3.5wk old (8wk prem) newborn being fussy on the breast since yesterday???

[glaskham]

Yesterday my 3.5wk old DD2 (who was 8 wks early so currently 35.5wk gestation) decided she was going to worry me a bit... she woke up as normal and had her regular 7am feed, then she didn't wake for a feed till 12.30ish once we'd got home from the nursery run. She is normally a 3-4 hourly feeder, but i actually had to physically wake her at 5 which took 30mins to finally get her latched on and feeding. And again in the evening she didn't wake on her own for her feed so i had to wake her at 10pm, and she finally fed at 10.30pm... she woke twice during the night for a feed but would only take a couple of mouthfuls then that was it. She finally had a full feed at 7.30am this morning.

I have given her some expressed milk from a bottle at 10.30ish this morning and she took that fine. And she's never had a bottle before now.

I made spag bol the night before last and it had a fair amount of garlic in it, could this be what's making her fussy? I have successfully breastfed my other two for 12mths each and they were never fussy... please tell me this is all it is!!

And feeding her from a bottle wont ruin her latch will it? I have done so much hard work expressing for 2 weeks while she was in SCBU and i dont want to risk having to bottle feed after all this. I have phoned the neonatal nurses and left a message but they haven't gotten back to me yet. they are coming to visit us on friday but i'm hoping they can come tomorrow instead and weigh her to set my mind at rest hopefully.

My dd was like this. Yes it could be the garlic or it could be thrush in her mouth.

Can you see tiny white spots in her mouth?

Have you put on any creams/ lotions that day/before as she could be tasting this.

You may have a block duct and she may not be able to get the milk out.

Many reasons So I would take her to GP today if possible and see if they can weigh her for you and check for any infection in her mouth.

there is no white spots in her mouth, no creams or lotions or perfumes etc... and dont have a blocked duct- i am able to fully hand express with no problem, if it is the garlic do you know wether I should express and get rid of the milk? i'm thinking if it is garlic (which I've googled and all sites i found say it can cause fussiness) then my milk I have in right now will taste of garlic until it gets drank or expressed out, then the next milk can be garlic free.... does that make sence?

Yes it does and Pumping will help but youll prbably have to pump about as much as she would normally drink in a day. So about 10oz or more.

Drink plenty of water/milk should make it better.

Ok, well I think i'm going to start pumping... 2 weeks ago I was getting 3oz every 3hrs so I dont think it'll be too tough if it means she'll be feeding again.

Will try the nurses again and otherwise, if she doesn't feed much overnight, then it'll be taking her to the GP first thing I think.

Sounds like a Plan.

Hope she feeds well soon. And try not ro stress I know its hard having a premeie (dd was too) it can be scary when you think they arnt eating like the 'should' be and not gaining weight. Just try to keep calm.

Thanks- DH said I was probably worrying too much, but I am so worried about her weight gain, its slow enough as it is without her deciding to be fussy... hence why I went for the EBM in a bottle approach. At least I know she's not starving!!

I did the same. I even wrote down the times in which she fed and how much! Turns out Birth Trauma was the cause. As your DH said, try not to worry its hard havin a baby let alone a premie.