Motherhood is a rollercoaster ride instilled with confusion, anxiety, and excitement. One always wishes to have somebody to guide one throughout this journey.

Therefore, considering a number of concerns we have with our kids, today I am going to help you with all the confusion related to why your baby is not latching well. This will address reasons like uncomfortable feeding positions, nipple confusion, and breathing difficulty that hinder the breastfeeding journey of the baby. I will also help you decipher strategies to help the baby latch better.

Why My baby suddenly not latching well?

There are several reasons why your baby might suddenly not latch well. One thing to remember here is the underlying fact that not everything is under your control. Therefore, instead of worrying about what the baby does and what he doesn’t, to the extent that it gives you a panic attack, it is better to go with the flow. Here are some of the common reasons if your baby has suddenly stopped latching:

–       Your baby might face difficulty breastfeeding

It is possible that your baby has not yet figured out how to breastfeed. The first few days are overwhelming. Imagine one day, out of nowhere, you are pushed to a completely new world. Would you immediately adapt and adjust to this new environment? No.

Give time to this new experience. Breastfeeding is a combined effort; from the mother and the child as well. I still remember how my mother told me to take it slow. I would tickle the baby behind his ears, bring the nipple closer to his lips, and that would help him to open his mouth to suck for milk.

I would, therefore, encourage skin-to-skin contact, often pushing the breasts downwards, and stroking the lips of the baby. In addition, you can always consult a lactation consultant if these tricks do not help or the baby is unable to latch for a longer time.

–       Nipple confusion

If everything is going fine and your baby is feeding well, what could be the reason he stops to latch on so suddenly? Well, before asking this question, can you recall the last time you breastfed the baby? And what about the bottle feed that you are forgetting about?

Here you go!

Babies face the dilemma of nipple confusion. The baby who was in a habit of sucking milk from his mother’s breast, when given a bottle often undergoes nipple confusion. Both the breast and the bottle have different sucking and swallowing techniques. And this switch is causing confusion that makes you worry when the baby suddenly stops to latch on to your breasts (Zimmerman & Thompson, 2015).

–       Changes in routine

When I had guests in my house continuously for a month, I remember my 3 weeks baby going all ga-ga! There was not only extreme noise around, but the sleep schedule was completely messed up. And in such a situation, the baby suddenly stopped to latch (Dietrich & Misskey, 2015).

This is why you see experts often stress a lot about routine. The disturbance in the surrounding cause behavioral changes among kids. This is especially true when the baby observes a change in the nursing pattern and this could be one of the major reasons for your worry when your baby suddenly stops to latch.

–       Illness

Did you check for breathing difficulties or congestion? There can also be possibly an earache. All these conditions can also cause a sudden halt to latching (Murray Dona, 2020).

–       Other reasons

Apart from the obvious reasons that instill your worry, there could be some other external factors that made him suddenly stop breastfeeding. For instance, you might have used a stronger scent perfume or a body wash that is irritating the baby. Additionally, other factors like teething and the reduction in your milk supply also need attention to carry on with a smooth breastfeeding journey (Dietrich & Misskey, 2015).

What causes a nursing strike?

A baby can suddenly stop to breastfeed after going on so well for so long. This is what you call a nursing strike and it may happen due to several reasons. Either your milk tastes different because of medicine or your changed diet, maybe you are pregnant, or maybe because you smell different! These are some of the possible reasons that several unknowns, can cause a nursing strike.

What can I do to feed him if he refuses to latch?

If your baby suddenly refuses to latch, there are several options you can try to continue to feed him keeping those calories intact.

Try expressing your milk. I used the mini electrical pump that was fast enough to fill half the bottle (now that depends on your supply- that is another struggle though!). In addition, you can hand express the milk and feed it through the spoon so that your baby continues to get the nutrients essential for growth and well-being.

What are some of the strategies to help the baby latch?

This is one of the most common concerns of moms. Here are some of the personally tried strategies that will help the baby latch:

• Dim the lights, swaddle the baby and get comfortable to feed.
• You can also have some milk on your breast to make your baby taste and smell the milk before it begins to latch.
• You can check for blocked nose, cold, and other such illnesses and consult a practitioner for its treatment
• Express milk or pump to see the flow of your breast milk

FAQ

1.Do some babies never latch?

