11 week old baby suddenly refusing breast

[Sheera1]

was exclusively breastfeeding until at one week I had to top up feeds due to weight loss. This was a combination of expressed milk and formula.

After 2 weeks or so we dropped the top ups but kept one bottle usually for last feed before night sleep.

Baby is now 11 weeks old tomorrow.

He has started to refuse my breast at different points in the day. Night is always fine but late afternoon or early evening he will refuse to latch and get very distressed and then gulp down a bottle. He did it again this morning when normally a feed from me is fine. There seems no pattern to it, but it is total refusal. I am not giving in to easily or anything like that.

I do feel he is quite a lazy feeder and at times will stop feeding when he is not full but enough to stop feeling hungry. His feeds can be quite short but he is gulping and swallowing lots and the latch is fine.

Yesterday he fed from both sides (a rare occurrence as he usually refuses the offer of the other side) and seemed still hungry but refused both breasts and then drank 3 oz from a bottle.

I don't think there is a problem with my supply unless it does maybe dip towards the afternoon/evening if that is possible?

When I express, unless it has been a long time between feeds and my breasts feel very full when expressing is easy from one side, expressing can be hit or miss. I can usually get 2/3 oz from one side, but my right side has always been hard to express and get next to nothing or one oz.

Any ideas?

I did breastfeed ds1 till he was 18 months and he was a hungry constant feeder and 95th centile.

DS2 is tracking 25th centile and does not seem to eat as much or feed as long.

I think he is maybe a bit lazy or sometimes struggles and he is not having full feeds so by the next feed he is ravenous and wants a bottle to get it quickly.

He is not interested in latching on at all. But there are times he does and sucks for a few seconds and then comes off the breast. There is milk there as I can hand express and some comes out.

I would prefer to breastfeed and use breastmilk a much larger portion of a days feed than formula but I can't express enough to keep up with what he is currently taking a day by bottle. I will do what is necessary though.

Any advice or ideas would be appreciated. He is such a different feeder to DS1.

P.s. posted in feed the world thread but no responses given.

I'm confused if he is latching and feeding or not? How many bottles do you give a day?

Instead of trying until both of you are stressed, distract him and play for a few minutes. Then go to a different room and try again. DC2 was more easily distracted than DC1 so I ended up doing most feeds lying down so she couldn't see much of interest! Lockdown helped

He is latching and feeding fine through the night and was during the day and one bottle before bed. Ytday he fed from me in the morning then refused two feeds of the day and also took a bottle after feeding both sides.

Today he had completely refused the breast since 8.30 this morning having fed fine through the night.

He won't attempt to latch just kicks off the moment I try to offer him the breast. Tried changing rooms. Tried some bottle and then breast. It is like I am offering him a hot poker!

He had been breastfeeding fine for 10 weeks prior to this with no issues.

I am also clean so it isn't that I smell or anything like that 🙈😬

When he refuses the breast are you immediately offering a bottle tho? Bottles require almost no effort from baby so of course now he's got the hang of bottles he prefers them.. common sense rather than laziness it depends if you want to move towards exclusively bf or if you would prefer combi feeding? Totally up to you of course. In terms of keeping your supply up, the most important ones are the night feeds. My LO is 14 months and she only feeds evening, night and morning now. I still have plenty of milk for her. With my first I moved to combi feeding from 6m, so he was having 3x bottles in day and bf evening, night and morning. Again my supply was totally fine.

It's not really a problem to combi feed, on the other hand if you do want to drop the bottles you just have to stop giving them.

I gave a bottle only after a lot of crying and refusing.

I have sorted it out. Got advice to do skin to skin which I did in the night wakes and just spent the time settling him in position and using his dummy and then offering my breast. It was tough but he took it eventually. Did the same with the second side which took a bit less fuss. Breast fed all yesterday with him quickly latching without a fuss and have not given a bottle. He cluster fed most of the evening which was to be expected but just happy he would. Going to stop any bottles for a while as do not want to stop breastfeeding and he would refuse if a bottle was an option. X