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Infant feeding

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

teething or a nursing strike? Ideas please

8 replies

MacMomo · 30/03/2011 21:39

DD 12 weeks old, EBF. After difficult first 4-6 weeks, feeding has been fine, if predominantly from one breast. I have v forceful let down on both sides.

A week ago, she started being very fussy and pulling away from the breast, stretching the nipple out and crying when I even wafted it near her. This has now got focused on the last feed before bed (sleeping reliably 7+ hrs from about 7pm since before she was 8 weeks old). This has developed into a complete screaming hour, she is totally traumatised and hysterical if I put her near the breast at bedtime, but is clearly crying also because she is very hungry by then. Eventually she calms down enough to pass out for a bit and then feeds half asleep. I don't think she is over tired, though she has been resisting day naps.

Her day feeds are sometimes half asleep but there are also some awake ones (always used to be awake), and she is refusing to sleep anywhere except on me, after falling asleep on the breast. She seems to be happiest when upright, either held upright or propped upright on the sofa (looks very odd).

I only managed to feed her tonight after she screamed herself silly and in a stupor I fed her with her on her back and me leaning over the top of her (she wouldn't latch with me lying next to her). It seems she has a complete aversion to being fed in the usual position (cross cradle) or anything resembing it (although she is less problematic during the day and 5am feed). She is even prefering the breast she always rejected.

Is is possible she is teething this young? If it is a nursing strike, how the hell do I feed her? It has been going on a long time now and I'm at my wits end; I feel terrible that she is so distressed and I can't comfort her - nothing seems to work at all. She is producing several poos a day and having about 10 wees. When she isn't fighting the naps or screaming about the breast, she is still smiling and cooing.

Any help much appreciated. Many thanks.

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Albrecht · 30/03/2011 22:24

here is good info on nursing strikes.

ds started refusing daytime feeds at about 4 months I think, as he was so interested in staring at stuff (oh a cushion!) he didn't want to waste time feeding but fed loads at night. So I fed when he'd just woken from a nap and he was less focussed on anything else. Not sure if that is what is happen with you, just my experience.

MacMomo · 31/03/2011 00:54

No, this is a baby who screams at the sight of her favourite boob for an hour, when she is hungry. She starts off latching and feeds aggressively for a couple of minutes, then starts pulling off and crying, kicking violently and screaming. Seriously, the next door neighbours can hear her. It is sustained and only relieved by making her upright.

I have read all the info about nursing strikes, but this is over a week now and not improving. I was wondering if anyone thought it was teething instead (though I cant feel anything much on her gums).

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PenguinArmy · 31/03/2011 07:04

Sorry, I'm not sure if I've read this right

Is she only refusing the bedtime feed or the daytime one's as well.

If it's related to let-down could you pump a bit off first. If she's too frantic with hunger could you offer her a few oz's and then try to switch to breast.

Have you looked up forceful let down stuff?

Albrecht · 31/03/2011 08:11

What about reflux?

When ds was teething he wanted to suck loads for comfort (I suppose like how sucking on a toothache can help with the pain) so doesn't sounds like teething to me. Bright red cheeks? ds were so bad the skin on his cheeks actually cracked.

Have you talked this through with one of the bf helplines? I always found them very helpful, much better than gp or hv.

firsttimemum90 · 31/03/2011 12:25

sounds a bit like reflux to me esp where you say shes happier upright, does she spit up, if not could be silent reflux, go to your gp could get some meds and yor have your happy feed times back :)

MacMomo · 01/04/2011 22:27

Thanks for your posts, sorry have been too busy with dd to even look here. albrecht I have just seen you post to me on another thread I started about this (in case it wasn't a feeding problem).

BF counsellor can't see me in person until next week. The dr said nothing is wrong, but I didn't push for Domperidone which I can do on monday I suppose.

penguinarmy good question. it started out with her crying at the sight of the breast during the day feeds and I didn't register a problem, just thought she wasn't hungry as she always fed at a later time and there wasn't a problem at night. Then she started screaming at the bedtime feed so I took notice and realised she was being fussy during the day, too. We spent a couple of days semi-naked on the sofa with her feeding in her sleep for hours (probably not great quality sleep or milk transfer but hey). And she refused the bottle to start with at night, too. And now...she is feeding from the breast she hates (I mean hates) and taking a bottle. But still screaming and screaming.

The confusing thing about the reflux - when I see her deal with it (it's silent) she never seems too bothered about it. Doesn't seem to add up that she's so utterly traumatised by it only at 6pm.

Dr confirmed it's not teething (but had nothing else to offer so suggested I rub bonjela on her gums 'just in case'. I didn't.)

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PenguinArmy · 02/04/2011 00:31

I can say that we had horrible fussy behaviour that wasn't linked to reflux and it peaked around 3-4 months. It was horrible. For me it was related to slow let down reflux.

This might be useful but a lot of fussy behaviour just needs to be ridden out (c.f. colic)

MacMomo · 04/04/2011 20:47

I just posted this on the other thread I started about this problem. I hope the ranitidine helps.

Saw the dr today who advised that we up the Gaviscon intake. When I said dd was so constipated as a result of the Gaviscon already taken daily (3 times at the moment) that she was now crying with passing wind, he said she wasn't constipated. I said that I couldn't give gaviscon 6 times a day as she screams at the syringe and refuses to take it. He said give her bottles - all her feeds in bottles. When I tried to explain about how that would impact on breast feeding he just looked blank (his own 7 mo wasn't bf). I asked for Ranitidine and he said he was nervous to prescribe it for an infant but looked it up in his book and decided it was ok. I am a bit frustrated - Ranitidine might not be the answer but sure he should some clue? I felt like I had gone to Tesco and bought cough medicine.

Oh well, at least I got the prescription, will collect tomorrow. Interestingly, and perhaps connected - she came out in a hideous rash across face, scalp and neck over the weekend which is turning into eczema. I wonder if there is an allergy in this whole thing after all. Have come off all milk protein and caffeine just in case.

Thanks everyone for your help, advice and links to resources.

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