Ok, I think I MAY have figured out our feeding problem, now just need to know how to manage it...

[bumperlicious]

I think it may be due to a slow let-down, and dd is just very impatient. the question is how can I deal with this. It makes her either refuse to go on the breast, go on but give up when nothing comes out, or feed for about 5 mins then come off (is this perhaps because she has emptied the breast and a second let down isn't coming?).

can you please help me? I've tried expressing, but often can't get a let-down with that. I know I'm meant to be relaxed but knowing the impending stress (refusing to feed and screaming for 20mins to an hour...) doesn't help. any solutions gratefully received

Help!

Not sure I can offer much help, but bumping so that maybe someone like tiktok or hunker might see. Do you switch sides after the 5 mins? I really don't want to try to give advice as I'm not a bfc, but I did find that when we went through a very fussy phase quite a lot of switching from side to side seemed to help. Good luck, anyway!

Bump - you could try breast compressions - there's a bit here about how to do it and why you might want to. Hope it's of some help

Also found this on slow let down.

Hi
I think it is important not to over analyse a normal physiological process. The best way to get everyone in the flow so to speak is to allow unfettered unstressed access to the breast (easy to say I know.)

I would try lying down with her in a very quiet darkened room.

Breasts are never empty btw.

Also,have you considerd giving cranila osteopathy a whirl?

Hi bumper, I have I think slow let-down and also left side is smaller, slower-flowing breast. My dd often battles with the left, particularly later in the day (but can also be first feed of the day)and I think it's frustration at what she's (not) getting immediately.

I do 3 things which appear to help us:

1. When she's getting nothing initially and pulls off and screams, I put her back on and squeeze a little milk out to remind her that she is in the right place after all and milk will come if she works at it. This keeps her interested until she gets the let-down.

2. I work on positioning. She pulls the nipple and breast around a bit so I hold the breast and move with her to keep her "straight-on" the nipple rather than at an angle. I think she gets better flow this way.

3. Breast compression. I was doing my own version before I cottoned on in the last few days to how it should be done after following a link on here and I think it does help.

I'm a first time mum and speak only from my experience, no expertise, just what I have found to work for me.

Good luck and I hope things improve for you.

just to let you know that bumper is off line at the moment as she is in the middle of moving house. She said that bub fed constantly yesterday though so I think things are improving for her slowly. I'll let her know your replies.

Dxx