13 week old pulling on the breast & fussing

[tomkitty]

She rares back with the nipple in her mouth or shakes her head from side to side, especially in pm feeds. I just returned to work part time and now have childcare 1.5 days a week, although I am working at home some too. I am really only missing one afternoon feed on one day and two afternoon feeds the other day. I suspect the problem is more my own anxiety, and that either she is picking up on this or it is affecting the taste of my milk (P Leach says that's possible). But morning feed is still ok. I'm not sure what to do. I love bf but baby isn't enjoying this and I'm starting not to either. Any ideas?

Hi Tomkitty. I went through similar with DS - he's 28 weeks today and still exclusively breastfed, but I do find that if there's a lot going on in the room, unless he's absolutely starving, he won't settle to feed. The middle of the day is worst - in the mornings he's gone a while without a feed, so he's ravenous and later on he's sleepy so he feeds more easily.

I think at 13 weeks, they're just beginning to realise there's more in the world than Mum's boob and crook of the arm and they want to look! Keep going though - it's well worth it. Can you try leaving her a little bit longer if she starts fussing - it might be that she's wanting to see the world more than she wants her tummy full.

HTH a bit
Hunkermunker x

Thanks Hunk. Well done to get through the rough patch. I intend to bf for about a year.

I will try to be patient. She has always been a slow eater and prone to mucking around at the breast. I fed her just now and for the first time she smiled at me and the bb kept falling out of her mouth! But that was nothing like the horrible thrashing scenes of the past few afternoon and evenings.

So maybe the problem is distraction. I thought it could also be a milk supply problem, a change in the taste of my milk, tension in my body that she is picking up on, perhaps her own impatience with a slow let-down, or maybe some combination of things. Whatever it is, I have no intention of stopping yet.

The problem might be frustration at "lack" of milk... not saying you do not have enough but maybe she is use to having it a fuller breast and as you have dropped a feed it will take time for her and your body to adjust. Anyc chance you can express a bit over the WE at the time you dropped that feed just to stimulate breasts again ?
From what you just posted she might well be settling down.... PM feeds are often the most difficult ones as they are when breast is less full.

Ahhhh! Her first smile, how precious for you Tomkitty.