Please help! Screaming baby won't breastfeed.

[srneda78]

My 11 day old baby will not stop screaming when I put her to breast. We had a really rough start. After being diagnosed with polyhydramnios, I was induced and had a 24 hour labor followed by a c-section because she turned sideways. Our nursing got off to a rough start. I wasn't able to nurse until about 2.5 hours after birth (c-section took a long time).

Anyway, breastfeeding has been a real challenge for me. We don't have a good latch and I am having to use a nipple shield. I went for my appointment with the lactation consultant yesterday and she has not gained any weight since leaving the hospital (one week). Her birth weight was 9lb,13oz and she was 8lb,13oz leaving the hospital and at the lactation consultant appointment yesterday. The LC said she isn't being vigorous enough on the breast and that she needs more energy to nurse well. I refused pumping and bottles all week before this appointment because I didn't want her to face even more nipple confusion (in addition to the nipple shield). The LC convinced me to give her a bottle of breastmilk after each nursing, which I was okay with since I trust this LC.

She had been doing great since that appointment -- until tonight. She has been eating like crazy and I have went through all my pumped milk. I can't keep up with her. I have no milk left in me and now she won't nurse at all. She just screams. She wants the bottle, not the breast. I have no pumped milk left to give her and I'm dry. I can maybe pump 1 oz. total from both breasts every hour and that's it. In the morning, I will be able to get more of course (low evening supply), but right now I have a screaming baby who won't nurse and it's 1 a.m.

I have four bottles of formula from the hospital. Would you give one to her? I can't stand to hear her scream. I know she's hungry. I don't know what to do. Please help.

Thanks in advance.

[MayBaby2007]

I see you're not online now. If you can't pump any milk and your baby needs to eat, go ahead and give her some formula. She's already had a botte, so the nipple won't cause any more confusion. She will still prefer your breastmilk over formula. It won't hurt her.

In the morning, contact your LC for support. Maybe she can hook you up with some local donor milk until you and your baby have a better nursing relationship.

I saw Carlye's plee for someone to help you. I couldn't read and not respond with something. I hope you/baby are doing okay

[Carlyle]

I'm so sorry nobody has responded to you yet! I x-posted your question over in breastfeeding, 'cause often you get a better response to this type of question over there. Hopefully someone will come on over with some better words of wisdom!

I can't help you on the immediate problem (screaming baby, do you give formula?), but for the longer-term issue, here's what I would recommend:

TO increase your supply:
Try some lactation tea. This stuff worked WONDERS for me, seriously: http://www.westernbotanicals.com/cfp...glish=1&type=4

Spend lots of time skin to skin with your baby (no shirt/bra no clothes for baby--get snuggly)

Eat lots of oatmeal (seriously, it works! I ate a bowl daily for a long time)

Increase your fat intake.

Ditch the bottles. If you feel like you have to supplement, use an SNS feeding system like this: http://www.drjacknewman.com/video/in...on%20aid-1.wmv You need to have your baby sucking at your breast so that you stimulate your breasts to make more milk. Your baby also needs to get used to the feel of getting milk from your breast and NOT from a bottle.

This site has AWESOME information: http://www.drjacknewman.com/video-clips.asp

I would also look into (maybe) getting a second opinion lactation consultant (try to find someone who is IBCLC certified)...I would question anyone who recommended supplementing with a bottle--at least ask her about getting an SNS feeding system. You can check here to find an IBCLC lactation consultant: http://www.ilca.org/falc.html

GOOD LUCK! And good for you for sticking up for your breastfeeding relationship!!!

[PatioGardener]

Carlyle gave some great advice. Please post and let us know how you are doing

Have you tried to let baby latch on by herself? If you recline topless and have baby only in a diaper betwen your breasts on your chest, and allow her to move, but have your arms there to catch her if she 'jumps', she may just latch on by herself as babies do instinctually right after birth. It may be worth a try see www.breastcrawl.org

[KBecks]

make sure you are drinking water, that's easy. otherwise I don't know

[alegna]

Ditch the bottles.

If you must supplement, use another feeding method- www.kellymom.com has several listed (finger feeding, syringe feeding, cup feeding, etc)

I would bet the screaming is part nipple preference at this point.



