WHY DOES MY BABY WRIGGLE AND SQUIRM WHEN IM BREASTFEEDING-

[GEM33]

My 8wk old wriggles and pulls and really frustrates me when I feed her particularly from my right breast (has a crack in it and we are currently treating for thrush). I realise yeast can produce excess gas and my baby is windy but sometimes I take her off and we do winding sessions sometimes for half an hour (back rubs bicycle legs tummy massage pats etc) I wait for a poo or something and put her back on but she continues to wriggle and squirm pull at the nipple and has a frown on her face. I have got milk coming out, I dont think very fast but there is milk. She does favour the other breast so I have tried the rugby hold with her under my arm on a pillow which helps a bit because she cant move as much. I am just getting to the end of my tether. I am finding Bfeeding so hard but i want to carry on. My nipples so sore and not being helped by her wriggling. She also gets cranky and wont open her mouth wide for a good latch and does the pursed lips as if she wants to bite my nipple off!! I am encouraged my other peoples posts that they have overcome struggles and gone on successfully. Do you think my let down is slow or maybe I havent got enough milk. Does thrush hurt the babies mouth?

[Gina1981]

My DD does the same thing! I'm at my wits end with breeding! It's been 11 weeks if hell if I'm being honest! I'm borderline depressed about it! Id be interested to see what others may suggest! I know that I have a fast let down which causes her to gulp in lots of air and then she falls asleep and it's never ending feeding all day long!!

[GEM33]

Me too. I still feed every 2/3 hours but the dream feed at 3/4am sometimes works and she stays asleep 1am - 7/8am. (sometimes wakes wide awake and we have to sing and play despite what the experts say about no eye contact and low lights). I have just expressed a good 3oz from the sore boob so I know she cant be squirming coz there isnt any. Dont give up Gina if you have done 11 weeks of it you deserve a big pat on the back. I got a friend here who does massage to do me while babs was sleeping last week as a reward to myself and to relieve the aches and pains of bending over my baby (I know bad positioning!!) people like my mum who say they dont know what the big deal is about people who struggle to b.feed irritate me!! One thing that helps me is to look in my babies eyes and know that i am doing the best for her and focus on how amazing she is and what a little miracle babies are ;-) I find i cant stop crying when I worry about the thrush etc

[MigGril]

If you have a local Bf cafe/group then I think it would be worth you poping along and them having a look at feeding. Could be there are a few things they can help you out with. It's hard really to say what could be causing this sort of behavour without observing a feed.

You could both try biologicaly nurting posstion though, Gina this will also help with a fast letdown as your feeding a bit uphill so helps slow the flow a bit. Google it for some video.

[loulily27]

Hi girls, I feel for both of you I had cracked bleeding nipples and one got infected. It was agony breastfeeding I would cry the whole way through and even before a feed cos I was so anxious! My problem I think was latch on was wrong which caused the damage, one midwife told me you have to get the nipple right in the back of their mouth so it's on the babies soft palate and not munching on your nipple! Wish someone told me that from day 1 cos it did help a lot. The damage was already done tho so they told me to express and bottle feed til they had healed. It's funny cos even though I felt such a relief to not to be bf I actually started to miss doing it! Must be bonding or hormones! And when she was crying I knew she wanted it and I felt guilty and wanted to soothe her so I started bf again but was too soon nipples got bad again! Finally after another week of expressing they were healed and I started bf again 1 feed each side first day and gradually increased it. My dd is 12 weeks almost and I enjoy it now and it's so convenient if ur out and about but she still squirms and kicks her legs sometimes, I think she's not really hungry when she does that even tho she's trying to latch so mabe wait a bit and try later. Also I give a dummy when she just wants to suck to save my nipples! Maybe you could try what I have done cos it is worth going on bottles for a short time better in the long run

[loulily27]

I feel so much happier now I can do it and without pain. I feel like a different person and that I can enjoy my baby not just be constantly stressed! My mum seen the pain I was in and the state of my nipples and if it wasn't for her encouragement/lecturing I think I would have given up and I would have regretted it. She said she's gonna get me a prize if I do it for 6 months!! I was lkucky my dd switched to bottle, she didn't like it at first but keep going she will get used to it. And when u go back to breast will take a few days to get used to it again but we'll worth it I think. Also Gina if u express a little bit off at start of feed the initial fast let down, should be easier for ur baby, I had that problem too!

[loulily27]

Sorry to ramble on but I just hope to help cos I've been thru it and it's horrible and u don't think it will ever get better but it will! Also if u do try to express I used a medela hand pump it was not too expensive and easy to use. If u don't get a lot of milk keep pumping even if no milk comes out. Tricks ur brain into thinking baby is still drinking so u will produce more milk eventually! Good luck girls hope this helps and we'll done for keep going! X

[loulily27]

Ps multi-mam instant relief pads (cooling gel pads) very good at healing. Expensive but worth it! X

[Jenmk1]

I had thrush on one side when my DD was 5 weeks so I feel your pain. I found that feeding more off the unaffected side & expressing from the sore side helped it clear up quicker. I still fed occasionally from the sore side though as I didn't want to muck up my supply. I think the thrush does make them a bit more fussy at the breast though I don't think it's actually sore for them. Make sure you're scrupulous about cleaning the nipple (tsp lemon juice in a pint of cooled boiled water is what I used) and changing your breast pad after every feed. Also Lansinoh cream is a god send for cracked nipples. Thrush can be very hard to get rid of completely so you need to be so strict with the treatment. My DD got it again a few weeks later, though my nipples were thankfully unaffected this time. Just keep going, it will get better & the fussiness should calm down. GL

[Jenmk1]

Ok I just noticed this post is from 3 years ago I presume you've overcome the problem OP!! Haven't hadn't coffee yet this morning! As you were...

[Grantaire]

How are you treating the thrush?

A really good real life support group with a qualified counsellor will help you I think. Or do you have a v knowledgeable health visitor? What help have you had so far? Has anybody watched a whole feed?

I had all manner of problems with dc1. 7-8 weeks was the worst bit by far. Cracked nipples, wriggly baby, thrush, mastitis and on and on and on.

We got latch sorted, healing sorted, positions sorted and we came through it. DC1 was fed for years in the end. It took time but was worth it.

[Grantaire]

Oh good lord zombie thread. Thanks Jen. I need more tea...

[Knottyknitter]

This sounds so familiar.

Dd is fourteen weeks now and at about eight/nine weeks, after agonies with left boob, nipple with a hole in it, trials of nipple shields and more LANSINOH than anyone should need, it just clicked into place. I don't recall changing anything at all, maybe she just got to the size she could latch more easily.

I spoke to bf advisor at childrens centre (lovely but no real ideas) and lll which really helped, but not in terms of instructions, more in a sense of "this too will pass"