Breast milk is one of the most precious gifts that mom gives to her baby. Sometimes issues come up, though, that make breastfeeding difficult. I address some of them in the breastfeeding section of my website. In this short post I want to talk about homeopathy for a baby who won’t feed.
The common issues usually are:
- Birth trauma
- Medications that mom had during labour
- Baby may be snuffly and congested
- Milk may have an unpleasant taste
- Baby may suffer from thrush making sucking painful
When you get into a negative cycle with breastfeeding, it can take a couple of months to resolve and for breastfeeding to establish properly. Checking baby’s latch is important. Also, things like lip or tongue-tie can interfere. Continue to offer the breast to the baby and make sure you maintain your milk supply. Express if needed. Some good practical tips when a baby won’t feed are listed in this article.
Homeopathy for baby who won’t feed – birth trauma
If you and your baby went through a difficult and traumatic birth, it is a good idea to help the baby release the shock with homeopathy. Perhaps a suction cup or forceps were used, or mother had a fright during pregnancy or delivery. You can give the baby remedies such as Arnica and Bellis perennis to help with trauma and injury. Aconite or Stramonium can help if there is a history of fright or shock.
Homeopathy for baby who won’t feed – drowsy from medications
If medications were administered during labour, consider Phosphorus and Nux-vomica. A drowsy baby that doesn’t pass urine or retains meconium may need homeopathic remedy Opium, particularly if the mother had pethidine during delivery.
Homeopathy for baby who won’t feed – snuffles and thrush
Full of mucus and snuffly, the baby finds it hard to latch on and nurse. A good remedy to try in this case is Kali-bich. A few doses of 9c potency often help clear the nose of mucus and, as a result, make it easier for the baby to suck.
Sometimes baby develops thrush in the mouth. This can make feeding very painful. If you find white patches in baby’s mouth that you can’t rub off easily, consider these remedies:
- Borax
- Mercurius
- Candida albicans
I cover remedies for oral thrush in babies in more detail in this post.
Homeopathy for baby who won’t feed – milk tastes bad
This may seem strange, but sometimes the baby won’t nurse because the milk tastes bitter or sour. The top remedies for the mother are:
- Aethusa
- Borax
- Calc-carb
- Chamomilla
- Mercurius solubilis
- Silica
Rheum is another remedy to think of. Rheum has a strong affinity for liver, and the milk may turn yellowish and bitter.
It can be tricky to prescribe homeopathy for a baby who won’t feed on your own. There can be lots of reasons why baby refuses breast, so it’s worth working with a homeopath who will take your case properly. Babies usually recover very quickly and often one or two remedy doses will solve the problem.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment, please feel free to contact me. I am a qualified professional offering expert homeopathic treatment in Dublin and Online. Family discounts available.
