The child does not feed on breastfeeding. What to do if there is not enough breast milk for the baby. Criteria for assessing that the child is full of milk

It's no secret that the best food for a newborn baby is mother's milk, which contains all the necessary elements for good development and growth. It often happens that you have to switch to artificial feeding of the baby, which is less useful. The problem that awaits parents who refuse to breastfeed is that the child does not gorge on the mixture, which is reflected in height and body weight.

There are several signs that indicate malnutrition in a newborn that adults must be aware of. You need to correct the situation immediately, and medical recommendations and feeding rules will help here.

The behavior of a full baby

Determining that the baby is full is not difficult. The first sign of satiety is that the child is satisfied, constantly in a good mood. Sound prolonged sleep is another symptom of satiety in a newborn. A well-fed child does not cry, constantly smiles, communicates with his relatives in his own language with pleasure.

You should carefully examine the external signs of saturation of the baby. The skin is light pink, elastic, no depressions are visible near the fontanel. Problems with stools are not observed - the baby defecates within the normal range, 1-3 times a day.

Why is the child not eating?

Artificial feeding often ends with unpleasant complications - the baby does not eat up. There are several reasons that can cause hunger in a child:

improperly selected formula for feeding;
the composition used for artificial feeding is poor, it lacks nutrients;
mother incorrectly determined the norm of nutrition - the newborn requires large portions of food;
diseases that do not allow you to fully eat.

If the baby does not receive enough nutrients, this will quickly affect development and growth. The kid quickly loses weight, becomes irritable, capricious.

What to do

What should parents do if they find signs of malnutrition, and how to understand how dangerous the reason that caused this unpleasant complication is? The first thing to do is go to the doctor. Only a thorough inspection will determine what is the cause of the problem.

If the reason is in the wrong mixture, there will be no particular difficulties in correcting the error either. It is often enough to switch to more nutritious formulations, replete with vitamins, useful elements, so that the baby's well-being returns to normal.
The optimal amount of feeding
It is recommended that when determining the amount of formula for a child, be guided not by the instructions on the package, but by a simple formula that will not allow you to make a mistake. Use calculations only after the baby is half a month old. To simplify the calculations, it is recommended to purchase scales - it depends on the baby's body weight how much mixture he needs to consume per day.
Until the age of two months, the baby's body weight should be divided by five. It is this amount of the mixture that the baby should take per day. Up to four months, it is recommended to divide by six. Usually a number is obtained within 1000. This indicates that a child should consume up to a liter of the mixture per day.
Up to six months, you need to divide by 7 (it turns out within 1100 milliliters), up to a year - by 8 (the recommended amount of the mixture ranges from 1000 to 1200 milliliters). If it is noticed that the norm for the baby is too large, you do not need to stuff the child with strength - overeating can cause no less dangerous problems than hunger.
Proper feeding process
In feeding, a lot depends on the bottle and pacifier. When buying, you should definitely make sure that the hole in the nipple is small - the baby should suck out the mixture with little effort. Give the mixture only warm, so it is better digested by a small stomach. It is recommended to monitor the condition of the child throughout the feeding. If the baby does not want to let go of the nipple even after a meal, this indicates that he has not yet had enough.

How do you know if a baby is not breastfeeding? There are different ways, but they are all very imperfect. Yes, you can fully pump and measure the amount received, you can even weigh the newborn before and after feeding, then calculate the difference in weight. The only objective and most reliable indicator will be children's behavior. Be observant and soon you will be able to accurately determine whether your baby is full or not. It is also useful to know the principles of proper feeding, as well as the signs and causes of too little milk in the breast.

Feeding expressed milk from a measuring bottle is not the best way to determine the amount of food eaten

How can you tell if you have enough milk?

