12 Week Old Having Trouble Breastfeeding Due to Grunting and Straining.

I tried the Mylicon drops and they didn't work for my little man. I like the "Little Tummies". It worked wonders...

Hi there,
I am a Home schooling mom of three here in Staunton. If you need help please email me @ ____@____.com luck.
Sandra

Have the doctors considered reflux? My daughter had silent reflux and wasn't diagnosed until she was 4 1/2 months old and after many misdiagnosis.

Hi Jennifer,

I first want to address the issue of supply. Breastfeeding is one of the biggest challenges for a new mom--it is not the "natural" experience that we are led to believe, but it is far superior to formula if you can make it work. I had so many problems with breastfeeding (both on my end and the baby's) that I will not go into here, just know that I understand how frustrating it can be. With that being said, I need to let you know that giving her formula and pumping (which has been suggested) is the exact opposite of what you need to do to increase supply. Pumping does not increase supply since it does not simulate the baby's suck exactly--your breast will not adequately empty and thus you will signal your body to not make as much. Secondly, formula will be filling her tummy so she will not signal your body that she needs more. The best thing to do to increase supply is to have a nursing weekend. Take her to bed with you for an entire weekend and don't worry about anything else but feeding her. Have someone bring you frequent meals and tons of water and let her eat on demand. That way, your body will realize that she needs more and start producing more. Also make sure you are drinking lots of water and eating enough on a regular basis so your body has fuel to make the milk. This way, you will know if it is frustration over low supply or another issue.

Secondly, if it is gas rather than a supply issue, I would highly recommend gripe water over Mylicon drops. I had an extremely colicky and gassy baby and the drops did nothing. Gripe water, however, was fantastic. I purchased it at Whole Foods, which is a natural grocery store if you don't have them near you. You can also buy it online (search for Wellements Gripe Water). You squirt some in her mouth from a small syringe about 6 times a day--it has to be refrigerated, so I would fill the syringe and hold it under warm water for a few moments to take the chill off. Make sure to give the top number of doses for a day and give it about a week to really start working. Try not to skip doses or days until you give it a chance to work. I hope it works for you as well as it did for us!

Hope this helps you! Hang in there; breastfeeding can be hard so I applaud you for your efforts and sticking to it. Take care,

K. R.
Severn, MD

Dear Jennifer,

I had this same problem with my daughter. Believe it or not, my pediatician told me I could use a tiny sliver of a glycerin suppository to help stimulate a BM. That did the trick. When I did this, she had a big old BM and then everything was OK. In the animal world, a mother will stimulate rectum of baby by licking. Apparantly the stimulation actually triggers a mechanism in the bowel to get the bowels regulated. Some babies just have slow acting GI tracts. If there is a colic problem, there is also a theory that the colic comes often in vaginal born babies because when the cranial bones shift, one of the cranial nerves get irritated and this triggers a constant stimulus to the intestines causing cramping. Where I live there is a great Physical Therapist who sees babies with this problem. She does a treatment called cranial sacral therapy. It is a very light movement they do on the head of the baby and this can help rid the baby of colic. I also know about these things because I am a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and treat children using the principles of Chinese Medicine. You may inquire further about these things if you continue to have trouble.

Breastfeeding isn't as easy as every new mother thinks it will be, so you should be proud you are breastfeeding. You will be so thankful later, as I am with my 4-yr-old and 1-yr-old.

My little one used to do a lot of grunting at night also. For her, it was because the milk wasn't coming out as fast as she wanted. By evening, I was drained. The middle of the night feedings were fine bc I had more milk due to the sleep I would get as opposed to daytime. I didn't supplement bc I didn't want my supply to decrease. With time, it increased. Sometimes babies go through growth spurts and that's why they need more milk all of a sudden. When my first one went through them, she would want to nurse constantly day and night.

She had acid reflux which started at about 3 weeks or so. The spitting up with that was all throughout the day and sometimes night. So if it isn't happening in the daytime, it might not be reflux. But you know best. Good luck.

My second child had similar problems with gas/colic. He grunted and strained and cried and it just broke my heart. We used the Little Tummies gas drops and it worked well -- BUT, I did discover that it worked best if I gave him some a couple of minutes BEFORE he started breastfeeding. Then I would sometimes have to give him some right after the feeding. I don't know if you've thought about scrutinizing what you've been eating a couple of hours before the feeding that she has a problem with? My son was very sensitive to some of the foods I was eating (all the classic ones - I just looked them up in my breastfeeding book) and did much better when I eliminated some of those from my diet for a little while. Also, for some "light at the end of the tunnel," he was almost completely over it by 16 weeks. Hope this helps. Good luck!

A. -- stay-at-home mother of a 6 year old, a 3 1/2 year old, and a 1 year old

I am the mother of seven, and four of my children had colic. I too, was directed to purchase Mylicon drops. My experience was that they did not help. I tried swaddling the baby so it was easier for her to pass gas, and it seemed to help, but it did not eliminate the problem.

