Greetings and huge applause to all the new mothers! Surpassing the nine months and finally grabbing excellence on the D day, we from Voice Of Woman congratulate you! We hope this new phase of yours is going perfectly amazing.
To make your motherhood a little easier and much prettier, we would like to provide certain information about the baby choking on milk. Also, if you have any queries regarding baby choking on milk then this article is going to give you all the answers you want. So without any further delay, let’s hop on to the topic.
Why is My Baby Choking on Milk
Being a new mom, you must be extremely pedantic about things that concern your newborn baby. You might be running your mind as fast as you can, to find what wrong is going on when your baby chokes while nursing. The most common reason for such an issue is the faster flow of milk. The milk that flows out of your breast might be faster than the speed at which your baby can swallow them. This is mainly caused when mothers’ breasts have an oversupply of milk.
Now you must think that your baby will not have any problem with bottle feeding. But if you have thought about that, we want to ask, what made you think so? Even if you bottlefeed your infant you might notice them choking, and for this also the reason is the faster flow of milk. As stated by the La Leche League International, some of the common signs of milk oversupply include:
- Restlessness at your breast
- Coughing
- Choking while swallowing
- Gulping milk
You may have an overactive letdown, which causes the excess supply or the forceful flow of milk. The reason for oversupply is because your breast gets stimulated as soon as your baby sucks milk. The Oxytocin hormones present in the body cause letdown and that releases milk.
What to do when your Baby Chokes on Milk
If in any case, your baby struggles while breastfeeding, do not panic. Babies might choke or gag during feeding, this is a common thing that most babies confront with.
As said by Robert Hamilton, babies are born with an exaggerated whereas protective “hyper-gag reflex” which can cause gagging while feeding. Also, babies are easily prone to gagging due to their neurologic immaturity.
If your baby is struggling too much then you can perform certain aids to baby choking on milk.
Baby Choking on MilkHow to Prevent Baby from Choking on Milk
Change the feeding position! The first thing that you can do to prevent your baby from choking on milk is to quickly change your feeding position. If you are a breastfeeding mom and have an overactive letdown then you should try to nurse in a laid-back position. In this position, gravity’s effect will get reversed and this will allow your baby to have more control. In addition to the laid-back position, you can also give a try to lying on a particular left or right side and then feeding your baby. Doing this will make your milk dribble out of the baby’s mouth when it gets a forceful flow.
Some other recommendations to prevent choking include:
- In short spans of time, pull your baby off your breast while feeding. Doing this will let your baby have enough time to swallow and breathe properly.
- If you feel you have a heavy letdown, you can keep your baby off your breast for about 20-30 seconds. This will help your baby to not struggle with the forceful supply of your breast milk.
- It is also recommended to express milk for approx. 1 to 2 minutes prior to bringing your baby to feed. This will allow the forceful letdown to happen before your baby starts to swallow.
- Saying this, you should also take precautions with this technique, as pumping for a longer period of time will increase the production of milk, which as a result will worsen the situation.
When to call a doctor
Even after all such preventions, can babies choke on milk? There are cases where baby chokes while nursing even if their parents follow the proper positions and all. This can be all said as the lack of swallowing knowledge of the newborn. Swallowing is not an easy activity, it is rather a complicated process that requires proper timing and muscle functions. Your baby is naive since he/she is new to this earth and are just learning ways to swallow. It is said that with time, the baby learns to swallow and gets adapted to the flow.
Even then being a new parent or a caregiver you might get worried in situations where your baby kid is struggling. To get you rid of such worries, you can take instant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In very rare cases babies might lose consciousness or might turn blue. If you have faced such a case with your kid, then this is a case of emergency and you should call the pediatrician as soon as you can.
Baby Choking on MilkPoints to remember
- Baby choking on milk is very commonly found in every new parent. Hence you guys should not panic.
- To give your baby some relief and make them okay from choking, you can perform the aids to baby choking on milk.
- Try to find the position in which your baby does not gag and stays comfortable while feeding. Continue to feed in that position only. Doing so will enable you and your baby to have a sweet and tranquil moment.
- You should keep a proper check on the signs that your baby provides while choking. If they turn blue and lose their consciousness then without any ado, rush to the nearest hospital.
- Give your baby some time to learn the ways to swallow. Even if they are naïve, they are much more active learners than we are. This generation is of the smart kids, do not underestimate them. Let them learn.
We hope we are successful in enriching your motherhood with these tips to prevent your baby from choking on milk.
Have a beautiful journey!
