LO suddenly refusing to BF- please help!

shortyran · December 2009

I am so beyond frustrated and upset right now- any help would be appreciated!

We started using stage 2 nipples on my LO's bottles early this week (he gets a bottle of BM at bedtime and once in a while during the day when I am out and my mom is watching him.) He took anywhere from 4-5 oz with the stage 1 and now will take anywhere from 5 1/2- 7oz with the stage 2- and I don't think he's over-eating because if I take it away, he cries, and he doesn't throw up.

Meanwhile, I feel like my supply has tanked recently and I'm having an awful time getting him to BF at all. He gets really frustrated when he tries to eat and it takes a while for it to come out. I was thinking it was just the supply issue causing the awful BFing until this morning when I was completely engorged (I started taking fenugreek yesterday and apparently it works pretty fast!)...I pumped just enough to be able to get him to latch on, and when he went to BF, he still was all over the place and latching/unlatching. I'm not convinced it's a supply issue now (though I'm sure the low supply wasn't helping.) Do you think he got used to the fast flow of the level 2 nipple and now is rejecting BFing because of it? He's not crying out in pain or anything so I don't think it's his reflux (which is currently under good control on Axid.)

It is such a struggle to feed him right now and I would appreciate any advice. Thanks so much!

ETA: I also have tried to feed him in a quiet dark room because I thought he was maybe getting overstimulated with the lights and the TV, etc - but that doesn't seem to have helped at all.

Nicavesani · December 2009

I think it's bc he has to work harder to get YOUR milk than from a bottle. You could try to pump till you get the let down and then put him on once your milk is right there and he wont have to work so hard to pull it down.

My other suggestion is to trick him by using a shield. Since it has the same texture as a bottle nipple, he may go for it.

GL

MrsWanee · December 2009

i only EBF, no bottles, so i don't have any advice. i just wanted to say i hope he nurses soon! can you call a lactation consultant? is he taking the bottles still? just keep pumping and feeding him to keep up your supply and keep putting him to the breast. i've read that it's good to have skin to skin contact, so maybe try not wearing a top and having him on your chest w/ just a diaper. GL!

cabo_kate · December 2009

We've gone through this a couple of times - several days where nursing is a major struggle, pulling on and off, etc. Usually it gets better after a few days and I can't really find a reason for it, though I know it's not low supply.

If I were you, I'd go back to the slower nipples - sounds like that change might be what set this off. Also, I've heard that technically BF babies don't often need to increase the amount they take because the milk changes composition to meet baby's needs, so him taking up to 3 ounces more per feeding with the faster nipples seems like too much, IMO.

Maybe try retiring the bottle for a couple days until nursing gets better?

kittykatlover · December 2009

could be your supply but it could also be his age. my ds just started to get super interested in what is going on around him while he is eating, and keeps unlatching and relatching. i have to either bf in a dark quiet room or lay a clean burp cloth over his eyes (make sure it's not over his nose!) so that he can focus and eat.

ugh. i typed that whole thing one handed and now i see your eta...

could you try going back to level 1 nipples? i read that breastfed babies should stay with level 1 the whole time they are breastfed.

shortyran · December 2009

cabo_kate:

We've gone through this a couple of times - several days where nursing is a major struggle, pulling on and off, etc. Usually it gets better after a few days and I can't really find a reason for it, though I know it's not low supply.

If I were you, I'd go back to the slower nipples - sounds like that change might be what set this off. Also, I've heard that technically BF babies don't often need to increase the amount they take because the milk changes composition to meet baby's needs, so him taking up to 3 ounces more per feeding with the faster nipples seems like too much, IMO.

Maybe try retiring the bottle for a couple days until nursing gets better?

Thanks for the info- I was thinking about going back to the slower nipples, too. I feel like the faster ones are just making it too easy for him I would love to stop using the bottle but unfortunately I go back to work on Tues and I work 12-13 hr shifts so he's going to be bottle fed ALL day- which is not making this any easier! I don't know what to make of the extra ounces he's taking- he's not throwing up after he eats and seems satisfied after the bottle, but he's hungry again 3 hrs later. My mom thinks that it's time to start him on cereal but I'm going to wait until we go to the pedi for his 4 month appt next week.

shortyran · December 2009

kittykatlover:

could be your supply but it could also be his age. my ds just started to get super interested in what is going on around him while he is eating, and keeps unlatching and relatching. i have to either bf in a dark quiet room or lay a clean burp cloth over his eyes (make sure it's not over his nose!) so that he can focus and eat.

ugh. i typed that whole thing one handed and now i see your eta...

could you try going back to level 1 nipples? i read that breastfed babies should stay with level 1 the whole time they are breastfed.

I didn't know that....interesting. I guess I'll be going back to the level 1's for now though- thanks for the help

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LO suddenly refusing to BF- please help!

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