(from the website of the League for Breastfeeding ) . When a baby is sleepy and seems to lose interest in breastfeeding, both parents and medical staff are rightly alarmed. Of course it happens that children are very active sleepers breast and grow well. For those you do not need to change anything, just let them live at their own pace. But there are also children who sleep at the point of letting "quietly" decay, and queste situazioni si aggravano sempre più con l’aumentare della sonnolenza del neonato causata dalla disidratazione e dalla malnutrizione.
Diversi fattori possono rendere un bambino sonnolento: gli analgesici somministrati alla madre durante il travaglio, lo stress della nascita, le caratteristiche individuali, la sovrastimolazione del bambino, un'ipotonia, un’immaturità transitoria del sistema nervoso, un ittero più forte della media…
Alcuni bambini sembrano dormire continuamente per sottrarsi ad una realtà troppo stressante per loro. Questi bambini saranno often more active at the breast, or seem to want to nurse constantly, crying if he goes away, and go back to sleep after a sucking motion when they will transmit to the breast. [Editor's note: This behavior can also be a sign of a difficulty of positioning or sucking at the breast].
If a baby sleeper has a weight problem, we must be careful that it is sufficiently large, let him run the risk of dehydration or malnutrition. It should be awakened to be put to the breast from 10 to at least 12 times in 24 hours, including night, ie at least every two hours (the time between feedings is calculated from the beginning of a feed to the top the next). Its activity at the breast should be evaluated, as well as her general health. It should be noted that these children are often more active at the breast at night, either because they are less stressed due to the quiet night, and because at night the mother has a larger flow of milk, or both.
some suggestions to help prevent or overcome the problem
- After the birth of the child should stay with the mother, and should not intervene in any way until such time as the child will not breastfeed. You have to be pazienti se la madre ha partorito sotto analgesici: gli studi hanno dimostrato che il comportamento del bimbo è più disorganizzato in questo caso, e che la disorganizzazione può durare alcuni giorni e in certi casi alcune settimane.
- La madre e il suo bambino non dovrebbero essere separati durante il soggiorno nel reparto di maternità. Evitare di dare biberon e ciucci che potrebbero confondere la suzione del bambino.
- Il contatto pelle a pelle dovrebbe essere attuato il più spesso possibile. Il bambino può essere messo direttamente sul petto della mamma, con addosso solamente un pannolino, avvolgendo eventualmente entrambi in una camicia o in uno scialle. Il corpo della madre provvede largely to the need to heat the baby. Mom can put to the breast when he expressed the desire to nurse, even before you start crying.
- The mother must be informed about what are the first signs that indicate a desire to be put to the breast sucking noises, quick movements of the eyes, lips and tongue movements, bringing the hand to mouth movements the body ... even if the child is sleepy these signals indicate that during light sleep and may be put to the breast successfully. Instead of putting unnecessary groped the breast of a child during sleep.
- The mother should put the baby at the breast before that is so hungry to cry when a baby has reached this stage will often be too tired or too excited to want or be able to breastfeed successfully. In this case, give it some 'making of milk sucking on her finger may help to calm down and restore an effective suckle. Only then you can attach it to the breast.
- Do not cover the baby too, because the heat has a sedative effect. It may be useful to change the lighting environment, talk to him, groped to make eye contact with him ... If you find it hard to wake up, you can change it, massaging, bathing him, make him move his arms and legs, put it in an upright position, put Seated on his knees, lie down and then pick it up down several times in a row, give it a cool cloth on your face ...
- Sometimes it is useful to try different positions. Changing the breast when the baby seems uninterested in feeding and is about to fall asleep. Circular massaging the baby's head and stern. Speaking during a feed, praise him every time he effectively stern.
- To encourage the child to take and then hold the breast in his mouth you can try to give him milk with the help of a plastic syringe or a tube (DAS) while breastfeeding. This type of aid should be only temporary, however: if, within 24 hours there shall be no improvement in the activity of the baby to the breast, it should be made an accurate assessment of the situation.
- The mother can compress the breast while the baby sucks. Several studies have shown that this allows the child to obtain a larger amount of a milk richer in fat. The mother can also gently pull back the breast when the baby seems addormentarcisi above, to encourage him to start a nurse (of course this can be done only if the mother has no problem of sore nipples).
- In some cases (refusal of the breast, breast-nipple confusion ...), the temporary use of a nipple or a DAS can help child. However, since the risks associated with inappropriate use of these methods are high, the situation must be followed very closely and these systems must be used for the shortest possible time.
- probably recommend to the mother to pull the milk is not always really necessary. However, when the mother has a massive traffic jam and / or if the baby has a sucking little or no effective pumping as may be necessary to stimulate milk production and provide the child with a supplement of milk.
- It is often helpful to take a bath with the baby. The liquid environment encourages many children to nurse. It is important anche tenere il più spesso possibile addosso il bambino in un marsupio o in una fascia.
- La mamma deve imparare valutare se il suo bimbo riceve latte a sufficienza: occorre vedere e/o sentire il bambino deglutire regolarmente per un periodo di tempo sufficientemente lungo, controllare l’urina e le feci (come minimo, dal terzo giorno in poi, durante le prime settimane da 5 a 6 pannolini bagnati al giorno e 3-5 evacuazioni di feci molli o liquide).
Se all’uscita dal reparto di maternità l’allattamento non è ben avviato, dopo il ritorno a casa deve assolutamente essere assicurato un attento controllo.
