Kassing Method: Feeding Without Disturbing Lactation

The Kassing method is ideal for mothers who, for various reasons, have to leave their child in the care of a nanny or in a nursery. Find out more about the benefits of this technique!

The Kassing Method is a bottle-feeding method that does not interfere with the mother’s lactation process. Thanks to it, the risk of a baby rejecting breastfeeding or not being able to suck hard enough drops to almost zero.

Not all mothers can breastfeed their babies. So they have to take advantage of bottle feeding. This often happens when the baby is premature or needs supplementation. There are also mothers who return to work very quickly and express milk to use later to feed their baby from the bottle. There are also women who cannot breastfeed because of health complications.

Bottle feeding can cause confusion and cause your baby to refuse to drink breast milk later. On the other hand, drinking from a bottle is easier for toddlers as it requires less effort from them. This is because of the differences between the nipple of the bottle and the nipple. The opening of the bottle is much larger (and can be further enlarged) and the milk is poured out by gravity. Thus, when drinking from a bottle, the newborn does not have to use force and suck.

The problem arises when, after the break for bottle-feeding, the mother wants to return to breastfeeding, and the baby is unable to adapt to this more difficult situation or has problems with eating. This is why the American specialist Dee Kassing has developed a system that uses a bottle, but it is similar to breastfeeding.

Kassing method

The Kassing method aims to recreate the conditions characteristic of breastfeeding. It focuses especially on the intensity of the effort that the baby needs to suckle. In this way, the negative effects of breastfeeding are largely counteracted. This makes it easier for mothers to introduce mixed feeding.

When drinking from a bottle, the baby should be placed in a semi-sitting position. You don’t have to try to recreate the breastfeeding position. The nipple should be anatomically shaped, although many bottles differ from the shape of the nipple. The bottle opening is larger, which makes it easier for your baby to eat.

You just need to find the bottle that is right for your baby. Another important step is to recreate the natural stimulus associated with breastfeeding. You should strengthen your baby’s reflexes by touching his cheeks and lips. Let him find the pacifier himself.

When your toddler’s mouth is open, let him make a few sucking movements. Keep it upright during this time. Thanks to this, the baby will have to use force to suck the milk. The liquid wouldn’t pour into his mouth because of gravity alone.

Keep track of the duration of the feeding session and the amount of milk your baby drinks. In addition, check your baby’s cheeks and remove the bottle from time to time.

Suitable conditions for bottle feeding

For the Kassing method to work, you need to focus on finding the correct size and shape for the bottle. It should be completely round. Thanks to this, it will resemble a nipple as much as possible.

It should also be long enough so that its tip can reach the space between the hard and soft palate. The same mechanism works for breastfeeding. The base must be narrow, soft, about 2 centimeters long.

Make sure the nipple has a small hole. This way the milk will flow more slowly. The baby will have to make such an effort to drink as would be required to drink breast milk. Thanks to slower eating, digestion is optimal and calm.

Be sure to buy simple teats. Give up curved. The simple shape makes the flow of milk difficult and slow – and that’s it. The child then has to use more force.

Feeding position

The Kassing Method aims to avoid overfeeding your baby while controlling how fast your toddler eats. Remember that the best position to feed your baby is in a semi-sitting position.

It is not recommended to put the baby on its back. In this position, the milk will simply flow under the influence of gravity. The toddler will not have to make any effort.

Moreover, lying down puts you at risk of choking and ear infections. Milk can flow into the eustachian tube in the middle ear.

Here is the most important point: the  bottle should be in a horizontal position. It must not be tilted close to vertical. Only then will the baby be forced to suckle.

Before you start, make your baby search for a nipple. Don’t put the bottle in his mouth too quickly. Touch his cheeks and lips with the nipple and wait for him to search for the nipple and take it in his mouth.

Summary

The Kassing method is very useful for premature babies, babies who need supplementation, and babies who need to be fed a mixed feed. It will also work for toddlers, for whom a doctor has recommended partial bottle-feeding. It is also an ideal solution for mothers who are unable to breastfeed due to diseases or injuries that cause pain.

If your baby needs to take supplements, feeding experts recommend that you bottle them mixed with breast milk. Use purchased milk only when necessary.

The Kassing method allows you to recreate the natural conditions related to breastfeeding. Its main elements are to recreate the stimulation of stimuli and the intensity of the effort that the baby has to put into suckling. This way you can return to breastfeeding much faster and easier.