5 Month Old Changes BF Behavior?

Hi M. -

We are having the same problem with the distractedness. I have gone to primarily pumping and giving him bottles of breastmilk during the day (I go back to work in the next month) because he was having more wake ups at night which I partially attributed to not getting enough milk during the day. I have noticed that either he is going through a grow-spurt, eating more milk than he was previously because it is easier for him on the bottle, or that I am not pumping as much as he took when he BF. I have a feeling it is one of the first two since he just was so distracted when eating on the breast no matter where I was or how boring the room was. The only time he eats well on the breast is in the middle of the night when the room is dark and he is sleepy. But even then he eats less than if we gave him a bottle of expressed milk because he falls asleep more quickly on the breast than the bottle.

So you might want to consider just letting him do bottles if you think he gets more that way. I have had to increase my time and amount of pumps to keep my milk in line with what he eats in a day. It can be done, it just takes more time out of your day. Make sure you are eating good, getting enough sleep, and drinking enough during the day - all those things I have noticed really impact my milk day to day. When we went to see a gastro specialist (our son has a pretty bad case of reflux) I was talking to her about how he will BF for manybe 5 minutes then twists and turns (and I have PLENTY of milk when this happens so it is not a milk problem, he is just distracted), she said to offer him the breast, let him take what he wants, then give him a bottle of milk (breast or formula) after you burp him to let him get a complete feed. I typically do this now if I don't just give him a bottle, and he has always taken a really good amount more. I have noticed with the bottle my busy-body-boy can look around and view his world while he is eating, which makes him so much happier.

Hope that helps
S.

Hi.
Your baby is old enough now to be more aware of his surroundings. Try to make the room "boring." Keep any outside noise to a minimum and relax if you are anxious. This will pass. Also, DON'T let anyone pressure you into formula feeding. Do what you want to do. Also, you know that when you increase formula usage, your supply decreases, right?
Good job. Keep listening to your baby and yourself.
Amy

He MIGHT be pulling at your nipple to get more milk (if he pushes in with his face and then pulls out, like he's milking your nipple, that could be it), but also it's pretty common at this age to be very distractable while nursing. My daughter would turn her head to look at something and sometimes she'd de-latch but sometimes she'd try to take my nipple with her. If you do think it is a supply issue, I can second some of the things the previous respondent said, and I will put in a good word for fenugreek. Women respond to it very differently. Some women don't see any difference in their supply, I personally responded quite quickly and effectively to it. You can try it and see.

If your baby is pulling your nipple when eating, it probably means he is not getting enough milk. My milk supply went way down after I returned to work and had to pump. I had to supplement as well, but stuck with the breastfeeding until she was 1. It was tough cause I have a very stressful, time consuming job and I had to find the 10 min break to pump. I noticed the more pressure and stress, the less milk. I tried to drink TONS of water and still eat healthy. The minute I got home, I placed my baby on the breast. On the weekends, I would try to breastfeed every few hours to make more milk, or feed her off one and pump off the other at the same time. Stick with it. It may get better. Also I heard oatmeal and fenugeek herb supplement are helpful with supply, yet I took both and didn't see much difference.

My son, now 7 months, also got pretty nosey around this age. If he is that hungry he will eat. Also sometimes a change of scenary is good. Try going into a non-stimulating room to nurse. Make the room a little darker too. This phase, at least for us, passed. He will get enough to eat it is just a matter of what time a day he chooses to have a longer feeding. I have also read that babies can have a "nursing stike" but it is only a phase. I encourage you to keep nursing him. Also don't feel pressured by others, you are his mom and know what he needs the most. Oh also regarding the nipple pulling...my son did this also...it seemed he pulled and forgot to let go when he was looking around the room or watching who entered the room etc. All I can say is unlatch him let him look around and then offer more milk. Hope this helps!!