8/29/2023 0 Comments Flutter habit![]() ![]() You will see the lower jaw moving up and down rhythmically and you might hear a pattern of one suck per swallow or a few sucks followed by a swallow of milk. ![]() Once the milk lets down (milk ejection reflex), sucking will be interspersed with swallows of milk while babies are actively feeding. Breastfeeding hormones are released when nerves close to the nipple are triggered, and milk will usually begin to flow within a minute or two. Their tongue cups the breast and you will see the baby’s lower jaw moving up and down as it opens and closes on the breast. Babies start a breastfeed with some quick strong sucks to initiate the let down. During a breastfeed babies tend to move through three sucking stages: If supplements are needed, see Supplementing an Underweight Baby.įlutter sucking describes the type of slow, sleepy sucking babies do at the end of a breastfeed. If you’re worried that your baby is spending a lot of time breastfeeding but is not gaining much weight see Baby Not Gaining Weight and contact an IBCLC lactation consultant to help you get feeding back on track. Left unchecked, breastfeeding can become long sessions of flutter sucking with very little milk swallowed. With less milk available, a baby’s energy levels go down giving less energy to feed actively causing lower milk intake, lower energy, and so on in a downward spiral. ![]() If a baby is not breastfeeding effectively-with a big mouthful of breast tissue as well as the nipple-a milk supply can quickly drop. For example, if a baby is “feeding all the time” so that one breastfeed merges into another and especially if they are not gaining much weight, this could be a sign that they are not breastfeeding effectively and are comfort nursing because they are hungry. ![]() Is comfort nursing ever a problem?Įvery mother and baby are unique and although comfort nursing is normal baby behaviour for a baby who is breastfeeding well and growing appropriately, occasionally it could indicate an underlying problem with breastfeeding. If they are hungry or having a growth spurt, refusing to breastfeed on cue for fear of baby using the breast as a dummy could miss hunger cues and prevent a baby from regulating their milk intake. Sometimes a baby may feed more often than usual because they are having a growth spurt. If a baby needs to suck, and mother is available, why not offer them the biological original rather than a man made silicone substitute? Comfort nursing to calm a fractious baby is a natural part of mothering through breastfeeding and makes for healthy brain development and well adjusted, well fed, securely attached children. Those who complain that a baby is “using you as a dummy” don’t usually seem to mind the baby having an actual dummy or sucking their thumb or fingers. Babies will learn these things when they are biologically ready but they are not capable of wilfully manipulating a parent or problem solving for themselves. After all, goes the argument, babies need to learn some patience, and the old favourite: to “self-soothe”. You may hear that comfort nursing should be limited to avoid “spoiling” your little one. Is my baby using me as a dummy or pacifier? However, sometimes comfort nursing is portrayed negatively by health care workers, friends or relatives because some people seem to think a baby uses it as a way of manipulating the mother with unreasonable sucking demands (see below). Whether for hunger or comfort, breastfeeding is usually the answer to whatever is troubling your baby with the added bonus of some extra calories and sleep inducing hormones built in along the way. Is comfort nursing good or bad?Ĭomfort nursing is a normal part of breastfeeding. Snacking between meals and eating a lot of the time is a good way to gain weight and babies are looking to double their weight in the first four to six months. Even so-called “non nutritive sucking” therefore offers an opportunity to snack between meals. “Non nutritive” means not providing any nourishment (calories), however, breasts have a habit of releasing milk whenever a baby latches so babies will often get a little extra breast milk while they are comfort nursing. Reasons to breastfeed other than to eat or drink are sometimes called breastfeeding for comfort, comfort nursing, comfort sucking, “non nutritive” sucking or even “using the breast as a dummy”. Babies breastfeed to feel safe, to calm down, to warm up, for reassurance, to connect with mother, for pain relief, to fall asleep and because they love to suck. What is comfort nursing or comfort sucking?īabies breastfeed for reasons other than just for food or to quench their thirst. ![]()
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