Top 15 Most Common Mistakes When Breastfeeding

Contrary to the mistake of forcing the baby to breastfeed at the right time, some mothers have problems when their baby suckles. If the baby feeds according to the feeding schedule, the baby sucks once every 2-3 hours, then the baby sucks intermittently, which means that the baby sucks without a rule at all and the feeding time is usually quite short.

The reason why the baby suckles can be due to a number of reasons such as:

• Babies who are directly breastfed often doze off during feeding because the breast and breast milk are warm and the position is in the mother’s lap when the mother holds the baby, and in the breast milk there is the hormone oxytocin to help relax and a little casomorphin to make the baby go in. sleep.
• Young children, especially babies, are easily startled and twisted, at such times they may wake up and become irritable, one solution for the mother is to feed the baby so that the baby goes back to sleep.
• Because the baby is busy playing and not focusing on breastfeeding.
• Some babies often regurgitate, maybe even after 30 minutes to 1 hour after eating, even though they burp and the mother after vomiting will try to feed the baby because she is afraid that the baby will be hungry. Or some children have digestive problems such as acid reflux, meals need to be divided (this case is difficult to intervene).

Breastfeeding is not only hard for the mother, but also has a number of consequences such as:

• Babies who are not fully fed and do not sleep deeply will wake up continuously, affecting their sleep as well as their brain development and height (during sleep).
• The baby will become accustomed to sucking, which will form a habit of snacking, and it will be difficult for the mother to leave the baby to do anything.
• Baby suckling in a short time, if only eating colostrum will make the baby’s stomach full, indigestion, slow weight gain.

To overcome this situation, the mother should read the baby’s signal that when the baby is hungry (baby closes his mouth, sucks his hand, button his tongue or even cries for food), then he will focus on eating and eat effectively, Parents also pay attention to wake the baby when the baby is sleepy. At the same time, mothers should not arbitrarily feed the baby when the baby is not hungry, especially to lull the baby to sleep.

While breastfeeding is a mother’s instinct, that doesn’t mean all women can breastfeed easily. Just like pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding requires help. The reason why some people have difficulty is because The body cannot produce enough milk for infants or Baby doesn’t know how to latch on to mom’s nipple right way. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) statistic, up to 50% of women wean their babies within the first 6 weeks and only 1% of babies are still breastfed by 6 months of age.

Some mothers, when they see that their child is slow to gain weight, have the notion that it is good My milk is hot, people’s milk is cool so people are so plump… That’s completely a misconception, Breast milk is always full of nutrients and antibodies. The fact that your baby may not be as chubby as other babies, can be due to the following reasons:

• Each baby’s ability to absorb nutrients is different. And because they are different, never compare your child with anyone and then stress yourself. As long as the child is happy, plays well, does not cry, is within the normal weight range (with a standard table), it is ok without any intervention.
• Your baby is only taking colostrum or you are oversuppy (too much milk). If you feed your baby the wrong way, it means that the baby is not fully exhausted from the breast to receive the fat milk at the end of the breast. To fix it, you need to let your baby feed on one side completely, completely flatten the breast and then switch to the other side, in case the baby is not exhausted but does not suck anymore, at the next feeding, continue to suck on that breast.
• There are also cases where mothers have too much milk or “oversupply”.. Because the milk is too much, the amount of colostrum is rich in antibodies, the baby has not had time to suckle until the fatty milk is full. Some signs to know that you are in an oversupply situation is that your baby is gaining weight little/slowly, having bluish stools. To overcome this situation, you need to actively reduce milk by dilating/reducing the number and duration of pumping/expressing/feeding. Initially, when you first widen the gap between 1 pumping sessions, you will be able to pump more milk due to full breast milk, but after only about 2 week, the body will understand the need to decrease => production decreases.

Milk much or just enough milk is up to the mother’s adjustment based on the number of sucking / sucking / expressing times a day, I always advise customers to expect that you should only stimulate milk to the right amount. , which means enough for the baby to breastfeed during the day + 1 extra feed to save in case the mother is tired, stressed, and suddenly reduces milk. That way, your baby will receive a balance of both antibody-rich colostrum and growth-supporting fat milk.

