Fussy feeding during day but not at night

[TheChineseChicken]

Hoping to get advice / hear of similar experiences. My 14 week old has started to become very fussy during daytime feedings (EBF). She was always a very easy feeder, every 3 hours and once or twice in the night.

Now she starts to feed for maybe 5 minutes then becomes extremely fussy, screaming at the breast and refusing to have any more. Burping doesn't help. As soon as she's upright and facing away from me she's calm and happy. She doesn't cry for more milk but is cross again as soon as I lay her back to try to feed again. She naps fine so doesn't have a problem with lying down per se.

During the night she doesn't have this problem and guzzles away happily but she has started waking more frequently.

She has plenty of wet nappies but is quite slight so I want to make sure she eats enough. She always brings up some milk after feeds as well.

Any thoughts? TIA

[TheChineseChicken]

Also she's been a bit more unsettled and grizzly in general

[Spudlet]

Is she getting distracted? Worried she might miss something? Sounds very like my nosy Parker - happy to feed at night when it's dark and quiet and boring, but miss out on something in the day? No chance!

Try taking her off to a quiet room, curtains drawn and see if that helps. I had to stop watching to while I fed at about that age as my boo wouldn't stretch enough to allow DS to watch as well

It does improve as they get bigger, they can feed more efficiently so need to take less time from their packed social calendars to top up!

[Spudlet]

Sorry, that should say 'stop watching TV'. Thanks, autocorrect.

[Spudlet]

Oh FFS, for 'boo' read 'boob'. I'm going back to bed

[TheChineseChicken]

it could well be distraction. She hates being held facing into you and insists on facing out so she can see what's going on. So maybe that's the issue. I can try feeding in a more boring environment at home. Tricky when you're out and about though!

[Spudlet]

It bloody is! I was a boobs out anywhere person, but I ended up having to seek out feeding rooms (Mothercare and John Lewis tend to have them) as otherwise DS would get started, stimulate let down then start staring round, leaving me shooting milk across the room like Nigel Farage's worst ostentatious breastfeeding nightmare. It's a wonder I didn't hit anyone.

Covers were right out too, he yanks them off and flings them away

[DonkeyOaty]

She might be a super-efficient feeder. One of mine was - 5 mins, job done. Startlingly different to the others!

[TheChineseChicken]

And it's embarrassing when you're trying feed your baby in public and they're yelling - looks like you don't know what you're doing! I haven't tried covering her but suspect it wouldn't go down well.

She is quite efficient at feeding but the increased night feedings made me think maybe she's not getting enough during the day now (timing coincided with fussy feeding).

[Spudlet]

She really sounds like she's topping up at night to compensate for what she's not getting in the day - DS did that too. Bless him said through gritted teeth

I thought a cover might help to stop him getting distracted.... Foolish Mummy. I was given one of those ones with a strap to go around your neck... Never again. As it turns out, a furious screaming devil infant who us apparently trying to throttle his mother while she flashes her boobs and squirts milk at innocent bystanders attracts quite a lot of attention too

[TheChineseChicken]

Well Spud it's always good to give people something to look at. I find that screaming baby in supermarket attracts attention too. Lots of concerned faces of people who think you're torturing your child.

I guess I have been spoilt up to now. Serves me right for smugly telling everyone my baby only wakes once in the night!

[TheChineseChicken]

So we're feeding up in bed and so far no problems... Maybe it's the position as well as the location

[FifiFerusha]

My DS started this at 3 months. He was a distracted feeder. I fed him in a dark room pre and post nap for up to 7 months. It was one of the only ways I could allow him to get his fill in the day and decrease the night wakings. Thinking back it was a nightmare but we got through it. I think most distracted feeders get over it quicker than my DS. It won't interfere with sleep training if you pull off before sleep of if you just feed in a dark room when not tired. I would say you definitely have a distracted feeder x x

Ps a cover never worked for my DS, was just another thing in his way or to play with.

[JohnLapsleyParlabane]

We had this (and still do sometimes) what worked for us was changing position. I feed her in a kind of koala position astride my legs which means she can look from side to side without breaking the latch. When she could sit I started feeding her upright in the sling (a Connecta) . Good luck!

[TheChineseChicken]

Interesting, thanks. The less distracted she is the less she is sick afterwards as well. I suppose she's taking down less air. I'll keep going with the bedroom feeding and will see if that improves night time sleeping.

Luckily she goes down well for naps and bed awake so we've avoided that battle (so far).

[TheChineseChicken]

Amazing John! Sounds like a bit of practice needed for that one

[TheChineseChicken]

Fifi just realised I misunderstood what you were saying about feeding to sleep - with you now