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Infant feeding

Distracted baby, affecting supply?

9 replies

Spudlet · 11/05/2016 08:17

19wo DS has been doing great, ebf as he refuses a bottle and feeding well. But he's been getting more and more distracted while feeding. At first I could deal with it by taking him off upstairs, but even in a quiet bedroom he still spends more time staring around than feeding. I've even tried draping a muslin over his head, but he pulls it off again. He feeds for five or ten minutes then starts getting bored, and if I try to put him back to the breast he screams at me. Last night, he was even getting distracted in a dark room!

Thing is, if he carries on like this, I'm worried my milk is going to start drying up, as he's just not taking it! I just don't know what to do here.

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Spudlet · 11/05/2016 08:19

Sorry, just to add - he probably has one really good feed a day, at bedtime when he does about 30 - 40 mins. And the last dream feed, assuming he stays asleep, is probably 20 minutes. But the others are all getting shorter and shorter.

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babypeach · 11/05/2016 23:44

Hi spudlet

My Lo is very similar! I think it's common at this age although that doesn't make it any less stressful!
Sounds like you are doing everything you can to help him feed. Have you tried feeding and walking around at the same time or giving him something to fiddle with while he feeds? My little one sometimes grabs onto a small toy it seems to sort if occupy him enough to stay and eat.

Have you noticed any change in his output? If he is still getting lots of wet nappies and a normal number of dirty nappies for him then chances are he's still getting enough. Is his weight doing ok? Babies can become a lot more efficient and get quite a bit from a 5-10 minute feed. He may use those longer feeds to top himself up.

Your supply is likely to be ok if he is taking what he needs and if he needs more he'll probably just feed more frequently to up your supply.

However if you are worried you could express milk after some of the feeds you feel are too short? But keep in mind you only need to do this if he genuinely isn't taking enough.

Keep going you're doing great!

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Spudlet · 12/05/2016 10:52

Thanks - glad it's not just me! He was actually a bit better yesterday so have decided to go with the flow and see how we get on. He's clearly not hungry and he's still making plenty of wet and dirty nappies so he must be getting enough. And I'm not getting engorged - he seems to be emptying them quite efficiently in those short feeds.

We learned a new pressure point in his hand yesterday at baby yoga so am using that to help calm him during feeds, even though it means I have no free hand to use the iPad. The sacrifices a mother makes...

Tried walking around but that's just even more interesting - and he weighs a metric ton (well, 18lbs but that feels like a ton pretty quickly...).

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babypeach · 12/05/2016 11:38

Ah glad its picked up. Pressure point sounds interesting will google that! X

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Spudlet · 12/05/2016 13:33

It's on the ball of his hand under the ring finger apparently. I just put my thumb there and circle. I was sort of doing it anyway, without knowing it was a pressure point!

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Thiswascrownjewel · 12/05/2016 13:37

Have you tried holding eye contact with him while he feeds? That seemed to work with DS to stop his eyes wandering around and leaving me sitting in the doctors waiting room with my tit on display.

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babypeach · 12/05/2016 15:13

Crownjewel lol been there exactly!

Spudlet thanks will try that!

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Spudlet · 12/05/2016 15:32

Lol, also been there, boobs everywhere, older gentleman diving for cover... And I have an enthusiastic let-down, it's a minor miracle that no one has been shot! He will hold eye contact for a while (which is lovely) but then he starts looking around... Or he starts talking to me, also lovely, but not very helpful for feeding

He has however been eating like a horse (foal?) today, I wonder if this was the last hurrah of the latest wonder week stage? Who knows?

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Spudlet · 12/05/2016 15:34

I've also changed positions so he now sits on my lap and turns to the nipple. I'd been trying to persist with a cradle hold as I thought that was helping him not to get windy, but I think he prefers sitting up now, unless he's seriously tired. So determined to be a grown up!