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Infant feeding

Sudden fussiness and green poos

35 replies

blueberrypudding · 12/06/2014 19:59

My 11 week old DD has suddenly (in the last few days) started screaming and thrashing on the boob, sometimes refusing one entirely, and doing bright green poos.

She latches on and then does a few sucks and then pulls off screaming. I have always had fast letdown and she's never really had a huge issue with it, used to just pull off or choke and I'd catch it in a muslin. When I keep persisting she latches back on and does the same thing, off and on and off again until she finally refuses to latch.

She's recently gone from feeding every hour to every three hours - could this be the issue? I'm getting concerned as if she's only feeding every three hours and not feeding properly she might not be getting enough!

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milkjetmum · 12/06/2014 21:49

Has she been checked for tongue tie? DD1 was like this before her tongue tie was diagnosed.

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blueberrypudding · 12/06/2014 21:52

She has a tongue tie that she's got an appointment for in a week, but that's never bothered her before? Can they suddenly get like that?

I'm so distressed as I've just tried to feed her again and she screamed the house down but then took a dummy and seemed content. :( I feel like she's 'gone off' the boob.

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minipie · 12/06/2014 21:53

hmm I wouldn't think tongue tie if it's come on suddenly and she was fine before. might she have a cold by any chance?

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milkjetmum · 12/06/2014 21:59

With my dd breastfeeding was fine at first (good weight gain, no pain etc) but she bucked and thrashed more often as she got older - I assume she was frustrated with feeding getting difficult as she needed more milk, which my strong let down (hence my usertime!) had been covering up before then. So good news that you have the tongue tie appointment coming up soon.

Could also be teething? Give calpol and see if that helps?

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blueberrypudding · 12/06/2014 22:08

Thanks milkjetmum - it might be that! How did you keep her feeding until her tongue tie was seen to?

She's outright refusing to feed now. :(

It's so upsetting as it's only just happened in the last couple of days and seems to have steadily got worse.

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milkjetmum · 12/06/2014 22:36

don't worry, it will get better. I would suggest a few things:

  1. a babymoon (eg topless day in front of tv watching boxsets letting baby feed whenever they want for however long they want while you eat chocolate provided by your slave/husband). hopefully this will be relaxing/pleasant for both of you and will break the stress vicious cycle a bit.


  1. ask to bring the tongue tie appointment forward if possible.


  1. is one you can decide for yourself if you want to try - I was giving my dd1 one bottle of expressed milk/formula per day at that age (and breast fed her until she was 13 months so it was not the end of bf). bottles flow faster than boobs so might be less frustrating for a hungry/cross baby in the short term? but I don't want you to feel like this is because you are not bf well or milk is inadequate, it's just an idea you might consider until tongue tie is sorted. you might find on your babymoon that there's a time of day when fussiness is worst, (I would bet on evenings) so you might find a 9pm bottle eases this a bit. not suggesting a full switch to bottles, just an idea to get you through the fussy times over the next few days. but up to you on this.


good luck, I remember how hard it was, but it will one day it will all just be something you can tell another mumsnetter in their time of need Smile
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milkjetmum · 12/06/2014 22:46

oh also massaging boob while feeding can encourage more let downs and so faster flow, I used to hold boob from underneath with u shaped hand and give a few regular squeezes during feeds ( I think breast compressions is the correct terminology if you want to Google)

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blueberrypudding · 13/06/2014 10:10

She fed during the night but is now outright refusing feeds. Screaming nonstop once I get the boob out.

It's so horrendously depressing. She sucks happily on a dummy so I'm sure she's not having problems sucking. DH offered a bottle and she took it but just messed about, didn't drink anything. At least she didn't scream though!

Could she just be completely not hungry even though she's gone five hours without a feed? She's never done that before in her life!

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elvislives2012 · 13/06/2014 10:19

Don't panic it's not the end! Can u get to a breast feeding group? Or contact one of the breast feeding helplines? Or check FB as there are a few groups on there too. Did you try a day of keeping your top off and putting her on your chest so she can help herself whenever she wants? It really works. Cancel everything you have planned for the next few days and focus totally on this.

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blueberrypudding · 13/06/2014 12:03

It's official - it's the milk. She finally took an ounce of formula from the bottle and when we tried switching her onto EBM on the bottle she screamed hysterically. :( She's gone off my breastmilk - I didn't even think that was possible.

