Teething baby bottle feeding instead of breast? Help!

[Mattu]

My almost 3 month old daughter has been showing signs of teething, drooling, biting everything, not settling or sleeping well, cranky & not feeding well. Yesterday I even noticed a tiny white dot coming out of the bottom gum.
Our concern is that she is hungry and drinks fine from the breast early morning & at night but during the day it's a all day of latch on & off every few mins. So yesterday I expressed milk (even today) and gave it to her in a bottle & she gulped it all down & wanted more. Now I am happy to do that, but I am not able to express much with a pump all the time... There is milk if she drinks on her own but it's really tough and takes a very long time to express very little milk while she cries for more. So far I have been only Breastfeeding her. Since she is able to drink from a bottle & is hungry, do I give her formula? Or just keep trying to Breastfeeding even though she is not able to latch or stay on for more than a few sucks?

when dd is writhing around, i hold the uppermost hand tight.
it usually stops her.

otherwise, I also stroke her head - proper circular strokes like i'm calming a tantrum.

Mattu - due to the way bottles work it's possible for a baby to seemingly wolf down a lot then still be hungry - the feed is over before the 'I'm Full' switch is turned on so they still think they want feeding.

It's quite normal for babies to feel unsettled or in pain and seek comfort from bfing - don't forget bfing isn't just about the milk, it's painkillers, sleep inducing, temperature regulating, heart rate & breathing rate regulating, safety, comfort and a whole lot more besides. Babies don't just come to the breast for hunger/thirst reasons.

How has feeding been up to this point? Is this on and off new? Does she like being skin to skin with you (or Dad)?

Thank you, I shall try holding her hand, I do stroke her head.

i think it's because she can't faff around when her hand's being held.

At 3 months, she's started to discover that she can move those hands, but she doesn't yet know how, so she'll be faffing around with them instead of concentrating
holding it seems to just take her mind off it.
(don't let go though! or you'll start again! )

She has done a lot of latch on & off since birth, but we were setting into a routine since past few weeks until teething started.

She drinks very well during the day too, but now it's day 4th and she has drunk very little during the day, unless I express and feed and that she is able to gulp down... when she is hungry she even gulps down from breast...

My worry is, she s hungry, I am only able to express enough barely for one feed dring the day... so do I go the formula route for a few days during the day till she feels better & starts to breastfeeds during the day on her own?

and I use the Medela bottles where she still needs to make an effort to feed n she gulps with that too...

i think you just have to keep at it.

always offer her the breast first.
don't immediately try bottle if breast doesn't work, but do if she gets fretful, iyswim.

sometimes DD has to be held next to the breast a while before she'll take it (great when my boob's out in the shop! )

I sit with her all day long if I need to, trying to feed her from the breast... but this time it's different & no success getting her to feed during the day...

I can't advise further than that, I'm afraid.
:(

I hope you find a solution.

Thank you s much, I will continue to keep at it and hopefully this phase passes quickly...

When DS is teething he pulls on and off unless I put some bonjela on first.

Obviously on his gums not my nipple