Agitation and distress when trying to BF (11mo)

[Labracadabra]

Hi all, I'm hoping someone here might be able to shed some light on my situation. DD2 is 11 months old and is breastfed. She is eating solids well now. Her normal BF routine is one feed on waking, lunchtime feed, tea time and bedtime. She usually wakes once or twice a night and gets fed then too. When I feed her she starts to suck but soon becomes very agitated, crying, grimacing, waving arms and kicking legs. This happens every few sucks until my milk letdown occurs. It seems like she is angry that the milk isn't instantly available - could this really be the case? I've considered whether she has ear/throat/mouth pain, but once the milk comes down she settles into feeding (although yells again during the few seconds it takes to swap her to the other boob!) I am back at work FT so during the week she is supposed to have a bottle of expressed milk at lunch time but had started refusing the bottle (and won't even drink much breastmilk from a sippy cup or beaker). She gets agitated during both day and night feeds and whether at home or out. She is between 50th and 75th centile and very bright and well otherwise. Has she just got a shocking temper ? I bf DD1 until she was 2 years old and hoped to do the same this time but DD1 was such an easy feeder!! Thanks.

Yes, I seem to remember they go through phases where they don't really focus on it well or don't put a lot of effort into drinking from the breast properly, and then getting a bit diva-ish about it! It does return to better feeding technique (if you are not going to have a go at weaning off BF).

My DD did not like milk or milky things (cow's) until she was about 2 but then it was quite a good catalyst for stopping the BF altogether. The thing that bridged it to drinking cow's milk was rice pudding (grown up version!), and later custard. You could also try getting her to drink milk through a straw as well as/ instead of a bottle, they can get the hang of this at a very early age.

If she is in pain then it is most probable it is due to ears if it makes feeding difficult - check for raised temp. etc.

Thanks Ormally, I'll persevere with the bf and hope this is just a phase I'll try a straw too instead of the bottle.