LO gets fussy when bf

BabyL52716 · July 2016

A little history-My LO will be six weeks on wed. She latched right away and did greatwith bf. After the first couple of weeks my supply deminished heavily and she was bot gaining (realized this around foir weeks) aroubd this same tine I ended up in the ER for high temps that they could not find a reason for besides being viral.
Since then I have done everything under the sun to try to increase my supply. I make about 3oz (when I pump) she is eatting 4 mostly 5 ozs per feeding. I started supplementing 2oz the week I went into the hospital.
LO adapted to the bottle easily for the formula but now fits takibg the boob like nothing else. She will be extremely hungry and she will only feed for about a minute befor she starts screaming and refuses to stay latched. My supply will never increase to what she needs if she wobtbtake the boob ><. I find it odd that she wants the bottle over boob. Anyone else have this issue or have advice.

Knottie1433777995 · July 2016

Mine does the same thing after getting too many bottles in a row. I use a nipple shield for a feeding or two and then he's good! I would try a shield.

Kurrant · July 2016

Mine isn't so much a bottle issue . . . sometimes Lucy is too fussy or is overtired but also hungry and can't get a good latch or she starts to eat and pops off to have a cry. A nipple shield fixes this up for me and helps her get latched fast. I usually slip it off mid feed once she has calmed down a bit and she is happy to take the boob without the shield.

mcb2016 · July 2016

I'm supplementing due to supply issues. My little guy has gone on nursing strikes. It's rough but I just pump more when he's refusing to nurse. You could try nursing after the bottle if you haven't already.

BabyL52716 · July 2016

Thanks for the tips ladies! I have not tried either of these. Usually I end up frustrated and pump and give it to her that way. I hate that I always have to make sure I pack a bottle and formula when I leave the house.

baby-2-due · July 2016

I had the same problem. My LO was born a few weeks early and she was jaundice. I had to supplement with a bottle while she was under the lights and to increase her weight since she lost over a pound from the jaundice. The LC told me that the reason she's "going on strike" is because it is easier to get milk out of the bottle and they have to work to BF. I used a nipple shield and sometimes she still screams and fusses so I will put her in a swaddle and rock her before attempting to re latch. It seems to work and my milk supply is almost completely caught up! Good luck and don't give up. It's frustrating at times, but at least you're trying.

CUtiger09 · July 2016

I have been using a nipple shield most of the time because LO doesn't open her mouth wide enough to latch on. Sometimes she will even bob her head or shake it back and forth making it almost impossible to latch. I am seeing an LC tomorrow so hopefully she can help but the nipple shield has saved us many times! I just want to wean her off of it if I can.

NB817 · July 2016

To answer your question...the reason why she is throwing fits when really hungry on the boob is because the boob is more work for her to get the amount of milk. The bottle is fast and easy...less work for her and now she's learned this.
If you're trying to increase your supply you could put her on more often or even give her a few ounces (2) in the bottle to satisfy that initial hunger then put her on your boob that way she isn't starving and she'll signal your body to make more and hopefully not through the fits.

KidShrink · July 2016

What @NB817 said. We had yhe same issue (and add poor latch). We seitched to playtex naturalatch bottles (slower flow) and I use a nipple shield. Maybe try to pump to increase your supply (right after she's done eating, then you can use what you pumped to supplement?)

CUtiger09 · July 2016

Is anyone else worried about the nipple shield and long term use? I've tried to not use it but it just is so much easier than trying to work with her to latch when she bobs and shakes her head. It doesn't seem to be effecting my supply so I'm not sure how soon I should try to stop using it.

amberraysofdawn · July 2016

@cutiger09 The nipple shield is the only reason I'm able to breastfeed at all, so personally I'm not too concerned about it. Pedi hasn't said anything about it either, though I can ask at our appointment on Friday.

proudparent2b · July 2016

I had issues with LO not gaining enough initially and then refusing to nurse after several days of pumping (per ped's request to check for volume of milk and see if LO would start gaining if he was fed pumped milk after each nursing). I ended up going to exclusively pumping, which I've grown to like. DH can help with feedings and LO has grown very well!

