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Breastfeeding
Summer889
member
Baby suddenly nursing much less
Summer889
member
My 3 month old has suddenly started nursing much less, and I'm concerned something is wrong. Sorry this is so long - I'm just not sure which details are important and which aren't.
DS used to nurse about 20 minutes each side. On Tuesday (4/15) he suddenly dropped to about 4 minutes per side, and has continued doing so all week. He will nurse one side for about 4 minutes, then start grunting angrily, squirming, arching his back, crying, and popping on and off the nipple repeatedly, until eventually he refuses to nurse that side any more. Then I give him the other breast and he returns to calmly nursing for another 4 minutes or so before repeating the fussy behaviors and giving up. He's usually crying pretty hard at the end, so it doesn't seem like he's full or somehow got to be a more efficient eater over night. I also don't think it's a change in the taste of my milk since he's willing to nurse for a while and will take the second breast. It's almost like he just doesn't want the hind milk for some reason, or has suddenly become very impatient when the flow slows down.
I have tried giving him an extra ounce of formula or breast milk in a bottle because I'm really worried he isn't eating enough (he's a little guy and we've struggled with weight gain since he was born; he's just 5th percentile for weight). But almost every time, he threw up A LOT. Ordinarily, he almost never spits up, even a little bit. He even spit up a few times while I was switching him from one breast to another.
Otherwise, nothing appears to be wrong with him. Once I calm him down after a feeding, he's his usual happy, playful self. I came down with a cold this week, but so far, he has no symptoms. I avoided taking any cold medicines other than cough drops and I haven't changed my own diet at all. He had his typical number of wet & poopy diapers all week and poops appeared normal, with the exception of today when he went 24 hours without pooping then had a more watery poop, but of the usual yellow/brown color.
What do you think - is this serious? Should I take him to the Dr? Or just a phase that will pass soon? I'm about at my wits end here!!!
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Re: Baby suddenly nursing much less
If you don't think that's it, he might have Reflux, though it would be strange for it to start suddenly at 3 months. He might be a more efficient eater now and is emptying the breast quickly and is getting mad and wanting the other breast when he's emptied the first one.
Last thought- if you've had a cold, it's possible your supply has taken a temporary dip due to the illness and he's getting mad that there's not as much milk as he's used to. The best thing you can do is try and nurse as often as you can, and really hydrate.
Good luck!!
Month growth spurt and a wonder week (learning new skills) that can happen. Watch dirty/wet diapers to see if there are 8 per day. Many LOs become more efficient around this time.
Good luck!