11 Week Old Fussing While Breastfeeding

I had a very similar problem when my son was about 3 months old. He had been a great nurser up until that point and then he would scream during every feeding. It is really upsetting! I finally figured out that he would get upset when my milk wasn't flowing fast enough. He would pull off after only 5 min. or so and scream. It got to the point that he lost weight and my milk supply dropped. Once I figured it out I got a pump, and I would pump and then nurse him and then as soon as he started getting fussy I would give him the bottle of pumped milk. Kinda sounds backwards, but it kept my milk supply up and kept him fed. Once he started getting good meals at each feeding, he stopped fussing. I would suggest you call a local le leche league if you need more help. Hope this helps!!

I know this response is a little late but have you had his ears checked? both of my boys use to cry when they would try to eat when they had ear infections and most of the time they never had a fever with the ear infections.

I agree with Nikki H. I would call your local La Leche League - they can give you phone or hands on help. Great job breastfeeding mama! You are doing a great thing for your babies!

L. try putting a litter syrup on your nipple
and dont try so hard some times babbies can tell if you are stressed and I am sure you are.hope this helps.J.

Probably getting use to the bottle and no longer want to breatfeed. If you are pumping the milk then they are still getting the nutrition you desire. If you hold the close while feeding you are still getting the bonding both of you need.

My oldest couldn't get enough milk when I breast fed and I put all this pressure on myself thinking I was a bad mom because I couldn't do that. The lactation nurse also added to that. HOWever, the dr. said, if she's getting what she needs when I give her the bottle and if I'm still holding her close everything would be fine. And it was. She's a A Honor Roll 8 year old that loves sports, dolls, and her mommy!

Don't feel guilty if you have to use the bottle.

since you are bottle feeding one baby and bursing/supplementing the other, then one that is nursing might be having nipple confusion or it realizing that it taes less effort to suck the bottle than the breast. you can conslut the laleche league, they are very helpful. but if he is just starting to prefer the bottle, then you may just have to pump and give him your breastmilk froma bottle and continue to supplement with formula. either way, they are still getting the benefits of the breastmilk, even if they aren't nursing.

What you eat could give him colic. When I breast feed my son I did not produce enough milk to satisfy him and my son would get fussy during feeding. I tried to pump but that did not help, I only got 1/2 - 1 ounce. When I took my son to the doctor he had lost weight and the doctor told me to supplement with formula. I did but after time I stopped producing altogether and had to use formula. I was very upset, he was my first baby and I wanted to do the best for him. I felt like it was my fault but it is something that happens to alot of moms. If this is the case talk to your doctor he may have something to help you produce more milk to feed both babies.

Do you know for sure you are making enough milk? Mine would get fussy because they could not get enough to eat and I think they were frustrated. I tried "FenuGreek" from the herb/vitamin store (I am not an herb person but it worked). I took 2 pills 3 times day (2 with each meal). I had so much milk after 24 hours I could have fed quadruplets!! Anyway, just a thought. Good luck. I know that you are probably exhausted right now and that can make things extra frustrating. Hang in there!

L.,

A couple of things came to mind when I read your post. First, have you eaten anything different lately? One baby could be more sensitive to the smell or taste of the breast milk.

Another thing I thought of is that even though it seems early, he could be teething. My brother got his first tooth at 3 months, so it has happened. The sucking action on the breast is much more difficult than through a bottle and could be causing pain. Since it is easier to drink through a bottle, there may not be enough pressure to cause pain. There is some really great teething gel that I used when my daughter was first getting her teeth. It is called Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Gel; it's basically the natural alternative to Baby Orajel. They make teething tablets too that I now give to my daughter. I highly recommend them.

A.

L., I had this problem with both my sons because I was producing too much milk. My sons kept getting choked trying to keep up with the amount of milk that would come out when they nursed. Since you said only the breastfed son was having problems, that tells me it probably isn't something you ate that is the problem. If your milk comes out too forcefully it is like using a nipple with too high flow. Sometimes pumping can cause your breasts to overproduce which can lead to this problem. I found it helpful to allow some milk to leak out into a birpcloth (mine would actually spray) before I put them to my breast. Once some of the volume had gone from the breast, the milk would flow more gently. Also, allowing the foremilk (less nutrients) to drain out gives your son more access to the hindmilk that comes at the end of a nursing session. The hindmilk is basically the cream that rises to the top. Thats where you find the nutrient rich fats in your milk. Anyway, give it a try and I think you will see a difference. You may have to manually express a little to get your flow going first, then just let it drain out until your breast feels less firm. He should have a much easier time staying latched on. Hope this helps, good luck!