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baby screams at boob - doesn't even try nursing

dackelynndackelynn member
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months

I have a 2 1/2 month old that used to be almost EBF. Last week she started turning away from the boob at night - swiveling her head around (which she recently learned to do) and coming back for more, then swiveling again and then coming back, which was pretty frustrating because she would only take a few gulps at a time. Then it got worse.. she started screaming at the sight of my boob and refused to nurse during the day. Here's what's even weirder - she nurses fine at night. She'll also nurse occasionally during the day if I can catch her when she wakes up from a nap (but not always, sometimes she screams if I try that as well).

Anyone experience anything like this?? She's had problems with her tummy earlier (in which she screamed after eating for a bit) but that seemed to go away as she got older and she won't even TRY sucking so I can't imagine it's over-active letdown or anything like that. She takes a bottle just fine so we've been supplementing + pumping and then she nurses fine at night. Any help would be appreciated! I thought this would go over in a few days but it's been almost a week! It stresses me out because I never know if she's going to start screaming or not and it's difficult to calm her down after she starts screaming.

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Re: baby screams at boob - doesn't even try nursing

  • buffyverrban1buffyverrban1

    If she is teething (which they start about 2+ months before the first tooth appears) then nursing can be painful (the pulling hurts their gums), so maybe she was teething one day and now she is associating it?

    Maybe it's not fast enough let down for her, which is why she will take a bottle?Have you tried offering her a bottle for a minute or two (for the "greedy" beginning gulps) and then switching to the breast after that? 

    I think as long as you offer a bottle instead during the day, she will probably keep it up.  However, I know it would be hard to offer her just the breast or nothing, so maybe see a doctor or a lactation consultant for some help?

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  • Cooper611Cooper611 member
    My LO gets very fussy at the breast when she is going through a growth spurt. Maybe this? During the growth spurt she gets extremely tired, to the point of overtired very quickly...especially at night. If the feed wasn't very spaced out, maybe she just needs bed and not milk!? White noise usually does the trick for her. GL!
    DD1 2012. DD2 2014. #3 Due 7.1.18




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  • dackelynndackelynn member

    Thanks for your replies!

     

    We have been to the doctor and they were just as confused as us, unfortunately :( I thought she might be teething because she was drooling, which was never did before, but the doctor didn't find anything there. She also thought it might be thrush but again, no. She did sleep 4 hours the other day so I don't think it's a growth spurt. 

    I have tried giving her a bottle and then attempting to switch her over by leading her mouth towards the boob and this worked in the beginning but it seems like she's too smart for her own good and caught on to the act and now refuses to turn her face towards the boob while I'm giving her the bottle. I've also tried white noise and like the bottle thing, this worked in the beginning but now she doesn't really respond to it.

     She DID nurse successfully a bit today, again, right after she woke up from her nap, so that was positive. Then for her next nap I tried the other side and she took it for a few sucks, then turned away, turned back and opened her mouth really wide and then without latching, turned away again! I gave her the bottle at that point because if she's associating nursing with stress and unhappiness then I want her to change her relationship there.

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  • anonsouthernbellanonsouthernbell member
    Look at nursing strikes on kellymom
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
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  • LissaLeeLissaLee member

    imageanonsouthernbell:
    Look at nursing strikes on kellymom

    I was thinking it could be a nursing strike as well.

    Mommy to Evelyn Clare born 6/23/07, Ryan Hansen born 12/10/09, and Charlotte Nicole born 11/1/12
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  • sbrowns08sbrowns08 member
    We are having this exact problem. I had a lactation consultant come out and help us. We suspect my over active let down has just become too much for him and now he's afraid of nursing. She gave me some excellent tips and he is slowly coming around to the boob again. I highly suggest calling a certified LC if you can!

    "I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted what I asked of him." ~1 Samuel 1:27
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    "Whatever it takes, we walk together." ~Pittsburgh Penguins
    My IF-turned-baby blog
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  • SunShower06SunShower06 member
    I've been having the same problem lately.  She'll be fine, and even go in all excited to latch on, then she'll just start crying before she really even starts sucking.  I've found that she will sometimes do better if I swaddle her, and sometimes it will help if I let her suck on a pacifier for a little bit and then switch to the breast.  My daughter has been super drooly and sticking her hands in her mouth a lot lately, so I'm wondering if maybe it is the start of teething. 
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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