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Have you noticed your baby sweating excessively while you are breastfeeding him? Is it more than a one-off instance, when you dismissed it as your baby feeling warm? Are you worried that it could signal a potential health problem? If you are clueless and curious to find out the cause of baby sweating while breastfeeding, read on!
Why Does Your Baby Sweat While Breastfeeding?
Many babies sweat while they are breastfeeding, and it is a normal phenomenon. To be sure that everything is fine, you should still mention it to the pediatrician when you go for your baby’s next health checkup.
While breastfeeding, you and your baby are in close contact, often skin-to-skin and it can make your baby feel warm. It increases your baby’s body heat. To help your baby regulate his temperature, his body stimulates the natural process of cooling by starting to sweat.
[ Read: Common Breastfeeding Problems ]
Does It Indicate A Health Issue?
While it is usually normal for your baby to sweat a little while breastfeeding, excessive sweating could be a symptom of a potential health issue. It is one of the symptoms of pulmonary atresia, which is a kind of congenital heart disease (1).
The pulmonary valve is an opening on the right side of the heart that helps regulate blood flow to the lungs. In case of pulmonary atresia, the pulmonary valve does not form properly. As a result, the blood from the baby’s right ventricle cannot reach the lungs. It leads to a deficiency of oxygen in the body.
[ Read: Breastfeeding Techniques ]
If your baby is excessively sweating while breastfeeding, it could also indicate the malfunctioning of his thyroid gland. Some babies suffer from a condition called hyperthyroidism (2).
If your baby has a health issue that causes excessive sweating while breastfeeding, there will be more symptoms that you need to spot. Here are a few more symptoms you can watch out for:
- Your baby may have difficulty in breathing. He may breathe rapidly or slowly or even gasp.
- Additionally, your baby may always seem tired and lethargic or may fall asleep while feeding all the time.
- In some cases, your baby may not want to feed at all.
Some babies can suffer from cyanosis or develop a bluish tint to their skin.
The best way to make sure your baby gets the required treatment or care at the right time is to speak immediately to his doctor if you notice any of the above symptoms.
[ Read: Baby Falling Asleep While Breastfeeding ]
How To Reduce Baby Sweating While Breastfeeding?
Before you hit the panic button and rush to the doctor, here are a few tips that can help you make your baby feel more comfortable while breastfeeding.
- Do not overdress your baby, assuming that he is feeling cold. Your baby’s body will naturally heat up while feeding, so adding more layers will only make him feel uncomfortable, and he may not want to feed at all.
- Make sure your baby is wearing cotton clothes during summers. Avoid making him wear a cap while he is feeding, as keeping his head bare will help his body remain cool. If it is cold and you are feeding him during the winter months, you can dress up your little one in woolen clothes. Remember never to make your baby wear polyester clothes as they will make him feel extremely uncomfortable.
- While you are breastfeeding, you and your baby will be in a tight embrace. Therefore, it is important that you take care of your clothing as well, as what you wear will also affect your baby. Make sure you dress in light cotton clothes in the summer months that will help keep both you and your baby cool. Make sure the material is soft on your baby’s skin. If you are feeding during the winter months, check that your woolen garment does not touch your baby’s body directly, as it can cause skin irritation.
[ Read: Measures To Prevent Baby Biting Nipple During Breastfeeding ]
- Make sure the room temperature is moderate and not too hot or cold. It is always a good idea to keep the rooms well-ventilated. It will keep your baby comfortable and will also prevent any stuffiness in the room.
- Do not cover your baby’s head or face using a cloak while you are nursing him at home. Use a cotton nursing cloak while breastfeeding him in public.
- If your baby does seem uncomfortable, lightly blow air over his head to reduce any sweating.
[ Read: Why Babies Refuse To Breastfeed ]
Try switching your baby’s position while breastfeeding him. Often, while you are nursing your little one, his head lies cradled in the same position for long. It causes one part of his face and head to heat up, leading to profuse sweating in that area. Make sure you change your baby’s position for some time while switching breasts.
If you feel that your baby is still sweating a lot during feeding despite following the above tips, make sure you speak to his doctor about it.
Hope you liked our post on how to reduce baby sweating while nursing. Did your baby sweat a lot while feeding too? What did you do to help him? Please share your advice and tips with other moms here.
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