Dd still refusing to nurse

[cherryzz]

She is only 3 months, she has been doing this for over a month.
She will eat for 5 maybe 10 minutes per feeding, i burp her I try to relatch her but she just screams in hunger. I change breasts but still she screams at me. As soon as i sit her up she stops. I have tried different feeding positions, she still does it.

After she was born she was a excellent nurser after we got over a few speed bumps. She nursed 45 minutes at a time. After a few weeks it decreased to about 30 minutes. But since then Im having some issues.

She doesn't have reflux, I do believe she is teething, but i give her oragel for that and still she refuses me.
I know shes hungry because she sucks on her hands and licks her lips. I can even hear her belly sometimes.

She is so frustrated and I have no clue what to do. She was gaining very well, but now i dont see much of a change in her weight. Her appointment isn't until next month so i wont know how much this has effected her weight until then.

She does sneeze, could it be a cold. Can she have a cold this long?
I know she isnt stuffy. I have been using her nasal aspirator.

She is such a good baby, except for the nursing issues.
She is always so frustrated because of it.
I know she wants it but wont take it. She takes it from a bottle right.
But Im not going to continue that, it will only make this worse.

I dont know what to do anymore. I thought it would get better, but its not.

She poops once ever 2-4 days now.
She seems to have plenty of wet diapers.

[Nipple_nectar]

I see two problems in your post that I personally, would eliminate immediately.

Firstly, orajel has been documented as interfering with babys ability to form and maintain a proper latch, it is a numbing gel and DOES affect nursing, so I would stop it's use and find a teething relief that will not interfere with your baby's ability to latch, like www.hylands.com makes teething tablets, you can find them at Walmart.

Secondly, you mentioned bottles. Make yourself familiar with nipple confusion: www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_confusion.html

This can cause long term nursing strikes and eventual premature weaning in some babies, if you are interested in preserving your nursing relationship, you must choose a BFing friendly feeding alternative: www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html

[cherryzz]

I looked for those tablets. I cant find them anywhere. I dont give it to her while Im nursing its usually at night when it bothers her anyway.
And that Hylands stuff, I know they make pain relief gel too, and that stuff does NOT work at all. I tried it and all it did was taste gross it had no numbing effect at all.

She isn't confused. She had to have supplements at birth, I was kinda mad about that.
She uses a pacifier since birth too.
I dont give her a bottle anyway. Every So often though I do Because of this issue. She started this way before I re introduced a bottle.
So it cant be that.

I have no way to get any Bfing friendly feeding alternative.. so thats what I gotta do to get her to eat sometimes.
Sorry If that upsets you.

Sometimes she eats really well. But most of the time she is on this screaming kick.

[whitnessforhim]

Sucking on hands/fingers is not necessarily a sign of hunger. I attribute that to teething. My DD started teething at 4mo. even though a tooth didn't pop out until she was 8mo. So to me that isn't a sign that she is hungry. For some babies 5mins is all that they need at the breast. Maybe she is satisfied with that and isn't interested in nursing any longer.

The signs to look for to know whether she is getting enough would be her diaper output, not her sucking behaviors. You said she's giving you the normal output (pooping every 2-4 days is normal). Maybe you could call your pedi and see if you could come in just for a weight check to ease you mind?

At around 4mo. DD became a very distracted eater. Nursing 2-5mins at a time. She did this for several months. Frustrating, yes but not necessarily something to worry about.

[cherryzz]

Yea she will be 3 months this week.
The this is her doctor is 2 hours away. And my husband will have to take a day out of work with no pay to bring her because I have no vehicle. The only insurance we have is through the state he works in. I knew it would be a problem, but men are stubborn. But I will have to figure something out.

She eats usually every 3 hours. Because that how long she sleeps during her day naps. So 5 minutes just doesn't seem adequate for that amount of time. But when she is up, I try to nurse her about 30 min to an hour later and she usually just cries, and gets frustrated and just sucks her hands.

Everybody tells me its too early for her to be teething. But I really think thats the cause to this.
Its been 2 months, and still she cries like that. Even at night she wakes up screaming sometimes.

The other night she woke ever 15 minutes screaming like she was in pain. I had just fed her really well, so I knew she wasn't hungry I gave her some oragel. She woke again just a few minutes later screaming so I decided to give her tylenol, and some more oragel.. She woke 2 more times and finally dozed off until her next feeding.
She has not done that since.

