Even though it is natural, breastfeeding can be more difficult for moms and babies than you might expect. Whether your baby struggles to figure out how to get milk from the breast or needs help learning to cope with your copious milk supply, breastfeeding can pose a challenge in the early days. With a little patience and perseverance, most women can overcome nursing challenges and enjoy successful breastfeeding relationships with their babies.
Lack of Practice
Even a healthy, full-term infant can face difficulties perfecting her latch—the way she needs to position her mouth on the breast to get milk. Although the problem might occur because of a mom’s flat or inverted nipples or because of a physical problem in the baby, international board-certified lactation consultant Janaki Costello suggests that latch problems more frequently happen because babies need practice learning how to get milk out of your breasts.
Milk Oversupply
Many breastfeeding moms worry about whether their milk supply is adequate—a fear that Dr. Lawrence Gartner, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ section on breastfeeding, states is largely unfounded. Although most women do have enough milk for their infants, a copious supply can pose challenges for a nursing infant. Engorgement, which happens when your milk first comes in or you go too long between feedings, can cause swollen, rock-hard breasts that make it difficult for your baby to latch on and nurse. Oversupply can cause your baby to choke and gag while trying to nurse. Hand-express or pump milk before nursing your baby to empty out the breast and make it easier for him to latch on to an engorged breast. To remedy oversupply, start and finish your nursing session on the same breast and offer him the other one only if he still seems hungry after emptying the first breast.
Physical Problems
Some newborn babies might struggle with physical problems that can make nursing a challenge. A birth defect like a cleft palate or cleft lip can make it more difficult for your baby to nurse because his mouth might not form a proper seal around the nipple, which can prevent him from getting enough milk. Because babies do not develop the suck-swallow-breathe reflex, which is crucial for breastfeeding, until around 32 weeks, babies born prematurely often have a hard time learning to latch and suck.
Confusion
Giving your newborn frequent bottles or letting him suck on a pacifier can lead to nipple confusion, which can make him reluctant to breastfeed. The medical advisory board of the Baby Center, an online resource, says that breastfeeding involves more muscle coordination than bottle-feeding. A baby given a bottle regularly might forget how to nurse properly when he's placed at the breast and might try to use the same techniques he employs in drinking from a bottle. His weaker sucking motions fail to elicit adequate milk from your breasts, which can make him frustrated and fussy. You can usually prevent this problem by avoiding artificial nipples and pacifiers until breastfeeding is well established.
Prevention and Solution
When you nurse your baby, make sure she takes your entire nipple and areola into her mouth. If you need to, adjust your position or her latch. An improper latch can jeopardize your milk supply, hurting your baby. It can also lead to a sore, cracked nipple, engorgement and plugged milk ducts. If you need help, talk to your doctor. She can usually recommend a lactation consultant who can advise you on the best way to handle any nursing problems.
