hi moms...
i've been having some issues nursing my almost 4 month old baby girl... its been almost a month since this started, and its not getting better... every time its feeding time, she takes a few sips, and starts yelling... i've taken her to the doctor, she's not congested, nor does she have an ear infection... at fists, i'd sing to her, and she'd pay attantion and eat... then that stopped working... then i'd give her a passifier, take it out and shove the boob in her mouth... a minute later, same thing... that stopped working too...now, she seems to like for me to WALK while feeding... WHat is that? and how long is it gonna last???? i'm at the end of my rope with this...i've switched soaps, washed my nipples before i feed her, i feel like i've done it all...she has no problem eating normally at 5 am, its the daily and especially the one before bedtime feeding... i breastfed my first for 11 months, so i really wanted to at least try to do the same for her, but i feel like its too hard this time... i dont have time to pump and bottle feed her (she does take the bottle occasionally, when i cant take it anymore...) i have a 3 year old, and there's just not enough time in the day to pump and feed... what else can i do? is this gonna be my nursing experience with her? because its not very pleasant at all...so at this point i'm not sure if its worth it for both of us to be so misserable... any suggestions???
If it were me I would go for formula and let the three year old participate in making and giving the bottle.
Be happy and healthy.
B. v. O.
Pay attention to what you're eating on those times when she screams. It goes into the milk and can change the taste (which is why it's okay some of the time; the 5am is probably diluted by then). All three of my kids had different things that they were 'sensitive' to. Keep a food chart to see what it could be. It's worth it to find out because BF is a special time. Good luck!
both of my sons who had "silent reflux" did this. I believe it was due to stomach acid getting up into their esophagus and causing pain. ours were calmed by nursing while bouncing gently on a large exercise ball. I was told by the pediatric GI specialist that the reflux peaks at about 4 months and then gets better. If you can, I would consult a specialist to see if this might be the case. If so there are a lot of good suggestions on the internet (and I am happy to share mine) to get you through the next couple of months still breastfeeding. I am soo glad I hung in there, because now our little guy is a happy feeder and we are loving it at 7 months...
I also had to make a radical change in my diet (no milk protein to speak of even the slightest amount of butter and no soy either). You will see a difference in about three days if you take out all the right foods. It seems awful at first, but it is doable and really worth it. I can share with you what I eat if you would like...
I hope this helps,
S.
you already have a lot of great suggestions, but i didn't see this one in the first bunch of responses:
you should never wash your nipples while nursing. the areolas have wonderful little glands which produce all the goodies they need to stay clean and sanitized. washing them will not only leave a bad taste in your child's mouth, it will also destroy the wonderful properties of the natural cleaning system. If anything, you should put more milk on them, let them dry and then put your bra back on (especially if you have any sore spots... this helps to heal them!).
All babies go through this stage of not wanting to just latch and go, they start looking around and loving what they see. Just keep nursing.
It may be teeth coming in (in which case you may need to adjust the latch so the teeth don't rub too much), could be that you gave a bottle or lots of them and the child likes the bottle more (nipple confusion- only way to solve it is fix how you hold the bottle or stop giving it all-together)... Good luck!
Well, it's a new one on me but LLLI.org (LaLecheLeagueInternational) is a great breastfeeding resource. Real nursing moms helping each other. Thanks for really investigating the answers. The right thing for you will come to you, you watch!
Blessings,
Deb
hi. i have a 4 month old son doing the same thing. i also have a 6 and 2 year old. i think its a combination of being aware of the "big kids" and teething. my other son, the 2 year old, did the same thing around the same age with his sister, who was 4 years old at the time. if you're able, sometimes moving to a quieter room helps. i understand you still have to monitor the 3 yr old, they are very crafty and wonderful opportunists :) also, i use an herbal teething liquid and giving it right before i nurse sometimes helps, too. bouncing my knee and rocking back and forth like a washing machine while nursing cam help, too. i would stop washing your nipples, though, because that can actually make the problem worse by changing the taste and smell of your breast. good luck and let me know if it helps. it will pass if you're persistent, but if its too much, just pump what you can (even if its only two bottles a day) and bottle feed, its better than being frustrated!!!!