-Angela

[painefaria]

How are you doing this morning? I would definately ditch the bottle and try a cup or syringe. I have used the nipple shields and I know how much of a pain they are but after a week or so I was able to transistion. I have a friend that also used them and she transitioned after 3 weeks and they are having no issues now. Keep up the good work. I vote for staying in bed and getting as much skin to skin as possible. Let her nurse whenever she wants, Drink LOTS of water, and RELAX. s

[My*Scorpio]

Originally Posted by painefaria

How are you doing this morning? I would definately ditch the bottle and try a cup or syringe. I have used the nipple shields and I know how much of a pain they are but after a week or so I was able to transistion. I have a friend that also used them and she transitioned after 3 weeks and they are having no issues now. Keep up the good work. I vote for staying in bed and getting as much skin to skin as possible. Let her nurse whenever she wants, Drink LOTS of water, and RELAX. s

:

Breastfeeding works on supply and demand, so the more she nurses, the more milk you'll make.

I would also contact a La Leche League Leader.

[Sassafrass]

1) I think pumping an ounce an hour is great at this stage! The average BF baby takes in about 25oz/day, so an ounce an hour sounds right on target. Is the baby nursing in addition to your pumping? If so, even better.

2) Have you seen the information on how to bottlefeed the breastfed baby? Basically, it should take about 5 minutes per oz. of formula/BM. Stop and burp between each oz. and see if she is satisfied. Keep her upright so that she has to work for the milk, not just let it flow into her mouth. Use the slowest flow nipple possible.

3) Get all the help you can. Focus on feeding the baby, nothing else.

4)I just went through this w/ my 7 wk old. Posterior tongue tie, couldn't use tongue properly, my nipples were hamburger, severe engorgement because she was not transferring milk, my supply took a huge nosedive when she was about 10 days old, she lost too much weight. Guess what? We are exclusively breastfeeding now! And we have been since she was about 4 weeks old! It only took 2 weeks of incredibly hard work to get my supply back up, teach her how to suck the best she could, and for her to get stronger and be able to suck a little better. You can do it, too, even though it seems hopeless right now. I would have never believed we'd be exclusively breastfeeding w/ all the trouble we had in the beginning. And I have experience too! I BF'd my 4yo for 3 years, and I am a peer counselor at the WIC office. Lots of experience!

5) Here is what I did: nursed 10 minutes on each side (to help her preserve energy....she was wasting all her calories trying to BF, but not transferring.) Then, I pumped using a Lactina for 10-20 minutes after each feeding, at least 8 times a day, and I got up 2x in the night to pump. I also took Motherlove's More Milk Plus. Within a week, I went from pumping 20 mls to 60mls....that's when I knew that I could at least provide her w/ breastmilk, even if we had to use bottles. It was a happy day! Oh, I offered 2oz of supplement after every nursing. She usually drank every drop. Little piggy! LOL I did use a bottle, because we just didn't get the hang of the SNS, and all the stress of trying to pump and keep a fussy baby happy, too, I just couldn't do anything like cup feed. DH, did, however, use a finger feeder w/ her in the evening when I was home to give me a break. I think this really helped to teach her how to suck better.

When my supply got back up, and she had regained her birthweight and then some, I dropped the supplement to every other feed, then every 3rd feed, then we went to nursing exclusively during the night and just supplementing during the day, as needed. I did have a scale, so I weighed her daily, and watched the diapers.

She did start fussing some at the breast. What I did was to continue to offer the breast for "comfort" even if not for nutrition. I stayed as patient and calm as I could, and it helped to get a letdown before I put her on, that way the milk was already there, like in the bottle.

Okay, gotta go, baby crying, but I'll come back later, if you have any questions about what I wrote.

[rivkah]

Ah! Hang in there. You are doing a great job! Your body will respond to her demand very quickly, and you probably don't need to supplement. (But nobody can make this judgment over the internet).

Remember that first time breastfeeding can be very, very hard for anyone. It took me and #1 a good four months for everything to work out. You have extra challenges, also.

I would echo the "ditch the bottles" sentiment. It may seem easy right now, but ultimately, it is just going to be a lot harder on you. It is a lot easier (eventually) to stick a boobie in a mouth that deal with washing and equipment and storage etc..

If at all possible, see if a la leche league leader can come to your house and help you out. A little support can go a long way.

[whalemilk]

Originally Posted by MayBaby2007

I see you're not online now. If you can't pump any milk and your baby needs to eat, go ahead and give her some formula. She's already had a botte, so the nipple won't cause any more confusion. She will still prefer your breastmilk over formula. It won't hurt her.

In the morning, contact your LC for support. Maybe she can hook you up with some local donor milk until you and your baby have a better nursing relationship.

I saw Carlye's plee for someone to help you. I couldn't read and not respond with something. I hope you/baby are doing okay

: This is good advice. This sounds like such a scary, frustrating situation. I'm a big fan of breastfeeding but I have always told myself that I draw the line at this kind of situation--if I didn't have the milk on me, so to speak, and the baby was screaming with hunger, I would give formula. And then like this poster says, get help as soon as possible to see if I can fix the situation.

