Is my flow to fast for my baby? Help please!

[Thaimoon]

Hey - I would love some advice from you experienced mummies please, from a new mum who is getting a bit overwhelmed.

I’m really starting to struggle with breastfeeding my 4 week old little girl.

I think the problem is that the flow is a bit fast for her. I’ve tried laying flat but she seems to hate that. I’ve noticed lately that we rarely have a feed where she seems satisfied and drops off to sleep at the end... it always seems to end with her screaming and refusing to latch on. She also pulls off all the time! This is after about 30 mins of feeding but throughout the feed she seems really squirmy and uncomfortable.

It’s really getting me down! I feel I have to finish the feed perhaps before she is ready just to stop a full blown meltdown and bounce her to sleep for 20 mins before she settles. Then we start the whole process again! Any advice? It’s definitely getting worse

[LouiseTrees]

Do you burp her?

[Thaimoon]

@LouiseTrees yes I stop the feed to burp as soon as she looks squirmy and uncomfortable- but this means we stop at least 5or 6 times within half an hour, and it does seem to upset her (she cries the whole time I'm doing it until she gets back on the breast).

[GenericFemalePal]

That doesn’t sound like fast flow, because that’s usually an issue at the beginning of a feed when the let down is strongest.

Can you get to an online LLL meeting? They’re on most days. I suspect you need someone to look at position and attachment and to listen to your whole breastfeeding journey, and work out from there what is going on.

[fedupandlookingforchange]

I have this problem, I lay on my side and I put her on her side and that helps. It took about a week for her to master this. Mines 5.5 weeks now and is much better at dealing with it. Might be worth getting in touch with your health visitor. Expressing some may work but it may also just increase the supply!

[Spanneroo]

My right boob could run its own pressure washing business, so we had this issue with all of mine until around 3 months when they learnt to not encourage it by sucking when it was at its most enthusiastic.

There are a couple of things you can try:

• Hand express for a few minutes first so that the flow is slower

• Tap tap tap her back during the entire feed to bring up bubbles as they go down

• feed her whilst lying on your side to help excess dribble out of her mouth, and make it easy for her to turn away (IME this works way better than being in a reclined position with her on her tummy)

I promise it doesn't last all that long, and eventually, you'll thank your fast flow for the super-speedy feeds you can do as she gets bigger. I do feel for you though. One of my twins was under 5lb when he was born and he really struggled with that side for quite some time!

[pollysproggle]

Does she make a gulping noise when feeding?
For fast flow you can express some before latching or you can cup your breast to curb the flow a bit. There are videos on YouTube to show you how.
It does sound like wind so you could try something like infacol before a feed too.

I found a good position to be tummy to tummy so baby is turned flat against you when feeding.
Congrats on your baby girl x

[Thaimoon]

Thanks everyone for your advice.
@Spanneroo yes mine was just over 5lb so I did wonder if it's harder for her being so little
@pollysproggle yes she gulps a lot