Hi
Is it possible that your 'let down' and flow is not fast enough for her? You could try pumping for a few minutes before nursing, to get the flow going for her.
Good luck
One suggestion is to take a look at your diet. My little girl, who I breastfed for 1 year, really fussed if I had garlic. She didn't like the taste and she would get really bad gas. So, I went almost a year without any garlic hardly. This was the only food I noticed this problem with. Some people's babies have problems with onions, cabbage, broccoli and other gassy foods.
I don't have a whole lot of ideas of what the problem could be, but I would definitely find a local La Leche League and call someone, or better yet go to a meeting and let someone there watch this whole nursing fiasco - they will probably have ideas for you! Sorry this is such a struggle - not what a mom wants her nursing relationship to be like! Good luck
Wow, sounds tough! The only things that come to mind are:
Is she possibly teething?
Is it possible your milk flow is too slow/or not enough? Are you drinking enough fluids?
If neither of you is enjoying it, it won't be the end of the world if you go to formula/bottles. They were created for a reason. :)
I hope you find peace in whatever decision you make. God bless you and your family!
H.,
I don't know if you have a lot of milk but perhaps it would be best to pump for a minute in case you milk just comes out too quickly and that's why she doesn't like it. If you feel like you have an undersupply of milk, then could you be pregnant again? I started to lose my milk after I got pregnant for the second time and my daughter would only nurse in the morning and at night, and during the day she wouldn't nurse because she knew there was no milk! Thankfully she was close to a year old and at the normal stopping point for nursing. If you aren't pregnant and think you might have an undersupply, try drinking more water and taking some fenugreek herbs or something. If you are dieting too much for any reason, this will definitely affect your milk!
Hope you find the answer.
C.
she could be starting to teeth and at time it may be painful for her to latch on. try some gentle naturals teething drops about 5-10 mins before nursing her and see if that calms it down.
It sounds to me like you may have overactive let down, but I am definitely not a professional. I second the advice to call a lactation consultant. If you can't afford one, La Leche League International has a free hotline as well as support groups. Definitely take advantage of the professional help that is available for breastfeeding moms, and GOOD FOR YOU for continuing to work at nursing.
Sometimes when they're teething the suction bothers them. Talk to a Le Leche League group, they have a ton of ideas on MANY issues. Go to their site and find a group nearby. Keep up the great work!
I'm so sorry for this frustration and pain! Oh my. My best advise it to contact the Transitions help line at Saddleback Hospital. They were so helpful for me, and generally I would get a call back after leaving a message within an hour, or certainly by the end of the day. They were able to answer all of my questions by phone, no cost, no strings, no anything - just great, wonderful help, even if you didn't deliver there. ###-###-#### or ###-###-####. Just pick up the phone!! If you're in the area (Orange County) you would be able to schedule an appointment with them. I know there are tons of other lactation specialists around (Milkalicious in Aliso Viejo - http://www.milkalicious.org/ or 949-831-MILK), and they charge - but I'm sure it would be worth it (just think of what you will save in money and energy - I agree - BF'g is so much easier!). I wish you the very best, and hope you enjoy their very loving help. Take care.
Get homeopathic remedy called Lycopodium 30C. Whole Foods carry it. never mind what the lable says - they have to put some indications there. give it every 20 min for the first waking hour and then 20 min after each feeding during the first day. repeat as needed. stop if no result is seen after a week. this suggestion is short of professional attention of homeopath that may be needed.
Good Luck
V.
p.s. or, yes - do not tuch the little pills - roll them on the spoon or dilute in water with strong shaking motions. keep away from light, heat and strong smells.
