Thinking of stopping breastfeeding 4 month old

[mummratheevertired]

Hi I wonder if anyone can help.

My 4and a half month old dd just keeps fussing and not latching on without a fuss. She cries because she is hungry but won't latch on and just screams. I have to practically keep forcing my nipple in over and over before the milk finally comes when she guzzles it down, although she still fusses and pulls back occasionally. This happens around 3 days a week and I'm getting really fed up.

This being said I think I would regret stopping. I have tried expressing but don't seem to get much. I am having to express to feed her with a bottle sometimes when she crying so much.

Is there anything I can do to help her? She was fine before about a couple of weeks ago.

I fed DS until he was 18 months and would like to continue but not if she is going to fuss so much as it's upsetting me and my 2 year old.

Thanks

I am wondering if you have had your baby checked for a tongue-tie?

We went through this at the same age. For some bizarre reason my daughter would only feed lying down, so that's what we did for a couple of weeks until it passed. I would also second getting her checked for a tongue tie.

I don't think she has tongue tie DS had slight tongue tie and I struggled feeding him up until he was 3 months. She has been fine up until now too?

She is probably going through a growth spurt. Try reading 'the wonder weeks' for sale here - or your library will probably have a copy.
www.amazon.co.uk/Wonder-Weeks-stimulate-development-predictable/dp/9079208043/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391184277&sr=1-1&keywords=the+wonder+weeks+book

teething

?

My DD was particularly fussy around 4 months. She was tongue tied, but it wasn't just that. I think this is when distractable behaviour kicks in - she wanted to be looking around, not with her face shoved in my boob. She fed fine at night, but during the day would pull off and fuss and often scream. I found that feeding standing up, walking around or jigging her gently, really helped. Not ideal if you're out (but I managed it relatively discreetly then too).

It passed soon enough and I'm glad I persevered through that period as once it passed bf got very easy!

could it be reflux? that can make it painful for baby to feed even though they are hungry. we had a very pukey reflux baby but I think lots of reflux babies don't puke so much but have acid coming up when they try to feed.....hope you find the answer x

I would toss up between the 4 monthlys and maybe being uncomfortable with the position of feeding. Sometimes they can get a bit sore being picked up and whatnot.

I probably would probably pin it on the 4 monthlys though... loads of lights have come on and the world is so much more interesting.

Try lying down to feed her in a quiet room if possible.. little distraction.

Thanks all. It does sound as though she's being fussy at the minute for no reason. She is very happy with a bottle of expressed milk though so it's quite frustrating. I can't express all the time either. She is happy feeding at night too when she's sleepy. I do have to stand up and jiggle to get her to latch on. It's just very hard with a toddler demanding my attention at the same time.

Also, if it is just a phase? How long till she comes through it? I had hopes it would have stopped the other week when it happened for 2-3 days. Then for a day last week and again yesterday and today. It's nearly impossible to get her to latch even lying down.

went through exactly the same with my 2nd! had a couple of nightmare weeks where he was doing exactly as you describe. I agree that its prob a combination of things. things I tried:
*lying him on floor and then 'dangling' boob over his mouth for to suck (I think this was supposed to be a good position if teething/gums hurting)

• lying back on the chair (not quite horizontal) and getting him to latch like that (thought I might have too fast a let down/oversupply)
• feeding lying down like at night
• hand expressing a little into a cup and giving him that before trying to latch him on.

it was hell for a couple of weeks but i was so pig minded that i wanted to continue! and then it was fine again!
wrt toddler I also had a 3 yr old and those couple of weeks we watched a lot of cbeebies!!

I can't remember when it ended but I know it does.

Can you maybe get your milk to let down with the pump before latching on? She might just be getting impatient.. especially as the bottle is so little work for them.

She may also be getting a preference for bottles for the above reasons.. it might be worth doing less bottles for the minute until she's over the hump.

Bottle feeders tend not to go through this phase cos they can feed and still have a good old look around. So that could explain why she's ok on a bottle of ebm.

I can't remember how long it lasted. A month or so? But DD's was also about her tongue tie too, so that probably made it last longer in our case...

Okay we shall persist. Thanks all!