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Why does my babys face flare up when breastfeeding?

Understanding Facial Flare-Ups in Babies During Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is a beautiful bonding experience between a mother and her baby, but it can sometimes come with unexpected moments, such as when a baby’s face turns red or flares up during feeding. This phenomenon can be concerning for new parents, prompting questions about its causes and implications.
Common Causes of Facial Redness
One of the primary reasons a baby’s face may become flushed while breastfeeding is due to blocked nasal passages. When babies nurse, they often breathe through their mouths, especially if their noses are congested. This can lead to a noticeable reddening of the face as they exert more effort to breathe while feeding.
Another factor to consider is overheating. Babies can easily become warm during breastfeeding, particularly if they are bundled up or if the environment is warm. This increase in body temperature can cause their faces to flush.
Teething and Skin Conditions
Teething is another common culprit that can lead to facial flare-ups. As babies go through this developmental stage, they may experience discomfort that manifests as redness in the face, especially around the mouth. Additionally, conditions like eczema or baby acne can also contribute to skin flare-ups during feeding. These skin issues can become more pronounced when the baby is agitated or fussy, which sometimes occurs during breastfeeding.
Emotional Responses
It’s also important to recognize that babies can have emotional responses while breastfeeding. They may feel excited, frustrated, or even overwhelmed, which can lead to temporary redness in their faces. This is a normal part of their emotional development and can be exacerbated by the close physical contact during nursing.
When to Seek Help
While occasional facial redness during breastfeeding is typically harmless, parents should monitor the situation. If the redness is persistent, accompanied by other symptoms like rash, swelling, or difficulty breathing, it may be wise to consult a pediatrician. These could be signs of an allergic reaction or another underlying issue that requires attention.
In conclusion, while a baby’s face may flare up during breastfeeding for various reasons—ranging from blocked noses and overheating to teething and emotional responses—most instances are benign. Understanding these causes can help parents feel more at ease during feeding times, allowing them to focus on the nurturing bond that breastfeeding fosters.

How to tell difference between baby acne and milk allergy rash?

Does it look like tiny, red bumps that are clustered together? If so, baby acne is the most likely culprit. If you’re seeing red or pink patches or welts on your baby’s skin and they don’t look like pimples, it could be another rash.

Why does my baby keep looking around when breastfeeding?

This is quite normal and a part of your baby learning about their world. Fortunately there are quite a few ways you can help your baby to keep focused on feeding.

Does breastfeeding affect face?

The most prominent facial changes included relative retrusion of the central midface, zygomatic arches, and orbital regions along with relative protrusion of forehead, cheek, and mandible. The net effect was that as breastfeeding duration increased, the facial profile in children became flatter (less convex).

Why is my face breaking out while breastfeeding?

These zits result from changing hormone levels. They usually get better as hormones go back to pre-pregnancy levels. If postpartum pimples don’t clear up after a few weeks, talk to your provider. There are several safe treatments, even if you’re breastfeeding or chestfeeding.

Can breastmilk irritate baby face?

It’s possible that hormones from a birthing parent’s breast milk (chest milk) can affect your baby’s hormones, which can lead to acne. Baby acne is a temporary skin condition that clears up, most often without any medical treatment. This shouldn’t affect the way that you feed your newborn.

Why is my baby’s face half red after nursing?

Usually occurring between two and five days of age, harlequin colour change has been seen as late as three weeks of age. The condition is benign, and the change of colour fades away in 30 seconds to 20 minutes. It may recur when the infant is placed on her or his side.

Why is my baby thrashing around while breastfeeding?

Overactive letdown (known medically as hyperlactation) can make it hard for a baby to keep up with the steady stream of milk. As a response, they may twist and tug to try and make the milk flow slow down or stop.

How do I know if my breastmilk is upsetting baby?

If your baby shows negative symptoms after drinking breast milk. Consider how your baby responds to breast milk after drinking it. If symptoms occur such as fussiness, irritability, crying, gas, increased spitting up and/or drawing their legs up due to tummy pain, write down everything you ate that day.

Why is my breastfed baby’s face breaking out?

The cause is unknown, but it seems to be linked to maternal hormones that pass from the placenta to the baby during pregnancy. The acne may get worse by 1 month old, but generally goes away without treatment. It may be helpful to gently wash the baby’s face once a day with a mild soap to keep milk residue off the skin.

Why does my baby’s face get blotchy when breastfeeding?

Milk rash is commonly experienced by infants with parents who have a history of allergies. The rash can occur in breast-fed babies after their mothers consume food allergens such as eggs or chicken. This can be different for each person.

Natasha Lunn

Tash is an IBCLC and Business Coach helping fellow IBCLCs create fun, profitable businesses that are more than just an expensive hobby. Before becoming an IBCLC and starting her private practice - The Boobala, Tash graduated as an Osteopath in 2008 and has been in Private Practice in South West Sydney. She was also a volunteer Breastfeeding Counsellor and Community Educator with the Australian Breastfeeding Association for 6 years. Through her business, Your Lactation Biz, Tash coaches and creates products to help new and seasoned IBCLCs build businesses that suit their personality and lifestyle.

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