5 week-old suddenly unhappy with one breast

[Emzar]

Hello, just wanted some advice on this - my 5 week old son is usually an enthusiastic feeder with a very strong suck who up until now has been feeding for up to an hour a time quite happily, and always taking a second breast when offered. (We've had problems with the latch, but it seemed to be in terms of me being in pain rather than him being unhappy.)

But 3 days ago he started to seem unhappy and fidgety when feeding from my right breast. This breast is smaller than the left, and produces less milk when expressing, which I know is normal, but up until now he's always fed happily from it. Now he frequently pops off and grumbles and wriggles when he's on. On the other side he's fine.

A couple of days ago the left side seemed to be expressing less than normal, so I expressed in between a couple of feeds to try and increase supply, and since then it seems back to normal. Last night I got a painful hard lump in that side, which I assumed was a blocked duct, but after feeding and expressing one after the other, that seems to have cleared up completely today.

He's also had green poo for the last few days. Initially I wondered if the green poo was caused by him not getting the fatty milk, but the poo remains green even when he has a couple of expressed feeds in a row, when I know I'm getting plenty of milk out.

I also thought the blocked duct might be inhibiting supply, and I've read it can change the taste of the milk, which might make him fuss, but as I no longer have the pain or lump, I don't see how it can be that.

Any ideas what it might be that's bothering him, and what I should do? Thank you!

The third paragraph above should read "the right side seemed to be expressing less than normal" - ie. the breast he's unhappy with!

Can I ask how often you are expressing and why? It just seems from your op that you are expressing quite a lot considering your baby is so young.

Frothy green poo can be a sign they are getting a lot of foremilk (ie watery thirst quenchy milk that comes first). The longer they suck from one side the more fatty the milk gets. But if you are expressing a lot it maybe that you are producing a lot of foremilk, ie similar to oversupply problems, which I think can result in green poos.

Although green poo can be normal for some babies.

I think there are several ducts so having one temporary blockage wouldn't greatly affect supply, although I've no experience of this myself.

My ds also went fussy with one side but its just temporary usually - maybe in that position something is catching their eye and distracting them. They go through a lot of little phases, not liking what they once liked and then its something else for you to worry over!

Thanks for your reply. I'm expressing two feeds every night at the moment - for the first couple of weeks I had extremely painful nipples, and I found night feeds particularly difficult, so I started expressing at night and feeding him that to give my nipples a chance to recover. Nipples are now much, much better, but I haven't quite worked up the courage to try night feeding again yet. (It was so stressful that I really do feel like I need some courage!)

So, I don't think I'm expressing more milk than he'd normally be taking himself, as I'm just replacing feeds with expressing, rather than expressing extra milk.

Hopefully it is a temporary mood - he had one OK feed earlier, and then went back to being fussy again!

Ha! I had EXACTLY this problem! It was a passing phase however I got round it by using the "rugby ball" hold. If you're trying to feed from right breast, hold him under your RIGHT arm ie as if you are carrying a rugby ball(!) and so that he is lying on his same side (his right hand side on your lap) as he would be if you were doing normal feed on left breast. It helps to have a cushion or 2 to keep him held at "breast height".

That way (if it makes any sense) helped fool my little fusspot that he was being fed from left.

For what it's worth, the nurse at our surgery though it's perhaps due to a bit of trapped wind making it uncomfortable to lie on one side. Just a thought though, not an explanation.

here is a link to a picture (scroll down page a bit)

Thanks Happygomummy, I haven't tried that hold yet, so I'll give it a go tomorrow. He has been grumbling and crying when digesting recently, so it could well be trapped wind or something.

Emzar - I wonder if your right breast doesn't have as fast/as big a let down as the other and as you have been bottle feeding as well your baby is getting used to instantly getting milk/getting milk in a larger quantity quicker so is showing a preference for the left/bottles.

You could try breast compressions during feeding on that side to increase the amount of milk baby is getting with out increasing the effort he is putting in.

Just wondering - do you express after/during his bottle feeds at night or do you 'rest' them at night?

Re, the night feeds, have you tried feeding lying down. I found this more relaxing. here are a load of images to give you an idea.

It does sound like the expressing and bottlefeeding might be confusing things a bit.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried feeding lying down a few times and found it OK, so I will persevere with that. Have made a resolution to start night feeds again!

We're currently in hospital for a few days as yesterday he developed a temperature and got very sleepy, so he's being treated for a potential virus. I'm wondering now if this was behind the problem originally.

Oh yes should have said green poo can mean they are ill. Hope he's on the mend soon. Bm is great when they are ill. Your experience expressing will be in your favour here if he's too sleepy to feed.

I have another question, if anyone us able to help. Since becoming ill, my son hasn't been feeding as much as normal, and for the last 3 nights had missed a feed he'd normally wake up for at around midnight. For the previous two nights this has meant my breasts have become extremely full overnight. But tonight (it's now 4am!) they're not nearly as full, and I'm worried my supply is reducing.

My question is, do I let him sort himself out and hope my supply increases as he feeds more, or should I start expressing his "missing" feed to compensate?

Personally at 5 weeks I'd express a missed feed - that way when he is better and wants to feed again you haven't got to work for that feed but if he doesn't pick that feed up again you can stop expressing and you've made a nice freezer stash