Help! What's going on?

[SnowlightMcKenzie]

My nipples are so sore. Baby Starlight will NOT open her mouth any wider. BFing is a fight.

She'll feed for a bit then pull of and scream, or she'll grab my breast and either 'milk' it or push away whilst still feeding resulting in a shallower latch and stretching my nipple.

As soon as she is off she is screaming and rooting, but it is hard for me to get my nipple very far in her mouth dodging her manic arms and flapping tongue. It is sooooo stressful and after 20mins or so I find myself being quite rough with her, and 15mins later putting her down screaming and leaving the room.

Has anyone got any clues or suggestions?

TIA

A BFC told my friend to swaddle her baby before feeding, to calm the crazy arms. Might be worth a try. Not sure about the rest though, sorry

try a bath together. do you think maybe strong let-down overwhelming her? how old is she?

Jojay Thank you for responding. I have tried various ways of pinning the arms but it makes her cross and pull off.

Swaddling is a very good idea indeed,also check she isn't over tired as that can make it ahrd.

It's possible fast letdown ; does she feed better when she is higher than your breast? (eg if you are lying down and she is on your chest)- ahd that with ds1 and changing feed position did halp a little, could at least give indication if that is an issue. Does she gag?

Bath always a good idea to try; they feed so wonderfully in there.

fishie Sorry, should have mentioned that she's not a newborn she's 6 months, although a bath is a good idea to try.

Although I don't like baths myself and certainly can't feed all feeds like that as have a toddler.

Thanks though I might try it for a good evening feed.

Peachy I do have fast let down you are right, but she's managed with it for 6 months (sorry didn't mention age in OP).

Just feeding her now and she's kind of chewing my nipple

She's 6 months? have you tried giving her a calpol and trying again? oculd easily be a sore throat or teething pain then. Check her nose too- this is exactly how Bas reacts when his nose is blocked.

And the let down is itching my other nipple.

Snowlight you have just described all my daytime feeds for the past 3 weeks. It is so depressing.

T is finally settling down to every so slightly more relaxed feeds now, but it's been so frustrating, especially as he was feeding all night to make up for it, and now I have no idea how to stop that!

If she'snot feeding well that could be the issue with the other nipple; I wouldn't worry.

I'd give her a calpoland try then, and maybe some karvola s well to see if that unblocks and nose yuck. If that doesn't work I willpull out my noys and look, but as a first stage it could well be that easy.

Peachy That's a good idea, thank you.

She is very snotty atm (although she has been snotty without probs many times before).

I also suspect teeth. She is chewing her hands but also punching herself in the mouth a lot, often whilst trying to feed

I cannot bear the idea of another night like last night.

Hopefully You have my sympathy.

Is this a long term pattern or has she just been doing it recently?

Peachy 'I will pull out my noys and look'

What does that mean?

Sorry notes LOL, from my baby friendly course

DD behaves like this for two reasons and has done since about 5 months. When teeth are coming through or when I'm ovulating. She then reverts back to normal feeding.

DitsyMe It's a recent thing. Last couple of days only (although we have both been a bit lazy with good practice).

SOH That's very interesting. I've had no periods since the birth, but today I did have a little bit of womb ache which I noticed as odd. Perhaps hormones are involved too.

My nips are just so sore atm I resent feeding. They're not visibly damaged though.

Hormonal changes are reported to cause this but equally when Bas does this I get womb ache (great term) as well due to the hormones of the feeding IYSWIM?

Really Peachy? Womb ache happens as a result of fussy feeding?

Snowlight - DS1 had that (and now baby DS2 has it too) - originally it was to do with my fast let down but DS1 figured out how to moderate it. When he started fussing again (at around 6 months onwards) it was his teeth (the chewing on the nipple sounds horribly familiar!). The only thing that worked for me was calgel on his gums around 10 minutes before a feed which numbed the pain enough for DS1 to feed properly... may be worth a go?

dinky Now you mention it, I remember a period like this with DS. I know I couldn't see the BF expert because she was overstretched and therefore babies under 6 months were the priority, and I was out of area anyway.

I might try teething stuff, but I would never know when 10 mins before a feed was so might be tricky.

Another food fight

does sound grim. have you tried painkillers (for her not you), maybe she is annoyed that bf not solving all her problems.

I think the womb ache is linked to oxytocin (that feel good chemical) and over-feding (when DS4 is like this he feeds hgurly- oxytocin also cases womb contractions).

If its a sniffy nose feeding in a bathroom with a hot shower might sort it you know, otherwise for teethin those aston powders you get fromboots are bizarrely effective and fast acting

Had a decent feed in the bathroom last night, some of it in the bath, but actually getting to sleep wasa nightmare. She just screamed and screamed.

I tried feeding her lying down to sleep (we cosleep) but she kept moving away and screaming. DH took her away and bounced her until 1:30am. Once he was sure she was asleep he brought her back and we had a sleepy 40min feed.

Thanks for all of your help. I have some tricks to try and I'm guessing whether they work or not, by the time I'm finished this 'phase' will be over!?