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milkjetmum · 13/06/2014 12:27

I suspect what has happened is that she has started to associate your milk with her frustration at the breast (due to difficulty with tongue tie) and is lettin you know that right now she would prefer something easier and faster. there is nothing wrong with your milk, I promise.

now she has had some milk she should be more relaxed and less cross, so just keep on offering the nipple without any pressure on her. by that I mean sit so your nipple is close to her mouth but let her decide when she wants to turn to latch on. hopefully this will all be resolved after her snip, although I appreciate that probably feels like an eternity away.

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blueberrypudding · 13/06/2014 16:41

We called the HV and they said to go to the GP. We've taken her to the GP and he's basically said we should switch to formula if that's what she prefers.

She's barely taken two or three ounces today but is still refusing the breast and any EBM. It's gutting to think that this might be the end of a difficult but really satisfying BFing relationship.

I'm really sad about it and will keep trying your suggestions of getting skin to skin etc. Really hoping beyond hope that it's just an off day or two.

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minipie · 13/06/2014 20:00

That's very odd that she will take formula from a bottle but not EBM.

could you be getting your period or pregnant? those things can apparently cause taste of BM to change temporarily which can put some babies off. Only thing I can think of sorry.

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DearTeddyRobinson · 13/06/2014 20:27

Have you changed your diet? Started medication? Could be something new in your milk that disagrees with her

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elvislives2012 · 13/06/2014 20:54

Have a look here
kellymom
Good suggestions. Can you pump to maintain supply while you are trying to get over this? Also, could you pump for a few minutes before offering the breast? Might help if u have a fast letdown?

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blueberrypudding · 13/06/2014 21:19

I've started Citalopram recently for my PND but it's been a few weeks. Could it be that after so long? I can't imagine what else it could be. :( She's only done two wet nappies today.

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CatsCantFlyFast · 13/06/2014 21:28

Blueberry my dd did this last week at 11 weeks. Would suck anything/everything but screamed at the breast. I spent a day in bed doing skin to skin and didn't give her anything else to suck. With perseverance she started feeding again and has been fine since

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elvislives2012 · 13/06/2014 21:36

How many times has she fed? Has she had any dirty nappies?

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blueberrypudding · 13/06/2014 21:39

She did a couple of dirty nappies in the morning but she did feed last night!

She hasn't had a proper good feed since 5 in the morning. She had a couple of ounces of formula throughout the day in small doses but even that made her mad after a while.

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elvislives2012 · 13/06/2014 21:49

Ok so we know she's peeing and pooing and she has fed albeit from a bottle. What's your plan for tonight? How do u feel about co sleeping?

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blueberrypudding · 13/06/2014 22:26

Both DH and I are heavy sleepers so we try and avoid cosleeping - though we do bring her into the bed with us in the mornings if she's particularly fractious and we're having a lie in.

I'm going to sleep without a top on and if she wants a night feed just put her near the boob and see if she wants to latch. That's the only thing I can think to do?

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CatsCantFlyFast · 13/06/2014 23:09

Blueberry if you can stay in bed in the morning doing skin to skin and offering the breast every half an hour or so (but not pressurising her) that should also help. Remember almost all babies will take a bottle whether hungry or not as it drips down their throat forcing them to swallow. She may just be having a few off days so be careful of forming habits (ie bottle feeding) unless totally necessary

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CatsCantFlyFast · 13/06/2014 23:11

this has some info on nursing strikes. Good luck x

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blueberrypudding · 14/06/2014 00:13

Thank you! I managed to "stealth boob" her at the late feed while she was really sleepy - gave her a bit of formula and then popped her on the breast and she latched. She only sucked for a bit before coming off but at least she didn't scream. Completely don't understand what is going on but going to try and persevere!

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elvislives2012 · 14/06/2014 01:40

Well done on the stealth boobing! Good idea about tonight and just what I was going to suggest. U could try putting DH on the sofa, taking your top off and sleeping with her on your chest so she can help herself. It's easy to say don't panic but try to take it one feed at a time. Don't think about tomorrow, just the current feed. Persevere and you will find it will be better in a few days, as PP poster said we all have odd days.

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