Mothers are often supplemented with food that is both quality, beneficial, and … a lot. And the common consequence is that there is a lot of milk or not, but the mother is round and chubby and has a headache with weight loss methods.

For dairy foods such as pork rolls, sticky rice and other dishes, I dare not say this is a mistake, because these dishes are really effective, but the mistake is that quantity, dosage mothers eat every day. There are many mothers almost every day with pig’s leg and goat’s leg…just imagine it makes me want to cry, really these dishes are only effective right after they eat, but for me, maintaining milk is still in the place. The most important thing is to drink a lot of water + fresh milk (1 3-4 liters a day), drink warm water as possible and avoid cold water, combine eating FULL + BALANCED Nutrition, do not need to eat too much starch + fatty food. Eat a variety (like myself 2 times surgery, still eat shrimp after surgery, eat beef, eggs, vegetables, 1 glass of orange juice every day…don’t be too strict if there is no scientific basis.

Some kids just like suck on one side (due to the indentation, because the nipple is too big, because the milk flow is thin, slow down) or because the mother’s habit of feeding the baby on the right side. When the baby only sucks on one side, the other breast will gradually have less milk, not only causing obsession with “the grapefruit side on the orange side” which affects the mother’s aesthetic later, but also puts the mother in a vicious circle because, on the baby’s side, she sucks milk. always more and fuller, on the contrary, the non-lactating side gradually decreases. Therefore, every time the baby insists on the breast, the mother will not want to give the breast a little milk because of the thought that the milk does not flow down quickly. This makes children who are not thirsty will become grumpy and cry, and so on suck on one side only and the difference in the amount of milk on the two sides is increasing. Just like that, it was my mother who made a habit of making me only one side.

The fix is ​​as follows:

• If due to indentation: Before breastfeeding, you can stimulate the nipple, use a breast pump to extend the nipple or use a support device such as a pacifier. While the baby suckles, the mother holds the breast, squeezing to make the nipple come out.
• If the nipple is too big: Mother should persevere in training the baby to latch on, the essential factor is to latch on properly, if the baby is harsh, you can use a spoon to feed the baby. As your baby gets older, the size of the nipple may be more suitable for the baby’s mouth.
• If the milk is too strong or too weak: Mothers can adjust the breastfeeding position or wait until the milk has come down because when the baby suckles when the milk is coming down, it is easy for the baby to choke.
• There are also some other causes that mothers need to find out such as: does the baby have an ear infection on that side, is there any damage to the side of the baby lying down or does the mother have mastitis? When the cause cannot be found, consult a professional.

This mistake comes from the notion that breast milk is thick or thin: Milk as thin as the color of rice water is said to not help babies gain weight well and is often squeezed out by mothers whispering until the milk is milky white like the color of milk. Ong Tho milk – ie condensed milk. However, this is a misconception and mothers need to have a more objective and accurate view of breast milk.

Breast milk is divided into two stages: foremilk and last milk.

• First milk: Secreted first, sensory color like rice water. Colostrum contains water and antibodies whose role is first to satisfy the baby’s thirst, secondly, the antibody component helps to strengthen the immune system.
• Last milk or mature milk is perceived as white as the color of old man’s milk with ingredients that help the baby grow in weight, such as fat and nutrients.

Breast milk is more optimal than formula milk because tAntibody part that no other formula can replace, this antibody ingredient Help your baby have good resistance against environmental factors. Science has proven that babies who are exclusively breastfed have a very good immune system, less risk of diseases of the digestive tract or respiratory tract and vice versa. There is no concept of condensed milk or diluted milk, whether colostrum or final milk is necessary for the comprehensive development of children, so children need to be fed both foremilk and foremilk to gain good weight and gain healthy growth. best protection. So what should be done to help the baby gain weight well and have good resistance?

Advice for moms:

• If the mother is bottle-feeding the baby, need to suck completely. Thus, both the foremilk and the last milk are mixed and the baby is fed both.
• If the mother feeds the baby directly, need to breastfeed the baby for enough time, usually 10-15 minutes. There will be some problems such as: Baby falling asleep while nursing because warm breast milk makes it easier for the baby to fall asleep, wake the baby up by touching the breast or shaking the cheek; feed your baby on one side, if the milk is exhausted and the baby is still hungry, give the other breast and start the next feeding from that side. This way, your baby will receive both the foremilk and the last milk.