Some babies won’t latch or will take longer than usual. Reasons to note here include premature birth, and any surgical or medical issues (Murray Dona, 2020).  You can deal with this with patience, gentleness, and expert advice.

2.How long do nursing strikes usually last?

A nursing strike will usually go from one day up to ten days (Dietrich & Misskey, 2015). During this period of nursing time, pump your milk as per your feed timings to continue and maintain your feed supply.

3.How do you survive a nursing strike?

No problem can be resolved with anxiety and fear. Try to relax and make breastfeeding a pleasant experience. You can do this by maintaining close contact with your child, following skin-to-skin touch, and continuing to comfort him with extra love and care (Svensson, et al. 2013).

Conclusion

Motherhood is a wonderful journey where several baby-related concerns might boggle your mind. Relax, take one step at a time and go with the flow. The baby might, however, be breastfeeding fine while one day, he suddenly stops to latch.

Astonishing as it may sound, take a deep breath and observe a little more. Your milk supply might have slowed down or your baby might be teething or has his nose blocked. There might also be a change in the routine or he is simply on a nurse strike. Well, whatever the reason is, cuddle more, relax and continue trying with some gentleness and love.

REFERENCES

Murray, Dona (2020). What to do when your baby won’t feed. VeryWell Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/breast-refusal-431907

Dietrich Leurer, M., Misskey, E. (2015). “Be positive as well as realistic”: a qualitative description analysis of information gaps experienced by breastfeeding mothers. Int Breastfeed J 10, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-015-0036-7

Svensson, K.E., Velandia, M.I., Matthiesen, AS.T. et al. (2013). Effects of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact on severe latch-on problems in older infants: a randomized trial. Int Breastfeed J 8, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4358-8-1

Zimmerman E, Thompson K. (2015). Clarifying nipple confusion. Nov;35(11):895-9. doi: 10.1038/jp.2015.83. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PMID: 26181720.

Baby is suddenly not latching well

Motherhood is a rollercoaster ride instilled with confusion, anxiety, and excitement. One always wishes to have somebody to guide one throughout this journey.

Therefore, considering a number of concerns we have with our kids, today I am going to help you with all the confusion related to why your baby is not latching well. This will address reasons like uncomfortable feeding positions, nipple confusion, and breathing difficulty that hinder the breastfeeding journey of the baby. I will also help you decipher strategies to help the baby latch better.

Why My baby suddenly not latching well?

There are several reasons why your baby might suddenly not latch well. One thing to remember here is the underlying fact that not everything is under your control. Therefore, instead of worrying about what the baby does and what he doesn’t, to the extent that it gives you a panic attack, it is better to go with the flow. Here are some of the common reasons if your baby has suddenly stopped latching:

–       Your baby might face difficulty breastfeeding

It is possible that your baby has not yet figured out how to breastfeed. The first few days are overwhelming. Imagine one day, out of nowhere, you are pushed to a completely new world. Would you immediately adapt and adjust to this new environment? No.

Give time to this new experience. Breastfeeding is a combined effort; from the mother and the child as well. I still remember how my mother told me to take it slow. I would tickle the baby behind his ears, bring the nipple closer to his lips, and that would help him to open his mouth to suck for milk.

I would, therefore, encourage skin-to-skin contact, often pushing the breasts downwards, and stroking the lips of the baby. In addition, you can always consult a lactation consultant if these tricks do not help or the baby is unable to latch for a longer time.

–       Nipple confusion

If everything is going fine and your baby is feeding well, what could be the reason he stops to latch on so suddenly? Well, before asking this question, can you recall the last time you breastfed the baby? And what about the bottle feed that you are forgetting about?

Here you go!

Babies face the dilemma of nipple confusion. The baby who was in a habit of sucking milk from his mother’s breast, when given a bottle often undergoes nipple confusion. Both the breast and the bottle have different sucking and swallowing techniques. And this switch is causing confusion that makes you worry when the baby suddenly stops to latch on to your breasts (Zimmerman & Thompson, 2015).

