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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Distractable 6 month old

13 replies

vvviola · 21/02/2012 07:33

I'm having real trouble with feeding DD2. She's EBF and is the nosiest little thing. Any kind of noise or interesting thing within eyeline and she stops feeding (with or without breaking her latch). And then it's like a wrestling match trying to get her to finish the feed. Which means she's hungry again 45 minutes later.

The result of all this is sore nipples, I've inadvertently flashed a number of elderly gentlemen in the park outside the library, and I'm getting weary of the constant feeding and wrestling.

Is it just a phase? I gave up feeding her sister at a similar age for similar reasons and because I was going back to work, so I don't know if we would have just got through it. I really don't want to give up feeding now, but it's becoming so draining, and I'm beginning to dread feeding her.

The only calm feeds we get are the night feeds, and one after her morning nap because the house is quiet. It's hard going.

Any suggestions? Or reassurance that it's just a phase that will improve soon?

OP posts:

ICompletelyKnowAboutGuineaPigs · 21/02/2012 11:51

My DD was also EBF (though we had introduced solid food at this stage). She was very distractable and it drove me mad too!

My DD BF for two years and we went through stages of her being more/less distractable. I found that when she was really hungry for milk she would eat well but when she was feeding through boredom she would look around a lot - I too flashed a number of people in various places! have you thought about introducing solid food yet? i did baby led weaning and felt it went really well with BF on demand.

The other thing I got was a nursing necklace that had bells and beads on it. it gave her something to do whilst feeding without having to look around. She has always been an engaged little girl and when i stopped fighting that and channelled it it did seem to help (if only my sanity!)

If you do decide to stop BFing then know that you've done a fab job for getting this far. But if this is the only reason why you want to stop then do perservere and it will get better. Good luck :)

GodisaDj · 21/02/2012 17:23

In a similar position after flashing 3 elderly ladies and a waitress in a coffee shop today

I do find that sometimes if I snuggle my face down to her and talk to her, she continues to feed.

I have a teething necklace (adult necklace with rubber ring for her to chew) and she plays with this too but stops bf'ing!! Can't win

PineappleBed · 21/02/2012 17:27

My FF 4 month old DD is the same, I just wanted to say as it sounds like you really want to carry to BF (good for you!) and I thought I should say that switching to bottles might not make a vast amount of difference. Some babies are nosey (dunno where mine gets it from )

LittleOne76 · 21/02/2012 19:17

My 5.5mo DS is also the same and what I do now is feed him upstairs in the bedroom with the blind pulled down so it's quite dark. He also has to be calm and hungry and a bit tired. If not, then there is too much other stuff to see/do/play with and he will sit himself up or do a back arch to look behind him or yell out. I tend not to feed outside now and even find the dedicate parent rooms difficult as there are different walls/ light fittings etc for him to look at. It has sometimes taken a good hour to get him in the right frame of mind to feed once he's satisfied he's had a good look around.

On the one hand it's a bit frustrating but I look at him and really feel happy that he is so inquisitive and alert. I just wish he would realise that a good 5-10 min suck is all it takes and he can look around all he wants when we're done...!

LittleOne76 · 21/02/2012 19:19

Oh, DS doesn't like bottles so that hasn't been an option for outings... Although we are trying to get him back on them. Agree with the previous post, I tend to think he would be the same whether boob or bottle. Only think with the bottle is that it involves less flashing on my part!

JeewizzJen · 21/02/2012 19:26

DS (7.5mo) is really distractible too, and has been since about 6 mo - luckily now I can usually just give him 'proper' food rather than bf if out and about, but when I was still bf'ing exclusively I used to find putting a muslin over his head so he couldn't see around would help. Doesn't help with the noise, but I did find it fairly effective!

PineappleBed · 22/02/2012 12:10

Would a feeding apron thing which covers them up help? Jojo maman bebe do them.

highheelsandequations · 22/02/2012 14:14

DD has been like this since about 13 weeks and is now 7.5 months! She is much better feeding in the house now (as long as nobody else is around), a nursing necklace has helped a little, starting BLW also seemed to help. I tried covering her eyes/using a muslin, I even tried putting us both under a shawl didn't help but must have given the people around us something to giggle at! I now just sit with my hand ready to cover myself when she pulls off and resign myself to flashing the general public on a semi-regular basis :)

We've never had any success with bottles but I did take some expressed milk out in a cup with us last week and (although I don't think she had a full feed) between the sips from the cup and the brief BFs she had enough milk to keep her happy whilst we were out for most of the morning.

Will watch this thread for helpful suggestions

Original poster

vvviola · 26/02/2012 08:23

Thanks everyone! Good to hear I'm not alone. And it's useful to hear that bottles may not solve the problem - although my dignity may be a little better protected!

Feeding covers are usually just something else to distract her... but maybe a necklace or even on of her soft toys in her hand might help.

Biggest problem is her sister really - no chance of a full feed if big sister is within earshot. Maybe I should just do all the feeds in the morning when she's at kindergarten

Thanks everyone

OP posts:

Mjtay · 26/02/2012 15:55

I will just say that I'm currently coming off of breastfeeding, only feeding myself 2-3 times a day!! And bottle feeding is a whole lot worse for distractions! She thrashed her head from one side to other with me trying to keep the bottle up with her!! She can get s full
360 degree view, and still feed in her eyes! Drives me nuts!! Stick with bf!! Xxx

sunshineoutdoors · 26/02/2012 16:12

I'm having this problem with dd. Do I need to be concerned about how much milk she is getting, or just trust that if she needs it she will get it?

At 29 weeks she is now refusing milk but then eating solids when I offer them afterwards. I thought bm was meant to still be main source of calories but she doesn't seem interested in having much at all at the moment

I feel like I'm annoying her by keeping shoving my nipple in her mouth when she's not interested! She seems happy and healthy otherwise so should I just chill out or do I need to try the dark room etc to get more bm inside her? I don't want to forcefeed her but I want to make sure she gets enough.

sunshineoutdoors · 26/02/2012 16:13

Oops! Sorry for thread hijack

phoebepallotti · 26/02/2012 22:05

GAH! the Stunt Feeding! I 'showered' a young exchange student on the train with milk when my dd began doing this. The poor girl is probably back in Germany now still traumatised. DD did mostly grow out of it, and just being an impatient mum and going 'well fine, if you're not interested then', and putting them away sometimes made her eat properly when she was really hungry. She still does it sometimes though, I accidentally flashed a Church-going party on the bus today.....

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