We also have those ready made bottles here in the hospital in Israel.
The milk flows so fast that the babies choke, swallow lots of air, and
then spit up most of the milk ( lucky for them if it is artificial
milk). But there is a solution. First show the mom how fast the milk
flows. If you just hold the bottle upside down, the milk drips really
fast. Then show that when the nipple enters the baby's mouth, even if
he hardly closes his mouth on the nipple, the milk squirts out in a huge
stream ( I gently squeeze the nipple to show how fast the milk comes
out.)
I then take my own bottle of mineral water and show the moms that if
you put your head back and hold the bottle in your mouth, it is almost
impossible to drink without choking. How do we actually drink water
ourselves from a bottle? We hold the bottle parallel to the floor, and
there is much less water coming out.
Now I teach her how to give the bottle to the baby using this principle:
sit him at almost a 90 degree angle. Tickle his top lip with the nipple
until he GIVES PERMISSION to put the nipple in his mouth. Hold the
bottle parallel to the floor so that in the beginning there is NO MILK
in the nipple. The baby starts sucking gingerly, and realizes that he
is not getting that strong flow, and relaxes. Then you gradually tip
the bottle so that the nipple is only half full, and the bottle is
parallel to the floor. Let the baby pace the feed. When he stops
sucking, you lower the bottle so that there is no milk in the nipple.
Now other feeders, especially those who have been feeding babies for
zillions of years will start to have a hissy fit that the baby is
swallowing air, but actually, the air comes out of his nose. He will
swallow much more air when you hold the bottle in the old-fashioned way,
and could easily choke.
Today I was called to the children's hospital to see a two month old
baby after a hernia operation. The baby refused to take the bottle and
everyone on the staff had tried without success. The mom said that he
never really enjoyed eating. I did the above demo, and then fed the
baby in that way, and the doctor who was present was amazed!! The baby
had such a happy look on his face. I let the mom take over, and she
said that she had never seen the baby feed so contently and calmly. You
can't imagine the look in his eyes…….pure ecstasy!! Now the doc wants
me to teach all the staff how to feed that way.
This method was taught to us by Barbara Wilson Clay when she was here in
Israel lecturing. I have been using it for a long time, but her method
of explaining it really brings it clear to those watching……guzzling down
the mineral water and choking to death.
IN summary, I think that it is flow confusion, and not nipple confusion
that makes the babies have difficulty returning to the breast. They are
using their tongues to block the flow rather than to milk the breast.
Esther Grunis, IBCLC, who is starting to feel like a bottle consultant
lately with all the non latching babies and pumping moms
Lis Maternity Hospital
Tel Aviv, Israel
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