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Date: | Tue, 28 May 1996 21:03:36 EDT |
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Regarding nipple confusion and the disbelief among hospital nurses.
This is an ever ongoing problem for me too! These are some things I
have used to try to educate on this topic:
Describe the difference between breast and bottle mouth use - Breastfeeding
baby has wide open mouth, tongue long and low and extended over bottom
gum line. Bottle feeding baby has smaller mouth opening, tongue pushing
on tip of nipple to the roof of the mouth to control the flow and allow
for swallowing and breathing.
Most nursery nurses have bottle fed a breastfed baby and experienced
these babies with a wide-open mouth that won't close around the nipple.
These babies are trying to breast suckle--nipple confusion with a breast
preference!
A nurse told me that because I had advocated for an adoptive mother that
wanted to try breastfeeding that I was invalidating the argument for
nipple confusion. How could I suggest BF was possible when the baby
had been fed bottles for days or weeks from birth before going to hte
adoptive parents? I have heard of several instances recently where a
baby who was bottlefed breastmilk and was unable to latch-on successfully
suddenly went to the breast spontaneously at 6 weeks of age and suckled
like it had always done it. Babies can and do eventually learn to suck
and suckle in two different ways. The problem with nipple confusion
is that most moms become discouraged and give up within the first days
if the baby has a problem with latch-on.
Some nurses think that what we are saying is that if you give a baby
a bottle in the beginning, it will never be able to breastfeed. I remind
them that it is always easier to learn one way to do something new.
After some experience, one is able to try other variations. When a newborn
is learning to feed at the breast it needs to have lots of practice with
this mouth technique. After it has been mastered, the mom can offer
an occasional bottle (after 4 weeks), if that is what she wants to do.
I hope this gives you some additional ideas. However, I still have doubters
where I work.
Barb Berges RN, IBCLC
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