Baby’s can often choke while you’re breastfeeding them. But it’s important to avoid baby choking while breastfeeding to keep them safe and sound.
Breastfeeding is one of the most sensitive phases in both the mother’s and the baby’s life. Breast milk is the first nutrition that a mother provides to her baby. It forms the foundation of the baby’s growth, both physically and psychologically. A baby receives a lot of nutrients and valuable properties from breast milk. A mother always aspires to serve the best to her baby to grow to be the best.
Reasons for Baby Choking While Breastfeeding
Sometimes, the baby chokes down while breastfeeding, which causes difficulties in breathing, and they spill all the milk around. This can be a troublesome experience for a mother who aspires to nourish the baby with the best.
This generally happens because sometimes the baby lashes out more milk than his/her capacity to swallow at once. The milk may enter their airpath, causing it difficult for them to breathe. It is frightening yet one of the most common difficulties faced by a mother during her breastfeeding phase.
The primary reason for the baby to choke while breastfeeding is the poor feeding positions used by the mother. She should have a better understanding of her baby’s comfort so that there is no problem during the extraction of milk.
There are two primary causes of choking while breastfeeding, which have been accommodated in the given points:
1. Forceful Letdown
Sometimes it happens that the mother ejaculates the milk with more capacity than the baby’s ability to suck it. This causes difficulties for the baby. When your baby pulls themself off your breast while being fed, this indicates that the milk is being provided to them more explosively.
2. Oversupply of Milk
Some mothers think it is a good move to provide more milk to the baby. But, unfortunately, they are creating difficulties for their babies in latching out the milk. A mother should feed the milk in a controlled manner so that the baby doesn’t get overwhelmed.
Countermeasures
When you find that your baby is choking on breast milk, you can use some first aid methods. Parents should provide help to the baby immediately to prevent the milk from going to the airway, making it difficult for the baby to breathe.
- You can pick up your baby while supporting his/her head and put your arm around the chest. Once s/he gets in a comfortable position, bend them forward slightly. Place your fist on their navel and the other hand one on the fist. Put pressure inwards. The process should be done quickly and carefully.
- You can also turn the baby upside down and give them back blows and chest thrusts. You can also provide some soft taps on the back so that the airways open up and do not allow the milk to enter.
These are the two home remedies that you can try if your baby is choking while breastfeeding. The situation can be even worse as the baby goes unconscious. It would be best if you rush to the nearest hospital to get the treatment in time.
Avoid Baby Choking While Breastfeeding
Undoubtedly, it is a great move to play safe. Being a mother, you should know all the preventive measures that you can take to prevent your baby from being choked while you breastfeed them. The primary method to avoid clogging is to prefer a comfortable position while you breastfeed. This will give them an excellent pampering session. There are some more tips that you can use to avoid your baby from being choked.
- You must slow down your milk supply so that your baby does not find it forceful. While you breastfeed from one side, make sure that you press the nipple of the other side. Five presses per feed give a signal to your body not to send the milk to the breast.
- Try to feed your baby from one breast only. When the body responds by sending milk to one breast, there is a possibility of less supply of milk in the other one. After a couple of hours, you can choose the other breast to serve the milk as there is already a comparatively less milk supply. This method is called block feeding.
- Sometimes, the baby fails to make a grip on the nipple. Make sure you train them enough to make a perfect latch on the nipple.
- When you feel uncomfortable while breastfeeding, take some milk out of it and place a cold compress on it, this will make you get rid of all the discomfort and help you express lesser milk.
- You must avoid stimulating the breast in various forms like running water on them, using breast shells, or unnecessary pumping.
Following the above five techniques can help you prevent your baby from being choked while breastfeeding. This is everything that you need to know about the situation when the baby finds it difficult to breathe while breastfeeding.