Hi, my son is almost 7 weeks old and I have been having the worst experience. I feel like all my day is wasted and I do not even care if I know that the next day will be better. He only nurses for a minute or two and sometimes refuses at all. The only time that he nurses good (just 3-5 minutes) is at night for 1-2 feeding. He drinks good from a bottle (either breastmilk or formula) because I tried that couple times when he started doing this. I already called a lactation consultant and I have an appointment. I hate to give up breastfeeding because I really, really wants to do it even if it takes the whole day. He just closes his mouth and wants to sleep. I try to rock him, walk with him , different position but I give up by either giving him a bottle or puting him down to sleep. What else should I do? Do babies this age gets hungry?? should I keep giving him bottle after breastfeeding? if so, how about if he gets used to the bottle and refuse my breast? I tried to give him milk in a syringe and a spoon but he went crazy and screamed and spit it out!! Please help me! I feel so helpless!!!

I suspect that he isn't latching well and gets frustrated because he isn't getting much. That's why he only nurses for a few minutes. So, he just holds out for the bottle - milk comes faster from it.

This can be fixed though - especially if you are going to see an LC. She can help you evaluate his latch and see if there is a problem. Be sure that he is opening very wide and getting plenty of the areola when he latches. Also, be sure his tongue is sticking out when he latches (he could have a tight frenulum - the skin that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth - and that doesn't let him latch well). With a good latch, you can often see baby's tongue sticking out between the breast and his bottom lip. An LC will be able to check this for you. When is your appointment? I hope it's soon.

Also, be sure that you are pumping to keep your supply up. If baby isn't nursing very much, you could lose your supply.

Let us know what the LC says.

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Homeschooling Mom to Daniel (12 Years), Andrew (9 Years), Stephen (7 Years) and Emily (3 Years)

*************Visit AyeOhKay's Blog - "Frugal & Fun"**************

I hear you! I have a four month old, and we went through some tough times too. Patience is key, but that sucks to hear!!! Especially when it's sooo frusterating.

I really like this web site kellymom :: Breastfeeding and Parenting

They have a lot of info on breast feeding and normal growth. Plus the boards can be really helpful as well. Good luck and hang in there!!!

Sarah

Don't wait, call the hospital where you had him and see if there is a Lactation consultant on staff. See if she can see you today. Also a good resource is La Leche League, there are many women there that want to help.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

I agree that you should try and see someone as soon as possible. The hospital I gave birth at, the LC gave me a card with her cell number on it and said to call anytime, day or night, if I needed help. She was very helpful and I know a good LC will be able to help you out a lot and work with you to help your son nurse better. Hang in there!

i was having similar problems with my baby. like others have said, your baby probably has a poor latch and it upsets him that he can't get as much milk. but a bottle he doesn't really have to work on to get milk. the lactation consultant suggested that i undress my baby (leaving diaper on of course!) and get in bed with her with my shirt off so we can have skin to skin contact, and baby would become familiar with my smell. (this is also a great excuse for a nap). so after we did that, while we were still in bed, i breastfed her there. while she was still sleepy, she wasn't really focused on getting food, just being comforted. it helped her practice her latch while she was not stressed and neither was i.

definitely talk to one of the lactation consultants on staff where you gave birth asap. she was really helpful, understanding, and caring.

another thing she told me to do was feed her a teeny bit from a bottle when she was starving, and then after she'd been fed a little and was no longer ravenous, hand express a little milk from yourself to get a flow going, and feed her from there.

don't give up! if you can't feed your baby for a day or so with your breast, keep pumping to keep your supply up, give her that milk, and practice, practice! after a rocky start, my baby is still breastfeeding at almost eight months, and we love it.

He is latching well and I have enough milk, I have a let down but he hates it so I try to pump at first or let it go on a towel before I give him the breast. I think he is snacking the whole day.

Sounds similar to my experience with dd2. She nursed (well, snacked) for no more than 5 minutes at a time before falling asleep. This went on for a few months. In our case, she was just a very sleepy baby. She slept non stop so getting her to eat a good amount was very frustrating. I think the nursing must have been just too soothing for her.

It is great that you have made an appointment with a lactation consultant and hopefully she will be able to help you. In my case, I just waited it out (she was gaining weight well so I didn't worry too much) and we ended up having an awesome breastfeeding relationship until almost 17 months (at which point, ironically, I had to stop because she obsessively nursed non stop and I needed a break! )

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~Vicki~
Mama to Hailey, 4 and Ella, 2

Is he gaining weight normally?

My dd was a very efficient nurser and could empty both breasts in 5-7 minutes. He could just be a good eater...