SMother’s milk is secreted according to the law of supply and demand, it is the baby’s sucking button reflex that will send a signal to the body for the body to run the “milk factory”. Direct breastfeeding is always the best method to help maintain breast milk, but due to a number of reasons such as breast surgery, it makes it difficult for the baby to feed (big nipples, indentations) or the mother has little milk or the mother cannot be with her. Children 24/24 due to the specificity of work, milking and pumping is essential if you don’t want to be clogged milk ducts, milk gradually decreases and then disappears completely.

Notion milking, sucking milk It is completely wrong to lose milk because expressing or pumping milk also stimulates the lactation reflex similar to that of a baby feeding directly from the mother. Breastfeeding not only helps maintain breast milk, but also overcomes situations where the baby refuses to breastfeed, breast milk needs less stimulation, blocked milk ducts causing breast tightness or pressure. sucking milk used when the mother is away or for the weaning period,…

Nowadays, wise young mothers often choose a breast pump as a companion to help their children be exclusively breastfed in the first years after birth. Choosing a breast pump is equally important.

This mistake comes from formula feeding babies while lying down. Why is that, please clarify 2 issues:

• First, Breast milk and formula are not the same. Breast milk inhibits the growth of bacteria because it contains antibodies, while formula is a breeding ground for bacteria because formula milk often has a sweet taste.
• Monday, Breastfeeding and bottle feeding are not the same. Milk doesn’t stagnate in your baby’s mouth when he’s suckling directly, but when he’s nursing from a bottle, milk can leak into a “puddle” in a baby’s throat even if he’s not sucking.

In addition, the breastfeeding positions, no matter what position, the baby is still in the lying position, so the mother can be assured that lying down not only does not cause the baby to get otitis media, but on the contrary, helps the baby avoid With the risk of otitis media, the mother is also more comfortable and less tired when the feeding time can be up to 30 minutes.

Young children, especially babies, because their stomachs are horizontal, they are easy to spit up, some babies are also described as “spray like a tornado” because Gastroesophageal reflux– disease occurs in 50% of children under 6 months of age. Vomiting may be due to the baby being too full, or it may also be due to the baby being sick
cold, or because the baby is laid down immediately after eating. A very common mistake in mothers is often putting their baby to sleep right after eating, especially at night when the baby asks for a feed. Vomiting right after eating makes the baby irritable, not absorbing enough nutrition, and the mother, fearing that the baby is hungry, will force the baby to feed, leading to crying or the baby suckling. In this case, it is best to burp the baby and hold the baby for 15-20 minutes after breastfeeding.

There are 3 ways to burp your baby:

• Option 1: For babies 0-3 months old, the neck is still soft, the mother puts the baby on her shoulder, one hand supports the bottom and holds the baby straight. Then, with the other hand, the mother stroked the baby’s back or patted it gently.
• Option 2: For babies over 3 months old, the mother lets the baby sit on her lap, one hand wraps around her back and hugs her, the other hand pats or caress the baby’s back.
• Option 3: Mother let the baby lie face down on her lap, then pat or massage her back with her hands.

For details see the following video:

This concept comes from a number of reasons such as the mother has little milk, unfortunately does not want to express excess milk; passed down from the previous generation “the breast must have milk, the milk will come back” or because of the fear that it will not be enough milk for the next baby,… However, this concept is wrong because, breast milk is produced according to the law of supply and demand, the amount of milk a baby sucks will be remembered to “answer” how much the body needs to produce is enough for the baby.

Therefore, mothers are advised after giving birth to breastfeed their babies as soon as possible, whenever possible to stimulate the milk secretion reflex, and the milk will return quickly. In addition, there are also mothers who complain that because the child is lazy to suckle or don’t breastfeed for a day but the milk is less or after giving birth, breast milk comes back but the baby sucks very little, the mother is not aware of the excess milk. go and then go from too much breast milk to less milk, all reflecting this rule.

