Fussy 4 month old feeder!

[Ellies Mum]

Hi all, I have a 4 month old whose bf tendancies have changed in the last few weeks. Lately she will cry after a min or so after she latches on. SHe will then come off and on and cry in frustration, I will swap sides as the crying escalates and sometimes this will work and she will latch on and have a decent feed, other times its just a no go, so we stop to calm down and try again later.

I know that these could be considered the 'wonder weeks' as her night sleeping has changed too and she is so much more active and her development is going great guns in every other way...

Has anyone else had this go on? I am so frustrated that I don't know whats wrong or how to fix it.....

[Rose&Aurelia]

hey - at 4mths your supply has settled down and so has your let down (the speed/strenght your milk starts to flow out) and your bubba is probably getting annoyed that its slower than what its used to.

Give it a few days/week but dont swap sides. stick to the one you are planning on starting with. it might take a bit but your baby needs to suck the milk out vs it falling into their mouth.

biologically by now the baby knows where milk comes from and sucks it out. till now your body presumes that babies still need help in finding the boob.

hth and it does pass.

[bluebutterfly74]

Hi, I am probably not the best person for advice as my supply never really came in for either pregnancies but I have read babies can sometimes have attachment issues and be fussy if you are sorry tmi but I am still learning the abbreviations, expecting your monthlys. But I just thought Id share it is probably the above suggestion. Goodluck. hope feeding resumes to normal soon. the other thing I guess we don't know is I guess when breast feeding we assume they are getting the wright amount but unless expressing and knowing how much is coming out it may be possible that bub is getting frustrated as not enough milk. I had a terrible supply. 80mls after expressing 4 times a day. very dissappointing

[Rose&Aurelia]

other thing I guess we don't know is I guess when breast feeding we assume they are getting the wright amount but unless expressing and knowing how much is coming out it may be possible that bub is getting frustrated as not enough milk. I had a terrible supply. 80mls after expressing 4 times a day. very dissappointing

If bub has 5-6 wet nappies a day and has clear skin and good tone they are getting enough. Some women can't express a damn thing but successfully feed their kids till toddlerhood.

It's also rare to have sufficient milk and then it to just disappear overnight.

To the op. Give it a couple of weeks and it will get better.

[Ellies Mum]

I hope so too! Although she has gradually been getting worse over the last 3 weeks. I am off to see a lactation consultant in a few days so hopefully she will also have some ideas :-)


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[Nix97]

Hi when my daughter started teething around 3 months she was doing the same thing stop start stop start cry refuse etc as soon as I applied bonjela and then continued feeding she was happy as larry and no stop start. Another thing to think about is silent reflux.

[Ellies Mum]

I have considered teething! It has been our excuse for everything she goes through! I am yet to see any but she has been showing signs for weeks now, so it could be a possibility! I had a dream last night that overnight all her top teeth came through and her bottom molers came in all at once... Do you think that's a sign? :-P

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[Nix97]

Yep teething sux!!! and seems to be the answer to every problem!! Only you will see the outcome once you have applied teething gel if she feeds better than you know that all it was. My daughter still has her fussy days where she will stop start talk smile look around but shes a bit nosey.... hope that your lil one cuts a tooth soon as mine still hasnt and this is just the neginning of teething just think we still have two years of teeth to get through best wishes xx please let me know if you have any improvements with teething gel applied before feeding xx

[labellavita]

My 3.5 month old has recently started fussing while she feeds, although i have a feeling we are going through a "wonder week" as we've had rolling and mini-pushups everywhere!

Maybe your supply has just settled down and she is getting impatient waiting for let down? Or maybe she isn't latching correctly? I guess perserverance is the key, hopefully she gets back in the swing of things soon xx

[Ellies Mum]

Persverance has definitely been the key... it all started at easter and it gradually got worse.... I have started to see the light at the end of the tunnel after a particularly hell week last week, where she refused the breast, screamed in what seemed like frustration, wasn't sleeping the greatest and in general was unsettled! We saw a lactation consultant/homeopath and since then things have started to improve, if she gets fussy at the breast I swap sides or take her off comepltely and she is happy again! I have also started her on solids which she is relishing

After the consult with the LC we suspect a couple of things
1. teething, but as we havent seen teeth and this has been going on for quite awhile... it was unlikely
2. The quality of my supply and the speed of the letdown... due to a couple of my medical conditions this may be possible and I am on a multi and a rememdy to help with this.
3. The introduction of bottles and what we think is the most likely... I was advised to comp feed from about 10 weeks which we have been doing on and off since then, and we think she has gotten lazy with the breast and just wants her quick drink from the bottle. I have since stopped giving her the bottle unless someone else is here to feed her if she needs it.

I am sure it could be other things as well, but with the changes we have made, there has been a difference in just a few days... I have my sanity back thank goodness!!!!

Sorry for the long post, but I thought I would give an update in the hope that it may help someone else