After changing doctors because of a move, the problem occurred with another daughter. When I explained the situation to my new doctor, he perscribed Levsin drops. They worked beautifully!

They don't taste great, but the drops are more watery than Mylicon (which is the consistency of a milkshake) so they trickle down their throat and are swallowed with the initial response swallow.

My children are all older than 12 now, so I don't know if they make Levsin drops anymore. Ask your pediatrician. They were a life saver for me.

Your daughter might be allergic to cow's milk (the formula). Try skipping that for a few days to see if the symptoms go away. Consult with a lactation consultant to see if you really have a low milk supply. The more you breastfeed, the more milk you have. If you supplement with formula, you will have less milk. Again, consult with a lactation consultant and ask your pediatrician if she might be allergic to milk, and see a pediatric allergist. I'm experienced in this because my son is severely allergic to cow's milk.
B.

The first thing I would do is look up your local La Leche League and give them a call. They have the best breatfeeding info and support and they are completely free. My advice to you as a mom that has breastfed 5 kids is to stop the formula immediately. In the early days of breastfeeding your breasts feel huge and you can tell that they are more or less full. You are reaching the point when they start to feel more normal. That does not mean you are not making as much milk. It remains a supply demand system. When you stop the formula your daughter will probably nurse more frequently for a couple of days trying to build the supply up. Formula is a horribly inferior substance compared to breastmilk and is much harder on baby's digestive system. Baby's on formula deal with a lot more gas, spitting up, constipation, and colic. The best thing you can do is go back to breastmilk only. It is normal for you to have a little less milk at the end of the day but they baby will probably just nurse a little more often during that time to make up the difference. It is also normal for babies to have a fussy time each day. It is usually in the evening. By dropping the formula you should see an improvement within a couple of days. Normal healthy babies need nothing but breastmilk for at least the first 6 months. And then when you do start to introduce solid foods it is more about exploring different tastes and textures than nutrition. Breastmilk should still be the cornerstone of their nutrition. Your baby may also not want to work to get breastmilk and that could be why she doesn't seem to want to empty a breast. Breastfeeding is good for developing the muscles necessary for speech. Bottles require no effort and do not develop baby's muscles in the same way. There is also a different sucking motion required. It may take baby a day or two to adjust back to "I have to work for all of my meals, and I suck like this each time." If you are having problems with this I would say what I said to begin with contact your local La Leche League. They are the breastfeeding gurus.

Relax! You're doing great! Her digestive system is accelerating and maturing rapidly every couple of weeks at this stage, probably why the gas/bowel movements noises have begun. Mylicon (simithecone)drops work great to break up those gas bubbles in her tummy, but they need to be given at every feeding (pediatrician recommended), not every 6-8 hours. The main ingredient is silicone based so their body never absorbs it, it just passes right through them and makes their stools a little bit more goopy sometimes. Can you try shifting her during breastfeeding so that movement can help her pop those bubbles? or maybe let her nurse for a few minutes, and then right when she starts to grunt, unlatch her, try to get her to burp over your shoulder or across your lap (both positions can sometimes help relieve tummy pressure) and then reattach to finish feeding. Maybe you can start pumping your milk and she can take it all from a bottle, maybe that bottle-feeding position is more comfortable to her too. hope any of this helps. Just remember, you are doing an awesome job and she loves and adores you for it!

Seems kind of late in the game to need Mylecon, but there are a ton of kids that get acid reflux later on and need medication for it. The one thing I can suggest is that there is a WONDERFUL free class at Fairfax Hospital for nursing mothers. It's really more of a casual, drop-in sort of get-together. I think they call it the Breastfeeding Support Group. It is lead by a lactation consultant and I went even after my second child was born (having nursed my first child for a year). They offer great advice and I bet they could help you figure this out. It's also a great way to meet other moms. Check out Inova's web site. Click on the link to Fairfax Hospital and then search for classes. Hope this helps!

My son who is two months old does the same thing during feedings and I discovered it was a need to burp. When he starts to grunt and cry during feedings, I stop and take a few minutes to try and burp him over my shoulder. Most of the time, he burps and then the grunting stops and he starts eating again.

Hello Jennifer, I am sorry to here you are having trouble. It is very difficult to be a first time mom and not know how to figure out what is going on. I am a mother of two girls one is 8 and the other is turning one in March. I am 32yrs old. I know it is a big difference between the two. Well anyway, about the breastfeeding. I understand that you are feeling to see if you still have milk left when feeding. It is probably better if you start pumping for a while to increase your milk flow as well as get a solid idea about how much she is getting and how much she needs to be full. Because your milk supply may be low, her grunting and straining may be her trying to encourage your milk flow. Babies intuatively know how to do this. When it works it is pretty amazing. The other thing to think about is your fluid intake. Make sure you are drinking lots of fluid and stay away from caffiene. The more you drink the more you will produce. I speak from experience. I too had problems producing enough milk. I had a great support system and got lots of good advice. It made things so much more enjoyable and created a great bond between me and the baby. Hope you can find this helpful. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions.

