Milk aversion period
Release time : 03/07/2025 09:30:01
The lactation period generally refers to the period when the baby is four or five months old and no longer focuses on feeding as before, but stops eating and stopping, and it is easy to be influenced by the outside world to stop feeding.
During this period, the amount of milk the baby drank decreased significantly, and it seemed that his appetite was not very good, which caused many mothers to worry.
At this time, mothers do not have to force their babies to drink milk, but can create a better eating environment, add complementary food at the right time, or change milk powder.
Usually, after the lactation period lasts for a period of time, the baby will naturally regain his appetite.
What is the lactation period? Under normal circumstances, babies will have a period of lactation fatigue before they reach the first year of age.
The lactation period usually occurs when the baby is 4 to 6 months old. After entering the lactation period, the baby's appetite decreases significantly. The most obvious symptom is that the amount of milk consumed has decreased.
The main characteristics of the lactation period are that the baby develops normally, has good vitality, and is increasingly curious, so it is easy to distract attention from eating because of curiosity about the outside world.
Mothers will find that their baby is feeding intermittently and seems to have a poor appetite, so they have to consider whether the baby is tired of milk.
During the milking period, if mothers do not properly add complementary food and feed it with a small spoon to train the baby's oral coordination function, then the baby may only drink milk and not want to eat solid food in the future, resulting in obvious anorexia, resulting in unbalanced nutrition.
If your baby is breast-fed, do not stop breastfeeding during the weaning period. Just add soft and liquid complementary foods to the diet of your baby. Breast milk can be continued until 2 years old.
Additionally, the baby's rejection of milk period does not last for too long. Mothers need not be overly worried. Generally speaking, once this special period passes, the baby will naturally regain appetite. At that time, parents can also feed their babies normally.
Most importantly, mothers need to know how to deal with the baby's rejection period and help their babies through this period better.
How long is the period of anorexia? It usually appears around four months, but it can also occur later as the baby grows older.
What is the duration of the baby's "milk refusal" period, and it is a topic that mothers are particularly concerned about.
Generally speaking, the maintenance time of a baby's tiredness due to different reasons will vary.
But under normal circumstances, the baby's lactation period is mainly divided into two stages: one stage is when the baby is 4-5 months old; the other stage is when the baby is about 6-10 months old.
The first stage of the baby's lactation period, which is about 4 months old, is actually a sign of the baby's gradual development and maturity.
On the one hand, it may be that they have temporarily lost interest in milk powder because they have added complementary food and prefer new flavors.
At the same time, during this period, the baby's lactase began to decrease, the taste of the tongue also began to change, and his appetite began to change, making him even less interested in the taste of milk.
On the other hand, the baby's hearing and vision have made breakthroughs, making him more interested in the outside world and easily distracted, so his mind is no longer focused on feeding.
The second stage of the baby's lactation period may occur around 6-10 months old.
At this stage, most babies are growing teeth.
Due to the itchy gums, babies often focus on chewing on the nipple when nursing, resulting in tiredness.
Usually, the baby's lactation period lasts from a few days to a month. If it takes too long, then it is necessary to consider whether there is other abnormality in the body that causes the lactation.
Symptoms of lactation period, lactation period is a stage that almost every baby must go through in growth. So what are the symptoms of a baby's lactation period? Generally speaking, after a baby enters the period of breast-aversion, the most obvious symptom is that the amount of milk he eats has decreased.
Therefore, mothers can calculate the amount of milk their baby drinks every day to determine whether their baby has entered a period of lactation.
If the baby drinks less than the amount of milk needed every day, does not get sick and has a fever, and is 4 to 6 months old, the baby may have entered a period of lactation aversion.
For babies under 4 months, the formula for calculating milk intake is based on the baby's weight and the number of feedings per day. The calculation formula is: (Weight × 120-150 milliliters) ÷ Number of Feedings/Day = One feeding's Milk Amount.
The main manifestation of an infant's "cold" period is the refusal to drink milk, where they only take a few sips each time and then stop wanting to drink.
As infants' physiological development and sensory capabilities mature, they begin to explore their surroundings with curiosity and become easily distracted by eating.
Moreover, during this stage, babies may even find sucking their thumbs or playing with trash cans more enjoyable than drinking milk. Therefore, if you notice any of the above symptoms in your baby, it is advisable to consider whether your baby has entered a phase of anhedonia, and to take appropriate measures accordingly.
The occurrence of anhidma does not necessarily mean that the baby will be malnourished. If the growth curve is normal and the baby's activity remains as it was before, there are no other abnormal phenomena occurring, then there is no need to worry, and the baby will naturally return to normal.
The reasons for a baby's refusal to feed are numerous, primarily due to physiological factors and pathological ones. Additionally, other variables can also impact a baby's appetite.
The duration of the lactation reluctance period caused by different reasons is also different, and the corresponding methods are also different.
Physiological lactational regression refers to a temporary decrease in milk intake by infants, where the infant's development and vitality remain normal.
Some babies normally consume milk at the same amount until they are two or three months old, but suddenly reduce their intake. However, their vitality and weight remain normal and there is no other illness.