I dont know I guess i just worry a lot about her health. Comes with the territory.
Formula feeding parents dont worry this much.. haha..
I rather worry then not though.

[cherryzz]

I dont know maybe its my milk flow, Its pretty strong. But even when I pump some to get it to ease she still does it.
I do have lots of milk. And when she doesn't eat well I just get fuller and fuller until my boobs are hurting.
I hate to have to pump but I do.

[whitnessforhim]

Well you could always purchase a scale over the internet and have it shipped to you if you really need to have a weight check.

[whitnessforhim]

I dont know maybe its my milk flow, Its pretty strong. But even when I pump some to get it to ease she still does it.
I do have lots of milk. And when she doesn't eat well I just get fuller and fuller until my boobs are hurting.
I hate to have to pump but I do.


With a fast milk flow its easier for me to believe that she is getting a LOT of milk in that 5mins of nursing. Very possible!!

[SingingMom]

Yes, I agree with this. If you have a fast milk flow it is more likely that the baby is getting more milk than she can easily handle and is frustrated by this. Also, a really strong supply can mean that baby will get too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk, which can make her gassy and uncomfortable, especially at night.

It's often the case that women have more milk supply at night. So if you have a problem with TOO MUCH milk, then sometimes your baby will scream at night because she is having gas pain.

Do you see green poop in her diapers?

My little girl was nursing for five minutes at a time when she was this age. It is possible that your baby is suffering from some nipple confusion issues, and that you have an over-active let-down.

I think you would really be better served by some real-life help. Can you find a La Leche League meeting nearby? Will your insurance cover a lactation consultant?

[gravel10]

My DD had a nursing strike at 3 mths, dont give up I know it is so so so hard and so fustrating, and you feel so helpless. It is so worth it. I really suggest calling a LC. i did and it made all the difference.
My DD was back in action that night.
MY DD is 6mths and I could not be happier she is still a great nurser.
:) xoxoxoxo for you it is so difficult

[Jacksmommy]

Your story sounds similar to my own. I had a huge milk supply and very fast flow. I felt it was an accomplishment to get my baby to nurse for 5 minutes in a row. That was almost enough to make one of my breasts slightly softer than a rock. I block nursed. This actually started because he would refuse the other breast for quite a while. It was uncomfortable for me. It may have been better if I could have successfully pumped the other breast some, but I couldn't do it. ANyway, my point is that block nursing worked for me. My baby would accept the breast more easily as it became softer and the flow slowed to something less than jet stream. After 3 hours or 2 feedings on one breast, I would switch to the other side, and then he would take it. Your baby is the one who also has green poo, right? Have you tried block nursing?

[cherryzz]

No green poo. its pretty dark yellow-brown tint to it.
I usually pump the milk before I feed her, because of I have no issue with supply.. haha. Which is good, but I know it being to fast can cause her to be fussy. It just doesn't seem to matter she still does it. She is best at night time then the day. I wish It could be like that all day too. But Oh well.

Oh I keep calling the Le leche league But the never answer for me..grr.
Im not even sure If my insurance would cover it.. Nobody I know has ever breastfed.

I have been strictly breastfeeding her for a few weeks to see if it was the nipple confusion that you mention. How long would it last?
It just still happens. I know she is getting an ok amount. Just I know she could be getting more. Oh well I know it will get better. I have never tried so hard in my life.

[cherryzz]

I have tried block nursing.. she just screams lol. I have to wait about 2- 3 hours for her to actually take it again.

She hasnt had green poop for a couple weeks. ANd it was just a little bit green then.

[nycmama]

From experience I use to WORRY about my baby not getting enough in the first 3 months (actually up until he was 5 1/2 mos). I already knew I had over-active let-down/oversupply. He was just a 5 minute nursling and even if he had enough wet diapers I actually thought he could be getting more. So conflicting when drs. or certain things you read online mention the need to nurse a baby for 10-20 minutes, switch breast etc etc etc. Not always accurate advice. Just go with the flow. Count the wets and don't pressure/stress it. My baby would refuse to nurse more because a). he had enough b). I would offer too much and stress the fact that he refused because he already had enough. Believe me they pick up on the anxiety. Instead of pumping just drip unto a towel or washcloth.
Pumping ANY milk WILL only make any over-abundant milk supply worse. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html Since it signals for more milk to be made.

It's a hard journey sometimes but so worth it!