Hey, my daughter did the same thing at about the same age. I never really figured out what caused it for sure, but she did grow out of it pretty soon. It always seemed to me like the cause was one of the 2 following:
1. She had to poop/burp/pass gas. I sat her up and patted her and she did whatever she had to do.

2. She wanted to suck, but did not want more milk. She never would take a pacifier, so sometimes after about 10 minutes, the milk would still be coming, but she didn't want more milk, she just wanted to suck. She seemed to get so mad! I guess the supply must have evened out, because she did grow out of it.

Hope yours grows out of it too. :)

I have a 11 week old breastfed boy and he had similar issues a few weeks ago. I felt confused because I have a 4 year old who I exclusively nursed and he never had any issues. With the baby I assumed it was gas related and so I gave Mylicon before feedings and started eliminating things from my diet. I was already avoiding beans, broccoli, cauliflower. I didn't realize that things like apples, cuccumbers and peppers could be to blame for causing gas in him even if it didn't for me. I even started cutting my dairy. I was eating an apple and a salad everyday. When I cut the apples and the cukes, bell peppers from my salads...eveything was fine. He hasn't had any problems for a few weeks now and I have started back on dairy and still no issue. I don't use the Mylicon anymore either. I totally understand what you are feeling and this definatly helped my little one. We are having great nursing sessions now.

I don't want to scare you, and since I don't know the grunting sound you're referring to, this could be completely different, but my son (when he was almost 8 months) began grunting out of the blue after we were playing, but otherwise seemed fine. We didn't know what was going on until he suddently spiked a fever and we took him to the ER - turns out he has pneumonia, and at that young age they tend to grunt a lot with it. That may not be the case at all for you, but our son had NO symptoms at all other than the grunt and a very, very clear running nose from time-to-time, which his pediatrician kept telling us not to worry about and that it was due to teething. Hope it isn't pneumnia, but may be worth checking out.... good luck!

May I recommend that you call the GBMC Hospital breastfeeding hotline, or go by their shop during working hours. They have excellent lactation consultants that can really help and know A LOT about babies and breastfeeding. They probably could also help you with getting your supply up. If you look in the yellow pages for GBMC Lactation Station, or call the hospital and ask for the Lactation Station, you can find very good advice, better than any doctor as they usually are not lactation specialists.

I have been told to watch what I eat while I was breast feeding. If you eat gassy foods it can pass the gas into her system too. Also the taste of the milk...if you eat garlic she's going to taste a hint of garlic in her milk (yuck). Maybe that would help.

Hi Jennifer,

I suggest contact LLL Legue. Here is the link to find the nearest one http://www.llli.org/webindex.html.
There is one at Birthcare in Alexandria the third Tues of every month(next tues the 19th) at 7:30. It is really great place to get answers and talk to other breastfeeding moms.
As for the 2 oz. of formula. It is common not to have enough milk in the evening. That is why your baby wants to nurse a lot. She is telling your body to make more milk. Especially around 12 weeks when they go through a growth spurt. I remember my son acutually on the breast for more than 2 hours. Sometimes you will feel that you don't have enough milk and you don't. But if you let them continue to nurse in a couple of days your body will catch up.

Z.

Call a lactation consultant! GBMC has an INCREDIBLE one named DeeDee. Their number is ###-###-#### and they're open from 10am-5pm Monday thru Friday. Or you can call the helpline called The Warmline anytime at ###-###-#### and they'll talk with you about your concerns for free. GBMC is a great resource for breastfeeding moms and it's not a requirement that you delivered your baby there.

Hi Jennifer:
Your daughter might have the same problem my son did. We had to switch him to soy formula because he had colic/gas. It sounds like the same problem. Next time it happens, push on her stomach and see if it's tight or if the pushing makes her cry more. Mylicon works right away, so if you haven't tried it yet, do--it's harmless, can be given several times a day, and will make her feel better if the doctor's right. If you want to keep breastfeeding, which I'm sure you do, try massaging her tummy and bending her legs up every once in a while when she feeds, and give her the Mylicon in advance. If it doesn't work, try soy formula for a couple of days and keep pumping so you don't lose your milk. See if she does better on soy. I cried when I had to stop breastfeeding, but I was glad I got the immunities to him that I did, and that we had that bonding time. I was only able to go three weeks, and my son is healthy and robust from the soy formula.
I hope this helps you some. My father's a pediatrician and gave me this advice.

The fussiness might be because she needs to burp or have a bowel movement. Maybe taking her off the breast to take care of this (and maybe rub her belly) will make her less frustrated. Does she nurse as efficiently in the evening as she does during the day? If her latch is different her nursing will go differently.

Nursing more often will increase your supply. Maybe the formula is causing some constipation since the grunting occurs not long after the formula. Why do you think your supply is low at bedtime? Your breasts may not feel as full as in the morning but if the baby is swallowing consistently she's getting milk. Not feeling a let down doesn't mean there's less milk. I'm sure you'll figure out what's bothering her, you seem to really know her patterns and that always provides a clue.

