Fussiness Detective

[MeredithK]

My son is one month and I'm in desperate need to help him.

I'm trying to figure out why he is so fussy during and immediately after nursing. He often pops on and off the breast, shakes his head, and cries while eating. He is gaining weight well though. After nursing, he gets really agitated. He scrunches up and cries and just can't seem to get comfortable. I can hear his tummy working and I try to burp him as best as I can. He often spits up as well.

I have two theories and I'm trying to decide what to do.

First, I think we have Thrush. So, I am going to be treated for that. Would that be one of the causes for him to act so upset? Or could it be something more?

My other theory is that perhaps it is my dairy consumption that is bothering him.

I'm willing to cut out the dairy, but I'm wondering if I should just try one of these at a time. Treat for thrush...see if that stops it. Or just do both at one time.

Any thoughts? I feel just terrible for my DS (not to mention my boobs).

[LadyCatherine185]

My DS did this and he had silent reflux. It took us months to figure out.. Once we did and got him on Prevacid, the screaming stopped after 2 weeks. It started for us around 3-4 weeks old, but we didn't start the Prevacid until he was around 3 months old.... Needless to say those 2 months in between were pure hell.

My DS also had food sensitivities, dairy being a HUGE one.

I definitely recommend cutting out dairy, as well as treating for thrush if you think that you have it. The sooner you figure out what is wrong, the better.

[Llyra]

With those symptoms, my first thought is reflux. I think that with dairy (my DS had terrible problems with dairy in the first year) you'd be seeing symptoms a while after a feed, not right in the middle and right after. That sounds so much like reflux to me.

[Bokonon]

Is it possible you have overactive letdown?

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

[ariatrance]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

Is it possible you have overactive letdown?

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

I second this! Dairy intolerance/allergy isn't actually that common. It is more likely OALD or even just a growth spurt. My nursling was terribly fussy the first 6 weeks because of OALD and having growth spurts every few days. She's learned to adjust to the OALD and is a quick nurser because of it.

A couple of days of block feeding would quickly tell you if it was OALD and is a lot easier than trying to cut out dairy. Good luck!

[LadyCatherine185]

I agree Overactive Letdown could be part of it.. I also had OALD, and that made my DS's reflux worse.

[Jenine]

I could have written your post myself! My DD is one month and has the same reaction to nursing as your DS. Crying during and immediately after nursing, moves her head around a lot while nursing, gassy, uncomfortable for a while after with crying and the scrunching of her legs. She will also occasionally gag at the beginning of a feeding. I have OALD and have seen great improvement with just nursing on one side per feeding and unlatching at the beginning to allow the pressure to diminish. The link to kellymom that Bokonon posted was really helpful for me.

That being said, DD also has an allergy ring on her bum so I'm cutting out the dairy as well . My first babe had a dairy intolerance that was very easy to identify but he didn't have the same symptoms as DD is dealing with right now, so I'm hoping I'm wrong about the dairy with her and it's just a diaper rash. We'll see...

I definitely suggest that you choose one issue to solve at a time, either the thrush or the dairy, otherwise you won't know what is solving the problem when you see improvements. Are you having typical thrush symptoms or is it more speculation?

[MeredithK]

Originally Posted by Jenine

I definitely suggest that you choose one issue to solve at a time, either the thrush or the dairy, otherwise you won't know what is solving the problem when you see improvements.

That's what I was thinking. I'm no so sure it's thrush now. Went to the pediatrician and he said DS doesn't show any symptoms. I have breast pain and areola discoloration, so that's what I was thinking it was. My midwife prescribed Diflucan over the phone, but I should probably go see someone.

Maybe it is overactive letdown. I'll read some more about it. He does seem to do better at night when we are lying down. Maybe that is a sign of OALD?

[LadyCatherine185]

Originally Posted by MeredithK

Maybe it is overactive letdown. I'll read some more about it. He does seem to do better at night when we are lying down. Maybe that is a sign of OALD?

My DS always nursed more peacefully at night when we were dealing with the reflux.

[Jenine]

Originally Posted by LadyCatherine185

My DS always nursed more peacefully at night when we were dealing with the reflux.

We're the same way. Why is that?

[LadyCatherine185]

Originally Posted by Jenine

We're the same way. Why is that?

From what an LLL leader told me-- at night they are more relaxed and don't 'notice' the pain as much... I think when they 'sleep nurse' they are doing it more automatically rather than thinking about what they are doing. does that make sense? and since they are still drowsy and only half awake, it doesn't bother them like during the day when they are fully awake....