This was mainly due to two or three months ago, breastfeeding is a reflex action, as long as the milk is given, it will be gulped down. But after that, it will adjust the amount of milk according to the body's actual needs and appetite, so the food intake may decrease.
The second period is four to six months later; babies' attention tends to be scattered, leading to aversion to milk.
Additionally, the introduction of solid foods to the baby four months later may cause aversion to breast milk. As the baby becomes interested in other things and loses interest in drinking milk.
Physiological jaundice can be divided into physiological jaundice and psychological jaundice.
True physiological refusal of breastfeeding refers to the temporary indifference or resistance phenomenon caused by the child's physiological development problems, resulting in discomfort after feeding.
Psychological factors are also the most common reasons for babies to lose interest in breast milk, primarily due to external disturbances that diminish their appetite for feeding, especially with formula-fed infants, resulting in a decrease in intake.
The main reason for psychological anorexia is the noise in the environment during mealtime and the large differences in flavors between the food.
The pathological anorexia period is primarily due to a child's physical illness causing the child to exhibit anorexia.
If this is the reason why the baby is disgusted with milk, then in addition to being disgusted with milk, the baby will also have other corresponding abnormal manifestations, such as restless sleep, poor spirit, and prone to crying.
Pathological jaundice often accompanies acute and chronic diseases, such as acute tonsillitis or thrush, causing oral pain, which leads to a sudden decrease in infants' appetite.
Acute gastroenteritis can also cause a baby to refuse milk, with the most severe case being in infants with sepsis.
What should I do if my baby is having a milk refusal phase? The main occurrence of this stage is around 4 to 6 months, but some babies may continue for a longer period. So waiting for the baby to naturally recover on its own is not reliable.
Some babies may initially have physiological anorexia, but over time, it can also evolve into pathological anorexia, which becomes more serious.
So, what should we do about the baby's breast-feeding phase? 1. Create an ideal feeding environment.
Observe what conditions your baby is optimal for feeding, and create the most appropriate feeding environment.
Most babies find it easier to concentrate on feeding in a quiet, less disturbed place.
2. Eat less and more meals.
If you eat a small meal, eat more meals.
As long as the baby is interested in eating it, feed it, feed it with milk powder before eating rice noodles, and then eat rice noodles after not eating it.
After a few weeks, the baby's rejection of milk powder gradually disappeared, and the habit of milk disappeared.
You can also use games to consume your baby's physical strength. When he is exhausted and feels hungry, his eating status will also improve.
3. Timely add complementary foods.
The baby can actually eat complementary food after about 4 months. Rice noodles, egg yolks, liver powder, fish meal, and puree gradually turn into vegetable meat porridge, rotten noodles, etc. After eating complementary food, the baby can at least absorb nutrients from other aspects.
You don't have to insist on how much milk you drink a day, but eating too much complementary food will not work, which will affect your milk intake.
4. The size of the nipple hole should be appropriate.
Sometimes, the baby drinks less milk, probably because the milk hole in the nipple on the bottle is too small, which makes it difficult for the baby to suck smoothly, so the amount he drinks is reduced.
Mothers can check the milk hole in the nipple on the bottle to see if it flows out smoothly. Usually the best speed is 1 drop per second. If it fails to drop or if it drops too fast, it will not be good for the baby.
5. Don't change milk powder often.
Don't change milk powder too frequently, and your baby will have no time to adapt.
If you want to change to a new brand, don't change it all at once. It's best to mix it with other brands of milk powder and observe the bowel movements for a week. If the bowel movements are normal, it means that you have adapted well, and then you can replace it with a new milk powder.
After entering the milking period, if the effect of changing the milk powder brand is limited, you can give up using this method.
Points to note during the milking period Mothers should treat their baby's milking phenomenon with a relaxed attitude. You should know that a mother's attitude will directly affect the baby's mood.
In addition, if your baby is tired of milk, don't force your baby to drink milk because you are worried that your baby's nutrition will not be replenished.
During the lactation period, you must let nature take its course and take care of your baby's needs and emotions.
Let's take a look at the precautions for the "milk-withdrawal" period.
1. Maintain a relaxed and happy mood.
Even if your baby has a reluctance to feed, mothers should not be overly anxious or nervous.
Otherwise, a baby cannot eat in a relaxed and happy mood, which will reduce their appetite.
2. Do not force your baby to drink milk.
If you force your baby to eat and force a pacifier into his mouth, it will often backfire and make the baby resist.
You can let nature take its course and help your baby regain his appetite by consuming his physical strength. Your baby may begin to regain his appetite when he is extremely hungry or when his body needs it.
3. Provide timely encouragement and comfort.
If your baby can drink more milk at a time, you can kiss or touch him after drinking it and give him some encouragement, which can also calm the baby's emotions well.
4. Choose the appropriate formula milk powder, feed them without blindly pursuing taste and nutritional content.
Many infant formulas on the market contain fragrance and flavoring agents, which can lead to dependency in babies.
When selecting formula milk powder for feeding, one can choose the milk powder that does not add flavoring substances, sucrose and cornstarch, which also has a certain effect on inhibiting babies' refusal to feed.
The medical information provided in this article is for reference only.
In case of discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on a face-to-face consultation with a medical professional.