is usually called the behavior of a child when he cannot take the breast for a long time. This may be due to:
- long “search” for the nipple. The baby turns his head at the breast - he looks for the nipple for a while

With long-term training of the child in the correct sucking technique ( individual feature child);

With slight distraction from the chest extraneous sounds during feeding (usually starting at the age of 4-5 months), when the baby often turns away from the breast, distracted.

With hyperlactation - increased milk production, excessive leakage of milk prevents the baby from sucking, he coughs, turns away from a strong flow of milk

With physiological reasons: the child is sick, the child has thrush or an injury to the oral cavity, the nasal passages are clogged and breathing through the nose is difficult, teething concerns


True refusal is a refusal to breastfeed against the background of stress experienced as a result of a violation of the psycho-emotional connection with the mother. This condition is also called “psycho-emotional deprivation” - pushing away the mother after breaking contact with her. This is a dangerous condition, in the absence of an immediate adequate reaction from the mother, fraught with serious problems in the future. You can recognize such a refusal, excluding the reasons for a false refusal, by the following distinctive characteristics having approximately the following sequence:
- a recently calm child cries at the breast for a long time
- taking the breast, he immediately throws the nipple away and cries again
- the child arches and cries when the breast is offered
- the child, after crying at the breast, calms down in the arms NOT of the mother
- the child does not seek the breast while in the mother’s arms, often cries and behaves restlessly in her arms
- having cried bitterly, falls asleep with sobs outside the mother's embrace
- seeks sublimation of consolation - having gotten used to the pacifier, falls asleep exclusively with the pacifier
- after a long “scandal” he takes only a bottle from the breast
Reasons for true refusal:
- the child was separated from his mother for a long time after birth
- the child sucks a pacifier
- the child falls asleep with a pacifier, not with the breast
- the baby is bottle-fed
- strangers are with the child for a long time
- the mother is often absent, leaving the child with someone
- the child experiences a lack of emotional and physical contact with the mother.
- the family situation is emotionally unstable
- the child experiences constant stress, frightened, he is not treated in accordance with his age stage of development
- the child is subjected to unnatural and non-physiological procedures that tire him, which frighten him, and the mother is their participant, initiator or witness and does not try to protect, console or stop the procedures (such procedures can be hard massage, diving, dousing with cold water and dynamic gymnastics)
It is important to understand that in the case of true refusal, its main reason is resentment. The psyche of a small child is tuned to the constant presence of the mother and to her satisfaction of his biological expectations from communication with her - physical contact, breastfeeding, a feeling of peace from her smell, body warmth, movements, heartbeat and the sounds of her voice. These relationships are for the most part instinctive . If she often practices weaning (especially before six months), often tries to put the child in a stroller and crib, and transfer the care of him to another person, the baby begins to experience a deficiency of her presence, which he cannot, due to his development, compensate for with anything, because he is driven by the instinct to search for these required communication parameters that nature gave him for normal development, and then his psyche turns on the emergency stop lights: “I’m not needed, they don’t love me, well, then I won’t eat!” That is, perception maternal behavior as betrayal, causes a protest, which, in its destructive power of motivation, could be equated to a renunciation of life, an instinctive self-elimination. This form of condition that arises from the dissatisfaction of needs in psychology is called “frustration.” Here is what such a scientific giant as Eric Berne writes about these conditions of infants when the mother deprives them of their opportunity:
“The baby cannot think through the situation, asking the question: “Should she really have left or should she have stayed with me?” Because he is hindered and because he is an infant, he immediately looks for other ways to satisfy his tensions, and if he fails to satisfy his libido (as the desire to live and the love of life in general - author's note), he tries to find relief through mortido ( energetic tensions relieved by destruction, damage, elimination and distance, the energy of the death instinct) (The same applies to other types of frustrations.)Unable to control his limbs, he can only do so with few
ways and, moreover, without much sophistication. The adult can run or fight; the baby has no access to either one or the other. The main possible passive reaction for him is to lie still, refusing to suck.” (E. Berne “Introduction to psychiatry and psychoanalysis for the uninitiated” chapter “3. Emotional development of a sucking baby”)

And here is how one nursing mother described her situation with refusal, who managed to track the reasons for its onset, the development of such side effects that follow refusals, such as lactostasis, and subsequently cope with refusal with the support of a lactation consultant.

"Stupid mistake:) we gave the child a pacifier. He asked for the breast every 10 minutes. He would take it, leave it, and ask again for half a day. Before this, the sister came and said that the child is now in the oral stage of maturation, he needs to satisfy the sucking reflex, that the breast that the pacifier is not important, as long as it sucks

We gave up and then we went for a walk - in a stroller - this is mistake number two.

Firstly, it was too early to go for a walk, he needed to get used to the space of the apartment... secondly, I walked far, the asphalt was bad, the stroller was shaking - the baby was “turned off” immediately.

This I now understand is a reaction to stress. And then I thought: this is how well he sleeps on the street! Maybe he woke up to eat, but there was a pacifier in his mouth - he didn’t ask for the breast and so for several days, then at home he gets cranky or doesn’t sleep, but for me to eat or something else - we immediately put him in the stroller, give him a pacifier and rock him. He fell asleep with the pacifier and the “shaking”, lay down quietly and fall asleep.

That's how he got used to falling asleep.

And then I realized reverse side medals: - I began to take the breast incorrectly, I had two lactostasis in a week - I began to take the breast less often, I stopped gaining weight (it’s not clear whether I want to eat or not, there’s a pacifier in my mouth) - it became impossible to put me to sleep in my arms or under my breast: just a stroller and a pacifier... I was scared: if everything is so serious in a week, then what will happen in a couple of months? breast refusal?

We decided to give up the pacifier. And so on August 3 we had a shooting range: they took away the pacifier, Yarik screams (he doesn’t cry, but screams, he’s already choking), the stroller was removed, he doesn’t take the breast, he can’t sleep, my temperature is 39, I need to express lactostasis in a certain position, and the baby refuses... In short, it’s a shame for the child, I’m ashamed of myself in front of him, Albert accuses me of cruelty (the pacifier must be gradually taken away, just given less and less, and you are so harsh), I’m crying from this whole nightmare... Then in the evening Yarik slept a little , subsided. I called a lactation consultant in Krasnoyarsk. I have main question was: did I do the right thing by taking it away so abruptly? It turned out there was no other way. She supported me a lot, answered all my questions. It became easier. The consultant warned that now we need to try to make the baby forget the stress. This is two weeks of “nesting”: no guests, no walks, no swimming, ONLY mom and her breasts. Even dad better not babysit. The baby needs to learn again that mother IS and she is the main stronghold and protection. Always and everywhere, no matter what happens.

I tried my best. Of course, it was still not possible to maintain the regime. Either the nurse will come, then the grandmother will come, sometimes I’ll get tired - I’ll let Albert tinker, we still bathed twice... But even with this approach, the baby became calm, there were fewer tears, fewer nerves.

Now everything is fine)) Yarik woke up, I went to feed))

Anastasia."

The most basic way to combat this pathological form of refusal is the so-called “nesting method”. All strangers are temporarily excluded from the child’s routine, any items of care that are shared between mother and child, the mother remains with the child in bed almost all the time, in a quiet, dimly lit room, and constantly offers the breast. The rest of the time, when the child is not suckling, sleeping, he still tries to leave him as little as possible, only if necessary, so that he feels it and methodically restores trust. A very important aspect for nesting is the understanding and support of the rest of the family, who will take on all other responsibilities around the house and help the mother.