Fit and hold problems are commonly misdiagnosed in breastfeeding women and their babies

Misdiagnoses are commonly applied when your baby has an unstable position or there's nipple and breast tissue drag

We have a serious health system blind spot about fit and hold problems, which are often inappropriately diagnosed as medical conditions. You can find out about this in the Recommended Resources listed below.

Here are the inappropriate diagnoses babies often receive when they're showing signs of an unstable position and breast tissue drag in breastfeeding.

You might like to click on the link to find out about each diagnosis, including when it is and isn't relevant, or you can wait until you come to the chapter in Possums Breastfeeding & Lactation which deals with misdiagnoses in babies with fit and hold problems.

• Allergy

• Reflux

• Gut pain or dysbiosis

• Air swallowing

• Lactose intolerance

• Oral connective tissue restriction

• Cranial nerve, neurological or sensory motor dysfunctions.

However, we don't want to miss a true medical condition in your baby. If you have concerns about your baby's weight gain or health, please see your local GP.

Misdiagnoses are also commonly applied when you have nipple pain or damage from breast tissue drag

Here are diagnoses that women often receive when they're experiencing nipple and breast tissue drag during breastfeeding. Click on the link to find out about each diagnosis, and when it is and isn't relevant, or just keep working your way through Possums Breastfeeding & Lactation.

• Nipple thrush

• Subacute mastitis

• Neural sensitisation or allodynia

• Idiopathic vasospasm

• Oral connective tissue restriction in your baby

Again, we don't want to miss a true medical condition. If you have concerns about your own or your baby's health, please see your local GP.

Recommended resources

Lactating women experience high levels of nipple pain and damage because of our health system blind spot about fit and hold

All breastfeeding support professionals agree that fit and hold problems are the most common cause of nipple pain so why isn't every woman shown how to prevent it or how to do a quick early repair?.

Why are breastfeeding women and their babies often unnecessarily pathologised?

Overmedicalisation in the times of catastrophic environmental crisis

What drives overdiagnosis and overtreatment of restricted oral connective tissues in breastfeeding babies