She may have acid reflux. Try holding her upright (as much as you can) while feeding her, burping her often during feeding, and then holding her upright for as long as possible (20+ minutes if you can) after feeding---say while burping over your shoulder. This will help to keep stomach acid down where it belongs, if that's part of the problem. Happily she should outgrow it by 6mo-1year when her digestive tract has matured a bit. My daughter has similar reflux and gas issues, but keeping her upright has helped alot. You may also want to try Mylanta or Maalox, which helps for both (ask your ped). As long as she keeps gaining weight, I wouldn't get too worried. Good luck!

Hi Jennifer,
My daughter is just a little older than yours(4 months)and had a lot of intial trouble breastfeeding. We pushed through and she is doing well now. Two bits of advice: Make time for the gas drops!! They are a lifesaver. For a few days I gave them to her before she ate because she would fuss and fuss right after her "dinner meal". She is not much of a fusser, so it struck me as odd. Also- low milk supply: Check with your doctor to see if they agree, but my doctor told me to have a little bit of beer. It's not my drink of choice by far, but something in it REALLY boosts milk production. My doctor said it was fine as long as it was only a few ounces (I usually split a can with my husband) and not every night.
Hope this helps! About me: this is my third baby and I am a 34 year old stay at home mom/ former teacher. :)

It could be gassiness. That's what happened to my eldest daughter when she was a baby. We tried the mylicon drops and I had to burp her for 5 mins after each side of breastfeeding. Eventually she grew out of it thankfully. I had to be really careful not to overfeed to or there would be projectile spit up. I was really freaked out the first time I saw it and then I figured out it was gas. Also is it more when you eat particular foods? My daughter had a reaction to tomatoes would make her very gassy- just miserable so I couldn't eat them until she wasn't breastfeeding anymore. Thankfully she also outgrew that sensitivity and loves to eat anything w/ tomatoes. I would call the lactation consultant as well- they may have some good suggestions!

Stephanie C, I couldn't have said it any better than how you put it. Great Job! Jennifer L, don't give up breastfeeding, you are doing great. But like Stephanie C said, cut out the formula. Babies make all kinds of noises, some times they are just expressing themselves, because they can. Keep up the good work!

Hi Jennifer,

Have you given the Laleche league a call? They are so helpful and will usually even come to your home and help while you nurse. Or a lactation at the hospital birthing center where you delivered. It is best to have such a person on hand so they can see exactly what is going on, and they are so willing and eager to help you and make your nursing experience a great and fulfilling success! God bless, A.

I had this same problem with my baby who is now 16 weeks old. I just tried the drops before and after I fed her and stopped to burp her when she started grunting. It is frustrating for you and baby because we aren't sure what exactly they are feeling but just give it some time and help her thru it making sure you are doing what you can by eating better and burping her and giving her gas drops.

Those are the same symptoms that my children had and they were treated for reflux (GERD). My daughter never spit up but cried and strained almost every meal and my son vomited for the first few months all the time, so reflux does not have to cause spit up. However, my children had symptoms very soon after they were born. They were given Zantac first and when that did not work, they were given Prevacid. It definitely seemed to help them eat. As they grew and got fussy again (every 2 to 3 weeks), I would have to take them in to get them weighed and the dose adjusted.
My friend's pediatrician in California gave her child medicine and recommended chamomile tea to settle the stomache. I haven't tried this, but it is a non-medication option to talk to your doctor about.

See if the hospital you delivered at has a lactation consultant that can help you. The two hospitals I delivered at offered this service free even after I had been discharged from the hospital. If not you could try a local La Leche League group.

My now 3 year old used to cry every time I nursed and her tummy would bloat. I stopped eating food with msg, modified anything or hydroginated oils and she got bettr immediately. The gas drops didn't work for her. It could also be an alergy to gluten or dairy.

I now have a 17 week old baby who is doing great. I pretty much don't eat at restaraunts and I've continued to cut the food products I mentioned above out of my diet because I think they are not healthy anyway and I feel a lot better myself when I don't eat them.

I'm sure you know his already but it's important for us to eat healthy, get enough rest and I continue to take prenatal vitamines as well as a flaxseed supplement. Sometimes birth control pills can affect your milk supply. On days I'm stressed my milk supply is affected.

Anyway, I wish you the best!

Jennifer,

It sounds like your baby may have reflux. Propping her up to feed and sleep helps. She may need some zantac. You can ask the doctor for a prescription. The grunting and vomiting are signs of reflux. My son had this also. Good luck.

I agree with your doctor. Its sounds like gas. As soon as your baby starts to grunt, set her up. She probably has a burp stuck. She may also be reacting to something you have eaten and it isn't agreeing with her. Out of my four children I only got to nurse two. The first time I was successful for three months, he developed reflux and couldn't keep my milk down. When I gave him formula he did fine, so I ended up switching. I breastfed for 2yrs with my second son and we had a little problem when he was about 2 months old and it eventually went away. If she isn't spitting up the formula like she is your milk then its probably your milk. If she gets gasy even with the formula then its probably her belly having issues. Try taking notes on how she reacts when you feed her different ways. Maybe you can eliminate the problem that way. Good Luck!! I hope my experiences our helpful. Keep up the wonderful job you are doing!

