Refusing to latch. Help please.

saisongbird · July 2014

Hi everyone - I've lurked a bit here but I need help.

My daughter is 12 weeks tomorrow and is point blank refusing to latch. This started a week ago. I've had supply issues from day one, but she's always had a textbook perfect latch. I'm on fenugreek and blessed thistle and I started domperidone about 3 weeks ago. I pump 5 times a day and make 4 3oz bottles. We've always nursed the 5/6am feed unless I just pumped, and she's taken a bottle the other times - I have horrible guilt that she pulls away hungry but for the MOTN feed my H stays up to make a bottle if necessary. In the last week, I felt that I was getting enough from the pumps to try nursing more - except that starting on Tuesday, she refused to latch. She won't take a shield, I've tried at different times during the day, skin-to-skin, before a feed, after a feed, you name it, I've tried it. I don't know what happened or why she won't take it. She either arches her back or shakes her head and screams.

I have been working so hard to get a supply - I have a hospital pump, I'm taking all of the meds, lactation cookies - you name it, I'm doing it. I hate pumping because it's time away from her. I'm finally making enough for her to nurse a full feed on me, and she won't take it. I don't want to do this to have a relationship with my pump. I'm seeing the LC again this Thursday - but does anyone have any suggestions? It's breaking my heart.

tahloulah10 · July 2014

I'm a FTM, so not a lot of experience, but this happened to my DD around the same age: refusing to latch, screaming, crying every time I laid her down on the Boppy to nurse. I figured out that she was gassy and needed some gas drops to help her tummy feel better. Also, I decided to change positions from football to cradle and that helped, too. Could she be gassy or want a position change?

saisongbird · July 2014

We've tried every position imaginable and have done gas drops as needed. I just used the nasal aspirator (she sounded stuffy) so we'll try again later, but no dice.

EmeraldCity84 · July 2014

This happened to me when I went back to work and LO started getting the bottle regularly all day instead of sporadically. If this is obvious advice and you've already tried, I apologize, but I had to actually hand express into her mouth for a few minutes (while she was screaming, fun) before she "remembered" what do to.

saisongbird · July 2014

@Theresat858 - I'm not looking to EBF - I never was. I had a breast reduction 10 years ago and a botched c-section, I'm actually content with her being 50% breast milk and 50% formula, which is where we currently are. My issue is latch. What I'm struggling with is that before the domperidone kicked in, she latched perfectly but was getting half an ounce from each breast. Now that I'm making more, she's refusing to latch. That's where I need help.

saisongbird · July 2014

I have an appointment tomorrow at 10:30. I was wondering that too, or if there's some other physical thing she's reacting to, as she won't even let me put her in a nursing hold.

BlessedBee83 · July 2014

Have you tried standing up? Strange, I know, but DD has a handful of times thrown a fit and refused to latch when I KNEW he was hungry. The madder he got, the calmer I got (try to be!). I'd stand, sway, and sing... All with my boob exposed: a show, I assure you! I wouldn't force him on (I tried once, and it only made it worse), but he'd always calm down and latch on. Then, I could sit back down and it would be business as usual.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

TheAnalyticalMommy · July 2014

I second the standing advice!

When my LO gets extra fussy (but is hungry) and won't latch, i'll walk him around in the cradle hold and within seconds, he will latch. Depending on how i feel, i'll either continue to walk around with him while he nurses, or sit back down and he'll be as happy as can be!

msdanayu · August 2014

i think that this must be very common, so try not to get too worried. Both my babies had trouble latching on for around the first week or so - sort of not opening their mouths wide enough and then falling asleep if we ever did get it right? The HV said we absolutely had to make DS take more milk and it sounds terrible but we put a cold spoon against him to keep him going! I felt so bad that my mum did it for me! it did work though and we only had to do it a few times til he got the hang of it.

The other thing was that sometimes he would get frustrated, and open his mouth to start crying and i would quickly bring him to the breast then and he would be able to latch on before the crying started.

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Refusing to latch. Help please.

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