Non-stop Nursing Then Not Interested Once He's There - Help!

I have three kids, still BF the third one. BF went fine for the second two babies, but my first son was born a bit early and we had a horrible time of it the first 6 weeks or so. He didn't know how to latch on, couldn't figure out how to suck, and got gas every single time I put him on the breast and would pull off, bob, scream and try again for hours at a time.

After I visited lactation at NW community hospital (several times), we measured my milk supply to make sure I was producing enough (that made me feel a lot better!) We weighed my son to make sure he was growing (he was.) and then the lactation consultant watched me try to nurse him. She didn't have any magic fixes, but we decided that a) my nipples were kindof flat and not easy to grab onto so a nipple shield would help him and b) that his little digestive system got stimulated as soon as he started sucking and that caused him painful gas, hence the pulling off, bobbling and crying, over and over. This sounds to me like what is happening to you and your baby. He's hungry, but the gas hurts him. Honestly, for us the gas took a couple of months to subside, but that could have just been my son's prematurity. He did get better at nursing every week, though. What helped the gas was Mylicon (sometimes) carrying him around on his tummy in the football hold, taking naps on his tummy, and carrying him upright in the tummy-to-tummy position in a sling and/or Mei Tai baby carrier, and the nipple shield. Definitely call lactation at any hospital. It's free and they are there to help you. It will make you feel so much better just to measure your supply and weigh your son. HTH!

I don't think I read if anyone responded with these possibilities yet--- it sounds like he's looking for comfort as some of the other moms have suggested...but what's making him uncomfortable? Could he be gassy? Have you tried Mylicon (not the generic or Gerber version of simethicone though--it doesn't work as well as Mylicon for some reason)? Or maybe he may even be teething? I know it's early for most, but some babies are born with teeth already sprouted, too! Maybe let him suck on the knuckle of your finger... is he sucking on it or is he clamping down on it? Or maybe you ate something like garlic or something that changed the flavor of your milk? Hope I didn't add to your confusion. I just wonder if you can treat the cause of his discomfort instead of offering him other ways of coping with it if you might have more luck. Good luck!!!

Hey C.,

I have a 6 year old daughter and a 2 year old son, both of which I breast fed. I will take a guess about your son... I remember when my daughter was first born, I felt like she was doing the same thing, ALWAYS eating! The problem turned out to be that she wasn't getting enough milk, my body wasn't producing enough milk to keep her satisfied. I know everyone told me not to start supplementing until she was at least 2 months old, (so she would get the hang of breast feeding) but I was basically starving her! Try supplementing with some formula, I bet that will resolve the problem. When he feels full, then he won't have the need to be constantly sucking! I hope it works- good luck! -A. Y

I agree with the others- baby is probably having a growth spurt. The constant nursing helps to increase your milk supply to meet his growing needs. It's best not to give formula because that will negatively affect your milk supply. If you did give a bottle he would probably drink it all- because it would be so easy and dripping right into his mouth- not because he's hungry.

It's hard right now but it is only temporary and within a few days he will return to normal and you'll get some sleep:) Good luck!

Hi C.,

I didn't have the issue with not latching, but my daughter definitely liked to breastfeed 24/7 when she was a young infant. Looking back, I think she fed a lot because it comforted her, not because she was hungry. Sucking is so comforting for babies and it's probably the only soothing technique they know at that age. I remember feeling so confused about breastfeeding and whether she was getting enough to eat and if I was making enough milk. My baby is 7 mos now and breastfeeding is a breeze, but the early days were so confusing. My point is - you are probably doing everything right - it's just tough when you are first learning and your baby has very few ways to communicate. I would say get some advice from a lactation consultant or La Leche League, just for peace of mind. But really, I think you are doing everything right regarding the cluster feeding!

Ohh, I remember the first month of nursing was terrible... complete exhaustion from constant nursing, soreness from difficult latches, etc.

Then I worked with a lactation consultant. (Mine came to our house, but you can also call Any hospital's lactation advice lines for great help!! By the way, they WANT you to call them, so you are not "bothering" them...which is what I thought at first)

After getting some advice and comfort (in the form of "Yes, you are doing a good job and it will get better"), I was able to nurse my daughter until she was 13 months old.

Regarding the "funky chicken", is it possible that you produce so much milk that the let-down is "scaring" him? (If you think that may be possible, read on. If not, you can ignore.) For example,if someone was giving you something to drink but it was well more than you could swallow at a time, all you could really do is pull your head back. If this is possibly the case, you could express a little (1/2 oz or so) before nursing or nurse so your breasts are up in the air (not bending over a boppy). This would mean that he's have to suck to get the milk and it wouldn't overwhelm him.

Keep trying, it is very much worth it if it works.

ahhhh, the glory days of first starting to breastfeed; I remember them well. My babe is 3.5 mths now, but the first 3 weeks was like hell on earth. my nips had blisters and they bleed. she wouldn't latch on for the life of her and the "funky chicken" is the correct medical term for the head bobbing thing they do. :) I almost gave up, but this wonderful woman at La Leche league turned be on to... THE NIPPLE SHIELD. It changed everything for us. it gave my babe something to hold onto so to speak. we used it until this past weekend when she was feeding at night and it fell off. i was too tired to re-attach, so i put her head to the breast and she just took it. some babys never will nurse without it, but if it gets them to feed then what would be the big deal. if you are interested you can get one at babies-r-us. it was a lifesaver for us.

