please advise - hungry 3 month old suddenly struggling to bf

[mommynookah]

My 13 week old DS hasstopped feeding as much over the last couple of weeks, and this weekend it has got even worse. Feedings have reduced from 20mins each side to 5 mins on one side, then the fussing and frustration and crying begins - he never did this before, breastfeeding had been going really well.

I know he is hungry - he is trying to latch on but keeps getting upset and pulling off, then screaming so its impossible to feed him.

I can hear his tummy rumbling and he tries to get latched on but he can't for some reason, then he gets frustrated and we are now missing feeds because I can't feed him and he is screaming himself to sleep.

We tried him with a bottle and formula (I felt we had no choice) at the weekend but that didn't really work as he couldn't get anything out of the teat.

He doesn't have a temperature and seems happy enough otherwise, except we are noticing he isn't as chubby as he was (which wasn't much anyway as he was IUGR). He has gone from a poo in every nappy to 2 a day, wet nappies have reduced too.

He had an excellent latch before and was gaining weight well, but this has started to tail off.

He was low birth weight and is on the 0.4th centile even now so I am very aware we have no margin for error with feedin g because he doesn't have the fat reserves to sustain him if he isn't feeding properly.
He has also started sleeping longer at night since he started feeding less, I don't understand this, last night he slept ten hours even though he'd hardly fed. I now feel I should have woken him but wasn't sure.

I'm concerned about my milk supply too - have tried expressing but for some reason I can't get much though I know I have a lot of milk when DS is feeding.

I'm taking him to the doctors today but wanted to ask on here too as I know you tend to have excellent advice, I hope someone might know what could be wrong and how I can get him to feed properly again,

Thank you

Can't add much but normal by 3 months for length of feeds to reduce significantly as they become much more efficient feeders. A 10 hour stretch means he is getting enough - at that age if he was hungry he'd wake more in the night, although I agree if I was concered I might try a night feeding which would stimulate your milk too.

It was about this age that my DS1 started to get annoyed when the milk slowed down, so he'd take 5 mins on each side and then fuss and bite. He then was hungry a couple of hours later. Sadly I never managed to solve it as by around 4 months he was feeding hourly and only taking the milk when it was fast (ie let down relflex) once it was pretty much hourly in the night too (after previously sleeping through) I'd had enough, changed to formula with fast flow teat and he was finishing 8oz bottles in a few minutes.

I only mention this as when I asked for help from HV was told normal for baby to want to BF all night and that I'd done well to get to 4 months could give him bedtime bottle of formula.

Could you ask your HV to check for thrush? Might explain the latching on and immediate yanking off as their mouth can be painful? Any signes of thrush on your nipples or breast pain?

Might he have an ear infection or cold starting?

Not all babies wake in the night if they are hungry, sometimes they are conserving energy.

If your supply is an issue, you need to feed more. How much you express isn't an indication of your supply though as I'm sure you know.

I think you are wise to see the doctor (as long as they are up to date with breastfeeding). Would also recommend a chat with nct/lll breastfeeding helpline.

Let us know the outcome of the docs visit won't you, good luck.