1 Month Old Cries When Breastfeeding

Updated on February 08, 2010
M.P. asks from Daly City, CA
8 answers

My 1 month old cries during breastfeeding. I have never given her a bottle so I know it's not that she is used to something else. At her last visit the doctor was surprised that she gained 2lbs (she only lost 1 oz after birth) in her first month, which means she is getting enough from me. I feel let down from both breast when feeding. I burp her to see if that is what she wants and she still cries. Is she still getting used to breastfeeding? Am I reading her cues wrong?

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your advice. I think the fast letdown could be the problem because once that passed she would stop crying. I sat her up during this time during the feeding and she stopped crying. It might be it was spraying her too hard. Thank you all! This has helped me a lot.

More Answers

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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

I think it could be a lot of things, too.

Perhaps she's gassy, and her latch isn't good enough that it's creating more gas while nursing (or perhaps it's something in the breastmilk that's creating her stomach to be upset).

My kids both took to nursing really easily, so I never experienced the crying thing except for one isolated incident in the hospital with our second.

Do you pump? If so, you may want to try the breastmilk in a bottle (someone other than you will likely need to try giving it to her) to see if she makes the same sounds when feeding in general.

It never hurts to call the lactation consultant at the hospital or the La Leche league to see if they have any thoughts either.

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A.Y.

answers from Los Angeles on

Could she have thrush? My son had thrush at 3 weeks since I spiked a fever during labor then ended up with a csection the drs put me on antibiotics which made us prone to thrush. We had three bouts of it and everytime he had it he was super fussy while trying to nurse

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K.G.

answers from St. Louis on

My youngest son cried every time I breastfed him. I found out that if I anticipated when he would be hungry, he didn't cry as much. He usually didn't let me know he was hungry until he was HUNGRY, and it took him a while to calm down and actually eat. Could that be what's wrong with your little girl? If you anticipate a bit, she will eat while she's calm, and that really can help.

I agree that over-active letdown can really be hard. I had that, too, but when I actively anticipated by son's needs, that lessened because I wasn't quite as full. I hope you get this figured out!

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J.V.

answers from Chicago on

You are in the midst of the first wonder week, first growth spurt. It will pass.

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J.O.

answers from New York on

Are you sure she's crying? What is she like when she breast feeds? Is she latched on and how are you holding her?
It may be the noise she's making when she eats.

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H.J.

answers from Minneapolis on

Is she doing it right in the beginning I would say it might be your letdown. Try pumping or expressing some by hand just before a feeding to slow down the letdown and see what happens. My son did this where he would take a few suck and just whimper and cry for a bit. I realized he was getting sprayed hard with milk...lol

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K.M.

answers from Miami on

I have to agree with Justplainbecky that it sounds like over active letdown (OAL). If she's being forced to swallowed a lot of milk, that could be why she's gaining so much weight (not that that in itself is a bad thing) and crying while nursing. Luckily, there is stuff you can do! =)

Here's a link:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

B.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

How is your letdown? If its super fast, it could be her gulping and trying to keep up, and if she is actually crying, the letdown could be to ofast for her and making her tummy upset. If your letdown sprays out fast, let her latch until letdown, and then unlatch her and let the spray go into a towel or cup, and when it slows or stops, let her latch and nurse again. An overactive letdown should never be pumped as it then stimulates the body for more letdonw. If you let it spray out on its own without stimulation, it signals your body to slow the letdown down, and it typically takes a week or two for it to slow down.

What sound does she make? My boys both make a funny 'gerp gerp' noise while nursing adn it almost sounded... chirpy? I don't know how to describe it. They outgrew it around 2-3mos. Babies have to work to remember to suck, swallow,breathe in that order so she could still be gtting used to eating properly.

She is gaining weight, thats great! Her poops should be yellow, seedy, and soft. If htey are green and stringy (like we lettuce) she is getting to omuch hind milk. Make sure she is nursing on one breast only per feeding, no need to switch because she needs the hind milk, and if you switch breasts she won't get enough.

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