How do you know if a baby is breastfed? Here are some signs to help. There are 5 in total:

The number of feedings per day is 8-12. There may be more of them, this will also be the norm. Frequent breastfeeding is due to three factors:
- the baby needs close contact with the mother;
- his small stomach is simply not able to accommodate a lot of food;
- rapid digestion of breast milk.
The duration of one feeding is at least 20 minutes. You should not determine the duration of the meal - the baby should suck on the breast until it is full. If he stopped eating and behaves calmly, mutters cheerfully or sleeps peacefully, it means that he had enough milk. Make sure that the position when feeding (both yours and the child) does not cause discomfort.
Clearly traced swallowing reflex. Check that the baby is not just smacking, but swallowing. At first he will do this often, because he is hungry, and the so-called near milk is thin and not very nutritious. After a few minutes, swallowing will become less frequent, as hunger will dull, and distant milk is thicker, in order to swallow it, you need to make an effort.
The child is gaining weight according to the norms (we recommend reading:). In the early days, the weight of the baby will become less compared to that which was at birth. This is normal, as the body gets rid of meconium (original feces formed in the womb) and swelling of the tissues. Tracking weight gain begins from the fourth day of life - the increase should be 125-215 g per week.
The child looks healthy. He is calm, but at the same time active and curious; animated but not overexcited. When he wants to eat, loudly demands breasts; when he has eaten, he sleeps peacefully or is awake. The pink color of the skin and its elasticity will also indicate that the baby is receiving good nutrition in sufficient quantities.

It will take quite a bit of time to track the listed signs. If you have any doubts, you can use the measurement of the amount of urine and feces.

Not enough food

To understand that the baby is not getting enough breast milk, there are 3 simple tests:

wet diapers;
the amount of stool;
weight gain.

To determine how many times a child pees a day, you need to keep him not in a disposable, but in a reusable diaper or just in a diaper (disposable diapers are generally undesirable and can only be used as a last resort) (we recommend reading:). When the baby has enough breast milk, he wets the diaper 10-12 times a day. If this happens less than 10 times, the baby does not eat up.

In the first 3 days of life, as such, they still do not have a chair. The dark mass that can be seen in the diaper is meconium (primary feces). It will appear in small quantities 1-2 times a day. Then, when the baby is already breastfeeding and his digestion begins to function, the excretion of feces will occur 5 times a day.

What weight gain is considered normal? In the first 3 months - not less than 500 g per month or 125 g per week. Then this figure is slightly reduced - 300 g per month. It should be noted that weight gain may occur unevenly, but this is normal and should not cause alarm. Track the intensity of weight gain after 1 or 4 weeks. It is not necessary to do this more often.

Tracking weight gain is a safe and easy way to find out if your baby is getting enough breast milk.

Day and night, you need to carefully monitor the condition of your crumbs. There are signs that speak not just about a lack of nutrition, but already about dehydration:

the child is too lethargic and sleepy;
the eyes were sunken and the eyeballs became dull;
the mucous membrane in the mouth is dry, saliva has become viscous;
the baby is crying, but you do not observe tears (we recommend reading:);
the skin has become flabby (if you pinch lightly, it will not immediately smooth out);
an unpleasant smell comes from the mouth;
dark, saturated urine with a pungent odor, which appears 6 or less times a day.

The last item, as well as the simultaneous presence of 2 or 3 others, is a signal that you need to urgently call an ambulance. Do not delay, so as not to bring to a deplorable situation.

If the mother noted that the baby has become lethargic and drowsy - perhaps we are talking about dehydration

Why is there not enough milk?

The main reason why a child does not have enough breast milk is very simple and banal - an improperly organized process of breastfeeding. Let's see what factors lead to this:

Compliance with a strict regimen. Lactation experts have come to the conclusion that the process should be natural. You need to feed the child when he asks. The only thing that is desirable to observe is the time interval between feedings, which should be at least 2 hours.
Feeding too short. The baby should eat until he is full. One feeding should last at least 20 minutes.
The baby does not latch on to the breast correctly.
When feeding, you take an uncomfortable position (we recommend reading:).
Reduce or eliminate nighttime feedings. Feeding at night and in the morning stimulate lactation as much as possible.
Blanket abuse.
Bottle feeding.
. They interfere with proper latch on of the nipple. They can only be used temporarily when the nipple is injured.

Silicone pads should only be used for medical reasons, as they cause improper nipple latch compared to natural feeding conditions.