So, not only is this not beneficial, but this action also brings many consequences such as:

• The mother has a blocked milk duct and if it is not opened soon, it will lead to an abscess – an abscess, an inflammation. This not only causes pain and fever for the mother, but if the baby sucks milk from the abscessed breast – the car can become infected with harmful bacteria.
• Mother gradually less milk leads to loss of milk, especially for babies who have the habit of suckling, the mother’s milk loss is only sooner or later.

Advice for moms:

• Be brave to express the excess milk after each feeding, if the mother regrets the milk, she can pump the milk into the milk storage bottle to save the baby for later feeding. Mothers do not need to worry about whether the baby has enough milk for the next feeding because even if the mother expresses milk right before the baby’s feeding (for mothers who pump breast milk by pump), although the breast is flat, but when the baby suckles, the baby will only irritable at first because then the milk will quickly come down, manifested as a feeling of numbness in the mother’s breasts.
• Feed the baby directly as much as possible, sucking on one side until exhausted, then switching to the other. The non-feeding side can be sucked out and stored for later use or frozen for later use. Remember to suck very hard, when you suck, when you suck, squeeze a few beats, but the milk only drips a few drops.

Breastfeeding mothers are often afraid of taking drugs, because they are afraid of affecting their milk, their babies are prone to diarrhea or allergies… this is true, but it is true that you take the medicine like a normal person. Usually as far as I understand, any drug that treats any disease has a full spectrum of spectrum for many subjects: infants, children, adults, pregnant and lactating people. So if you’re on the pregnancy/breastfeeding spectrum, if you’re sick just come see a doctor and tell them so they can tell youThe drug is suitable and does not affect what about milk.

When the mother has a cold, sniffles or a stomachache… mothers are often afraid to breastfeed, but in fact breast milk does not affect and you can still breastfeed normally, even breastfeeding is better. because there are antibodies to help the baby prevent disease by nursing (mother should wear a mask to avoid infecting the baby through the respiratory tract, wash hands to avoid bacteria and viruses from entering through direct contact) or suck out the bottle and ask for help. someone else to breastfeed.

There are also cases of force majeure, the mother must take special drugs such as….emergency contraceptive pills, then you just need to feed your baby full/exhaust the milk before taking the medicine, then in 8-10 hours. After taking the drug or depending on the half-life of the drug (ask a pharmacist) you still maintain regular milking but ..discard. After this time, you can breastfeed your baby normally again.

There are many cases after a mother’s illness (cold or other illness) has to take medicine, especially antibiotics, she often has a sudden decrease in milk and is worried about losing milk. In fact, the cause of the decrease in milk is because the mother is sick, the body is tired, the factory is weak, it is normal for everyone, antibiotics are also an impact, if there is a shortage of milk, it is time to use frozen milk to supplement for the baby. However, this is only a short-term effect. After you stop taking antibiotics + recover from illness, you can still increase your milk by increasing 1-1 feedings / sucking / expressing or increasing the time 1 suck / suck / express per day, within 2 week. restore milk production. Don’t worry because anxiety itself It is the cause that makes it difficult for you to bring milk back.

In 2015, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding was 15,5%, now it is 19,6% and Vietnam is in the group with a low rate of breastfeeding.

Breast milk is Best natural food for babies. In breast milk, there is a full range of nutritional components with a balanced ratio suitable for the digestive and absorption system of the baby. Breast milk also contains antibodies that help babies strengthen their resistance against infections. Breastfeeding will reduce the risk of undernutrition or overnutrition (malnutrition), chronic non-communicable diseases in adulthood, especially cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc. .

Although mother milk There are many benefits for children, but not all mothers know and implement. Factors affecting exclusively breastfed baby in the first 6 months are usually: the mother has to go to work early, the mother thinks that her milk is not as good as formula milk, prefers foreign milk, wants to keep in shape…

Children must drink formula milk, eat solid foods before 6 months, because the mother has to go to work, so the child cannot be fully breastfed. The state of advertising and marketing of breast milk substitutes (even colostrum) has had a negative impact on some mothers, making some mothers distrustful of their milk’s value, or preferring foreign milk. Many mothers want to keep in shape after giving birth, so they give formula milk instead of breast milk. In addition, some mothers do not know how to properly breastfeed and protect their milk supply for their babies.