PLEASE GET TO LA LECHE LEAGUE ASAP. You cannot tell how much milk you have left by feeling your breasts. You will dimish your supply by supplementing, especially in the evenings. Go to http://www.llli.org/
Plus, you will meet interesting women. I have life-long friends that I first met there.
J. Borofka, mom to 5 and 9 yro.

Hi Jennifer - our babies were born right around the same time! We, too, went through sudden and mysterious grunting and straining, and it took me a while to realize it was thrush. One day he just started growling and wrenching his head around, detaching, relatching, detaching, relatching - and this would force air down into his belly, creating a gas problem.

Is your daughter's tongue white, as if she has plaque on it? That's what I thought my son's white tongue was, at first. Thrush isn't a big deal if it's not bothering anyone, but for us it was interfering with his nursing, and I later realized that the breast pain I was having (nipples and milk ducts) was also thrush symptoms. It can be treated with anti-fungal medication, but you may need to see your doctor in addition to your daughter's pediatrician. If your baby has it, you both have it and both need to be treated, otherwise you'll just keep giving it back to her. Thrush is a yeast infection, and mine was triggered by the antibiotics I had to take during labor. I just wish I had remembered to take acidophilus ahead of time and right after. Good luck!

It sounds like you don't have enough milk that is making your baby making those sounds. She was trying to get more milk out of your breasts. Contact your local Breastfeeding Support Group and the consultants there will help you to build more milk and whatever other problems you might have.

Also, there is a "pill" called "Fengreek" that you can purchase at the health store to build up your breastmilk supply.

When my son had similar problems as a baby, I switched to a formula that was gentler on his tummy, his doctor did not like it, but at least he was eating and not straining. Breastfeeding is really hard, so don't stress out about it, when I was nursing my son, I was always worried that someone would walk in and I listened to everyone elses opinion. Relax and enjoy the experience, supplementing with a bottle won't hurt so don't worry about that either.
Another thing, try to pump the rest of your milk at night and store it to use, maybe you can get a good supply to use in a bottle and after a while your supply will increase.

Hope that this helps!

J. T.

Jennifer,
You might have OMER. If you have an opportunity, check out the Lactation Station at GBMC (Greater Baltimore Medical Center) the number is ###-###-####. The Lac. consulsults can help you out!!! Glad to hear you are breastfeeding!

Okay, this may or may not help, but here goes.

My 16-week-old son starting doing the same thing about two weeks ago. I thought the grunting and straining was related to passing gas/stool, but I would check his diaper and there would be nothing there. I noticed he was spitting up a lot more too, but the thumb sucking isn't new for him (he's done that constantly since birth). What I finally figured out was that the grunting and straining wasn't gas at all, but frustration. I had him on an every-two-hour, single breast feeding schedule, so I gave that up and watched him for signs of hunger instead. Turns out, he started going 2.5 or 3 hours (sometimes even 3.5) between feedings. At their age, they are beginning to need less milk (my doctor says), so I was basically overfeeding him--hence the increased spit up. Once I started the three-hour schedule, the grunting (frustration) has stopped--and so has the spit up. :)

This sounds an awful lot like both my sons around that age. They would pull at my breast and act very pissed, and it was so frustrating to me. Around that time is when my sons started to notice more things around them and didn't want to spend time at the breast cause they were easily distracted and wanted to see things. Could explain why she doesn't have any problem during the night because she is already so tired and sleepy. It finally went away after I started going to our quiet bedroom to feed them instead of the living room where the tv and the computer are. They both did grow out of it after a month or so and I'm now back nursing at the keyboard. Don't know if this is what your problem is but it's just another idea to think about.

Hi Jennifer - my son was doing this same thing! It turns out that he need to burp - a lot. I had a very gassy baby who would need to pause every few minutes of nursing for some burping and then he we go right back to eating. I hope maybe that will help your little one, too!

Try pumping your breasts in between your regular feedings. Instead of the formula, offer her the breastmilk that you've pumped. This will increase your supply of milk and remove any problems she might be having with the formula.

Dear Jennifer,

I am a 42-year old first time Mom. Baby Marie was born June 3, 2006. I also worried about low milk supply in the late evening, but chose not to supplement. Meanwhile, the neighbor with a same-age baby started with formula, and subsequently stopped breast-feeding altogether.

Marie is STILL on the breast, as I type with my right hand only. She eats everything else too, but always comes back to the breast. I have no menstral cycle yet.

My advice: (1) Figure that it is a "phase" she is going through, and continue to breast-feed without further supplementation. (2) If you don't already, you might consider baby massage, especially in the tummy area. This could help work the gas, stool, or whatever out.

Good luck - if you continue to offer the breast, I bet she will drink and get plenty of milk to grow well.