The chest begins to fill up only 2-3 days after natural childbirth and 5-6 after a cesarean section, but you need to continue to put the baby to the chest (we recommend reading:). Firstly, as long as he has enough colostrum, and secondly, breast sucking is the best lactation stimulant.

There are other reasons why a baby does not feed on breast milk. Among them:

malnutrition of the nursing mother and low fluid intake;
tense or stressful state of the mother;
hormonal disorders in the mother's body;
insufficient rest;
physiological features of the breast (flat nipples, narrow milk ducts) or temporary problems (lactostasis, cracked nipples);
improper functioning of the baby's digestive system;
runny nose and swelling of the nasal mucosa, because of which the baby simply cannot breathe normally and suckle;
too large a peanut who does not have enough food;
too weak baby, who simply does not have enough strength to eat for a long time.

Stress in a nursing mother can also cause the baby not to eat enough and not have enough milk.

Proper feeding process

If you understand that your baby does not have enough breast milk due to non-compliance with the rules of feeding, then solving the problem is not very difficult. It is necessary to eliminate errors and provide everything for yourself and the child so that in the future there will be no more difficulties. Follow the guidelines:

Feed your baby when he needs. The more he suckles at the breast, the more milk production is stimulated.
Don't rush your child. When he is satisfied, he will simply let go of the chest.
Follow to. The mouth of the baby should be wide open and capture not only the nipple, but the entire areola. If it only grabs the nipple, the nutrient fluid will not be sucked out, and you will feel severe pain. You should also hear how the baby swallows.
Make sure both of you are comfortable sitting or lying down while feeding. The head and back of the child should be on the same straight line, the head should be slightly higher than the legs. Study for GW.
It is advisable to apply the baby to only one breast at one feeding. So he will suck everything completely.
Weak babies sleep a lot, so you often have to wake them up to feed them. During the day, do this at least every 3 hours, and at night - after 5. Before feeding, you can wash the baby - this will slightly cheer him up.
Do not use pacifier bottles or pacifiers. It is easier to suck from a bottle than from a breast, which is why babies often refuse to breastfeed in favor of a bottle. Give a bottle only as a last resort - for example, when the nipple is injured and you are simply not physically able to endure feeding.
Get plenty of rest and sleep. Sacrifice household chores for a good rest. The greater the degree of fatigue, the less milk you will produce.
Do not refuse help, even if it is offered by a friend who came to visit you.
Eat every time after feeding, that is, at least 5 times a day. Provide yourself with a nutritious diet and plenty of warm fluids.
If you find a baby with health problems, be sure to show it to the doctor.

7 myths about lactation

When young mothers are seriously concerned about whether the baby is getting enough breast milk, they may heed dubious and completely meaningless advice, and in fact the wrong actions can have disastrous results. Let's dispel some of the myths about feeding and warn ourselves against mistakes:

Weighing the baby before and after feeding to determine if he is full. In this case, the readings will be so inaccurate that the procedure loses all meaning. Weighing is considered more or less objective no more than once a week.
. To produce more milk, the baby must suckle well at the breast. If you apply it to the breast too little and additionally give the mixture, be prepared for the fact that lactation will become even worse.
Supplementation with cow or goat milk. The gastrointestinal tract of a newborn cannot yet digest such food. From cow's or goat's milk, problems with the tummy can begin.
Complementary foods before six months. Adult food, even in small amounts, can also lead to digestive problems.
or other liquid prior to the introduction of complementary foods. This is not necessary at all, since breast milk is 86% water and is sufficient.
Mother's consumption of milk in order to increase her own production. Milk in the mammary glands is formed from the blood, so it makes no sense to further overload your diet. In order for it to form and be saturated, vitamins and other useful substances are needed that the mother receives with good nutrition.

Natural feeding - providing the child not only with food, but also with good immunity, as well as spiritual closeness with the mother. If you want your little one to grow and develop fully, make every effort to maintain and normalize this process. Very soon you will see that it is impossible to replace it with anything else.

Breastfeeding poses serious questions for new mothers, one of which is how to determine that the child is not full of breast milk.

This problem is of particular concern in the first month of a baby's life and does not lose its relevance until the end of the first half of the year, when liquid and wholesome nutrition often remains the only source of energy for a child.

