"Nipple confusion" refers to a situation when a baby becomes confused between different ways of feeding, usually between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.
Full definition
Many breastfed babies don't accept a bottle, however, and there is also the risk
of nipple confusion for babies starting to reject the breast if introducing a bottle too early.
By now, most babies are breastfeeding well, and you can usually be less concerned
about nipple confusion from taking a bottle of pumped breastmilk.
Note that many who say there is no such thing
as nipple confusion also advise the mother to start a bottle early so that the baby will not refuse it.
A pacifier can cause
nipple confusion in an infant and also it can be associated with premature weaning.
The supplementation took place via bottle, her son suffered
from nipple confusion and her supply dropped a great deal.
This is because many parents are concerned about
nipple confusion when alternating between breastfeeding and bottle feeding.
Since your baby is already 4 months old, there is no real concern that giving your baby a bottle will cause
nipple confusion at this point.
These bottles help avoid
nipple confusion so your baby is less likely to refuse your breast after a bottle feeding.
The problem is that you don't want to
create nipple confusion where your baby doesn't want to return to the breast.
So much more convenient and less stress for both me and the baby and I didn't have any problems with
nipple confusion later on once they finally started to pull out.
The nipples on this bottle are made so babies have
less nipple confusion when they are going between bottle feeding and breast feeding.
The bottom line: Don't worry about
nipple confusion if you've decided that both breastfeeding and formula are right for you.
When I
hear nipple confusion I think that the baby is confused about what is happening when offered the breast and artificial nipples.
While I was breastfeeding, I worried about
nipple confusion even though I wanted my husband's help with nighttime feedings.
In cases where a baby likes the faster flow of milk, the issue may not be so
much nipple confusion but rather nipple preference.
I also can't tell you how many hours I spent on the computer
researching nipple confusion, and breast refusal, and nipple pain, and everything else I could find.
In my research, I found very little information on how to
solve nipple confusion, only information about how to prevent it - warning after warning to avoid introducing artificial nipples.
Until you are offering baby regular feeds with correct positioning and attachment
then nipple confusion should not be diagnosed.
If you are worried your baby is refusing or reluctant to breastfeed
due nipple confusion its best to consult with a lactation advisor.
In most cases, it's easier to get an older baby to take a bottle than it is to
undo nipple confusion in a younger baby.
In fact, many lactation consultations advise waiting at least a month before even introducing a pacifier to a baby to help
avoid nipple confusion.
It's more likely a baby will
experience nipple confusion when a pacifier or bottle is introduced before breastfeeding is well established.
While this is certainly a frustrating situation for a new mom committed to breastfeeding exclusively,
nipple confusion does not have to mean an end to breastfeeding.
My LC says this is okay, as long as I am keen to watch out
for nipple confusion and halt expressed breast milk via bottle immediately if i encounter any problems.
One of the nurses suggested the usage of nipple shields as the boys may have been suffering
from nipple confusion.
Phrases with «nipple confusion»