Best wishes,

K. Lunde

Hi Jennifer,

I would LOVE to hear if you have a response to this. My daughter does the exact same thing and I have been struggling with it for three weeks. I have tried switching forumlas (I'm not breastfeeding her, unfortunately). I have tried Mylicon (it didn't help) and now she is on Zantac (it reduces acid in the stomach which can be painful with reflux) and it doesn't solve the problem either.

After lots of book and web research I think it is "gastro-colic reflex" (NOT reflux). This is basically a reflex to eating that manifests in the colon area that stimulates her to poop or pass gas. Various web sources say some kids are really, really sensitive to this reflex. It is the only thing I can guess it is! And the problem is, I don't have any solution to it. Just today I contacted a homeopathic doctor to see if she has any ideas. I am still waiting to hear back from her.

It is so heartbreaking, I agree! My daughter is definitely hungry, but decides to not eat becaause it is too painful. Towards the middle of the feeding, she even keeps moving her mouth, but doesn't suck or swallow. It is so hard to watch. Currently I am only getting her to take 1 oz at a time.

Please do let me know if you find any solutions, and I will keep you posted as well.

Best,
M.

Hello,
Doctors are usually not good to call about breastfeeding...they often aren't very knowledgable about it.

You can call any of the local La Leche League leaders, these are all 804 area codes

Carolina ###-###-####
Jessica ###-###-####
Amalie ###-###-####
Rebecca ###-###-####
Christi ###-###-####
Nancy ###-###-####
Jennifer ###-###-####

You can also find a Lactation Consultant if you want, but any of the LLL leaders can get you started.

Here are two stories about how much doctors don't know about breastfeeding.

#1 I met a local mom who weaned her son at 6 months because she thought her milk supply "dried up." Her son was in the 85th percentile and hadn't lost any weight. The doctor told her that milk supply "just dries up sometimes." ?!?! I forgot to ask the name of that doctor, but it's a good example of how they're just not trained in it at all.

#2 My own local pediatrician didn't know that the first remedy for pinkeye is to put breastmilk on it. Then no further treatment may even be necessary! If it's not a medicine to prescribe, it throws them completely off, even if it's much more effective.

GOOD LUCK!

Try babies magic tea and also drink it by yourself to pass its effectiveness through your milk supply.

The fact that she is uncomfortable during feeding to the point that she pulls away crying and that she is spitting up more leads me to think it might be reflux. It could also be gas. I would try the Mylicon (or remedies other moms suggested) and "bicycle" her legs to help her get any gas out. Remember to keep her sitting up (or at least propped up) for 15 minutes after feeding. This will really help if it is reflux. Lastly, get a second opinion from a pediatrician. Good luck.

hiya ,
i am a working mom and very new at this emailing talking to folks all over but, it sounds like a bit of reflux to me. my daughter(now 5years) had the same problem with the need for more oral stimulation and spitting up. not only was she leaving yummy in the mommie but she was fussy afterwards as if she wanted more but she couldnt tolerate it. so speak to the doc about that ( reflux) it may be a combination of the two.wish you well.
beanmomma

My son, who is now almost 2, had a lot of issues with nursing, too.

I discovered when he was about 2 months old that he had serious sensitivities to things in my diet (dairy, soy, rice, corn, gassy veggies, spicy food, salad dressing, caffeine and chocolate). Even in cutting out all that from my diet, he still thrashed around when nursing, would arch his back and cry. He spit up A LOT, and did so at every feeding. He was diagnosed with reflux and Zantac helped.

I also used gas drops. The key is to use then BEFORE you start a feeding, and do it before each side. Sometimes I had to stop midway on one side to burp, and I would give more drops then.

When my period started (my son was about 9 months), my supply dwindle as well. A doctor recommended I take 2000mg of calcium and 1000mg magnesium per day. The La Leche League suggested the herbal supplement Fenugreek. I needed all of it and was able to continue nursing until my son self-weaned at 20 months.

Since your issue is only happening at night, I wonder if it's something you've eaten? To find out, try to eliminate some of the possible culprits, one at a time: dairy, soy, wheat, caffeine, etc. I think it took about 18 hours for whatever I had eaten to be in my breastmilk, though you could be different. So skip the dairy for a couple of days and see if there is any change. And read labels...you'd be surprised at what you'll find hidden in some foods. (Dairy is in a lot! Look for whey, casein, etc.)

Or could it be the kind of formula? Maybe change the brand of formula to one for sensitive tummies...?

We had to supplement with formula in the very beginning until my supply came in (was pumping ALL the time!), and the formula made my son very constipated. Is your baby having regular bowel movements?

If you're not satisfied with what the pediatrician is saying, ask again and again and again. Sometimes doctors just give the first likely answer, but that isn't always the right one. Or perhaps shop around for another one. Doctors are experts in their respective fields, but only YOU are the expert on your baby. Follow your gut. If you think something is seriously wrong, then talking to the pediatrician and nurses.

Just some things to think about.. Hopefully something will work for you!

