Breastfeed baby, 6 weeks old, throwing himselft off hte breast in the afternoon and evenings

[AnguaVonUberwald]

Please advise, DS is 6 weeks old, breastfed and throwing himself off the breast violently in the afternoons and evenings.

He does this many times in a row, and then screams because he wants more food, he also wriggles around violently.

Please advise as its driving us both mad, it really hurts my nipples, he isn't getting much food but seems still very hungery.

[rosyrabbit]

It could be colic, my dd had colic which gave her pain when feeding but to comfort herself she wanted to feed constantly...

Some evenings we paced the floor for hours as she was in pain, colic happens later on in the day.

try keeping him upright for as long as possible after a feed (I know this is hard with a little baby).

DOES HE BRING UP MUCH WIND??

[emma1977]

Mine did this because he had AWFUL reflux. Setted down with medication but it took a long time to get diagnosed.

[TinkerbellesMum]

Have you tried:

Changing positions?
Changing rooms (especially a darker room)?
Changing sides?
Winding him in between or giving infacol before a feed?
Slinging him between feeds? (No I don't mean out a window, it's tempting at times though!)

Keep an eye on him, when you see him about to pull back get your finger in his mouth quick so you don't get hurt.

[missblythe]

Is it possible that your milk if flowing really quickly, and he can't cope with tehe rate that it's coming out.

If you think that might be the case, can either express for 5 mins before you feed, to ease teh rate that it flows, or try using nipple shields, just at the very beginnning of teh feed

[rosyrabbit]

you could try a cranial osterypath as this did help my dd after 2 sessions but still had a few more after thoses as got bad again after a week or so...

[CountTo10]

When ds2 does this its always because he's got wind so I take him off, try and get some wind out (which is usually a huge man burp!!!) and then he settles back down. Is he difficult at getting his wind up?

[AnguaVonUberwald]

He doesn't actually burp much, we are using infacol.

He has nights when he is worse than others.

With regard to the too fast flow, that does happen at the begining of a feed, but this is later on, after his first thirst has settled but before he has had enough for a proper feed.

Emma, I don't think its reflux, as apparently thats after every feed, though it could well be colic.

The problem for me is that he always seems t be hungery still, and then I feel like he is not getting enough!!!

Tried the sling, but he HATED it, screamed the entire time.

When he does wind, it doesn't seem to stop it!

Tried the cranial osteopath, but not very impressed with him!!

Really don't know how to handle this as I am not sure he is getting enough to eat because of it!

[rosyrabbit]

It def sounds like colic to me, when i took dd for crainal it didn't work straight away as I thought it would and it was expensive but did work after a few times..

Also will he take water from a bottle??

At this age dd did, so I gave her cooled boiled water (as hot as is safe for her) she would hen burp quite alot wheni did this so can really help..

Infacol did not work for us atall, or gripewater or some other drops that cost a tenner...

Only the water really.. also I found that if I carried dd on my hip facing away from me it helped soothe her, not sure if ds is too young for that yet. I had my arms hooked under her armpits if you know what i mean..

[emma1977]

He was never classically refluxy after every feed- usually the evening and night feeds were the worst, due to him lying more flat while feeding. He was also (and still is) a poor burper and gets very fidgety and throws his head (and my nipple- ouch) back violently when there's a load of wind brewing! I've found the best way of getting it up is either over the shoudler and gently rocking back and forth or the tiger-in-the-tree position.

Is he any better when you feed in certain positions?

[AnguaVonUberwald]

Emma1977, we have only just managed to breastfeed without nippleshields, so really only using on position!

He just seems worse in the afternoon and evening!

Hoochiemama, very interesting, just not sure if its refulx, as its only afternoon/evening and he doesn't really throw up at all.

[TinkerbellesMum]

Try this

What sling(s) have you tried?

I forgot one on my list of things to try. Have you tried giving him to someone else when he's in that state and just totally leaving, either go in the garden or for a walk?

Sometimes babies can be full but because they can smell mum they want her, then they go on and it's like "ARGH I'm not hungry!" When Tink was in the hospital she often had to be settled in the nursery because she would find it to upsetting to be in the same room (great for the ego!)