15 Week old popping on and off, on and off while feeding

[ck1]

This just started the past couple of days. DS nurses great at first, a little impatient waiting for let-down, but otherwise he's okay. Then after about 5 minutes he's pulling on and off, on and off, getting frantic, etc.,. I hand expressed a second to see if there was any milk coming out and there was plenty; I've never had a problem with low production, but over production! I massage and applied pressure to speed up the milk, but same thing, he's on-off again and again.

I don't get it!

He's not distracted because his eyes are closed, and the room can be dead quiet. If he keeps pulling on and off I take him off and he screams!!! Then I switch sides and the same thing starts back up again. Now when I take him off I give him a pacifier and he's content. This is happening at every feeding, except maybe the morning when I'm engorged from the night and there's so much milk it's like drinking from a fire hose and he exhausts himself!

What is going on? I did want to mention that I'm having problems with him sleeping, too. He's 3 1/2 months old and has been sleeping through the night for 2 weeks now, but trying to get him to go to bed or nap now is a CHALLENGE! I'm posting something about that in another forum, but just to let you know where he's at developmentally, he's very social and loves people, but he's distracted by everything and refuses sleep now.

[InMediasRes]

We EC, amd for us, that was a classic cue for a need to pee or poop.

Or maybe the milk is overwhelming him or getting up his nose if you have a strong flow? Maybe you could prop him a little more upright, or hand express the first streams so he gets the slower flow?

[LadyCatherine185]

I just answered your other post in LWAB.. sounds liek your DS is similar to how mine was at that age. We dealt with reflux and food allergies, but it sounds to me like here it could be

*growth spurt
*overactive letdown
*distraction

I know you said he isn't distracted, but that is really what it sounds like. Is it dark in the room you nurse? We've always had to nurse in a dark, quiet room.. annoying.. but.. it's what we've done.

Hope you get something figured out soon! Check out www.kellymom.com for more info..

ETA: I reread your post.. maybe he is needing to burp?

[ck1]

Thank you for your suggestions.

I think he maybe a bit distracted. I tried keeping the room quiter / darker while nursing today. Not sure, only because if I switch sides he's good and then after a few minutes he's popping back on and off again. I burped him afterwards to see if that helped, he burped but still the same issue. Then this evening he was taking a gulp, pulling off, going back on, taking a gulp, pulling off... it's like he's just playing around or trying to exert some control over the situation, is that possible? But he gets kind of frantic about it. No doubt developmentally he's going through something.

Anyway, after I'm sure he's had enough I just give him the pacifier. Sometimes he pulls it out and goes for the breast and I let him nurse, but still the same issue, so I give him the pacifier again.

I propped him up more, as suggested and held him a little closer, that seemed to help a little bit.

I don't know. I was just thinking there's something about my milk flow that's bothering him since it happens after he's nursed a bit on one side. Hopefully this is something that will pass like his sleep issue. I did have success tonight with nursing him until he falls asleep! He was still bobbing on and off, but he wasn't doing it as much the more tired he got.

[MovingMomma]

Yup, classic EC signalling! Also consider teething.

[LadyCatherine185]

I just remembered DS would do this when he had to poop. Still does, actually. And he always poops after nursing, and we don't do EC. Could be that he has to potty! Maybe when he starts that try distracting him for 10 minutes or so (or do whatever u can to not nurse but keep him happy) and then try again after he has possibly gone to the bathroom..

[ck1]

Hum... maybe it's a bowl movement, but it feels strange to me. He doesn't poop after all the bobbing and weeving. I can understand a burp, but I burped him and even after the burp he does it. The part that gets me is if I take the breast away to burp or switch sides he screams! And I'm sure he's had enough. If I give him the pacifier it calms him. I'll burp him with the pacifier in his mouth; he'll either burp the pacifier out, or keep it in his mouth.

I'll be sure to pay attention tomorrow to see how his tummy feels. I would like to lean toward teething but he's only 3 1/2 months old. I know teething is a process but I would have thought his behaviour was more toward cutting a tooth like tomorrow, not at the beginning stages of teething... but I don't know this is our first.

[Birdie B.]

My daughter went through this stage at about the same age. I was mystified, because nursing was going so well, then she started all these weird behaviors. I figured it was a growth spurt or something, but I never really figured it out. It went away after a few weeks, and we've been golden ever since!

[LadyCatherine185]

probably is just burping or gas then. my ped told me that babies cant differentiate between gas pains and hunger pains a lot of the time, so that would explain why he screams when you take the breast away. hope it gets better soon!

[BirthKathy]

Mine does this when he needs to poop, but he doesn't scream when pulled away - he smiles! He usually gets enough to satisfy his hunger before I take him off. After I take him to the potty, he doesn't always need more milk. He is 5 months, and we EC.

[HAddison]

Is it a stuffy nose? My little guy has a cold, and has been doing the same thing bc he can't breathe out his nose.

[ck1]

I think it's my milk flow! But it's strange, it's like two problems.

1. my milk flow slows down so I found if I compress rhythmically when he sucks he doesn't fuss (pull on and off).

and

2. my milk flow is too fast. I compressed on one side and the milk shot out across the room, which explains the gulping and pulling off.

I noticed he started to get it and was figuring out how to slow things up without pulling off by slowing his suck. And then I saw him kneading my breast to speed it up. Funny, but this isn't new, I wonder why all of the sudden this has become a problem? Is it part of his sudden developmental "awareness"?

In any event it's getting better, he's still doing it, but I'll take comfort from those who mentioned it will get better; I hope so, just when you think you have it down...

[LadyCatherine185]

I was just thinking about this again this morning and came on here to post, and read what you had already wrote about the milk flow thing! But DS does this also when the milk stops flowing (there's still some in there, just not shooting out fast enough for him.. ) and he wants to switch sides... glad you guys are getting things better!

[2xy]

Originally Posted by MovingMomma

Yup, classic EC signalling! Also consider teething.

My DS did this when he had thrush.

[Heba]

Thrush was my thought, too. Might be worth looking for other signs/symptoms.

[georgiegirl1974]

maybe he just wants to comfort suck (and he pops off when he gets milk.)

[ck1]

Thank you for the suggestions. My fear was that it was thrush, too. I checked for signs (diaper rash, and white spots inside his mouth... are there other signs?). BUT, I'm really thinking it's my milk flow. DS is getting better at not popping on and off, but he's still doing it. I think it's what gorgiegirl1974 suggested; he wants to comfort nurse but is getting milk (and a fast flow at that) and it's upsetting him, which is why he screams when I take him off, but when I give him a pacifier he'll calm down. Still, he gets upset with the pacifier because it's not "mommy," but if I distract him he's fine.

Does milk flow ever adjust itself like how your body regulates milk for the babies needs as they grow?