I also went through this and it was EXHAUSTING!! I finally did go to LLL meetings and it helped me tremendously to learn different latches, holds, etc from experienced moms who made me feel right at home!

I also would offer my baby my finger to suck and she seemed to be really soothed by this. She also did better when she was in a "football hold."

Also, he may be having a growth spurt, in which case he will probably want to nurse as much as possible, but don't worry, it will come and go- he won't be nursing so much every single day!

I also used a pacifier, which some say can be a bad thing while you are nursing, but it did not hinder us. My daughter would only suck on it if it was upside-down though! (We used a NUK brand.)

Go to the library (or send someone) for a stack of nursing books, call La Leche League and see when they meet, and the call the hospital to see if they can refer you to a lactation consultant there who is willing to do a phone consult for you. There are many online nursing groups as well- check Yahoo Groups for a start.

Another thing- if he is sleepy while nursing, you can gently rotate or "shrug" his outside shoulder and this will make him instinctively start sucking again and wake him up.

Hang in there- you are on the track to a healthy baby!
-A.

Hi C.-
First of all, your nipples have to be about raw! I've been there- I had problems nursing my son too. He'd be feeding for about 45 min to an hour and then he'd be up again a couple hours later. It was explained to me that the nipple's not always getting all the way back into his mouth. So they gave me a little plastic attachment to extend the nipple and it would make it easier for him to latch on. I think it was from Playtex- it was just a plastic nipple that fit over mine. So it may be that he's having trouble actually getting to the milk- which is leading to his frustration and his constant "hunger". Good luck to you- I gave up after a few weeks because I just wasn't sleeping ever!! But keep trying, if you can...it's supposed to be so much better for them.

B.

C.:

If you are really at your wits end it is worth it to either see a board certified lactation consultant in the hospital or have one come to your home.

they can help you fiqure out what is going on and put a plan together to get you where you want to go.

good luck.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

C.,
Great advice here. My son also wanted to eat non-stop at first. One thing I did was 30 minutes on the first side to make sure that he was getting the best part of the milk supply and then if needed I would do 10-20 minutes on the other side. No more than that. If he still seemed to need to suck, I would give him to someone else (when able) to hold and comfort him or put him in his sling and carry him around with me for awhile. Mine wouldn't take a pacifier either but I have heard that helps. Good luck! It does get better - you and your son just need to find your rhythm.
J.

Definitely go to a Le Leche meeting or contact someone to coach you from there to help you through this. I had exactly the same thing with my daughter and I just held out till she got easier (at about a yr!) but there is a way to relieve yourself from that happening to you. Seriously, a lactation consultant from the hospital you delivered at would also be a good idea. Whatever you do, don't get dicouraged cause the beginning, esp. with the first is very tough. Just hang in there - you are doing awesome keeping with it!
You might also want to see if you can feed him with a finger syringe. We did that to get her to suck properly. You pump and put your milk into a syringe (get it from your pediatrician) and then you have them suck your finger to strengthen their sucking mechanism. Then they latch on stronger to your breast. Just a thought.

Hi C. -
Congratulations on the birth of your son! I am a doula, not a lactation consultant, but some general info:
3 weeks is usually the first time babies have a "growth spurt" - your son was nursing much more frequently, telling your breasts to make the milk he needs. Growth spurts may happen again at 6 weeks and closer to 3 months...how is his output (wet/soiled diapers?) Also make sure that when he is latched, he is latched correctly so that you don't get sore nipples, etc. You may find it helpful to talk to a lactation consultant - www.birthlink.com is a great website with lots of LCs and other resources. Good luck!

- A.
www.birthtalk.com

Another resource is the lactation consultant at a hospital, I found a really helpful one at Lake Forest Hospital and I didn't even deliver there! I called about getting fitted for a nursing bra and ended up on the phone with someone and she was so helpful!

Anyway, as far as the constantly nursing thing, and the nursing more than 20 mins a side, it sounds like your baby is using your breasts to soothe rather than actually nurse, so you might want to try some other things... Babies love to suck, so that is why pacifiers help so many (my son wouldn't take one, so I too let him suck on my finger for a little bit and then helped) Some other things that you might try are hushing in their ear (louder than you think, too!) rocking, swaddling, all sorts of things that make them feel comfy and cozy and safe. White noise like the vacuum cleaner helped me too! There were definately days that I nursed on the hour too, so if the baby is hungry, they will eat, but if they are fussing on the breast it may be a comfort thing.

I heard the book the Happiest Baby on the Block has some good tips! One piece of advice I recieved when nursing that helped was the concept of the 4th trimester. Not long ago your baby was in your belly being constantly nourished and soothed. Now he or she is out in the open and has to adjust to every day life. I found the light comes out at the end of the tunnel at about 6 weeks (then again at 12) so hang in there!