Baby cries and pulls off breast - blocked nose? Teeth?

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

Ds is four months old. Breastfeeding was / is going well. The last week or so, he has started crying and pulling off the breast a few seconds after latching. He seems to be in some sort of pain or discomfort. He does this several times at the start of the feed, before eventually managing to latch on properly.

It seems to be worse in the evening and night, when I feed him in bed lying down. We co sleep and feed to sleep and this is causing us some very disturbed nights.

We all have colds and I wondered if it could be due to a blocked nose meaning he can't breathe properly while he's feeding. Although once he finally latches he seems fine.

He's also showing some signs of teething (dribbling, chewing, whingeing) but no actual teeth.

Does anyone have any ideas and suggestions for what I can do to help? He seems to be getting enough milk as he is otherwise happy and producing lots of nappies. The main problem is that he is waking himself - and me - up fully in the night by doing this and then he decides it is morning and won't go back to sleep!

[HolgerDanske]

I think that thrush can cause a lot of pain. Have you had a look in his mouth?

[HolgerDanske]

Sorry thought he was four weeks rather than four months. It probably is teething.

It's been a long time since I had babies, but I'm sure someone will come along who can give practical advice.

[LisaRinnasLips]

Dd does this when she's tired so I bounce on the end of the bed gently until she calms and latches then she falls asleep. She's always ratty in the evenings

[blackteaplease]

Ds2 does this when he has wind/is tired. I end up sitting him up for a bit then lying him down again.

The other signs you mention could be teeth but are also normal developmental stages so may not be.

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

Thanks for the replies. I don't think it is thrush as I don't have it on my nipples. Ds is asleep now but I will check his tongue when he wakes up.

Could it just be tiredness? He does do it most when I am trying to get him to sleep so it would make sense.

I will also try winding him - I hardly ever do it now. Although the discomfort seems to happen just as I latch on and before the milk lets down. Once the milk starts flowing he usually stays on.

Blacktea I know what you mean and I am really reluctant to put everything down to teething, because my dc1 did all of the classic teething signs from about four months old, then she didn't get her first tooth till she was one year old!

[dlwelly]

It could be tiredness. DD was like this when she was tired and wanted her dummy and not a feed, it was like she was annoyed there was milk coming out when she just wanted something in her mouth!

You could try a dummy and see if that helps?

[blackteaplease]

Lucky you not having to wind op, ds screams with pain if I forget. I hope you figure out how to resolve the crying

[scotsgirl64]

get ears checked esp if you've all had colds...Eustachian tube in baby are short hence why they are susceptible to earache associated with colds

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

Thanks dlwelly I will try him again with a dummy, he has always spat them out in the past. He will suck dc's finger though.

I hadn't thought of earache, would feeding make that worse?

[madwomanbackintheattic]

Thrush or ear infection. I didn't ever have noticeable thrush symptoms on my boobs but they sure had it
None of mine had issues with feeding when teething, but they could just be spectacularly odd...

[scotsgirl64]

www.breastfeeding-problems.com/baby-ear-infection.html

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

Thanks for all your responses. It does sound a bit like an ear infection although he doesn't have a temperature. I will definitely go to the drs if it carries on.

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

For once he has fed straight to sleep so I will have to wait till he wakes up to try the other suggestions!

[thestarryeyedsurprise]

Ear infection? DS hated breastfeeding with ear infection. Laying down caused him a lot of pain!

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

So he woke straight up and has been fussing and crying all evening . He seems very snotty and definitely isn't well although he hasn't got a temperature. Can it still be an ear infection with no temperature?

He's had calpol and has finally gone to sleep on my lap in the living room.

His tongue looks normal so I don't think it is thrush.

Is there anything I can do for an ear infection (if that's what it is)?

[scotsgirl64]

Could still be ear infection.....give him calpol regularly and get him checked out if no better tomorrow.....quite possibly will be viral, ( esp as you've had colds and he's snotty)in which case ab no good but at least you'll be reassured.... Lots of cuddles and in my experience (3 dc) breastfeeding was best as they had very infrequent illnesses compared to many of my friend who bottle fed....it's rough when they're so little and can't tell you what's wrong

[Slippersandacuppa]

I hope it's just a cold and that it all settles down quickly, but if not, Google symptoms of silent reflux. DS2 had severe silent reflux from two weeks, that went undiagnosed until he was four months. It was hellish. He was fine if he was upright (whenever we were at the dr. Luckily we had a great paediatrician, who trusted me when I said I thought something was very wrong) but feeding, evenings and nights were awful. Just as you described, he pulled off, cried, wanted to suck, pulled off. Bending backwards and really screaming. It was terrible to watch. The most important thing is to never ever let them be flat so maybe that's worth trying while you try to figure out what's going on? It will also help if the congestion is due to a cold. I fed DS1 to sleep lying down so I know how lovely it is but it just didn't work with DS2. He couldn't even be flat when having his nappy changed. He was a different baby as soon as he started medication, so there is light at the end of the tunnel if that's what it turns out to be.

I really hope it sorts itself out soon.

[Cakescakescakes]

Both my DC used to do this at the start of feeds especially if they were tired. I think it was frustration that the milk wasn't coming out immediately. Once it started flowing they settled. Maybe it's just that? Ds1 was so bad sometimes that I would have to give him an ounce of expressed milk in a bottle to take the edge of the hunger before he would latch on properly and suck enough to cause the let down.

[ThirtyNineWeeks]

Reflux, yes. I have a reflux baby - happily much improved with ranitidine and omeprazole but I could've written your post, OP. My baby also currently has a cold but what you describe has been going on forever for us.

[ThirtyNineWeeks]

Also, growth spurts can make them go nuts on the breast.

[JustABigBearAlan]

My DS was like this at 4 months. I assumed it was wind as he'd had lots of problems with that. So when he started fussing I would spend ages trying to wind him and comfort him.

Eventually I worked out that I had a fast let-down and he was getting more milk than he could initially cope with. But of course he was still hungry and I was trying to wind him. No wonder he was cross

This isn't necessarily your issue, but I thought I'd suggest it, as it wasn't anything I came across when trying to work out why my DS screamed so much.

[CutYourHairAndGetAJob]

Thanks all, he is very snotty today so it is probably related to that. He was crying and feeding all evening till about midnight, then leaked through two nappies in the night, presumably because he'd had so much milk in the evening. I'll see how it goes today and take him to the drs tomorrow if he's no better.

Re reflux - he does have some symptoms of silent reflux. He has never been happy on his back, he sleeps on his side at night (next to me) and in a sling in the day.