|
|
Many mothers these days are turning back to breastfeeding for their babies, becoming more and more aware of its advantages over bottle-feeding. Most mothers that used to bottle-feed expressed breast milk to their baby are also opting for natural ways of breastfeeding, even though they find nursing more cumbersome and even hurtful, just for the sake of their child but they are often worried whether switching back to breast from bottle will be easy on their child or stress the baby out. Here are some tips on breastfeeding once again for previously bottle-fed babies:
- It takes about two weeks of breastfeeding exclusively for the mother and the baby to form a comfortable feeding rhythm for both.
- Researches have shown that the length and frequency of breastfeeding in babies determine the cognitive skills and health of the baby. More the length and frequency of breast feeding, higher are the cognitive skills and better is the baby’s health.
- Children can easily adapt to changes so you need not worry about their being stressed out on being switched back to breast from bottle-feeding, especially for babies who are already on pumped breast milk.
- Learn comfortable baby positioning and latch-on positions from your lactation specialist or consultant for the better breastfeeding experience for you and the baby.
- Nursing often hurts when babies put too much sucking pressure on the nipple instead of the whole of areola, so you may need to open baby’s mouth wider by using your index finger to push on her lower jaw gently and offering the breast to the baby. This also helps the baby to get more milk with fewer efforts.
- If your nipples are sore because your baby's lips are tightly pursed while she nurses, you may use your index finger to flip her lower lip outward gently, so that you feel less pain and more comfort.
- Reduce the times of bottle feedings gradually.
- Even when you achieve optimal milk supply and a comfortable latch-on, you can still the occasional supplemental bottle when you feel too stressed out.
- In the first month of life, ‘nipple confusion’ in babies can be seen when the child is being switched back to breast from bottle but it decreases, as the child grows older.