Are you getting good nutrition? Sometimes low iron can affect supply, so make sure you're taking your prenatal vitamins and getting good food. Hang in there.

[the2amigos]

Oh man, first time breastfeeding can be a killer even without a rocky start!! What has worked for me and many others is as some pointed out above. Take baby girl to bed with you, you naked on top. Stay there for a few days as much as you can. Oatmeal is great, water is great and I took Fenugreek, which I believe is in the More Milk products available at HFS.

The biggest key for me all through my >3 years BF is when supply starts to drop, find time to lie in bed together and cuddle along with the oatmeal, etc.

Hugs to you!! You can do this!!

[srneda78]

Thank you all for your replies. I am going to read them all again. I am so grateful for all of you. I was beside myself last night. Ironically, after I posted, she fell asleep and slept for 5.5 hours. She had eaten a lot last night, so I wasn't worried about that. I just couldn't figure out why she kept crying and crying and wanting more.

When I woke up to feed her this morning, she nursed well and I gave her some pumped milk and she fell back asleep for 3 hours. I know it is wise to get rid of the bottles, but she just cries and cries because she's so hungry and she's not an efficient nurser. Last week, we tried to feed her with a syringe and she hated it and kept spitting it out. Today she did latch on the breast almost every time I put her, but she still falls asleep early and doesn't nurse efficiently (stops sucking). I tried taking her to bed with me, but she just cries and cries if she's not fed. She uses all her energy to nurse and cry and has nothing left inside of her. I still haven't supplemented because I pretty much was able to keep up my nursing and pumping supply today.

I'm going to the pediatrician tomorrow and the LC Friday. I put a call in to the LC today, but I forgot she's off Wednesdays. So she will call me Thursday I'm sure. I'm going to see what else she wants me to do.

[SleepyMamaBear]

sounds like she could benefit from some CST (cranio-sacral therapy)
and your supply could benefit from some galactogogues. oats, fennugreek, MMtea, Goats Rue, Blessed thistle, etc.
has she been checked for a tongue tie?
its harder for a baby to transfer milk from a low supply mom using a nipple shield than without it. ditch the shield, ditch the bottles, get a Lact-Aid at the breast supplimenter to use while she is nursing.
you can do it. even if its hard fr a short time. you ARE doing it.

[alegna]

If you want the breastfeeding relationship to succeed you must drop the bottles.



-Angela

[janasmama]

have you tried wiggling your nipple in her mouth by just gently pulling your breast with one finger near the babes mouth... sometimes that gets a sleepy baby to nurse some more.

also doing a diaper change in between switching sides can be helpful to stimulate.

[Kmelion]

I found that making the baby slightly uncomfortable (tickling his feet, unswaddling him, opening his shirt) kept him from falling asleep.

I agree with the other moms. Get rid of the bottle. It's NOT helping the baby adjust to the breast and it's NOT going to help your supply.

[chio88]

I think there are just babies that really won't breast feed. Mine didn't want to either. So what I did is pumped the milk and fed it to him in a bottle

[alegna]

Originally Posted by chio88

I think there are just babies that really won't breast feed. Mine didn't want to either. So what I did is pumped the milk and fed it to him in a bottle

I think that babies that truly CAN not breastfeed are incredibly rare. Not too long ago that would have been a death sentence.

I think that MANY babies have nursing problems due to non-nursing-friendly practices- things like: suctioning at birth, pacifiers, bottles, bad nursing advice, etc.

-Angela

[mindymom]

Originally Posted by SleepyMamaBear

its harder for a baby to transfer milk from a low supply mom using a nipple shield than without it. ditch the shield

mamabear is right. we started with a shield (flat nipples) and gradually were able to get rid of it. sometimes he would need it to get started, then once my nipples were puckered i could take it off and he could latch on his own. i noticed that when we used the shield for the whole feeding he would get hungry again very soon. my pediatrician confirmed that they have to use more energy to get the milk from a shield and sometimes will fall asleep earlier in the feeding. if you can i would try to start phasing out the shield.

i know it is stressful when your baby is screaming and you feel like they're starving, but try to relax for the sake of your supply (although i agree with the pp - 1oz/hour is very reasonable at 10 days). as long as your baby is eating, pooping and peeing she is not starving. if she is maintaining her weight that is even better. offer her the breast as often as you can - she is still very young and should be able to get on track. you're doing wonderfully; it just takes time sometimes.

best of luck to you. the first time she spits out a mouthful of breastmilk with the nipple you will feel so good that your persistence paid off.