baby wont take my breast

[bart]

Does anyone else have similar problems?

I know I am producing enough millk since i manage to express about 100ml each time i pump but my baby is either too lazy or something that she simply refuse to drink from my breast. She'll latch on for a couple of minutes then gets very fussy and breaks away wailing, waiting for the bottle to come to her mouth. So now i express before each feed and let her drink from the bottle. Is this a bad idea? Should I force her to drink from the breast or no milk at all? My baby is less than 2 weeks old but drinks about 110ml already.

thanks.

 

[lesliefu]

how long have you been trying? perhaps the position she is in is not comfortable? maybe the speed at which your milk is coming out is too fast so she is having a hard time drinking it? I would persist until you find a comfortable position for her since your baby is still under 2 weeks old. If she is willing to take the bottle, then there's really no problem with that either...it's really up to you if you feel you like the skin to skin connection. take your time and don't feel pressurized! all the best!

 

[Shenzhennifer]

I had similar issues. It could be many things, that is the problem. If she has been drinking from a bottle, maybe your breast is too much work for her. Or like me, my let-down was too strong for my baby and he couldn`t handle it. It takes a while for your milk to get adjusted to the needs of your baby. Now(3.5 months down the line), my son has days when he breaks away crying(like today) and I don`t know if maybe my milk is too slow for him now, I don`t let-down fast enough, or he`s just had enough and is angry that I am insisting my nipple on him, or was it something I ate? It`s hard to know sometimes.
I learned from LLL-Sarah, if you have too much milk, you will see milk in the corners of your baby`s mouth. Try pulling away during your let down and see if milk sprays out - that could be the problem.
You baby is still young enough that you can put her just on the breast if you want to, but I would assume you would have to find out the reason why she is refusing it.
Sorry not to be of more help. Breastfeeding can be frustrating and confusing. But if you are committed, I think the rewards will come. Don`t give up.

 

[joannek]

i have the same problem. too fast let down & bb pulling away cos she can't swallow fast enough. so i nurse lying down, so milk comes out opposite direction of gravity & it's not as fast.

 

[carang]

oh the spraying everywhere bit.... i loved breastfeeding, and i was lucky to have an easy time of it. but that milk squirting everywhere! yikes! i do NOT miss that! i even let down in the shower or when my dogs would whine!

 

[Shenzhennifer]

haha, I have been letting down in the shower every single night until the past few days!!

 

[cutebear]

Bart, I am having similar situation. My son is 3 weeks old and I introduced bottle to him at 3 days, now he is fussy after been on my breast for 5min. He sucks really well for the first 5 min as my let down is strong, but he stops when the let down slows down. His suck is very strong and usually can finish one breast in about 10 min. At first I didn't know what to do, other than express it out and feed him that way. Then I researched on the web and found out it could be nipple confusion, and one of the things you can do is compress your breast while your baby suck as he/she gets fussy. The compression can help the baby to get more milk. Give it a try and let me know if it works for you.

 

[mumto2]

Yes like some of the other ladies have said, sometimes at the start your "let-down" can be too fast for bubs, simply detach her when she gets fussy, check and see if the milk is squirting EVERYWHERE...lol...and simply let that milk go into a facewasher or towel, press above your nipple and let the fast milk come out - don't worry, there's plenty more inside...then when the flow has stemmed, try to reattach and see how she goes...sometimes humming a little lullaby or attaching her and standing up and swaying from side to side can comfort them too. She'll get it, don't worry

 

[solidstars]

sorry silly question, but how can you tell if your baby has 'finished one breast'?

My baby is just pass one month old and takes forever on a breast (30-45 mins), sometimes he'll take the other side as well (not sure if this is a growth spurt) which means i'm basically feeding every single hour with, if lucky, 10-20 minute break in between where i can run to the toilet or grab a bite to eat.

so, how do i know he's 'finished' when he just keeps going?

and bart, my baby fusses some days too but i just keep giving it to him (or burping him in between) and he'll keep drinking even though in between he's bawling. Keep a positive mentality and be persistent!

 

[carang]

why is there only a 20 mintue gap?

i fed my babies on demand. i didn't time anything. it is MUCH easier! so long as your baby is gaining weight, you do not need to be feeding constantly! chances are he's just sucking for comfort if you are feeding and only having a 20 minute break.