I'm 41 and not a first time mother but new to breastfeeding. I can not lie....I'm getting frustrated but yet I want this experience for my baby. Please, any advice or tips you have are welcome. I have a month old baby who is generally unhappy and it breaks my heart. Here are the issues:
Daughter
Spits up
-sometimes cuddled milk, few times projectile vomiting
cries moreso at nighttime
-fussy
-gassy
nasal congestion
-no fever, no signs of a cold except conjested
cries during breastfeeding and during bottle feeding
-flow seems too strong during breastfeeding, gasps for air
Is on a supplement with breastfeeding
-cries with this as well
me
-every now and again shooting pain in breasts
-constant milk leaking
Yes i do pump at times. I don't always have time to pump since my baby likes to be held so much with the issues. I went to the drugstore and purchased gas drops. It helped a little but not much. I hate to see my baby unhappy so any help would be greatly appreciated!
I think some of that is par for the course. Especially the leaking and occasional shooting pains.
What caught my attention is if she's supplementing, how do you know that its your milk that's the culprit?
Why is she even on a supplement?
Just trying to gather more info to get a fuller picture here
The early weeks of BFing can be quite challenging. If you can hang in there for another month things should be significantly easier.
It also could be something in your diet is offending her tummy. Common culprits are dairy, soy, caffine, gluten...
Not sure I can help with everything but it sounds like you might have overactive letdown. I get this early on with my babes and try to do a couple of things - 1) block feed - for 2 to 4 hours every feeding comes from the same breast, after those hours you switch to the other breast for the next block. 2) Before latching try to let down into a towel so that she doesn't get the full force of the milk straight away. If this part of the problem you are having it should gradually resolve. You can read more at http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/.
Shooting pains can indicate a blocked duct. I would watch for signs of that as you want to resolve it before it turns to mastitis. It could also just be hormones or poor latch, which may be the result of the letdown issue.
Allergies//intolerances can upset the baby. I had one with lots of sensitivities and had to cut out a lot. It is hard. I would start with the block feeding first and if that doesn't resolve it you can start to think about an elimination diet.
If she is congested a lot you can hop in the shower with her and let it steam up a bit to get things loosened up.
It sounds like you might have an oversupply and/or an overactive letdown. That can cause spitting up, vomitting, apparent congestion, etc. I have heard that an oversupply can make it seem like the baby is congested but it is just too much milk in their system. The Kellymom website has great information. http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/ They also have some positions that can make it easier for the baby to eat if you have a forceful letdown.
What is the supplement with breastfeeding you are using? A formula supplement or something like a Lact-aid supplementer? I don't understand. Crying more at nighttime sounds totally normal. The shooting pain is probably your letdown. It comes on randomly at first but eventually matches up with when your baby is eating. I had that too. Leaking is totally normal at this point too.
You mentioned you are pumping. Are you pumping in case you need to be away from baby or to feed in addition to nursing? When did you start pumping? How often do you pump? It's generally recommended to not start pumping too early because it can create an oversupply because your body thinkd you have a hungry baby and makes even more milk. I would recommend meeting with an IBCLC if you are able. They could be very helpful.
Also, know that breastfeeding is tough at the beginning and your baby is only a month old. You are both still learning how to breastfeed. Your supply is still being established. Your supply will regulate in time to match what your baby needs. I didn't feel like I got the hang of it until 2 months.
I started with Similac because a couple of weeks ago I didn't have enough milk. My daughter's pediatrician suggested it and she wasn't gaining enough weight. Now that problem ia fixed. I started pumping per suggestion of a friend when I did have to supplement. She said it would help with the milk supply...and now I seem to have too much.
Also, during feedings she pushes off of my breast and doesn't want to latch back on. I try different positions. Football hold, uphill, etc....but she will not have anything to do with it. I can hear her stomach gurgling and it sounds like mine. I have IBS. I do drink coffee. Perhaps I need to do away with that since it didn't suit me so well when I was pregnant with her either.
I started with Similac because a couple of weeks ago I didn't have enough milk. My daughter's pediatrician suggested it and she wasn't gaining enough weight. Now that problem ia fixed. I started pumping per suggestion of a friend when I did have to supplement. She said it would help with the milk supply...and now I seem to have too much.
Hmmm... There's a lot of variables here...
I definitely agree with try the block feeding.
If your supply is up why is she still supplementing?
The formula could be causing her troubles. I can't remember how long it takes to completely work its way out of their system, but if the formula is the problem, it could take at least a few days, if not longer before its outta her system completely.
