At the end of my tether, must I hit the bottle?

[FifiFerusha]

I have posted on here countless times, so apologies and thank you to mumsnet, I have received some really valid advice. My DS is now four months and for one month he has arched at feeds, also .got very distracted. I can now only feed him when sleepy and he has now started to arch at these points, therefore interrupting his time to settle. I have tried dark room, skin to skin, advice from doctors, from here, from HV, waiting until he is really hungry, I have tried it all. This afternoon he just didn't feed from 1 pm until bedtime bottle at 6. 30. He made those back of the throat noises from about 4 pm and was frantically wanting a feed, rooting on me the lot, but arched again and again. He was getting very upset but still tried rooting on any other part of me other than the nipple. He is hungry but does not seem to enjoy breastfeeding, I am gutted. I think it might be the bottle he gets in the evening. This started as I was suffering from horrendous sores and an abcess at the start and could not take the cluster feeds. I was crying nearly every feed. Then by 6 weeks all was great. My DS became a fantastic ten minute feeder. I was soo happy that I persevered. But now, I think he might be wanting a bottle instead. I am just not sure. Last week I tried a couple of ounces during the day but he was very fussy about it so ruled it out. Now I am not sure what is going on. I really don't want to give up breastfeeding. .Any advice?

Hi Fifi
I really feel for you. Your situation sounds so like mine! My son is almost 7 months now and we have had a lot of problems with breastfeeding. He is exclusively bf apart from a few bottles in his first two days of life (I think these bottles caused most of our problems, taught him shallow latch and to expect regular flow etc). Anyway he was never easy to feed but around the 4 month mark he got even more difficult with a lot of arching and crying and trying to eat my shoulder exactly as you describe your son. I tried everything I could think of like you did. In the end I contacted jack newman who advised me to start domperidone which I did and immediately noticed an improvement. Although I think my supply was adequate (although it had reduced with his fussiness and refusing feeds) I think the flow was not fast enough for him and this is why he got so frustrated and impatient at the breast. The domperidone increases supply and so increases flow. I am wondering if maybe you could contact dr newman with a description of your issues (he was very quick to respond to me, think it was the next day). I hope this is of some help to you.

Think my flow is the opposite and quite fast as he used to be such a quick feeder. But of course I couldn't be sure of what is average but can express quite quickly. He fed from me at 4. 40 am and then outright refused this morning but was fussing and very hungry. I caved in and made a bottle. . But, but he wouldn't take that either so am still not sure if that is the issue. He then got sleepy and at 10 .30 finally had what has become a nap feed,. So he went six hours with no feed. .that worries me x

How is his weight gain? It isn't inconceivable that he just wasn't hungry at breakfast time- I think if he was he would have taken either the breast or the bottle. My dd is mix fed (she has 1 ff a day at bedtime) and on a couple of occasions where she's got over tired and hysterical-too tired to eat too hungry to sleep -she's taken a bottle. Are you sure he's not teething? Dd is currently rooting at everything but it's teething rather than hunger.

I was about to suggest teething as well. You could try a teething gel before a feed to see how that goes?

Mm, I think I am just a bundle of confusion. He seems hungry but he has been drooling loads and could be something to do with. Tried cal gel, no difference.

His weight gain is really good but can't help thinking I am sneaking in the feeds during naps as it is the only time he will take it. Not particularly convenient. Especially as we are going away this weekend so he will have loads of new things around him. Should I not persist if he gives hunger cues yet still arches. Should I just leave it even after six hours. Not sure what the right approach is.