Teething = fussy baby at breast?

[Picante]

Hi, I'm wondering if dd's teething accounts for her terrible feeding at the moment. She's only 12 weeks and no teeth have pushed through yet, but she's dribbling, hands in mouth, red cheeks, grumpy etc so there's definitely something going on in her gums.

I have posted before about her fractious feeding, and I'm hoping that teething is the answer and that there's nothing else troubling her.

She feeds for a second or two then pulls off, feeds again for a second then pulls off, ad infinitum... sometimes coupled with crying if she's tired. I know she gets frustrated before she gets the letdown, and she usually feeds ok during the letdown, but then when the milk flow calms down she starts pulling on and off again. I definitely have enough milk.

She seems to prefer breastmilk out of a bottle!

Thanks for any advice.

[TokenFemale]

I had the oppostie trouble with tetthing babies - in that they would want to suckle constantly. However when tired they would do as you are describing - maybe she is feeling more sleepy with her teething, and this is causing it?

[belindarose]

I can't advise, but can sympathise if that helps! My DD is exactly the same and also 12 weeks. I have a really sore nipple because of her constant pulling off (which she does while clamping her jaws down). I can only feed from one breast, so the poor nipple doesn't get a break. Add this to a growth spurt feeding frenzy (every 2 hours for the last 48!) and I'm not feeling happy! Like your DD, breastmilk from a bottle goes down much easier. However, I'm getting blood in the expressed milk now, so not planning on doing extra expressing!
Hope someone comes along with advice soon. Sorry if I've hijacked.

[Picante]

Thanks.

Bump!

[Picante]

Bummmmmmp.

[moaningminniewhingesagain]

My DS is nearly 11mo and still no teeth but seems to be teething, I have had a sore pink nipple for the first time since he was a newborn this week so I do think it affects the feeding in some way.

No help really am I?

[belindarose]

Not many replies on this thread! How are you getting on, Picante? I found yesterday a bit better although she's still feeding 2 hourly during the day (sleeps 10 hours at night though, so I shouldn't complain about that). I'm going to BF clinic tomorrow to talk about DD's feeding (I'm a regular - they're probably sick of the sight of me, but we had a very difficult start). I posted last week about her habit of sucking her thumb while trying to feed, which then turned into a spate of breast refusal and then into this constant latch on-off thing so have had a week and a half of peculiar feeding. I think she's putting on weight but the main problem is the pain in my nipple/ breast now. I'm started to dread each feed.

[Picante]

Hi Belinda - how do you get her to sleep 10 hours?!?! DD is fed every 3 hours at night and at least every 2 during the day - I'm wondering whether I'm overfeeding her during the day and if I should make her go for longer.

She's still pulling on and off.

Am waiting for a miraculous explanation!!

[belindarose]

It's amazing, isn't it! We had a terrible sleep phase when she was about 5 weeks and didn't know how we were going to cope. Suddenly at 6 weeks she slept all night (I was SOOO engorged in the morning!). Ever since, she's done the same except for a couple of nights over this growth spurt. She has an expressed bottle at 7pm - as much as she wants - then a play until she's tired (about 8pm), bath/ wash and bed. She wears a 0.5tog grow bag and is swaddled in a cellular blanket with her hands up by her face for thumb sucking. I think the good sleeping coincided with her gaining better control of her hands, so she sucks her thumb back to sleep if she wakes in the night.
I do appreciate how lucky we are!!

[belindarose]

How are you doing, Picante? We're still the same with the pulling on and off, but no longer 2 hourly, thank goodness. Some good feeds, some really, really awful (like the one we've just had). Not really putting enough weight on and HV is grumbling a bit. Her feeding was perfect at the BF clinic - always is, it's a magic place!

[Picante]

Hi there. Things are definitely getting better - I'm trying a few different things.

I think I was trying to feed her when she wasn't actually hungry - so I'm spacing out the feeds a bit more.

If she starts pulling on and off I just stop the feed and try again half an hour later.

I've found quite a lot of useful things by googling 'breastfeeding pulling on and off' - turns out it's very common for babies of our age.

I'm trying to feed her in a v quiet environment - easier said than done with a 3 year old around, and I'm trying not to stress about it. I'm trying to only give her a bottle when necessary as I think she prefers that as she doesn't have to work for it.

I think she's just a fussy feeder - she doesn't feed - and never has fed - for comfort. I'm hoping it's just a phase!

[belindarose]

Mine doesn't feed for comfort either - just necessity! I also think she hasn't always been hungry. The two morning feeds are so good (around 5am and 8am) and I know she's hungry then. I'm trying to wait until she's properly hungry too, but don't like to get to the screaming stage as then she won't latch on at all.
Trying to be less anxious about it all!