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Issues with 3 month old

Juliebird8307Juliebird8307 member
edited October 2015 in Breastfeeding
I am getting so frustrated with BFing my 3 month old. I have two major issues. Half the time she refuses to BF on the left. I've gone 12 hours at a time not BFing on my left because she wouldn't do it. And then the other half of the time she refuses to completely and will only take a bottle. I'm so frustrated that I've been brought to tears most days. I thought this would be easier by now. The only time that she never gives me trouble is in the middle of the night, and she's still waking every 2.5-4 hours. I saw a LC and she really was not help. She watched her fight me on the left side and basically said try different positions, which we did there and they didn't work then or later when I tried. Then I called her about the bottle issue and all she said was that maybe it's a behavior issue and to give her a bottle. So much of the benefit of BFing is to not have to worry about having bottles. I won't leave my house without my pump because I'm afraid I'll have an issue. And I won't even try to and in public because she ends up screaming at me. Every day I want to quit. I BF DD1 until 13 months and I would never forgive myself if I quit on DD2. I just don't know how long I can do this though. Does anyone have advice?
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Re: Issues with 3 month old

  • crsanchez87crsanchez87 member
    Is it very important to you that your LO feed from both sides? I know plenty of woman have LOs that prefer one side so they will just feed from the preferred side and then pump from the other side. It tends to work out well, baby is happy and mom builds a pretty back up stash. Have you tried leading with the bottle and then putting her on the breast? I've heard that Nipple shields also sometimes work for babies that are battling the boob. 
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  • Juliebird8307Juliebird8307 member
    Well, I guess I would prefer to BF on both sides, just so that I don't have to pump that often. I usually pump in the morning after the first feeding of the day and put that to my stash. I could try the nipple shield. That's a great idea. I used one in the beginning and completely forgot about it. It did help on the left. The past few days have been better. She hasn't fought me completely, but she will go on and suck a few times and then pull off. I can't figure out if it maybe has to do with a fast flow.
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  • crsanchez87crsanchez87 member
    If it's a fast flow, then feeding LO while reclining back is helpful. That's what I've had to do in the past otherwise LO ends up sputtering and spitting milk out. 
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  • Lalala2326Lalala2326 member
    Since about 8 weeks I've been having crazy issues with my now 3 month old as well. To the extent that I have pretty much only been able to nurse her when she is extremely sleepy or actually asleep. We have pretty much become hermits cause I can't reliably feed her out of the house. Well, turns out she had a posterior tongue tie and a lip tie that our pediatrician swear don't exist and the hospital pediatrician missed completely even though I asked her the day she was born. They run on my husband's side of the family - my older daughter is tied as well and had horrible reflux and nursed 24/7 but never refusal issues like this. My youngest had them revised by laser yesterday, and we are already starting to see improvement. Virtually no spitting up today, much less gassy, and she even nursed while awake twice this evening (she has pretty much refused to nurse in the evenings since birth awake or asleep). We have a long ways to go cause she has a horrendous latch, and we are still working on aversion issues (likely due to reflux caused by the ties), but I'm feeling hopeful again. I nursed her sister till over 18 months, and I'd never forgive myself either if I gave up. Hang in there. You might try a chiropractor that specializes in babies. Sometimes they have misalignment or muscle tension issues that make them not want to nurse on one side. My oldest refused to nurse in any other positions that cradle/cross cradle on the left and football on the right - for the entire 18 months. She was uncomfortable with her head and body turned the other direction.
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  • krissyberbkrissyberb member
    I agree with pp about looking into whether it is a muscle or alignment issue. My LO would only nurse on the right side in the football hold. He's a long baby, so that didn't work so well. Turns out he had torticollis. We got some stretches to do for his neck and the physical therapist gave me some suggestions for how to help him hold his head. He'll nurse on both sides in cross cradle now.
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  • PlainJane8350PlainJane8350 member
    Have you tried Le Leche? They were more helpful to me than any LC I saw at the hospital.

    Have you tried side laying and nursing? I had a hematoma at birth so I was limited. Now I side lay to get her to nurse off of the breast that she wasn't used to.
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