To increase supply while pumping, you can power pump. This means that you pump for 20 min. then take a break for 10, pump 10, break 10, then pump a final 10. Doing this once per day for 3-4 days should result in a noticeable increase in volume. You do not have to exclusively pump to do this.

As a note, if LO is not emptying your supply of milk, it will cause your body to think it's making too much and can result in reducing the amount that you are able to produce.

Additional note: when I started exclusively pumping, LO ate crazy amounts for a few days. Apparently now that he was easily able to access the milk, he was catching up on all the missed calories.

CUtiger09 · July 2016

amberraysofdawn said:

@cutiger09 The nipple shield is the only reason I'm able to breastfeed at all, so personally I'm not too concerned about it. Pedi hasn't said anything about it either, though I can ask at our appointment on Friday.

The nipple shield has been a lifesaver for me to breastfeed. She has days where we don't use it at all but then it seems like we have to revert back to using it. My pediatrician used one too so I'm not too worried about it but would like to be able to get rid of it just so I don't have to mess with washing it and making sure that I have it with me. I'm curious to see what your pediatrician says.

KidShrink · July 2016

The nipple shield has been a life saver here too. DS was a chomper (he had a flat spot and had a tight jaw on the same side). We've been seeing a chiropractor which has helped a lot. Our only issue is that LO now seems to have gotten used to the size and texture of the shield so we're a bit dependent on it, although he flicked it off the other day and just latched right on my nipple. What the LC has recommended is to start a feed with the shield on until he's not so hangry- then takenthe shield off and let him practice. I've just been lazy and often keep the shield on- he was hurting me so bad in the beginning that I think I'm just afraid of the same. I'm doing a combination of breastfeeding (mostly woth the shield) and pumping that is working out really well for us.

kitandcat · July 2016

My LO wouldn't latch in the beginning, initially because of a tongue tie and then because we had supplemented with bottles he didn't want to work for the boob!! a LC gave me a syringe and I would fill it with breastmilk I had previously pumped, I would get the LO right near my nipple and then i would dab a little breast milk on my nipple and then squeeze some milk into his mouth from the syringe, making him think it was coming from my breast! It was a big help. I did the same thing to initially get him to take a nipple shield, it worked well both times. For a long time he was still fussy every time I fed him because he would initially refuse but I was persistent and now I've been exclusively feeding directly from my nipples for several weeks! Now he is only fussy when eating if he's gassy :-)

Bellodomani · July 2016

KidShrink said:

The nipple shield has been a life saver here too. DS was a chomper (he had a flat spot and had a tight jaw on the same side). We've been seeing a chiropractor which has helped a lot. Our only issue is that LO now seems to have gotten used to the size and texture of the shield so we're a bit dependent on it, although he flicked it off the other day and just latched right on my nipple. What the LC has recommended is to start a feed with the shield on until he's not so hangry- then takenthe shield off and let him practice. I've just been lazy and often keep the shield on- he was hurting me so bad in the beginning that I think I'm just afraid of the same. I'm doing a combination of breastfeeding (mostly woth the shield) and pumping that is working out really well for us.

I used a shield with my son and we weaned in the way your LC suggested around 7 or 8 weeks. Worked great, never had any more bleeding or scabbing like I did before we used the shield, and able to EBF well past a year. I totally get the fear of nursing without the shield though!! I did not want to go back to feeling the way I did before we started using it.

BabyL52716 · July 2016

I have tried pumping after she latches for no more than a couple minutes. Usually my milk end up all over her face and soaks into my shirt. I don't even get a half an oz after.
I judst did about a.week of power pumping and never got anything after the first 10minutes. Usually ended up with only an oz or two.

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