Breastfeeding Confusion

I had this same "problem." I just kept on going. I thought maybe the milk wasn't flowing as quickly and she was trying to move around to get it going again. I don't know why it happened, but stick to it.

Is is possible that he is teething? I know, you are thinking that he is young for that, but they do teeth at that age sometimes and I know that when my son is teething, he won't suckle well...I usually give him humphrey's and then wait about 5 minutes and then he is fine...
This might not be the case for you but thought I would mention the possibility.

Hi S. =)
Sounds like he has drained that side & is frustrated because he cant get anymore out. Have you offered the other side at this point? Once I caught on, lol when my daughter started that, she would nurse happily on the other breast.
Good for you for sticking it out! We are on 10.5 months so far & pushing for 18-24 mo for maximum immunity & benefits. It gets sooo much easier. Nursing seems so second nature now & our bond is incredible =)
take care,
~S

Hope this helps! My infant was spitting up alot and fussy so her doctor decided that it may be acid reflux. Sydney was put on a Zantac mixture and she stopped the fussing so much (although nothing much helps the spitting up). The doctor said that about 50% of infants she treats have acid reflux due to to sphincter at the top of the stomach is not as tight as it should be. It usually tightens up no later than 6-9 months at which point the infant can come off of the Zantac (since I am very cautious about giving my kids any medicine). She also said there are no side effects. She also suggested "thickening" my pumped breastmilk with rice cereal (1TBLSPN to 2oz milk) to see about helping the spitting up which also aused my child to nurse constantly (every 1-1.5 hrs 'round the clock). It helped the spitting up a bit, but Sydney didnt sleep more than an extra 1/2 hour than just the breast. We decided to stop "thickening" at night because her extra 1/2 hour of sleep was worthless since it took me the 1/2 hour to pump then another 1/2 hour to mix the milk and cereal and feed it to her (AKA - I lost sleep). She now (at 5 months) will drain both breasts (about 5 oz) every 3-4 hours during the day and 4-6 hours at night. It used to take her 20 minutes on 1 breast with less milk. No, she usually does both in 15 to 20 minutes, so yes, they become more efficient and mom tends to get better with relaxation, etc. I would definitely mention it to his doctor. Good luck!

HI S., is he nursing on both breasts? If it is just the one side he has probably drained the breast and wants more. They do become very efficient and those hour long feedings will be shorter and shorter! My doctor had told me that a baby can drain a breast in about 10 minutes.

He may very well be full. My son went from 40 minute feeding sessions to 15 minutes to 7 minutes and he's only 6 months old! If you don't re-latch him what does he do? My son does the off and on, off and on thing and so I started telling him, "off and on means you're all done". If he's still hungry then he starts fussing a little while later, but he quickly learned to do his eating when he's supposed to! I wouldn't stress about it too much unless he's being really fussy afterward. If he is fussy afterward (like he's still hungry) but won't eat then you might try eliminating dairy from your diet and maybe even gluten. Dairy is really hard for babies to digest...and it's not just the lactose, there is another protein in there that their little bodies can't efficiently break down. Definitely check with the Dr next week, but if he is gaining weight properly then you shouldn't worry!

my third did this and it was so frustrating, and he always seemed uncomfortable after eating. we discovered when he was one that he is very allergic to dairy. try eliminating dairy and all gassy foods, like broccoli and beans, and see if that helps.

he may be getting teeth

I was just talking to my husband about this because my 3 1/2 week old is doing the same thing. It is especially frustrating in the middle of the night while I am trying to nurse him while I am half asleep. He gets frustrated and then I get frustrated and then it turns into a cry fest at times. My son also gets particularly fussy after every feeding and I am constantly trying to burp him, I will even bounce gently with him in my arms and get a burp. He has gas constantly, the mylicon drops offer some comfort at times and I also have the colic tablets that dissolve under the tongue, but not sure if he just calms down by that point or if they are helping. I understand what you are going through, I am still navigating this breastfeeding because I did not do it very long with the other two. I hope it gets easier for both of us. Hang in there.

Hi S..
I'm inclined to agree with the person who said this sounds like reflux. There is a great deal of mention about foods and eliminating them. For some, this works just fine. However, if there are a lot of foods that seem to be causing the problem, then you are also creating a nutrition problem for yourself and your son, and a slight or otherwise lactose intolerance is not something you want to mess with in a breastfeeding baby.

