Bottle-feeding as a tool to reinforce breastfeeding

Autor: Dee Kassing
Rok vydání: 2002
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association. 18(1)
ISSN: 0890-3344
Popis: Babies may need supplementation due to difficulty breastfeeding. Others must be fed by alter- native feedingmethods because they are separated from mothers who have returned to em - ployment or school. Recognizing that mothers and caregivers are often not comfortable using other alternative feedingdevices, the author endeavored to develop a method of bottle-feeding that would meet the needs of these mothers and their babies without causingsuck confusion. The resultingbottle-feedingmethod requires babies to expend effort and use their oral anat - omy in ways very similar to breastfeeding. J Hum Lact. 18(1):56-60. For years, I received frequent counselingcalls from employed mothers whose babies had been receiving bottles from their caregivers and now were refusing to breastfeed. The babies had become accustomed to the ease of feedingfrom a bottle and were refusingto work for their dinner at mother's breast. Many U.S. caregivers prefer bottles over all other alternative feedingdevices. It was imperative, therefore, to make bottle-feeding require effort similar to breastfeeding, so that babies would not mind switchingback and forth. Most people are reared to recognize two ways to feed a baby: breast or bottle. When I worked with women whose babies were not breastfeedingwell, I noticed that many of these mothers would give up and turn to bottle- feedingwith artificial baby milk rather than attempt to use other alternative feedingdevices. When new moth - ers are exhausted and overwhelmed with a baby who is not eatingwell, they may view an alternative feeding device as somethingthat will require effort on their part to learn to use it with the baby. These mothers may feel they do not have the energy (emotional or physical) to learn how to use somethingnew. Although a few moth- ers were quite adamant about not usinga bottle, many of the mothers I worked with viewed the suggestion to use an alternative feedingdevice as the last straw. Rather than use an alternative feedingdevice, they would choose to stop breastfeeding. I needed to find a way for these mothers to supplement when necessary, using their pre- ferred feedingmethod. I have been able to develop a style of bottle-feeding that seems to meet the requirements of these at-risk mothers. The method theoretically requires a similar amount of effort from the babies as breastfeedingdoes. I demonstrate the method to all mothers who come to my office to obtain a breast pump before they go back to work. Because the method requires the baby to use his oral anatomy in a manner very similar to breastfeeding, I also use this method to teach many suck-confused babies how to breastfeed. There has been much discussion amongbreastfeed - ingsupport workers and in the literature concerningnip - ple confusion and its definition. 1 Some babies initially breastfeed well but then show difficulty after receivinga bottle or pacifier. Other newborns are unable to breast- feed correctly even though they have had no exposure to
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