Meltdown while BFing all of a sudden?

SeaStar430

My milk supply pretty much sucks.  If I'm really, really lucky and haven't fed her in a few hours (ie she's sleeping) I might get 2 ounces.  So I supplement with formula but dream of the day when I can EBF.  I go to a support group, take Fenugreek, pump after I feed her, and feed her on demand.

So everything has been fine.  She loves to BF and will comfort suck for an hour.  I've been producing more and giving formula less, it's been great.

Until yesterday.  When she decided to have a complete and total meltdown a few minutes after latching.  Since then every feeding is progressively worse until tonight, when she was happy and cooing, I put her on a breast, she latched, and then after about 30 seconds was completely inconsolable screaming for the next 30 minutes.  I'm at the point where I'm afraid to feed her, especially at night.

Everything I read online says too much milk, choking.  But she doesn't choke, there is milk there because I can see it, but my supply sucks so I highly doubt she's getting too much.  Could it come out too fast for her even if my supply is low?  Would that have changed virtually overnight?  DH fed her with a Similac prepared bottle tonight which has a fast flow nipple and she was fine with that.  She's never been upset with my low supply so I don't think she's frustrated with that, and it's not a frustration cry, it's a complete and total meltdown.  I feed her before she's really hungry, right at the start of her signals.  She still takes a bottle fine.  I still can only pump about 2 ounces total at a time, and she's not congested.

Any ideas??

Sharra711

SeaStar430:

My milk supply pretty much sucks.  If I'm really, really lucky and haven't fed her in a few hours (ie she's sleeping) I might get 2 ounces.  So I supplement with formula but dream of the day when I can EBF.  I go to a support group, take Fenugreek, pump after I feed her, and feed her on demand.- GOOD!!!

So everything has been fine.  She loves to BF and will comfort suck for an hour.  I've been producing more and giving formula less, it's been great.-GREAT!!

Until yesterday.  When she decided to have a complete and total meltdown a few minutes after latching.  Since then every feeding is progressively worse until tonight, when she was happy and cooing, I put her on a breast, she latched, and then after about 30 seconds was completely inconsolable screaming for the next 30 minutes.  I'm at the point where I'm afraid to feed her, especially at night.

Everything I read online says too much milk, choking.  But she doesn't choke, there is milk there because I can see it, but my supply sucks so I highly doubt she's getting too much.  Could it come out too fast for her even if my supply is low?  Would that have changed virtually overnight?  DH fed her with a Similac prepared bottle tonight which has a fast flow nipple and she was fine with that.  She's never been upset with my low supply so I don't think she's frustrated with that, and it's not a frustration cry, it's a complete and total meltdown.  I feed her before she's really hungry, right at the start of her signals.  She still takes a bottle fine.  I still can only pump about 2 ounces total at a time, and she's not congested.

Any ideas??

My first thought, get a slower flow nipple and hold the bottle more laterally, so that she has to work harder to get the flow like the breast.

I guess she is latching and getting frustrated when you haven't had a let-down yet. Maybe even try a SNS to encourage her to feed at the breast. Many moms have had supply issues and the same problems you have, and by using a SNS they got their supply up enough to EBF.

GL!!!!

SeaStar430

Thanks!  I tried the SNS for about a week and she did ok with it, but eventually hated the tube so much that she was refusing to BF, and it really messed up her latch, we had trouble getting it back to correct.    I can see the milk coming out into her mouth when she is freaking out, so I know it's there.

julyjennifer

Looking at your baby's age, my first thought was what I call "the witching hour."  Around 6, 7 weeks my DD, and lots of other babies I've read about here over the years, do this thing where they just get really frantic and upset when trying to nurse, and it's confusing because you know they're hungry but they seem to be freaking out too much to nurse.  It's "the witching hour" because it often happens in the evening--although it sounds like yours is during the day too.  I think it's a developmental thing--maybe they're gassy, who knows.  But for some reason, around this age, a lot of babies seem to go through this phase for maybe a week or two.

So I'm not sure it's related to your supply concerns--it could just be this phase.

Here's what I did that seemed to help my DD:  when she was going thru this frantic baby thing in the evenings, I would shush loudly in her ear before latching her on--this white noise seemed to somehow snap her out of it and allow her to focus back on nursing.  It was like she needed to be distracted from whatever was upsetting her, so that she could be calm enough to latch.  Once we got going it was usually ok, although there may still have been some stop and start.

After a week or so, the phase passed.  On to other changes that are sometimes confusing!  It's hard to keep up with our LO's sometime.  Always something new.

GL!

JulieandBen

They, they being the nursing gods, don't recommend using a fast flow nipple while you are nursing. Especially not this early on because it can cause problems just like this.

Or it could be something else.

TarheelsInNJ

I've found the La Leche League and KellyMom forums to be incredibly helpful for specific issues like this. You might try posting there as well, I'm sure someone will have an idea! Good luck, and hang in there!