Ask your doctor about reflux. My pediatrician advised me it was common in first borns particularly, and while I don't know why this would be true, it seems to be holding; my son, my sister's son and my best friend's son all had the same problem. All were treated for reflux for a few months until they grew up a bit and symptoms subsided and all have done better. If your pediatrician disregards this option, take your child to someone else. My sister and I use Lynn Longfield from Southwest Medical Associates-- she does a great job.

Good luck.

Hi S., I haven't read any other comments, but my guess is that it may be gas...ie: burp. My boys always drank fast and gulped the milk, as they got older they got better at swallowing and breathing, but for the first little bit they just drank too fast. Take care, hope this helps.
S.

Something similiar happened to me when I breastfed my first. I have 4 now. I found that it was a burp. I had to really jig him to get that burp out. I would put him over my shoulder sit at the edge of the bed and bounce these small little bounces(making sure to hold his head firmly so it didnt' jiggle. Then I would get a really huge burp. and he would go back to nursing.

Sounds like classic reflux. My son did the same thing, though his started almost from the getgo. As long as you feel confident you have changed enough things in your diet , caffeine, milk, veggies, and the bhx continues, it could not hurt to try an acid reducer. Don't give him anything on your own,let your DR.prescribe it. It won't take long to know if it works or not. I had to ask my doctor to let us try it, she conceded. We had to try 3 different medicaitions and ended up with a combo of two, one of which he is still on at 18mos. We know he needs it because when we try to wean him, at da 4 he stops eating and won't sleep through the night. put him back on it and in three days he is fine again. I know many people are agaist medicating their infants, but I am against having him in pain unnecessarily. He is fine, at 18mos speaks better than most 2 yr old boys! very normal and happy. So, I doubt his development as affected in any way! Good luck. You are doing a great job as a mom - how do I know? You are asking questions...keep up the good work!

Hi S.-
Other foods than caffeine (coffee and tea, especially those spiced teas) and carbonated drinks can cause problems- for my son, it was also citrus and melons (Really!) Some other children have problems with beans, chili, sugar, milk, peanut butter, etc. It all comes out in your milk. Try eating just rice, meat & cooked veggies for a bit, and avoid wheat and sugar. Don't worry about the time he takes- they take what they need, although feeding sessions do tend to get shorter. Are you feeding him when there is no other activity in the room? Many times, they will get distracted by something else going on around them, and stop their focus on nursing. But they're still hungry. Try nursing in a dark, quiet room with no other noise or people or moving color/motion, and see what happens. But do walk him if he is fussy but still wishes to nurse. Hope it helps- S.

I had found this handout and it helped me a little. Hope it helps you! Good luck!

http://www.pamf.org/children/newborns/feeding/understandi...

S.,
I agree with Alyssa. My son was a very good nurser but if I had to much dairy ie: ice cream, cheese, milk, yogurt, or anything like that he was really affected by it. You might have to cut back on your dairy intake but you may want to talk to your doctor about taking a calcium supplement while you are doing that. Good luck!

Two of my three girls had reflux and I saw some od what you are describing with them. I'd suggest asking your ped about it. If necessary, the meds can take away the discomfort and feedings will be easier. Good luck!

S.,
It's true that as a baby matures, he becomes more efficient at nursing. My son, now 7 months nursed about 15-20 minutes max each feeding from 2 months on. My son has always been above average weight, too. So, your little guy might just be full. Another possibility is that he is sensitive to peristalsis (movement of food through the intestines) and that is causing this reaction. My son's pediatrician told me some babies are just more aware of the sensation and will twist and turn while nursing like mine did when he was a few months old (my little guy still moves a lot while nursing --maybe that's boys). It's normal he said. So, make sure your baby is gaining weight properly and is healthy and then just relax. There's a wide variation of normal with babies and breastfeeding. Good for you for giving your baby the best nutrition possible! R. (Certified Nurse Midwife and mom of 2)

He may have an ear infection. Sometimes the suckling action will put to much pressure on his little ears and it hurts when he eats. Hopefully it isn't, but it's something to consider!

This happened to me too! Very frustrating. In my case it was my flow that was too fast for the little guy and it was choking him. It still happens occasionally but you can tell if this is the case for you if the milk keeps flowing after he's off. He could just be full too, like you said. I have heard that they get more efficient at nursing. I am still waiting for that however. Hope this helps!

M.
Mom to 7 week old little angel boy:)

I would recommend investigating whether or not he just wants to suck but not eat, per se.
By that age couple of my kids would be done with a nursing session in under 10 minutes and wanted to suck, but getting milk frustrated them.