6.5 week old bfed refusing breast - please help me

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

I'm starting to get worried - this has been happening for 3 days now. Everything is totally normal otherwise, and she feeds at night and some of the morning fine.

There then comes a point when she grizzles so I figure she might be hungry. If I tickle the side of her mouth she roots like mad. And when I get my boob out she quiets down and her eyes light up - you know what I mean. But when I try to put her to the breast she screams and arches her back and won't latch on. She opens her mouth wide and keeps it open, and doesn't try to latch on. It's like she's really hungry but when she gets close to the breast something repels her. This is starting to really get me down - I don't like feeling repellent, and I don't want to force the issue and give her some sort of phobia. I try to feed her with pillow, without pillow and lying down, all to no avail.

I'm hoping that she's getting enough nourishment when shes not being weird, she feeds mostly every hour or so day and night with the occasional 3 hr sleep.

Oh and I've tried biological nurturing before - she really doesn't like it - she likes instant gratification and gets really frustrated.

Have not changed diet, am doing small amount of exercise, but does not seem to tie in to her "weird" periods.

Different soap powder or deodorant?

Tried rugby hold instead?

Does she have any symptoms of a cold?

Hi, sorry to hear you're having these problems.

It's probably not much help but one of my twins does the same. She's a very sucky baby (unlike the other one) and loves to suckle either boob or dummy, so like your DD she always roots. At the moment (19 weeks) she is exactly like you describe, sometimes feeds ok, other times just screams and is on and off boob, feeding for a couple of moments then screaming for a couple of moments until she normally settles down towards the end of the feed. I think she does this when shes tired.

I normally just cuddle her, use a dummy, rock her and eventually she settles down.

She sounds like she's feeding often, so i would think she's getting enough food. When you say she starts to grizzle are you sure she's not just tired? And maybe like mine she likes sucking so she gives the impression that she wants to feed but she actually doesn't iyswim?!

When mine are tired they both love a dummy but will not go anywhere near boob.

What I have realised over the last 19 weeks is babies go through an awful lot of phases! They normally last a few days then normal service resumes! So you might find that this passes soon.

Hope this is some help and she calms down soon. Try to keep calm when this happens. I really know this is easier said than done but I'm sure they pick up on our stresses.

Thanks for answering - I was worried that no-one would! I had some time out last night, and had a think about it, and like you I have come to the conclusion that she isn't actually hungry - she just needs comforting. So I have been a lot more relaxed today - if she grizzles she gets one gentle shot at the boob, and if she's not interested I've been putting her to sleep by carrying her for a bit.

Seems to be working, there is a lot more sleeping, a lot less crying and she seems to be feeding better as well.

Thanks for all the reassurance, gave me the confidence to not push it with feeding her.

Oh good, glad things are a bit easier today. I know that feeling of desperately trying to shove a boob into a baby that actually wants to go to sleep or be put down for a kick around! Sometimes i still don't have a clue what mine want! Hope things continue smoothly for you.