A lot depends on the correctness of the mother’s actions, because sometimes a woman, having misunderstood the signs of malnutrition, transfers the baby to an artificial mixture, depriving him of the ideal product and the necessary tactile communication.

According to some mothers, the most "talking" signs of malnutrition in infants are as follows:

constant crying that is not associated with other possible causes;
weakness of the child, low activity;
restless behavior that occurs as soon as the baby approaches the mother's breast.

Despite the general notoriety of these facts, nursing mothers should not take them too seriously. Of course, they really talk about children's troubles, but not that the baby is hungry, but that he has problems with the intestines.

If all these symptoms are observed, then the child probably has colic. In this case, he additionally presses his legs to his stomach and cries after being attached to his chest.

Another common parental mistake is excessively frequent weighing of the baby, for example, after each meal. Seeing that the weight gain is small, the parents become nervous and eventually decide to supplement with formula.

Symptoms of malnutrition in newborns often include difficulty falling asleep and restless behavior during sleep.

For example, a baby may feel maternal nervousness, was simply born overly anxious, or was a little sick. It is important for a woman to find out accurate information about “sleepy” standards that are relevant for each month of her life and try to put her child to bed at regular intervals.

Wet diaper check

Breastfeeding experts say there are only two definitive methods to determine if a baby is not breastfeeding: checking wet diapers and assessing monthly weight gain.

Another sign of a hungry baby is smacking with lips, tongue, sucking a finger, fist or the edge of a diaper.

In addition, since mother's milk is considered both nutrition and drink for the baby, too dry skin can also be evidence of malnutrition.

So, you have determined that the baby remains hungry during the day, now it is necessary to identify the reasons that interfere with optimal lactation and lead to malnutrition. Since both the mother and the baby are involved in feeding, it is necessary to consider the process of nutrition from all sides.

The reasons for the lack of milk are often due to the incorrect behavior of the mother (or her environment) during the lactation period:

Another likely reason is too frequent, leading to an overabundance of this product. In general, the milk secret is anterior and posterior. The fore milk is more liquid and contains less fat (“empty”), and it is this that is produced with frequent pumping.

Back milk is fatty, which means it is more nutritious and saturable. The baby can only eat up with hind milk, because fatty foods are not digested so quickly and leave a feeling of fullness for a longer period.

The baby may remain hungry if the feeding process is interfered with:

colic, which is aggravated by eating;
nasal congestion or damage to the oral cavity;
incorrect grip on the breast.

The following experiment will help to detect the shortcomings of feeding: when you give the baby a breast, listen to how he swallows. The normal ratio is two or three suckings interspersed with one sip (in the first minutes of feeding, the baby should do a lot of sucking to increase the outflow of milk from the breast). If there are few swallowing movements, the baby will remain hungry.

If the child does not eat enough breast milk, then he begins to act up, get irritated, and also grows poorly and lags behind in development. If you find that the baby does not have enough food in the first month, do not be nervous, as nervousness will only aggravate the situation.

By listening to the following tips from breastfeeding experts, you can improve lactation and properly organize the feeding of your baby:

Try . With natural feeding, the mammary glands secrete the optimal amount of milk in response to the stimulation of the nipples by the baby. That is, the child should eat whenever he wants.
How to understand that the child is full? A well-fed newborn releases the nipple on its own, which is why it is not recommended to interrupt the meal at your request.
Make sure you apply the crumb correctly. Correct posture: the mouth is open, the child should capture both the papilla and the areola, only swallowing is heard, there are no other sounds.
Set a couple of comfortable feeding positions so that you can alternate between them. The correct position is the back of the head, neck and back are located on a straight line. To prevent the baby from turning the head and reaching for the breast, the nipple should be near his mouth.
Try breastfeeding at one meal so that the baby can suck out both the foremilk and the posterior product.
Don't be afraid to wake your baby up to feed. During the day, he should not sleep more than three hours in a row, at night - more than 5-6. Before eating, the baby can be washed with cool water or undressed to activate all processes.
Refuse at least in the first month of a child's life from bottles. Expressed milk is best given with a spoon or pipette. This is necessary so that the baby is not used to pacifiers.
Get yourself some rest, while there is such an opportunity - the child is sleeping, or relatives are nursing him.
Review your diet by including more carbohydrate and protein foods in it. Do not eat foods that can affect the taste of milk. It is also necessary to drink the required amount of warm liquid.
If there are any signs of trouble, be sure to show the baby to a specialist.