Jennifer,
First off, I want to say that I am proud of you for breastfeeding. And a great source for breastfeedng issues us the La Leche League ( http://www.llli.org/ ) And If it is not a latching on problem you have I may have a helpful story for you. {In case you are not sure about the latching on thing, you may want to look up Lalechee League for tips on how to tell you have a good latch.} But I have a hunch your latch is fine.

I breastfed my daughter for a year and my son for 10 months. What happened with my son may be what is happening with your daughter. With my 1st child (daughter)I had plenty of milk even though I had to pump at work 2-3 days a week, but with my son I found my milk supply diminishing although I didn't think I was doing anything different with him that I did with her. He started to act like he wasn't full after breast feeding and he was done too quick. He had one good feeding a day from the breast, but seemed frustrated on all the others. He loved his bottle and drank a lot when he was bottle fed. I just thought he was disinterested. Then I found out that my milk supply all but dried up and that was why he didn't seemed interested and he seemed frustrated when he was feeding. I can't say that I remember him grunting, but he would bite me like he was trying pull out more milk. I was sad to stop at 10 months this forced me to. After all this I was talking with a breastfeeding expert (lady who sold me my breastpump) and she said the reason she thinks it dried up faster w/ him was because he was sleeping thru the night at an early age and my daughter woke up like clockwork every night for a long time. She said that the night time feeding, for whatever reason, produces & stimulates more milk production than any other time and that is why I was able to feed my daughter longer. So since my son had no night time feeding my milk just dried up. I think your daughter is not getting enough milk at her breast feedings,except for the night time one, and your milk is diminishing. I was given this advice from the breast pump lady, it was too late for me, but I don't think it is too late for you if you really try to do this. She said that I
needed to stay in the house and keep putting the baby to the breast as often as I could for several days and that if I could get in an extra night time feeding it would really boost my milk supply fast. Now I know that conventional wisdom would tell you not to wake a sleeping baby and it will be hard on you, but I am convinced that if you do this, you'll have a happy breastfeeding baby. Let me know if this works, it's worth a try :-)

Are you eating alot of dairy products? Sometimes that will effect the baby. I breastfed my son, second child for 14mos. Also check out these websites www.kellymom.com or the babyzone boards, they have a breastfeeding support group. It might also be the formula. You could try pumping to build up your supply. Also this really works. Eat a bowl of oatmeal and drink a beer, I swear it works! good luck, it is a tough job, but it is worth it!

Hi-
My mom is a lactation specialist and would be glad to answer your questions & help you. Breastfeeding is best! Her name is Peg Merrill and her number is ###-###-####.
I am in Parkville too.
Goodluck-
H.

Jennifer,

It does indeed sound like gas When she starts that, stop and burp her. The Mylicon drops usually help as well. The biggest thing tho, is to burp her. Not with soft pats on the back either. Sit her up and give her a few solid pats, after she burps continue feeding. The reason I say not with soft pats, is that if you watch how a NICU nurse burps one of those itty bitty little bebes, you'd know that a soft pat isn't going to move that little gas bubble up quickly.

She is also at 12 weeks. She is just starting that teething train. She'll be salivating more, which will cause a few spitups. Thumb sucking is absolutely A-Okay. She's soothing herself. Be happy, it means you might be in for some more sleep at night. You are right around a growth spurt time as well. Get used to the shake-ups. I've got twins, and when they get to those spurting times, everything we had down as a schedule tends to get changed. Just relax a little bit.

If you want to increase your milk supply, start pumping a little more in the evening. Say before you go to bed, when you know you have an hour or two before she wakes. Also drink a glass of water before bed. However, there's nothing wrong with supplemental feeding. I had to do it with my twins. I was lucky enough that my best friend had a baby the day after my twins and was a milk producing machine. We got a lot of her extras because there isn't a donation facility around.

Best of luck to you,

F.

does she seem to be full after her feedings? not trying to get too personal but have you ever had your nipples pierced? i took mine out years before having my children and it didn't help. the scar tissue was preventing them from feeding. just a thought...

Try to burp her a few times during her feeding. Then put her back on the breast.

She may have some gastro issues that may be small solution by maybe not breastfeeding, or diluting your breastmilk with water.

Jennifer,

Take a breath and relax. One of the ladies who responded is absolultely correct you need a 'Breastfeeding Weekend'.

I am the mother of three 22, 21, and 8 all three were breastfed until around there 2nd birthday.
All three were different, and all three had their own issues.
However, the one thing that remained the same was I fed on demand until they were 6 months old. Did I have a life? Yes, doing the most important thing I could possibly do in my entire life. Feeding my children.

You need to eat quality foods and drink lots of water, keep the prepared foods to a minimum. I know with a young one it is difficult but making a large pot of homemade stew or soup that you can freeze for later is sooo much better for you than a prepared commercial boxed or restaraunt meal.
Granola, Yogurt, Berries, Apples, Peanut Butter, Cheese and Giant salads. Don't use Crisco or Margerine, only butter, olive oil, or sesame oils, and eat as much fresh meat as you want. All of these because you are making food, and you need good stuff in you to give to baby.

