If you have to or want to give your breastfeeding baby pumped breast milk, you will most likely consider using a baby bottle. Baby bottles are the most well-known and socially accepted feeding method, but they are not the only way. What happens if there is no other choice and you have to give breast milk in a bottle? These are some of the common questions that mothers and families have asked us: My baby arches her back with all…
Will children ever wean by themselves? What is the natural weaning age? In our society, weaning happens very early. It is much more frequent that breastfeeding journeys last months rather than years. The first time I saw a child about three years old breastfeeding, I couldn’t believe my eyes. At that time, my daughter was barely two months old, and I had not considered that breastfeeding could last ‘that long.’ I have discussed this feeling with many mothers who were…
When babies are breastfeeding, they learn to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing.This is a complex process; for some babies, it may take more time to fully master it. And sometimes milk comes out of baby’s nose. In another article, we have discussed what causes spitting up or vomiting, so today, we will try to shed some light on a more complex matter: what happens and why does it happen when a baby brings up milk, and it comes out from…
Almost all babies are spitting up after feeding. But as common as it is, it often makes new families nervous. The baby is usually soaked through, and immediately after getting it all out, they ask to breastfeed again. How can this be? This is where the worries start… Should I breastfeed again immediately after? Is it normal that they spit up so much milk? Does what comes out look normal? And is it normal that my baby spits up that…
The question “What can I put on my nipples to wean my toddler?” is a common search on Google. It refers to applying something with a strong flavor, such as garlic, mustard, vinegar, or spicy products, on the breast to stop the toddler from suckling. This being a common query shows us that there is a problem of lack of information in a common scenario. Most of the time, when a mother wants to wean, she is alone in this….
We are often asked about baby sleep and whether it is normal for them to always sleep with an open mouth. Maybe you wonder what to do or who to see about this. Is it normal if my baby always sleeps with her mouth open? When babies sleep, physiologically, their mouth should be closed, and the tongue should be up in the palate area. Therefore, sleeping with the mouth open is not what we should see on a regular basis,…
Nipple confusion (or nipple-teat confusion): difficulties of a baby to feed at the breast after drinking milk from a baby bottle teat. Controversy It has been debated for years whether nipple-teat confusion exists or if it is a misconception. The truth is that we can encounter everything: babies who can suckle at the breast, a bottle teat, a pacifier, and nipple shields interchangeably, and others who get a bottle teat in their mouths and don’t seem to know how to…
Colostrum harvesting before birth is a method that allows small amounts of colostrum to be collected during pregnancy, which, after the birth of the baby, can be given if necessary. This avoids the use of formula milk when supplementing is necessary. History of colostrum harvesting Although this may seem to be a fairly recent method, it is not. Until the late seventies and eighties, all women were encouraged to collect colostrum in the final stages of their pregnancy. Historically, the…
“It all begins at the end of the feed. My nipple turns white and starts hurting. It hurts a lot and I don’t know what it is. Then, when I am in the shower or go outside and it is cold, the pain comes back again. What can it be?“ What this mother is describing is called nipple ischemia, which is a lack of blood supply that can cause a lot of pain. Ischemia can occur for many different reasons,…
The best way your child can drink their mother’s milk is from the breast but on certain occasions, such as when returning to work, we cannot be by their side. The methods of feeding and supplementing allow us to keep giving them the best. When we think of ways of nourishing our baby with extracted breast milk or formula, the first thing we think of is a bottle. In reality, the bottle is the method that is NOT recommended by…