To facilitate the feeding process, you can purchase a special pillow. Such a device helps to properly attach the child to the chest, reduce the load from the mother's back.

A cozy feeding procedure, a comfortable pillow, pleasant music will create a comfortable atmosphere for eating and enjoy the procedure itself.

Inexperienced moms often listen to the advice of their girlfriends or just common myths about breastfeeding, and decide for themselves that the baby is not full. And this is already fraught with the wrong choice, which can harm the baby.

If it seems to you that the child does not eat well and does not eat up during the day, be sure to consult a doctor. He or she will pinpoint the likely causes of malnutrition as accurately as possible, recommend ways to improve breastfeeding, or suggest choosing the best supplemental formula.

The most important thing in such a situation is not to worry in vain, but to maintain a positive attitude, which will definitely be passed on to the baby!

Hello, I'm Nadezhda Plotnikova. Having successfully studied at SUSU as a special psychologist, she devoted several years to working with children with developmental problems and advising parents on raising children. I apply the experience gained, among other things, in the creation of psychological articles. Of course, by no means do I pretend to be the ultimate truth, but I hope that my articles will help dear readers deal with any difficulties.

How do you know if a baby is getting enough breast milk? This is one of the most common questions that pediatricians are asked by young mothers who believe that the baby is malnourished due to a lack of milk in the breast. Their fears are quite understandable, because the development of the crumbs largely depends on the quality and quantity of nutrition in the first year of life. So how do you know if your baby is getting enough milk and what to do if natural nutrition is not enough?

How to determine?

If a young mother is trying to find out how to understand if the baby is full of breast milk, she should remember that her subjective feelings about the fullness of the mammary glands in this case play absolutely no role. The process of lactation in all women is different. And if for the first time after giving birth, mommy constantly feels a feeling of heaviness in her chest, then after a few weeks this can pass, the mammary glands will become soft to the touch, and milk will stop oozing through clothes. Very often, it is at the moment of full establishment of lactation that a woman begins to feel that there is no milk in her breast, even if she feeds the baby in the same mode. Pumping will also not help to check whether the mother really has a lack of milk, since the nutrient fluid is produced continuously and it is simply impossible to express it completely to calculate the volume.

If a woman feeds her baby on demand, she should not have any question at all how to understand that the baby does not have enough breast milk: the baby asks for breasts very often, and milk is produced in response to the baby's need. Thus, the nutrient fluid in the chest is always exactly in the amount that the baby needs, and he can always eat enough.

And yet, sometimes under the influence of certain factors, milk deficiency can indeed occur. The only way to understand if a newborn is getting enough breast milk is to observe the baby himself. The following features of his behavior and well-being will tell you that the child does not gorge on breast milk:

The baby behaves restlessly at the breast: grabs the nipple, tries to suck and, and then tries to grab the breast again.
The baby begins to ask for breasts more often than usual, ceases to withstand the previous intervals between feedings, and in between breastfeeding sucks fingers, diapers, toys, shows his tongue and smacks his lips.
If the baby does not have enough breast milk, he does not gain weight well. This is one of the most reliable signs of nutritional deficiency. Normally, children up to 4 months add about 500 g per month, after this age - about 300 g per month.
When a baby is not full of breast milk, he begins to urinate less often, so a mother who doubts whether the baby is getting enough nutrition should do a “wet diaper test”. To do this, you need to stop using diapers for a day and count how many diapers (or sliders) the baby “soaked”. Normally, the number of urination should be at least 10 times a day.
If the newborn does not receive a sufficient amount of nutrient fluid, he develops symptoms of dehydration: the skin and mucous membranes become dry, there is a smell from the mouth, the baby becomes lethargic and sleepy.

