Squirmy baby at breast 5 weeks help please

[Kirky36]

Any new mums struggling with breast feeding and lack of health professionals to help during lockdown? I really want it to work but have a very squirmy feeder don't know why think it might be wind. Don't know how to fix it - thinking on starting bottle but feel guilty. Daughter 5weeks now. Everyone says it gets better but feel it is getting worse. just want to see someone face to face for help! Anyone else the same? Daughter is gaining weight but just dread every feed due to pulling off arching back etc. Tried diff positions winding often changing breast nothing seems to help!

Look for local breastfeeding support groups. Many are offering online meetings and even 1:1 support via video. Try Facebook groups such as La Leche League. Even if they don't have. A group local to you, I bet they could point you to one.

I don't have much advice personally, except to say that things start to get better after about 6 weeks in my experience. If it is important to you to continue breastfeeding, then hang in there.

@setsoma thanks - will give it a look.

Have you had a read on the Kellymom website? Lots of good advice there on fussy feeders! Breastfeeding my two in the early weeks was like wrestling small, angry eels so you have my sympathy! Some things that helped me: wind before a feed, try different feeding positions (rugby hold is good to contain a squirmer), wrap firmly in a blanket, rock and pat while feeding to lull them into a bit of a daze, figure out when the fussiness starts - is it before the let-down? If so, it could be impatience waiting for the milk. If it's during the let down your flow could be too fast for them to cope with (try breaking the latch and letting milk go into a muslin, then re-latch when the flow slows). During a feed could be wind. Towards the end of a feed - baby is done, letting you know they've had enough (feeds can be as short as 5 minutes). Back arching is also mentioned a lot in threads on silent reflux, I don't much about that personally but may be worth looking into that? Also fussiness can be a sign of thrush - are you experiencing any pain? Is the baby's mouth/tongue covered in a white film that can't be scraped off? If so, speak to your gp. Good luck!

My kids are teenagers now but I rememberer this so well.

Previous posters have good suggestions but IIRC 5 weeks is pretty peak gassiness.- just wanted to say, things will get easier.

Good luck.

You might want to get this moved to infant feeding. You'll get more answers there.

Please don’t feel guilty about switching to bottle. Ds1 was a really difficult feeder- squirmy and would only feed when we were both lying down. I persevered for 6 months because I felt a failure if I didn’t. I look back and regret that now. I would have been so much happier just giving him a bottle in the early days and Us both being more comfortable and free.
Ds2 I had mastitis twice and very ill- I gave it up by 6 weeks due to this and I didn’t look back.
Ds3 took the best to breastfeeding and o thought I’d cracked it. Unfortunately he had tongue tie and I had mastitis after the first week- on the advice of a sensible health visitor I went cold turkey. Best thing I did!
I hate all the guilt associated with bottle over breast. If it’s not working and it’s making you anxious switch to bottle. You won’t regret it. I regret preserving when it was so hard.

Echoing all of the above advice about La Leche League etc! One of mine was fussy due to a bad latch and my fast letdown, which improved with us both getting a bit of practice - for another it was reflux and improved most with me learning some management and positioning techniques, and to burp far more gently than with my others.

I have breastfed 4 DC and its hard!
Everytime I've thought about giving up.

I would feed DD in bed, while having skin to skin, hopefully being that close to you she will relax and settle. I found this really helped my DC.

Also second the 6 week mark!!
Good luck.

I'd recommend seeing a lactation consultant virtually. It works surprisingly well - I did and it solved my problems in one session. With me, the problem was that I hadn't adjusted my hold to account for the fact the baby was bigger so her head wasn't in the right place to feed. Good luck.

Please don't feel guilty about switching to bottle. I felt so guilty too that I resisted for weeks and weeks despite being sooo miserable but as soon as k did it was wonderful. My daughter was so much happier because I was happier and she wasn't struggling. She slept better. My husband couls share the feeds so I got some sleep which was badly needed. In my NCT group of 7 babies, the bottle fed ones all sleep so much better (some breast fed are still waking up several times a night at a year old but all bottle feds are sleeping through). There hasn't been any difference in their health, in fact I'd say the breast fed have had more colds and things! I did a lot of research when I was struggling with this decision and discovered there's actually very little research to back up 'breast is best. There was a big push from a UNICEF international campaign because mothers in the devwlopng world were using formula rather than breast feeding, but were using dirty water and bottles and diluting it too much because it's expensive, so babies got ill. Formula is fine if made properly. The only downside I can see is it's not free!
Good luck to you. My biggest advice is this though- take a step back and follow your instincts. Whenever I've done that since becoming a mum it's always worked out better for all of us.

