Should I rub my baby’s spit on my nipples if they don’t latch?

This is not a joke question, this is a genuine question that comes up in breastfeeding support groups, particularly those aimed at providing support to mothers who exclusively pump to provide their babies with breast milk. The concern comes from a study that showed there is a saliva transfer from a baby into the mother's nipples when directly breastfeeding.

The theory here is that this is a possible route of communication between the baby and the mother's immune system, and that this "backwash" helps the mother's body to tailor the antibodies in the milk to the baby's needs at that given time.

For mothers who are not directly breastfeeding, this idea is concerning because they want to make sure their baby is getting the antibodies they need. This can become a source of anxiety and has led to mother's asking if they need to rub their babies spit on their nipples to simulate this nipple backwash.

The question here is really how do the antibodies that the baby needs to fight the germs they are currently exposed to end up in their mother's milk, and is the nipple backwash the only way the right antibodies get where they need to be?

The Answer: Nipple backwash is a theory, and it's a theory that makes sense, but also ignores the other major route of germ exposure shared between a mother and her child in order to romanticize the act of direct breastfeeding.

Antibodies are produced by anyone's immune system when they encounter a germ, and the antibodies circulate in our blood supply helping our body fend off these unwanted bacteria and viruses. A lactating woman still has the same immune system as everyone else, except her immune system also shares those antibodies with her baby through her breast milk.

Since breast milk is formed from a mother's blood supply, the baby is given the exact same antibodies that are circulating in the mother's blood supply. The breasts are amazing organs that synthesize a whole diet designed especially to nourish tiny humans, but I have yet to see a single piece of literature that even hints at the breast tissue synthesizing special antibodies that are somehow different from the mother's circulating antibodies. At most the nipple backwash theory may be an additional means of sharing these germs with the mother.

The mother is always going to be exposed to the germs of the baby just by being around the baby. Stop and think how many times your baby shares their bodily fluids with you every day.....every time your baby does this they are sharing every germ with you. Your body is going to respond to these germs by creating the antibodies needed, and then the process of breast milk synthesis transfers these custom tailored antibodies to your baby through your milk.

Even if you are not latching your baby you are creating the perfect milk that your baby needs. There is no evidence to support the need to rub your baby's spit on your nipples. There is also no evidence that this practice is causing any harm, so if it makes you feel better feel free to keep at it.

View Related Articles…