Breastfeeding at the right time not only makes the mother easier to feed her baby, but also helps the baby suckle more effectively than the baby suckling. However, everything has its two sides, besides the benefits there are always risks and here too, forcing the baby to breastfeed at the right time. There will be some possible cases such as:

Case 1: It’s time to feed your baby, but:

• Baby is sleeping and mom wakes him up to feed: It should not be because the baby grows up while sleeping, disrupting sleep also affects the development of the baby, besides calling the baby up when the baby is still asleep will make the baby irritable, sucking while still dreaming. will not be effective even cause choking for the baby.
• The baby does not want to breastfeed and force the baby to suckle: Each child has its own individual needs, the fact that the baby suckles and then urinates more or less between feedings also affects the time when the baby asks for the breast, when the baby really needs it, he will obediently latch on to the mother’s breast. At that time, breast milk secreted the most.

Case 2: The feeding has not yet come, but the baby wants to breastfeed but the mother does not give it. The fact that the mother adheres to the feeding mechanism that prevents the baby from sucking when needed will lead to the baby being fussy and skipping the ideal time to feed.

As a mother, please observe your baby and give the most suitable “separate time” for your baby, breastfeed on demand so that your baby can get the most comfort, for the best development.

According to statistics of the Ministry of Health, only 1.2% of mothers really do not have enough milk or do not have milk to breastfeed. As mentioned above, breast milk is secreted according to the law of supply – demand, the mother’s body is a source of milk with millions of milk-secreting cells, like a river pouring into the sea, the source will not run out. Breast milk is not like a bottle, the bigger it is, the more it can hold. Therefore, no matter how big or small the mother’s breasts are, as long as Mothers have a reasonable diet, psychological comfort and most importantly, the more breast-feeding, the more milk supply will not be exhausted.

When pregnant, the mother’s breasts will increase 1-2 sizes, except for pregnant mothers who can increase up to 3-4 sizes. Thus, for mothers with small breasts from their childhood, when having a baby, their breasts only increase at a normal rate, especially for Asians, specifically Vietnamese, the breast size is quite modest. When a mother has just given birth, it is rare for mothers to have milk right away for their baby, but normally the milk will come in 1-2 days, even for mothers who have had a cesarean section, it can be up to 4-5 days, sometimes weekly due to the influence of pregnancy. antibiotic use.

At that time, small breasts will become the object of blame, first-time mothers will be surprised that they will be more and more pressured by the thought that there is no milk for the baby and as a result, the more worries not only affect affects the mother’s health (easily leads to postpartum) but also is the main cause of long-term milk production. Therefore, mothers should always be comfortable, have faith that every mother has milk to breastfeed because once the mind is comfortable, there is no need to eat dairy products, but just eat enough quality, the source of milk will increase. cornucopia.

Some mothers mistakenly think that the longer the baby sucks, the better because they think that the longer the baby sucks, the more milk the baby can take in the last milk, the better for the baby’s weight gain. However, this is not a good idea at all. Because breastfed babies have one common feature, the sucking rhythm at full is strong and fast because the baby is thirsty for milk, so the first milk stream contains a lot of water to satisfy the baby’s thirst, then the sucking rhythm is slow and deep and Gradually, the baby’s button is very light, it takes a long time for the baby to swallow.

There is a hypothesis, in the first 10 minutes of breastfeeding, the first 2 minutes the baby sucks 50% of the milk in the breast, the next 2 minutes gets 80-90% of the milk, and the remaining 6 minutes hardly sucks. Therefore, the baby sucks less and less and the amount of milk he sucks is not significant compared to the beginning, even if the baby is sleeping while feeding, it is quite dangerous to suckle while sleeping because the baby is easy to choke, the milk can also stagnate. cause thrush, slightly older children are prone to tooth decay. Besides, the baby feeds every 2 – 3 hours, if the mother spends all 30 minutes – 60 minutes feeding the baby, then the mother cannot do anything but spend time breastfeeding.

Therefore, Instead of letting your baby suckle for a long time, you should promote the baby’s initial sucks because that’s when the baby suckles most effectively, wake your baby up if he falls asleep. Do not let the baby suckle for too long.