Fussing at the breast (feel like I've got poison milk), suggestions? *UPDATE Post 16**

[jess5377]

My DD is 6 weeks old and for the past 1-2 weeks she's been doing this thing where she gets really upset at the end of the feeding and so every feeding ends with her crying and then needing to be consoled.

She's not inconsolable and doesn't seem to be in any pain, so I don't *think* it's a digestion issue or a reflux problem, it's kind of just upsetting to me and, obviously, her.

Any ideas on what might be going on her? Is she taking in too much? Getting frustrated because she doesn't know how to finish? Getting frustrated because the milk isn't running as fast at the end? Maybe getting frustrated because she doesn't know how to get the later milk out?

Any ideas on how I can fix/help this problem? Take her off early?

***UPDATE in POST #16****

[_betsy_]

She may be wanting to just comfort suck and getting frustrated that she's still getting milk. Try offering a pinky to suck on and see if that helps.

[jess5377]

Thanks for the response/suggestion. I gave it a try and a paci, but that doesn't seem to be it. She refuses them until I've got her more calm, then she'll take the paci.

It seems to happen more at night/later in the day, so I'm wondering if it has something to do with supply/letdown? You know, because my breasts are so much fuller in the morning?

I wish babies could talk.

[Nicole Starr]

I remember reading that sometimes babies don't like things in your diet. Maybe you've been eating something she doesn't like?

[Mommy2Austin]

It sounds horribly simplistic, but are you burping her at the end/in between breasts?

She could just need you to burp her/pat her back and calm her down and give her the paci.

Also as a previous poster said, if you've added something new to your diet (something with a lot of spice or flavor...or even something too acidic) in the last 1-2 weeks it could be that irritating her.

[detroitgirl77]

This sounds like it could be a growth spurt. My boys acted that way when they were going through one.

[jess5377]

Originally Posted by Mommy2Austin

It sounds horribly simplistic, but are you burping her at the end/in between breasts?

She could just need you to burp her/pat her back and calm her down and give her the paci.

You know, this might just be it because she does usually calm down after a few minutes (sometimes a burp) and just a little settling/walking/rocking/upright holding on my part.

Sigh, I was hoping I could be one of those women that just nurses their little one to sleep and then later, rolls over and nurses some more before both falling back to sleep peacefully. Looks like that's not really happening, for now anyway.

[LadyCatherine185]

My DS did the same thing starting around week 4. It was silent reflux, in addition to me having overactive letdown. He also had food sensitivities to things in my diet that I had to cut out (dairy, tomatoes, and strawberries). The screaming got worse and worse until we finally started him on medication. Zantac did not work, but Prevacid did. He had to be on Prevacid for 2 weeks before it started working, but after that, no more screaming at the breast. good luck

[LDSmomma]

When I went through a rough patch with oversupply and block feedings, I discovered that DS would get fussy & arch his back while feeding, when he got too much foremilk, which bothered his stomach. I would then pump a little milk out, to stimulate a let down, so he could get more hindmilk. He also was fussy when at the end of a block of feedings, because there wasn't enough/any milk left in the breast. I'd switch him then to the fuller breast.

[jess5377]

UPDATE:

So, I've been watching her as this continues and I think it's a supply and/or letdown issue. From what I can tell, she wants more, but isn't able to get it out. She also calms down much faster if my husband takes her away from me and the breast than if I try to console her.

I think it's a supply/letdown issue because she behaves in the same manner (gets really upset) the rare time my husband gives her a bottle of pumped milk and it runs out.

That said, every time this happens, I'm still able to manually express milk (I've been checking), so is it a letdown thing? Any tips?

I'm just so tired of every breastfeeding session ending in tears and screaming. Did I mention I have to put a scarf on before every feeding because otherwise she claws and scratches at my chest and neck? It's like donning battle gear.

[Katsmamajama]

Wow, it sounds like our DD's are cut from the same cloth!

That sounds like mine to a T. She's 7-8 weeks now, and I can lay money on there being a screaming, clawing fight with my breast on a nightly basis. Originally, I thought it was just the one side (which led to my husband saying that it's defective and needs a plumber-- comedian, he is), but she does it either side, regardless.

I don't know if this helps you any, but I've noticed that about the time she starts throwing a fit like this it helps if I go lay down and nurse her in our dark bedroom, instead of sitting in my living room chair and nursing her.

[LadyCatherine185]

I am still saying reflux. There's no harm in looking into it, and it could completely change your nursing relationship.

If left untreated, reflux can have some serious long term effects.

[Conifer]

My ds does this when he has a burp (he's 12 weeks). I promptly sit him on my lap, lean him over and pat his back He would just get super squirmy and sometimes cry really hard as milk poured out of his mouth. Like he had a tummy ache. It was worse around 6 weeks and got continually better. Now it only happens every once in a while. I thought for a bit that it was my morning coffee, but it wasn't. I think it just got better because he is digesting the milk better now that he is a bit older.

[_betsy_]

It does sound more and more like gas.

Try swaddling the baby's arms down to keep her contained, and just put her upright against your chest to burp her - I found my "burping" action really just irritated both of my DDs - they just needed to be upright.

Is she feeding off your emotions about this? Try to stay really calm and relaxed and remind yourself you're going to work this out.

[Heba]

As you feel it is happening when the milkflow slows, you could try breast compressions, or switch nursing.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

[jess5377]

*UPDATE*

Thanks everyone, for all the suggestions. It's kind of silly, but after a few weeks of this it seems like the solution is for me to just pay more attention while I nurse.

Basically, incorporating most of what you said (quiet space, frequent switching, burping), if I just watch her and my body, I can kind of cut her off at the pass and preemptively ward off the major crying. It's not working *every* time and seems to fall apart as it gets later and later in the day, but it's doing something.

I *think* the problem is impatience on her part, maybe gas and longer pauses between letdowns on my part.

[dmbincp03]

My baby did the fussing at the breast when she was really really tired sometimes. she would fuss and fuss ... I would be patient and in a few minutes she would be asleep. I often wondered if it was letdown as well ... but think she alot of the time she was just exhausted.

[texmati]

I just figured out that my DS does this now when I'm nursing at my lap top. Also, (this is weird) but his rooting reflex is somehow backwards. If he's hungry, he'll look for my breast on the wrong side. (Turn up, instead of into the breast).