Like every first mother, Margaret Mukagasana had read everything about pregnancy and childbirth.
Like every first mother, Margaret Mukagasana had read everything about pregnancy and childbirth. She had listened to all sorts of advice; solicited and unsolicited but no one had prepared her for the shock that comes with your baby’s refusal to breastfeed.
"When my baby was born, one of the first things I did was try to breastfeed her. She tried once and failed. I was not worried, I actually felt that it was because it was something new, but three days later, not only was I beginning to get frustrated, I was now worried,” Mukagasana says.
The baby was not interested in breast milk. Out of frustration Mukagasana started the baby on the bottle with formula milk, although the recommended feeding for babies is exclusive breast feeding for the first six months. Cases of a new born baby refusing to breast feed shortly are common and medical experts say the causes vary from one baby to another.
Elie Niyibizi, a pediatrician at Muhima hospital says that breast milk refusal can be one of the most distressing problems for a new mother. Niyibizi says that a baby may refuse to feed at any age and the reasons for doing so vary with the stage of development. Niyibizi adds that one needs to understand that such a situation can come as a result of mainly three things; one from the side of the baby, that of the mother and also the supply of breast milk.
"If there is discomfort associated with sucking of the breast, then obviously the baby will have difficulty feeding. If the baby herself is unwell let’s say it had a recent vaccination, or some other Illness for example a cold or even sore throat, this can also lead to failure in breastfeeding,” Niyibizi says.
He adds that for working mothers, the issue of the baby’s refusal to breastfeed may arise when they resume their working schedule since this can result into attachment problems and the baby might just loose connection with the mother.
On the other hand, Niyibizi says that if a baby has just started bottle feeding, it can just seem confusing for him as the feel of a bottle and the mother’s nipple are completely different,” Niyibizi says.
Niyibizi also explains that the supply of breast milk can either be too fast or too slow and this can affect the baby’s mood. A mother can also be experiencing hormonal changes as a result of say contraceptives or even changes could be brought about by pre-menstrual tension effectively affecting the supply of the milk.
Although a baby’s refusal to feed can be brought about by different things, one can always try out different means to help their baby feed.
Niyibizi advises nursing mothers to try and feed their babies only when the child is hungry because sometimes feeding the baby according to a schedule may not work as the baby might not be hungry by the next time of feed.
He says that a mother can as well try different feeding positions because sometimes a baby might feed better in a different position.
He also advises mothers to spend some time with their babies applying skin-to-skin contact to reassure the baby that this is a nurturing place to be.
To Dr. Pretextate Niyibizi; a pediatrician at Clinique Harmony, a baby’s refusal to breast feed could be as a result of the baby’s poor health.
"The baby could have been born with neo-natal infections, or when tired and simply doesn’t have the strength to breastfeed. Some are born with complications like perinatal asphyxia that is a medical condition resulting from deprivation of oxygen to a newborn infant that lasts long enough during the delivery process causing physical harm, usually to the brain. Such babies don’t cry or cry a little after birth,” he says
Dr. Pretextate also explains that if a baby is born prematurely, it obviously cannot breastfeed and that such a baby is fed through tubes.
"A mother might have had a caesarian section, and with that, the flow of the milk is set to be limited. If the baby starts feeding from a bottle before the breast, it can be hard for it to later accept the breast milk as the artificial milk has lots of sugars than breast milk,” he adds.
He says that when a baby doesn’t breastfeed, its health is obviously affected as it results into low blood sugars. For babies who have complications, without immediate intervention it can even result into death.
A baby’s failure to breastfeed can lead to neurological disorders for the child and breast engorgement which occurs when the breasts are too full of milk, making them swell, harden and become very painful.
He advises that treatment should be sought earlier so that the baby’s health and life are not put a risk.
Dr Pretextate also encourages breast feeding mothers to delay bottle feeding for up to at least six months so that the baby doesn’t get confused with the breast and bottle feeding.
Annonciata Karamagi; a mother of three says that babies are simple yet complicated creatures to understand. She says that her kids always fussed and kicked when breastfeeding but later coped with it.
"My children, especially the boy was so stubborn when feeding, he always kicked and pushed away from the breast yet he was hungry. I always soothed and sang to him and it did the trick for the both of us,” Karamagi says.
Isabella Isimbi; a first time mother says that it was always a tug of war for her baby to feed. She says that she sometimes came close to tears as she ran out of ideas to make her baby feed.
"It was hard to make my baby feed, I sometimes thought it was the temperature so I bathed and changed her into fresh diapers and light clothes but nothing seemed to work, I changed her to different positions and it all failed, it was only later that she started to breastfeed well,” Isimbi says.
According to a research carried out by American Lactation Consultant Nancy Mohrbacher, if a baby is younger than one year, even if she seems to be losing interest in breastfeeding, chances are she is not yet ready to wean. After all, during their first twelve months babies still physically need mother’s milk.
On her website, Mohrbacher says that if a baby was nursing well and suddenly refuses the mother’s breast, this may be what some call a nursing strike. A nursing strike usually lasts two to four days, but it may last as long as ten days.
"Most mothers think first of using a bottle, but according to Mohrbacher, choosing a feeding method that does not satisfy your baby’s sucking urge may end the strike sooner. When a baby has no other sucking outlets, such as a bottle or pacifier, he will be more motivated to go back to the breast,” she says
She points to factors such as pain when held after an injury or injection, mouth pain from teething, thrush, or a mouth injury, reaction to a product such as deodorant, lotion or laundry detergent as some of the causes that could prevent a baby from breast feeding.
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I say: What you should do when the baby refuses to breastfeed
Claudine Namubonye
It is depressing when a baby refuses to breastfeed, sometimes you feel stressed and puzzled about what could be wrong with you or the baby. This happened to me several times and in all cases, I found out later that my baby was not well. All you need is to understand the baby and learn how to tell if something is not right.
Clémentine Mukanga
Babies refuse to breast feed due to many reasons. If it goes beyond one day, it most times means that the baby is sick. In my opinion, the best option would be taking the baby to the hospital for a medical check-up.
Neema Katesi
A baby’s refusal to breastfeed can be caused by discomfort. As a mother, you need to react quickly to this problem by making sure that your baby is comfortable by for instance, changing the diaper.
Rahab Nzayihimbaza
It is common for babies to refuse to breastfeed. In case this happens, it is always good to express the milk and give it to the baby in a cup or bottle. Some babies are moody and sensitive when it comes to things that make them comfortable. The best thing is find out what puts your baby at ease.
Rosette Aisha Uwimana
Whenever I faced this problem of my baby refusing to breast feed; bathing and changing diapers always worked as the best solution. It’s obvious that a baby can’t just refuse to breastfeed without any reason. The flowing rate of milk from the mother’s breast can also influence the baby’s mood and concentration. The mother is supposed to check for anything that might be diverting the baby’s focus.
Compiled by Dennis Agaba