Help and advice

[Bear]

Hi all, it's been a long while since I was last on here, but wondered if any of you could help me with some boob feeding advice.

I've been feeding my little Helen for 17 weeks now, everything was going fine until we went to spain when she was 13 weeks, then she started to refuse milk which was very unlike her. She would have about 5 mins then come off flat refusing anymore and getting upset. We mainly put it down to the hot weather, so I offered her the breast more frequently to compensate but she still wouldnt have it. Back at home she picked up, but it's gone back again to the 3 or 5 minute scenario (sp) again and it's getting quite stressful, even though I'm trying my best not too I'm sure you all know it's easier said than done.

The majority of the time I have to get her sleepy by rocking her while she sucks her thumb, then pop the boob in and away she goes for about half an hour. She doesnt seem to like it either if I sit down so alot of the time I have to rock her standing up and this is getting harder and harder as she gets bigger.

She's very happy and weighs 13 pound 9 oz at the mo, HV sid that was fine and to keep persevering, but I'm getting stressed and am wondering wether to try her on the bottle on formula. But, I know she could do the same on the bottle and we'll still be in the same situation.


I have never expressed any milk just purely breastfed, but I'm starting to want more freedom like my nights back for one, she wont go to sleep till around 10 and I never seem to get a break! I tried expressing but it just didnt work too well and I dont really have the time to do it either tbh.

I wondered if anyone of you have had a similar problem in that your lo's will/would only feed for a short length of time and what you did?

Sorry for the waffle just really need some advice and help!!

Much love.
Claire., x x x x

[DrP]

My LO went through a period of feeding on and off like a yo-yo, but with him it was only ever in the evenings. He would feed for 5 or 10 mins, then wouldn't take any more, would get upset, eventually settle back for more and so it went on. Most evenings I felt I was feeding him constantly from about 6-10pm or even later. Nothing I did seemed to change things and he eventually just grew out of it. I couldn't put it down to anything and I did feel as if I was getting to my wits end, but I just stuck with it. It was frustrating, and tiring and upsetting at times but I was glad I stuck with it in the end. Not of much help I know.

Any chance your LO is teething, that might make feeding an issue for her atm ? Or have you made any changes to your own diet that has maybe changed the taste of your milk for her ?

Sorry I can't offer any more help. I hope things pick up again soon. I still remember all too well how tiring those early months can be.

[kyriane]

My situation was similar, I felt that my LO just wanted to feed constantly, especially from mid afternoon, when my milk suddenly seemed to go to nothing. I got quite sore!

In the end I did the expressing thing. I hated it at first, although the electric pump helped (I was using a manual at first - very hard going!) I got myself into a routine of expressing every day, even though I really didn't want to, and tried to put a small amount in the fridge and freeze a little back up supply as well. When I got to the afternoon and I was too sore and she didn't seem to be getting any milk, I used the fridge portion first and then went on to the freezer supply if necessary. It is a pain epressing, but once you have a bit of a supply built up, you can give yourself a break but still give breastmilk.

Eventually ( I can't remember exactly how old she was, but sometime after 3 months), I started giving her a small (half a carton) of ready mixed aptamil formula each day as well. This also helped give me a break and I got to a point where my supply increased thanks to the regular expressing and for a little while I stopped giving her the formula. Then she had another growth spurt and I started it again. I'm still mix feeding now at 7 months.

I don't know if this will help at all, but basically, if you feel like giving a bit of formula to give yourself a break, why not? I didn't do it for the longest time because I felt I should be exclusively breastfeeding, almost like giving even a little bit of formula would be failing in that respect. However, actually all it did was open up a bit of freedom in my mind because I stopped getting hung up about it!

Good luck with it, and I hope it all gets better soon.

Cara x

[iwantone]

Only thing i can think of here would be teething possibly affecting her wanting to nurse. I know when Oliver was a few months old I had a over active let down and my milk would literally come out all over the place after nursing for a few mins making him choke on it as it was too much and he would get upset and come off. Do you think this could be the problem? Hope she starts to nurse properly for you soon. x

[Bear]

Thank you very much for replying, I really appreciate it.

It's good to know it's happened to others as well. I do think she may have started teething around 13 weeks, I can see two little white teeth under her gum so it could be the reason. I took her to the doctors today as I thought she might have reflux? She wasnt impressed with being poked and proddded by the doctor, but she gave me some infant gaviscon to try to see if it helps. Doctor also ruled out an ear infection. She does do alot of ear tugging, when feeding and when she's tired.

Ironically, she's been ok today and I havent needed it!

I might try her on a bottle, I'll see how she goes on. I'd like to stick with it but sometimes just feel like giving up. I never knew how long I intended to feed her when I started out, I only managed 3 weeks with Thomas, so I'm chuffed we've got this far tbh.

Many thanks again for your kind replies, they've been very helpful. x x

[Anna07]

Hi Bear

Congrats first of all!!

Abbie had awful reflux and it all went downhill around 12 week mark which funnily enough coincided with a visit to Spain (well the Canaries) ourselves.

She used to only feed for 5 mins or so at a time and would bob on and off and it could be v hard to get her to latch on. She also had other symptoms though, screaming (like high pitched shriek not like other cries), v v poor sleeper waking often one to two hourly with said cry, arching, writhing and going totally rigid, pushing herself up with her legs from v young age, frequent hiccups, posseting curdled milk.

fingers crossed it isn't reflux but good that you are getting advice, Gaviscon didn't really help us, it is a nightmare to give to a BF baby if you are giving it my advice is:

dilute in the minimal amount of water (ignore instuctions just put powder in with tiny amount of water in a lidded container and shake vigorously to get it to disolve) then either syringe or we found she would sip it off a medicine spoon. you will prob find she gets terrible bunged up, Abbie did and wouldn't poo for over a week and this made things worse for her terrible tummy pain and writhing. There are other things so if this doesn't help you do go back.

Good luck.

Anna xxxx

[noababy]

Am no help-but am so excited you had a little girl!

[jewel]

No help or advice but lovely to hear from you and hope you're enjoying your little princess x

[ladybug]

Hello

Just a quick reply - have you tried a quiet dark room for feeding? Also a good way to re-establish feeding is to have a quiet warm bath in a dark room, lay bubs on top and let them find boob, re-enacting the initial feed after birth.

Stop feeding her standing up.

If you think it could be mild reflux, try feeding her while she's in a more upright position, still supporting head etc. Keep her upright after feed for a good while if you can.

3/5 minute feeds will result in no weight gain and very hungry stressed baby! They don't get the hind milk if they're on for such a short period. Perhaps expressing off the rest of the feed and offering it in a cup straight away might be a plan. That will at least help your supply, and give her some heavier milk.

hth!