If the mother knows how to understand that the baby is not full of breast milk, she will notice the signs of a milk deficiency in time and will be able to do everything possible to normalize the situation. However, you need to keep in mind that you should not jump to conclusions on 1 or 2 symptoms. Assessing a possible shortage of milk should take into account all of the above factors.

How to increase the amount of breast milk?

What to do if the child does not gorge on breast milk, and it seems to the nursing mother that there is no longer any nutrient fluid in her mammary glands? First of all, a woman must understand that milk never disappears abruptly and for no reason, and in the vast majority of cases it is quite real if you approach this with all responsibility.

If the young mother has already come to understand that the baby does not have enough nutrition, she must figure out why the child stopped eating milk. Often it is enough to simply eliminate the cause that affects the production of milk, so that the situation returns to normal. However, it must be recognized that milk deficiency can develop under the influence of a number of factors. This may be the irrational nutrition of the mother, and her severe psycho-emotional state, and improper breastfeeding, and even too frequent use of bottles and pacifiers.

When the main cause of the lack of milk is eliminated, the woman should return to the previous lactation regime in a natural way, that is, put the baby to the breast as often as possible, especially at night. Having fed the baby with one breast, it is imperative to offer him a second one in order to stimulate the process of producing nutrient fluid as much as possible. Pediatricians and lactation consultants say that frequent breastfeeding is the only sure way. All other methods (taking lactogenic drugs or special nutrition) can only be considered auxiliary measures.

Even if the baby does not have enough milk, and it seems to the mother herself that there is nothing in the breast, you should not rush to supplement the baby with formula: this can lead to even less fluid being produced in the mammary glands, as the baby's need for breast milk will decrease. Eventually lactation may stop completely. The use of bottles should also be abandoned: children who are accustomed to receiving food without much effort do not suck well at the breast.

It is hardly worth explaining to a nursing mother how to determine that the amount of nutrient fluid has returned to normal. A pleasant feeling of heaviness and warmth in her chest and the contented look of her well-fed baby will definitely tell her about this.

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 3 minutes

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Article last updated: 04/30/2019

Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world. It is the only source of nutrition for newborns during the first six months of life. And, of course, every mother worries about whether the baby has enough breast milk and whether the baby is full.

When the child is hungry

How to understand that the child is not full of breast milk? There are several signs that can tell a new mother that after feeding the baby remains hungry. You need to pay attention to:

the behavior of the baby in between feedings;
how the baby sucks the breast;
weight gains.

If the baby does not have enough food, then first of all, this will be reflected in his behavior. He will be constantly lethargic and sleepy. It will react to the smell of the mother with sharp activity and a cry. Typical for small children is sucking on rattles, corners of pillows and a blanket. Decrease the number of bowel movements per day. They are very scarce, and may be completely absent. Urination is disturbed - the child rarely urinates, urine is saturated in color, cloudy with a pungent odor. The skin becomes pale, the fingers and toes are cold.

When applied to the breast, the baby fusses, hurries, cannot grab the nipple in any way. Sucking movements are very frequent - more than four per full breath - exhalation. The child does not want to come off the breast, begins to cry and worry. Within half an hour after feeding, the baby usually falls asleep soundly for 3 to 4 hours.

But still, the only reliable indicator is weight gain.

The child in the first six months of life must be weighed monthly. Weight gain should be 500 - 700 grams per month.

If you suspect that the baby is not eating enough, then weighing is best done every week, and if possible, do this after each feeding. This approach will provide the most reliable picture.

Possible causes of a lack of milk in a mother

Unfortunately, there can be many reasons why a baby does not feed on breast milk. It is not always possible to correctly find the source of the problem the first time, and in order to establish what is really the matter, you need to “sweat”. The reason may be in the mother, may be in the child, or maybe in the environment. Before you blame yourself and transfer the child to artificial feeding, you should analyze the situation and exclude the so-called "risk factors". It may be possible to increase lactation and satisfy the needs of the crumbs.

Very often the matter is in the surrounding emotional atmosphere. If a young mother is stressed, feels a lack of attention or understanding from loved ones, then most likely it can be expected that lactation will become scarce or disappear altogether.