–       Changes in routine

When I had guests in my house continuously for a month, I remember my 3 weeks baby going all ga-ga! There was not only extreme noise around, but the sleep schedule was completely messed up. And in such a situation, the baby suddenly stopped to latch (Dietrich & Misskey, 2015).

This is why you see experts often stress a lot about routine. The disturbance in the surrounding cause behavioral changes among kids. This is especially true when the baby observes a change in the nursing pattern and this could be one of the major reasons for your worry when your baby suddenly stops to latch.

–       Illness

Did you check for breathing difficulties or congestion? There can also be possibly an earache. All these conditions can also cause a sudden halt to latching (Murray Dona, 2020).

–       Other reasons

Apart from the obvious reasons that instill your worry, there could be some other external factors that made him suddenly stop breastfeeding. For instance, you might have used a stronger scent perfume or a body wash that is irritating the baby. Additionally, other factors like teething and the reduction in your milk supply also need attention to carry on with a smooth breastfeeding journey (Dietrich & Misskey, 2015).

What causes a nursing strike?

A baby can suddenly stop to breastfeed after going on so well for so long. This is what you call a nursing strike and it may happen due to several reasons. Either your milk tastes different because of medicine or your changed diet, maybe you are pregnant, or maybe because you smell different! These are some of the possible reasons that several unknowns, can cause a nursing strike.

What can I do to feed him if he refuses to latch?

If your baby suddenly refuses to latch, there are several options you can try to continue to feed him keeping those calories intact.

Try expressing your milk. I used the mini electrical pump that was fast enough to fill half the bottle (now that depends on your supply- that is another struggle though!). In addition, you can hand express the milk and feed it through the spoon so that your baby continues to get the nutrients essential for growth and well-being.

What are some of the strategies to help the baby latch?

This is one of the most common concerns of moms. Here are some of the personally tried strategies that will help the baby latch:

• Dim the lights, swaddle the baby and get comfortable to feed.
• You can also have some milk on your breast to make your baby taste and smell the milk before it begins to latch.
• You can check for blocked nose, cold, and other such illnesses and consult a practitioner for its treatment
• Express milk or pump to see the flow of your breast milk

FAQ

1. Do some babies never latch?

Some babies won’t latch or will take longer than usual. Reasons to note here include premature birth, and any surgical or medical issues (Murray Dona, 2020).  You can deal with this with patience, gentleness, and expert advice.

• How long do nursing strikes usually last?

A nursing strike will usually go from one day up to ten days (Dietrich & Misskey, 2015). During this period of nursing time, pump your milk as per your feed timings to continue and maintain your feed supply.

• How do you survive a nursing strike?

No problem can be resolved with anxiety and fear. Try to relax and make breastfeeding a pleasant experience. You can do this by maintaining close contact with your child, following skin-to-skin touch, and continuing to comfort him with extra love and care (Svensson, et al. 2013).

Conclusion

Motherhood is a wonderful journey where several baby-related concerns might boggle your mind. Relax, take one step at a time and go with the flow. The baby might, however, be breastfeeding fine while one day, he suddenly stops to latch.

Astonishing as it may sound, take a deep breath and observe a little more. Your milk supply might have slowed down or your baby might be teething or has his nose blocked. There might also be a change in the routine or he is simply on a nurse strike. Well, whatever the reason is, cuddle more, relax and continue trying with some gentleness and love.

REFERENCES

Murray, Dona (2020). What to do when your baby won’t feed. VeryWell Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/breast-refusal-431907

Dietrich Leurer, M., Misskey, E. (2015). “Be positive as well as realistic”: a qualitative description analysis of information gaps experienced by breastfeeding mothers. Int Breastfeed J 10, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-015-0036-7

Svensson, K.E., Velandia, M.I., Matthiesen, AS.T. et al. (2013). Effects of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact on severe latch-on problems in older infants: a randomized trial. Int Breastfeed J 8, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4358-8-1

Zimmerman E, Thompson K. (2015). Clarifying nipple confusion. Nov;35(11):895-9. doi: 10.1038/jp.2015.83. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PMID: 26181720.