6 month old self-weaning? Don't know what's going on

[CalmCalmCalm]

My DD has become so difficult to feed and I wondered if anyone had any ideas as to what's going on with her. I BF on demand, generally 4 times during the day with a FF last thing. She's been a distracted and nosey feeder for the past few months but this week it has got to a crisis point. She is only on the breast for about 20/30second bursts over about 5-10 mins. Then she strains to get of my lap to go exploring. I've tried feeding her more frequently but she's just not interested.

She is VERY enthusiastic about solids, crying when she's put in her high chair if the food isn't immediately presented and then crying when the food runs out (mostly). I haven't been increasing the volume of solids as I think she's a bit constipated. She has three small meals a day, but I get the impression she'd be happy with at least double the amount.

Tonight she wouldn't take a BF before bed but was obviously hungry and crying. I eventually have her an 8oz FF at 6.30pm. She then woke crying and took another 4oz at about 7.30. She has since taken another 8oz since 9.30pm. She refused BFing each time.

Is this the beginning of the end of BFing? Is there anything I can do to turn things around? If anyone can tell me what might be going on I'd be very grateful.

Three thoughts

1. Just general distractibility. There were times when I had to take DS to nurse in a quiet darkened room away from anything faintly interesting in order to get him to feed properly.

1. Teeth? Has she any teeth yet? Any signs of any coming? DS would always be seriously off his feeds for a couple of days before cutting a tooth.

1. Ear infection? That can produce this kind of behaviour as well.

Thanks Port and Lemon. She is very distracted and I do find it hard to feed her anywhere during the day that is dull enough for her!

It could definitely be teeth I suppose. She woke last night at 1.30am and BF and then again at 2.30. I figured she couldn't possibly be hunger so I gave her a dose of Calpol and she then slept until 8.30am. By my pea-brain reckoning she would seem to be in pain of some sort, although she has given no indication of it through the day - she is her happy, smiley self.

Ear infections I know little about. Would she be pulling at her ear or showing other symptoms during the day?

Anyway, we'll see what new joys today brings.

My dd is already like that and is only 14wks! The only time she feeds really well is when she is sleepy and too tired to be distracted. I dread to think what she will be like if we make it to 6mths.

There is a growth spurt at 6 months, calmcalmcalm, that may explain it. Teething also a major culprit. She sounds like my ds when he's teething, but the enthusiasm for food and extra milk suggests growth spurt. SHe's maybe just impatient for your letdown is therefore creating a bit on the breast. It will pass.

Thanks peggotty. I keep trying to tell myself the same thing. I'm just worried that with all her fussing my supply will drop rather than increase during this growth spurt.

Pudding, DD did start fussing at about the same age, maybe a bit older. Hopefully as peggotty has suggested she will start behaving herself again before the next round!

She is still fussing at the breast, but also has a bit of a sniffle, so who knows - could be a cold, could be teething.
[Repeats the mantra "this too shall pass, this too shall pass..."] [deranged mother emoticon]

My ds is nearly 7 months and has been incredibly distracted on the breast from about 4 months. I was seriously worried about my supply at one point too. TBH he still is now, even with solids introduced. I have got used to it now - I hardly ever feed him in public now, or rather, he won't feed in public as he's so nosy! I would say that he has 1 or 2 decent feeds a day but that's all! But he's obviously getting enough milk as he's gaining weight fine. And he's always much worse when ill/teething etc. But I know how frustrating it is when they're like that.

pegotty we meet again!

came on here to start a thread re my 8mth old who just will not feed in public anymore, or even at home if there is someone else in the room, SO nosey and distracted! We went for a day out recently, apart from that I would normally be home often enough just to do all her feeds at home, but this day she just starved herself until we got home .

CalmCalmCalm my dd has been like this too at least since 6mths, if not before, in fact thinking back it was probably about 5mths she started. Only thing I would say is if you can stand it, and don't want to stop bf-ing is maybe NOT to offer the bottle again, but just offer boob every time she's hungry and she'll take it eventually?

The day I mentioned above dd refused to feed from me ALL day, literally until about 6.30pm after her bath, when she fed for about 20mins all in which is record breaking for her these days!

Ditto on the distractable front with my nearly 7mo DS. I had dreadful trouble getting him to take BM anywhere, particularly out of the home. He still doesn't feed well in public, but a couple of things have helped me.

Firstly, through various methods I've got him to wake less often at night (mostly down to 2 feeds between 6 and 6) - this means he's not filling up in the day. Secondly, I take him into a quiet, dimly lit room for his feed, which he has before each of his 2-3 daily naps (also a new thing to help his sleep) and as he's a bit tired and relaxed from our nap routine (nappy, book, feed, bed) he seems to eat better.

DS is BF (will hardly ever take a bottle of EBM even) so I'm no expert, but if you're upping his formula, its going to make him even less willing to take the breast - especially as I guess he's figured out that the bottle doesn't make him wait for a let-down... although I'm not sure what the solution for that would be!

Good luck!

Thanks ladies. I know upping the formula will be the death spiral for BFing, but I'm not sure I'm strong enough not to . If DD was my only I think I'd be able to tough it out, stay home and be prepared to take ages with the feeds, but with DD1 (3 next month) also needing attention, I don't know.

Reading with interest, my DS who is 6 ½ months is totally refusing to BF. I too am a bit sad that maybe this is the end of BF.