Improper nutrition of a nursing mother, elementary ignorance of what to eat during breastfeeding, leads either to a decrease in the amount of milk or to its low saturation with trace elements necessary for the baby.

Wrong lifestyle is very strongly reflected in the amount of milk:

smoking;
alcohol consumption;
decreased physical activity;
refusal to walk in the fresh air;
chronic fatigue;
eating hot spices;
depressive disorder.

But it happens that the problem is not at all in the mother and not in the environment, but in the child. The baby may not eat enough for several reasons.

A runny nose can play a leading role in breastfeeding failure, as the baby cannot suckle well due to a clogged nose. To eliminate this cause, you just need to cure nasal congestion.

Some congenital pathologies of the oral cavity and nose (“cleft lip”, “cleft palate”) can cause the child to not physically grasp the nipple correctly, which means that the feeding process cannot be complete. Such children are operated on to eliminate the defect, and special nozzles are used when feeding.

Abdominal colic, so common in newborns, can also cause malnutrition. The child feels discomfort, fussing and as a result - remains half-starved.

Solving the problem of increasing lactation

First of all, don't panic. If you understand that you cannot solve the problem on your own, then you should contact a specialist mammologist or neonatologist.

It is necessary to take care of the proper nutrition of a nursing mother and an adequate daily routine. Only if a nursing woman receives all the necessary substances with food, the baby will be able to get full-fledged milk. Meals should be at least four times a day, while you should try to diversify the dishes. The daily diet should include lean meats, fish, fresh vegetables and fruits. Kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese will help to increase the amount of milk. Unhealthy sweets and fried foods should be avoided.

Often, the amount of milk secreted by the mammary glands is directly proportional to the amount of liquid consumed. To increase the volume of lactation, it is enough to drink more tea, fruit drink, mineral water. Juices should not be abused. They contain a very high concentration of active substances and vitamins, which can cause an allergic reaction in a child.

If the baby is not eating enough, then you can supplement it with expressed breast milk. This should be done with a pipette or spoon, avoiding pacifiers. Since after the baby begins to suck on the nipples, he very quickly refuses to take his mother's breast.

Do not neglect outdoor walks. They have a very beneficial effect on the emotional state of both the mother and the child. In addition, the baby receives the necessary sunbathing and an additional portion of oxygen.

It is very important to take breaks for daytime sleep. When the baby falls asleep after a lunch walk, it is recommended that the mother lie down next to him. This will help restore strength to both. For the same purpose, do not be shy to ask relatives and friends for help. In most cases, they will be happy to babysit.

You need to try to follow the developed feeding regimen. But at the same time, if the baby asks for food during a break, do not refuse him. A very important component of the saturation of the little peanut is night feeding. Do not neglect them.

It is important to maintain hygiene. The chest before each feeding and after it should be thoroughly washed with warm soapy water to prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. You can add chamomile or sage there. Constantly monitor the condition of the nipples, prevent the formation of cracks, as they cause pain to the mother during feeding, and prevent the newborn from properly grasping the nipple. Every day you need to do a massage of the mammary glands. This is a simple but very useful practice that allows you to increase lactation. The procedure is carried out only with warm hands, lubricated with a small amount of any moisturizer. One palm is placed under the chest, the other on top. Circular movements are made for 7 to 10 minutes. You need to do this calmly, without rushing anywhere.

In no case should milk stagnation be allowed. To do this, you need to express the remains after each feeding. It is better to use a special breast pump for these purposes, since with manual pumping it is very difficult to correctly calculate the force and the fragile milk ducts can be damaged. If lactostasis nevertheless happened, then the very first medicine is to attach the baby to the sore breast. This helps to restore the normal circulation of milk.

You need to feed the newborn in a comfortable position, periodically changing not only the breast (right - left), but also the position of attachment. This will help stimulate different areas of the breast.

You can increase lactation with the help of special means. However, this should not be done without consulting a doctor. You can overdo it and cause hyperlactation, which in most cases leads to lactostasis.

If none of the proposed measures help, and the child does not gorge on breast milk, then a pediatrician should be consulted and the baby should be transferred to supplementary feeding with mixtures or to completely artificial feeding.