thrashing and pulling at the breast - OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[mummykiwi]

Hello, Does anyone have experience of their baby flapping and thrashing around their arms whilst pulling at the nipple? (ouch)

If so, do you know why they do it?

Any advice or wisdom welcomed

[Fidgetsmum]

I think it may depend on the age as much as the latch, their hunger etc. DD is 6.5 mths and gets distracted at the sound of the mice in the ceiling scratching around. I kid you not! And each and every time, she thrashes about as if her life depended on it and pulls away keeping the nipple in her mouth until the laws of nature mean it pops out. Ouch indeed. I have found that the less distractions the better. Oh, and also talking/whispering to her throughout the feed quietly seems to be the only thing that stops her from latching off violently. Not sure if that will help, as I know other mums have done completely different things to me! Good luck!

[WinkyWinkola]

It kills when they do this.

Today, I had the lovely experience of feeding DD (14 months) on my bed and DS (3 yo) pulling her by her legs. Yeeeeeeouwch

I've heard good things about breastfeeding necklaces that can distract the younger babies.

[2Happy]

Check for tongue tie, just in case

[cosima]

my lo does this, has just started doing this at 4 mths. i'm not sure if the milk comes too fast or too slow. he only does it in the day , feeds well at night. i'm thinking teething maybe. really annoying isn't it

[HereWeGoRoundTheMulberryBag]

Message withdrawn

[mummykiwi]

Hi!

thank you for all your messages. the babies (identical twins) are 6 weeks corrected (born 9 weeks early, so actually 15 weeks). I have been fully breastfeeding them for 11 weeks (they were tube fed before that). They are total naturals and starting suckling the day after they were born at 31+3! I haven't had any other problems and its only in the last week that one started doing this and today they were both at it! It does only happen during the day, funnily and they seem sort of frantic but fine at the same time! A neonatal nurse told me once that if there isn't enough milk the baby will get very upset and latch off, so it thought it might be that, but I have a good milk supply. Tends to happen late afternoon when I have been feeding them all afternoon, bbbbbbbbuttttt as it was only one originally and I swap which boo b they are only daily, I don't think it can be supply....

Any more advice?

[turtle23]

Mine does that sometimes when he has wind. He drops his latch down to a just the nipple grip and then arches and thrashes...OUCH. It's also a reflux thing...you can have reflux without vomiting, so worth thinking about?

[turtle23]

Oh, and used to happen a bit at the beginning when my letdown was horribly strong. HTH

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

Mummukiwi, I remember this DD started doing this at about 3.5mo. It is very painful iirc. The only thing I could do was to feed DD in a quite room with dimmed lights and no one else in the room. I know it's not very helpful when you are out and about.
On the plus side my DD did seem to stop doing this at 5mo.

[mummykiwi]

Thanks everyone. Reflux does seem a likely culprit ans especially so given everyone's time scales for their babies as i khow it peaks at around 4 months.

Its good to know its not just me.. thank you for the advice.

x