My daughter is 5 weeks old and is starting to get really fussy while I am feeding her. As she's eating, she pulls herself off and screams and squirms all around. She's on Zantac twice a day because the doctor thinks she may have some acid reflux. She doesn't spit up very much. Maybe once or twice a day. For awhile this was a random act and now the last couple of days it's almost every time she eats. She just seems so uncomfortable and I don't think she's getting enough to eat because I finally just have to stop her because she's so mad and I'm hurting so bad from her squirming around.
I've contacted the doctor, but also thought I'd see if anyone else has had this issue.
Another thing to think about-growth spurt. Perhaps she is not getting the milk fast enough to satisfy her. My youngest went through this a little bit. I agree. Consult with a lactation consultant. Doctors (obgyn's and ped's) aren't always the best people to ask about breastfeeding challenges. Have you tried pumping some milk and giving it to her in a bottle? I might try that and see if it makes a difference. You never know.
G.,
I am currently having the same problem with my two month old. He starts to nurse but after five to ten minutes he starts getting fussy and pulling away but at the same time continues to "hunt and peck" and cry. I read somewhere not to try to force him to eat because then he would associate nursing with crying making the problem worse but I also was really worried he was not getting enough to eat. The best thing I have found to do is to stop nursing when he gets fussy and give him a pacifier and rock him to calm him down then once he is calm begin nursing again. This unfortunately leads to very long nursing sessions but that is the only way I have been able to get him to eat. I did kind of freak out that he might have thrush because I found a little blister on the roof of his mouth and I took him to the doctor. She said the blister was normal for his age and he had no thrush. She thought he might have had a little virus causing the fussy eating but at the time we went he had been eating ok for two days so I thought he was over it but then he started again. The good news though is that he had gained plenty of weight when the doctor weighed him so he is getting enough to eat. I am really hoping he gets over this quickly because feeding him at night especially can be really exhausting. Good luck to you too maybe your doctor can give you a better idea of what is causing the problem.
R.
I wonder if it's something in your diet. My younger son got extremely fussy if I had eaten broccoli (or anything in that cruciferous family) or orange juice or any fruit with a small seed like strawberries, etc. Also, some spices could well change the taste of your breast milk and aggravate her. You might try keeping a food diary for yourself and look for the pattern.
My older son had huge issues with reflux and gasiness and in hindsight, it was likely due to dairy in my diet as we later learned that we both have a dariy allergy. I had detected mine, but just thought it was lactose intolerance, so I had removed dairy before my younger son was born. That also might be why I had a much healthier pregnancy with son # 2.
Also, I can't recommend highly enough that you get some support from a local La Leche League group:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/resources/assistance.html?m=0,0
The local group in Lewisville provided me with invaluable support when I was struggling with breastfeeding my first son.
Do you have a very strong letdown? Some babies are overwhelmed if mom's milk lets down very fast, they can't handle the flow. There are things you can do to help if this is the situation.
Alternately, she may want the milk faster! Is she getting any bottles? Sometimes they will get used to the fast flow from a bottle and get mad if they have to wait a minute for your milk to letdown. You could try breast compressions to keep the milk flowing if this sounds more like your situation.
La Leche League is a great resource for information and support. www.lalecheleague.org to find a leader or a meeting.
G.,
The other replies have good advice. It could possibly be thrush, also. One of my daughters had it and I didn't even know until I took her in for a well check. It can be painful, though, and gets worse over time if it is not dealt with. That would definitely make it painful to nurse. It is difficult to look in a baby's mouth, but it would be worth a check. Also, I went through a time when my youngest would scream every time she nursed. I was very frustrated. A week or two later, I got a really bad sore throat. I will never know for sure if her throat was sore or not, but it would explain her behavior. However, that only went on for a week or two, so might be a long shot in your case.
Hope this helps!
T.
G.:
I agree it could be something you eat. Most citrus things make the milk taste wierd.
Also make sure you are holding her right .May be try another position I don't have much advice but all i wantto stay is stick with it. It is hard but its what is best for you and your baby.
Contact LL group now
Hi G.,
Try swaddling her and then putting her on the breast.
Otherwise, my lactation consultant and friend is Kay Willis of the The Nesting Place in Grapevine. I'm sure she could give you some advice.
Her number is ###-###-####.
Good luck,
P.
HI G.,
I totally understand what you are going thru. My 3 month old had the same thing and I finally had to start pumping and giving him the milk in a bottle. Apparently it worked because he is 17 lbs. He also has reflux and we just switched from Zantac to Prevaseb(however you spell it)and our doctor told us to give him 1/4 tsp of Liquid Mylanta before each feeding. Honestly, I have noticed a huge difference in using the Mylanta just in the last day. My son is a HUGE spit-upper so this seems to be working for him. I hope this helps because I was/am very frustrated at the fact. I still nurse my son at night but it is only so he will go to sleep.
