DS writhing around during feed - getting a bit desperate about it all now.

[kittypower]

I'm BF my DS who is now 8 weeks, we have had a few issues along the way such a too much milk then not enough etc etc but have managed to sort them all out. The one I am now stumped on and is making me so stressed out is this one.. when ds feed he latches on great and then a varying times during a feed, sometimes starting at the beginning and sometimes in the middle of a feed he start writhing around and it's like tryingto hold an eel! He sqirms and twists and hold my nipple in his mouth as he pulls around (vv painful) then pulls off and screams etc and latches back on and we start the whole cycle again. Doctor suggested gaviscon, i tried that this morning after a writhing session and he just vomited up the entire contents of his tummy all over me and the bed etc - I've tried phoning the BF support lines but no answer to an of them. It's not that my let down is too fast and it's not that my boobs are empty, so don't know what it can be. I have been to a BF support group in my area and she was no help either andjust kept telling me it was not enough or too much milk, both of which i told her was wrong but then she gave up and went on to the next problem who had a nice easy problem to sort out! He takes it from a bottle (EBM) ok. Any advice would be apprciated.

X

Have you tried swaddling him? I found that worked will with my fidgety ds. I either used a blanket with his arms reasonably tightly wrapped up or eventually got a great microfleece one with velcro fastenings - he couldn't escape from that one easily

I'm sure you'll get some more advice soon. Don't worry too much about the b/f lines not having an answer - they're staffed by volunteers and there aren't loads, so it's worth trying a few more times.

It really could be that you have a quite a fast let down.

It might help to express just a little before you feed?

Or he might react to cows milk protein - its becoming remarkably common for babies to have this allergy.

Other than that - maybe reflux?

Hopefully tiktok or someone will be along with better ideas.

He sounds as though he has wind. It might be worth taking him off the minute he starts the wriggling then put him back on the same side. It could be a powerful let donw - why are you sure it isn't? Have you tried feeding him 'uphill' ie leaning backwards.

Also a position to try is feeding him in an almost upright position instead of lying acoross you.

It used to be that my let down was too fast for him so i got used to the signals that this was the problem and I honestly don't think this is the problem here as sometimes he goes for 20 mins happy as anything and then suddenly starts writhing - i now spend every feed waiting for it to go wrong and this makes it really hard to BF out of the house. I tired swaddling him but he just got even more upset. I meet my NCT group once a week and they are all happily BF away and I dread having to BF DS in front of them incase he starts the writhing, screaming routine. The whole thing is really wearing me down.
X

kittypower - sounds like it would be worth exploring the fast letdown idea (why are you so sure it's not that?) and possibly also a generous milk supply that your ds is trying to cope with.

Wonder why you have not had any answer from all four support lines????? It would be worth trying again.

I've tried every position going to BF him i think, lying down sitting up, me leaning forward or me leaning back, I've tried lying down - none of which seem to be a difference
X

If you are tense feeding him worrying about when he will start wriggling - it may be that tension is being conveyed to him. Babies can sense problems so it might be that you need to try and relax a bit more during his feed. Easier said than done I know. When he gets upset, take him off and put him upon your shoulder - don't wrestle with him at the breast. Give it a short break then put him back on if he wants to go.

You will get over this hurdle and feeding does get easier.

If you've tried everything else, consider Saint Jude's sugestion of cow's milk protein allergy. My dd was always a wriggly fish from day 1, and it drove me to distraction. In fact, probably to the verge of post natal depression on hindsight. Eventually we worked out that cutting out dairy from my diet (and later gluten too) made a world of difference. DD was silently refluxing and ended up with oesophagitis.

I'm not saying this to scare you, but I remember being in the same position and wishing someone would give me a sensible suggestion! ANYTHING that might make feeding less stressful!

if your letdown was previously too fast i'd hazard a guess it is still a prob of oversupply/fast letdown perhaps he has just had a growth sprt and you have more milk in consequence. there are several letdowns during a feed so that cold be why he writhes at random moments? (not bfc btw just had this prob myself). dd still writhes someties and is 6 months. is his growth good?
sorry, i'm guessing it's not what you want to hear again
it's a #good# prob really though, lots of great bmilk, does that help at all??

kittypower poor you ... my dd wasn't gaining weight early on as my flow was too fast and i had really sore nipples too so i used nipple shields. wonder whether they might be worth a try, along lines of try anything to get through until it gets better as know you are determined to keep going? would certainly help with pain. for dd and me it got better quite soon and then we stopped using them. hv v unhelpful and told me not to use them at all but doc was encouraging so i stuck at it.

Just a quick message to let you know that my DD2 is 15 weeks and does exactly the same writhing at most feeds with arms flailing, arching back, etc. She is bottle fed, so don't blame it on anything to do with BFing! I have changed her formula on the advice of the health visitor, but she is still doing it as much. Someone has suggested to me that she could be lactose intolerant.