latching on, pulling off, over and over

[Tattooed Hand]

DD is driving me nuts. She is 12 weeks old. She latches on, take a few sucks and then pulls off and immediately wants to latch back on again. If I let her, she'll do this 20 plus times. My nipples are getting sore. She'll do it at all hours, whether she's starving or not. I don't get it. What's the problem, what can I do?

I've been putting my boob away when this happens after a few times because I just can't let myself get super sore. Argh!

[PatioGardener]

Any chance she may need to pee?

[Tattooed Hand]

it started out of no where earlier this week. we don't do ec...

[odoole]

She's probably just become interested in her surroundings. That's around the age when babies vision improves and they start to realize that stuff continues to go on even when they're not looking at it.

My 7 month old STILL does this. It's gotten to the point where we can really only nurse when he's sleepy -- before and after naps and before, during, and after nighttime sleep.

I haven't made a huge effort to improve his daytime nursing, and sometimes I just find it easier to give a bottle if he's super distractable during the day. But if it's important to you not to use a bottle, then I would suggest nursing in a quiet room free from distractions, try not to make eye contact, maybe cover her up so she can't look around, etc.

ETA: also, if you have really fast letdown or oversupply, she might not like all the milk she's getting in her mouth at one time. That's another possibility.

[PatioGardener]

Just re-read your post and realised that she is 3 months old... yeah, the on-off-on-off pattern is common between 3-5 months and is SO frustrating!

Sorry - no advice except for hang in there, and maybe try nursing in a quiet place? Good luck!

[Rose-Roget]

I was wondering if it could be that she gets impatient waiting for the letdown. I think that happens with my dd. Sometimes after a few times of that, I'll take her off to snuggle her close and wait for the letdown. Then I help her latch back on and she gets going. She's a different kind of eater, though - maybe this isn't typical.

[sky_and_lavender]

My babe started that around the same time. Mostly she would pop off to smile at me adoringly and oh-so-winningly and then get right back on for a couple of minutes, only to do the same over and over again. At the time, I found in endearing. Now, at 6 months, she's distracted by EVERYTHING. I can't even read a book anymore because she wants to grab it or put it in her mouth instead of nurse. I have a hard time getting her to empty my breasts fully at times!

Seems like creating a dim, unstimulating, relaxing atmosphere is my best bet. I hope that may help you as well.

[Tattooed Hand]

Thanks for giving me great ideas about what mightbe going on, mamas.

Given that she was doing it in the dark, in bed at 4am, while half asleep makes me think it's not distraction. Maybe it's my let down, which is pretty intense. But what can be done about that?

I think she also might be teething. I know it's super early, but she's drooling, biting me occasionally, gnawing on everything, grunting and squaking and sometimes even tries to stick her thumb in her mouth along with my breast...

[Xavismom]

Originally Posted by Tattooed Hand

Thanks for giving me great ideas about what mightbe going on, mamas.

Given that she was doing it in the dark, in bed at 4am, while half asleep makes me think it's not distraction. Maybe it's my let down, which is pretty intense. But what can be done about that?

I think she also might be teething. I know it's super early, but she's drooling, biting me occasionally, gnawing on everything, grunting and squaking and sometimes even tries to stick her thumb in her mouth along with my breast...

This was our problem, oversuply and OALD. Have you tried block feeding? That helped for me a lot. DS still does this sometimes, but mostly just when he is very active and worked up, if he is calm or sleepy (at night) we do fine now. Good luck Mama!

[Tattooed Hand]

See, the thing is I don't know if we have oversupply. We definitely have OALD. I was under the impression that block feeding is only for oversupply, right?

Also, I had some plugged ducts last week when I did some block feeding by default (too tired at night to switch sides) and am too scared to try.

[moondiapers]

My baby does this at the begining of a feeding because my letdown is too forcefull. She's pulling off to swallow.

[Rose-Roget]

Originally Posted by Tattooed Hand

Maybe it's my let down, which is pretty intense. But what can be done about that?

A LLL leader suggested this to me about OALD when I was having issues early on: "Also if your letdown is really forceful and she is having a hard time, you can hold your breast between your pointer and middle fingers ("scissor hold" or "cigarette hole) and apply a bit of pressure to slow the flow during let down!"

I think it worked, but the block feedings really took care of the initial issues of over-supply (maybe too well), and I didn't need to do it very much.

[springbride]

DD does this all the time! She is 8 month old. She will latch, nurse for a few seconds then pull off and look/play with the source, then go back for more.

I can't decide if she's currious/delighted/playing/... and when to let enough be enough.

[ElliesMomma]

Originally Posted by Tattooed Hand

I think she also might be teething. I know it's super early, but she's drooling, biting me occasionally, gnawing on everything, grunting and squaking and sometimes even tries to stick her thumb in her mouth along with my breast...

my baby does this too. he's 5 months, almost 6, has been doing this for past few months. when we visited some one of my friends, she, who nursed 3 babies, and her mother, who nursed 5, both told me it's teething (after they watched him doing the pull off repeatedly thing). that was several weeks ago. no teeth have yet emerged, but stay tuned.