Every baby is different. Some rest well, others don't. I'm not sure if that's necessarily related. Are you cosleeping or is she sleeping in her own space?
Also wanted to suggest baby wearing during the day. It makes a big difference for a lot of babies. DS did awesome in the ring sling when he was tiny like that. He could sleep for long stretches while being worn. It really mimics the womb feeling for them. They hear your heart beating and just the rocking of your movement is comforting.
I had a lot of these issues beforehand without the formula. I'm still giving her the supplement because when I wasn't producing the pediatrician put her on it because she was losing weight......and frankly that scares me to death.
I did try the block feeding but she is still frustrated. I tested my breast again in the shower and it started spraying without me massaging it. It wouldn't stop until I hand expressed the milk.....even then the way it gushes out is insane. I feel so sorry for my baby. I can not really afford the prices lactation consultants charge or I would have had a consultant over already.
Do you still have the shooting pains? It could be thrush (yeast infection in breast). The baby would also have it, and it can cause a lot of pain/pushing away for the baby, as well. Thrush commonly follows a course of antibiotics and is difficult to get rid of.
For the forcefull letdown, could you take baby off the breast for a minute or two (have a towel handy), wait till it slows down, then keep feeding?
I did the block feeding thing, too. It worked really well, but it took several weeks. Another suggestion- keep baby nursing on the same breast for an extended period of time once or twice a day. The milk produced after the first twenty minutes or so will drizzle out, but be very high in fat. It should help baby gain the appropriate amount of weight.
Lactation consultants- sometimes hospitals have free ones. Also try LLL. One more thing, I actually had the lady who worked at the maternity bra shop diagnose my thrush... She was much more informed than my primary care dr. Is there a baby or nursing specialty store in your area? You could call and ask if they have any recommendations, or know of anyone who could help- low cost.
Give it a couple of weeks. Try to take things one nap/cup of coffee at a time. It will get better.
The shooting pains could be thrush, but also might not be. I had the shooting pains after #4 and didn't have thrush.
I feel so bad for this mama and her LO! I give you props for tryin so hard mama!
It's been a few since I posted last. My little girl isn't as fussy as she was. She seems better. I've cut out almost all of my coffee intake in my diet. I drink one small cup per day. I also had her supplement changed. She still has nasal decongestion. Every morning I have to use saline drops to suction out big hunks of snot. Again, she isn't sick but the boogers keep her from breathing well and eating well. She still pulls away from my breast in the middle of feeding. I know it's the hyper lactation. I do squirt in a towel beforehand but the release of the milk is still too much. How long does it normally take before the baby can catchup? I hope this issue is resolved soonso that eeventually my daughter can breastfeed without a supplement.
I'm sure one of our wise mamas here can answer that for you, I don't think I've ever had over supply to that extent, so I'm not qualified to give you an educated answer.
I had over supply/over active let down with DS. It also took about a month to pass. Sometimes nursing him while I was reclined helped (he was on top of the breast, does that make sense?). But mostly just waiting it out.
In our case, DS also reacts to dairy. I can't have any at all or he'll be crying for a day or two (he is not a fussy baby otherwise). I have heard it takes a few weeks to get out of your system though. Just something to consider
Let us know how you're doing! Are you still having the shooting pains? I had those at the begginning, during let down.
Gassiness and weight loss are quite common reactions to oversupply. It could indicate a foremilk-hindmilk-imbalance. Meaning baby gets way too much foremilk which isn't fatty and can irritate the stomach lining and intestines.
We had some similar issues. The crying at night I think is normal at that age. My little guy cried every night no matter what I did, bit at some point (8-10 weeks?) It just stopped. I still leak a lot, though less than i did, even though he is 6 months old. Invest in some good breast pads...bamboobies are good. Block feeding and nursing reclined really helped us. It does get easier...hang in there mama! If you can not pump, try that...it will help your supply regulate to what your baby needs.
I had the constant shooting pains but never thrush. Also the over active let down. I'd pump about an ounce out of each breast before nursing each time to help baby get to the hind milk sooner and avoid the choking if the first let down. About 6 -8 weeks into it, when she and I both became better at nursing, things started to fall into place. I cut out dairy and it made a big difference in her mood and fussiness. Takes a week or two to completely leave your system.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mothering Forum
16.5M posts
285.1K members
Since 1996
A forum community dedicated to all mothers and inclusive family living enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about nurturing, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!