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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

11 weeks in and it's all going wrong.....

21 replies

kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 20:22

My DD is EBF on demand. She has reflux and has been on Infant Gaviscon since 2 weeks, which seems to help her. But these last few days she has been really fussing when feeding. She started off by feeding for 5 mins and then pulling off and screaming and refusing to latch back on. I assumed this was wind or reflux related, but winding her didn't help. I would give her a dummy and she'd instantly calm down, and after a few minutes we'd try latching on again ant the cycle would start again. Most feeds seemed to last 5 mins or less (previously more like 25 mins) and I was concerned she wasn't getting enough.

Yesterday started off the same way, but by the afternoon she was refusing to feed at all, getting frantically upset at merely being offered the breast. She doesn't nap well in the day so I wondered if she was just over-tired but after a short nap she did the same again. After a colicky session she had a longer sleep, by which time she'd missed 2 feeds, so I expressed a fed for the first time and gave that to her when she woke. Well, she guzzled it down like she hadn't eaten for a week so I offered her the breast and she latched on straight away!

She breast fed fine overnight, though. In shorter bursts than normal, so I thought we were ok but today she's back to refusing the breast. I've expressed all feeds and she's mostly latched on fine afterwards.

What to I do now??? I can't think of anything that's changed WRT my diet etc so I am at a loss as to what's causing this. Also, the bottles she's had today have all been gulped down like she's starving so now I'm wondering if she hasn't been getting enough for a while, although she's putting on weight, plenty of wet nappies etc. She been so much more settled today as well - maybe because she's eating more??

Sorry - this has got really long. Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:25

is she too hungry and stressed to latch? can you latch her on before she gets in a state? even offer it before you think she might be hungry. lie down with her and have a sleep together - biological nurturing stylee?

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:27

did she suffer any injuries in the birth - bruising, that is hurting her - the way you are holding her? (just searching for reasons that she would be getting so upset? Smile

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:27

is something different at night than during the day?

Original poster
kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 20:33

She doesn't get stressed 'till it's offered and she rarely goes more than 2 hours between feeds (except overnight) so I don't think she's getting too hungry but I can try offering more often and see if that helps. Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 20:35

No birth injuries. I have tried other positions but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The only thing different at night is that she's sleepy??

OP posts:
peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:38

if she doesn't get stressed till its offered, can you offer it a bit later on? is she actually hungry when you offer?

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:40

this is quite helpful

TruthSweet · 22/03/2011 20:40

Could your DD be associating bfing with reflux pain so is refusing what to her is causing the pain? Obviously it's not really your breasts that are causing pain, it's the sphincter at the top of her oesophagus not closing properly but she doesn't know that Smile.

Will she bf if offered in a completely different way i.e. if you normally bf sitting up right in a chair in cradle hold would she accept a feed sitting upright on your knee like she was riding a horse, or a feed reclinded in the bath or lying in bed?

If she is still in pain there is other medications that can be prescribed for reflux (domperidone/rantidine/omeprazole/others) so you could go back to your GP for additional help.

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:41

they can be really weird sometimes! and they can seem to sink a bottle and they are not as hungry as you'd think... its just there - flowing, and they keep swallowing Confused

TittyBojangles · 22/03/2011 20:43

Can you see if the gp will try something different for the reflux? I foundthe Gaviscon worked well for a while but then the effects seemed to wear off (probably due to weight increase, and we were already on the max dose) so we got some ranitidine which has so far worked really well, though I know some people find omeprazole better.

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:43

hmm 11 weeks and breastfeeding well at night - could be totally distracted - this happened to my ds although a bit later - bout 16weeks

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:44

some great advice about reflux - i know nothing about reflux really! good luck OP, i'm sure you'll work it out Grin

Original poster
kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 20:52

The riding a horse position was more successful than most but the end result was the same.
Perhaps a review of the gaviscon is needed.
Being distracted is a possibility - she is starting to get nosy!!
Hadn't thought about her taking the bottle 'cos it's there - I suppose she doesn't have to work for it in the same way... She did seem happier after though, and she's had some longer sleeps too (though perhaps she was just too full to stay awake?!

OP posts:
peanutdream · 22/03/2011 20:58

sorry bout 'birth injuries' der! 11 weeks! i must have been thinking days?!

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 21:02

i had to feed my ds when sleepy as a ruke Confused as he was sooooo distracted. would feed for three minutes then start arching away etc. you can't force them can you!

peanutdream · 22/03/2011 21:03

rule

carve133 · 22/03/2011 21:09

Not sure if this will feel at all relevant, but my DS did something similar at around 8 weeks. He's been a slow feeder up until then (45 mins to an hour each feed). He then started pulling off after 10 mins, fussing and screaming if I tried to put him back on the breast. When I had him weighed that week it all made sense as he'd packed it on. Turns out he'd just got more efficient at feeding without me realising and was genuinely finished in 5 or 10 mins. So he'd been fussing to tell me he was finished Blush.

Sorry if this isn't useful, but your OP struck a cord with me.

Good luck Smile

Original poster
kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 21:19

carve123 I hope that's what it is:) I do struggle with not knowing how much she's getting. But her weight gain is fine so I guess she's getting enough.
peanut dream you're right about not being able to force them. When she says "no" she certainly means itGrin

OP posts:
TINKERBELLE33 · 22/03/2011 21:35

I had terrible trouble feeding DD and found that expressing a little before a feed really helped. My HV thought it was because my breasts got so full it was hard for DD to get the milk to flow freely if that makes sense. I just wonder if this could be the case for your DD as you said she will happily take a bottle and then latch on. I only needed to express a little and only until she got bigger. This was from her being very young so may not be the case for you. It might be worth a try to see if it helps though.

Original poster
kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 21:39

Expressing first certainly seems to make a difference, although I never feel full, even first thing in the morning, so I'm not sure hey it helps. But it's easy enough to do so I guess I'll stick at it while it works!!

OP posts:
Original poster
kirrinIsland · 22/03/2011 21:52

Hey it helps?! why it helps :)

OP posts:
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