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| Education and Support for Nursing Mothers |
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| High-Needs Babies Some babies are just more "needy" and less easy-going than others! If you're the parent of a high-needs baby, look at it as a blessing in disguise: as they grow, many high-needs babies become bright, engaging children who are a true joy to have around. Their spirit is engaging, their drive will carry them through many a rough patch. See these links on high-needs babies for more information. |
| Growth Spurts A growth spurt is a time (usually lasting 2 - 7 days) during which your wonderful baby seems to become a voracious, milk-sucking leach. Growth spurts can occur at any age, but typically occur between 7-10 days, around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3-4 months, 6 months, and 9 months. Growth spurts can frighten a mother into thinking that her milk has suddenly disappeared. Please be assured that this doesn't happen -- unless the mother has become pregnant, or is on estrogen-containing birth control, is very dehydrated, or is taking certain other medications, such as Sudafed, that have a decreasing effect on the mother's milk supply. If you have been able to meet your baby's needs in the past, then (given sufficient nursing sessions per day) you will continue to be able to meet your baby's needs in the future. The baby is nursing more frequently in order to build your supply. As distressing as this time may be for you, the key to surviving a growth spurt with your nursing relationship intact is to do just what the baby wants: nurse practically non-stop until your supply reaches the baby's new demand. Supplementing during a growth spurt is counter-productive. By supplementing with formula or even with expressed breast milk, your body will not get the message that it needs to make more milk. This means you will need to continue to supplement, which may very well cause your supply to drop even lower, which may lead to complete weaning within a relatively short time period. For information on schedules and breast-fed babies, see this page. |
| Growth Spurts High Needs Babies Latching & Positioning Links Nipple Confusion |
| Nipple Confusion Breastfeeding requires active suckling on the part of the baby for milk to be delivered. It can even take a minute before the baby's work is rewarded with mother's milk. On the other hand, a bottle will drip milk as soon as it is tipped -- the baby doesn't have to work to get milk. In fact, the baby may have to work in a completely different manner to slow the flow of the milk from the bottle. A baby that is exposed to artificial nipples -- bottles or pacifiers -- in the first few weeks of life may develop nipple confusion. For some babies, it may take many bottles or lots of pacifier use for this to develop. For some babies, just one bottle, just one try with the pacifier can create problems for the nursing pair. According to Kittie Franz, a retired LLL leader and a nurse practitioner, as many as 95% of all babies will become confused if offered artificial nipples before 4-6 weeks of age. A baby who is developing nipple confusion may cry when latching on, or shortly thereafter; might push mom's nipple out of his mouth; or might push away from the breast. Also, because the baby may not be latching properly anymore, the mother may develop sore nipples. |
| Common Concerns p. 3 |
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| Last Updated February 2, 2004 |
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