Honestly from 8 weeks on it was like something just clicked with breastfeeding for us and it got so much easier. I'd try to arrange a video consult with a lactation consultant.

It may be latch, and swallowing too much air, or it may be gas. I was advised around that point that we probably had a small tongue tie but she'd work a way around it, which she did. Don't give up just now if you don't want to, because I do think you're nearly at the point where it gets better, but do get lots of support as much as you can and if you're still not happy there's no need to worry about introducing a bottle, I just wouldn't assume it will fix everything automatically.

Thanks all - her tummy is really gurggley during the feeds so not sure if it has something to do with it. She also has very mucusy nappies but Dr was not concerned about this as it is yellow. Will try all of the above suggestions. I expressed this morning and have it by bottle as wanted to make sure she was taking. She squirmed a little but not as much as on breast?!

Infacol before breastfeeding was a life saver for me! Try that first before a bottle as formula can cause even more stomach upset

We tried infacol for about 3weeks but didn't see an improvement I started colief yesterday but only thing is have to express tibmix the drops

It does sound like gas. You could try putting back onto same breast so she gets more rich milk which has less sugars and I seem to recall causes less gas.

Although it could just be her character my DS was a very wriggly feeder, and sleeper he's grown into a very fidgety child.

Thanks will try same breast again. Will see how we get on today but yesterday was bad as just not sure if she finished feeding or just exhausts herself;and falls asleep. I find it hard knowing she has got what she wants. She sleeps well and I wake her after 5hiurs during the night but last night she only took 2oz that colief was mixed in. Should I still be waking her? Also waking her every 3hrs during day as she sleeps a lot but is very alert when she is awake.

Squirming at the breast is something they do to stimulate milk let down. Along with latching on and off, patting or batting the breast with their hands, arching away etc. It is normal though it is frustrating. Lots of good suggestions from other posters regarding wind etc. At 5/6 weeks she’ll be going through a growth spurt so will be cluster feeding which might make all this seem worse as she’s on the boob moreover . Please try and keep going with the breastfeeding, you’re doing such a good job and this faze will pass. You got this!

Gripe water helped DS to settle when he got too gassy. We also had to wind him much more firmly than I would have thought. Do clockwise circular rubbing on the tummy, then firmly run the back, they help to clear wind. Hopefully la leche League can help you.

My baby did that arched back thing and she had reflux - not diagnosed until she was 5 months as HCPs did not believe how much she cried/vomited and only believed me (and then panicked) when she lost quite a bit of weight! I would mention to your health visitor and keep an eye on your baby’s weight. Are weigh in clinics still operating? It may, however, also be colic as other posters are suggesting.

@OnlyToWin clinics are not running and HV coming out minimally which I totally understand just finding it hard to cope with. She does not spit up often. I will try all suggestions and get in touch with la leche and see if they can help

That’s a shame re the clinics. You will be able to notice with how her clothes fit too - my dds sleepsuit seemed to get more loose. Also, my DD literally threw up full feeds - it was like someone had poured a bottle of milk on the floor, so nothing was staying in. Try keeping her upright for a long time after a feed and as still as possible - I found that winding her made her throw up.
I also wish I had got a sling so I could hold her upright. They also recommend a dummy (if it is reflux) but I stupidly did not use one, as my older DD had not needed one and so I foolishly persevered! If I could turn back time I would use one now as the sucking is supposed to help. I also rolled a towel under her cot mattress to raise her head a little in her cot. She screamed every single time she was laid flat! You live and learn but at the time I was too shattered to form a clear thought!

Also got the point when breastfeeding that she would latch, feed for a bit then cry because of pain, then want to latch again because she was hungry then go hysterical. It was awful - you have my massive sympathy. I remember breast feeding being such a lovely, bonding time with Dd1 and with dd2 it felt like I was torturing her!

@OnlyToWin it sounds like you had a real time of it!! I expected bfing to be hard but it's really tough. I hope she settles soon out even if I just knew what the problem is. Will breed her son and see how we go. Will try skin to skin and biological and see how we get on. Thanks for all the comments

Hope things improve. X

Feed her soon vnot breed her son!!