Feeding on demand means, every time she roots, winces or fuzzes unless she is wet or soiled; offer her your breast. If you take the weekend to do this your body will produce the amount of milk she needs. If you can afford it purchase a co-sleeper (a bassinet that attaches to your bed so she is on the same level with you but not in you bed with you and when she is hungry you can scoot her over and feed her even while your sleeping)it turns into a portable crib too so it's great for trips.

Anyway, stop with the formula you are not only confusing her but the formula is upsetting her stomach.
The spitting up thing is normal. Her valve has not fully developed yet, and won't until she's about 6mo old, this is why burping is important. Feed her on demand until she sets her scheduale, she will fall into your sleeping and wake time, so don't worry that you are going to spoil her your not. Remember, we are the only society on the face of the earth that tells mothers to put their child in another bed, in another room. Sleeping with and feeding our children is the most normal and natural thing that you will ever do, go with your instincts and let her eat anytime she wants. As she gets older and your holding her on your lap at the dinner table you will know she is ready for food when she starts reaching for it. Let her eat the soft stuff mash it for her, and that way
you can supplement her diet when she is ready and not cram factory made nasty jars full of stuff down her throat, that will make her hate real and good for her food.
My children's favorite foods are spinach, broccoli, seafood, especially sushi. I believe that through there natural curiosity they explored things in their own time all the while the breast was available on their schedual that I promise they will regulate to what will become a normal routine.

We are told sooooo many things that we often forget to just be. I tell all young mothers that are breastfeeding to just forget about everything else for the 1st 12 weeks of your babies life. Don't even try to get dressed, it's not worth it you will only be left sopping wet anyway, and spend that time learning about each other and being there without any other expectations.

Hi Jennifer,
I have a 10 weeks old Baby girl as well and we had a similar issue but earlier on at about 6-8 weeks she started grunting and straining, like she was trying to push out bowling ball. :). But it was mostly at night but I do remember that she did it during eating as well. As long as she is having her regular bowel movements, I was told by my Pediatrician it was normal the Baby starts to figure iut that they can push out stool or gas and they start trying it all the time. She told me that it usual starts later around 8-10 weeeks and lasts for a few weeks then gets better or goes away. I can tell you it was very upsetting to hear her and see her seem to be soo uncomfortable, so I understand your concern. If I were you just check in with your Pediatrician, but I would would not worry about it. I have talked to other new moms like us who have experienced the same thing..
Good luck
K. I

I would suggest calling the post partum dept. where you delivered and ask to speak with the lactation nurse.They may have some suggestions for you. I have heard that burping before you feed then give the gas drops ,( some people feel the gas drops are useless) then nurse one side, burp, then the next side. When you delatch is the milk squirting? That is an indication that your let down has occured.If she just started the spit up after you started the formula, it is probably the formula , and you could swith to another type. The hospital or the pediatrician may have free samples to try, I would give it a good 5 days or so to adjust.Try the Leleche leuge or your medical insurance may cover for a few free lactation consults in your home or at an office. There are several in the area. If you are concerned that she is not getting enough milk and losing weight take her to the pediatrician just to weigh, you do not need an appt. for that. Best of luck to you!!

Have your ped. check to see if she has acid reflux. What may be happening is that she nurses enough to get full and has acid reflux (acid burp) come up in her throat and this makes her grunt and strain and cry because it burns and makes her throat raw. There is a medication that helps a great deal, Zantac. They usually outgrow it after a few months so you don't have to take it very long. Other things that help if it is reflux is to have her sit up in her carseat or hold her on your chest for 20 mins after eating. Slightly elevate her bed (they make little wedges that help). Reflux is very heartbreaking to go through with tiny ones but if that's it you will notice an improvement very quickly after you start Zantac.

HTH,
L.

Have you tried different formulas? I have an eight week old and the only time she got really fussy and acted like it was colic or gas was when my husband gave her a bottle of formula while I was out. She is our sixth and last baby and he really wants to feed her, so he got a few different kinds of formula to try. I haven't been brave enough to let him try it yet because she was so upset the last time.
Have you contacted La Lache to see if there is something you could do to increase your milk supply? I have heard that tea and garlic are supposed to help, but don't know for sure. Maybe just increased feedings for a few days to build up the supply.

Hi Jennifer, I have 3 girls, all breast-fed. My first daughter grunted and pulled while nursing just as you described and my pediatrician attributed it to a milk allergy. I had to stop all dairy products and this helped with the grunting and pulling. My last daughter started spitting up frequently and she was diagnosed with GERD. Basically reflux. Hopes this helps.

Does she seem to have difficulty breathing when breast-feeding and that causes the grunting? If so, your pediatrician needs to take a look at her.

Jennifer,
Of course this is only my opinion, but if you are able to measure that you have a good milk supply, you should continue to nurse. Sometimes babies go thru nipple confusion (nursing then bottle feeding), especially if the milk goes from mom's milk to formula. Formula tends to constipate the baby because the milk can be hard on their body. In addition this is two adjustments for their little bodies to handle and they also get frustrated when they get a flow one way, then it changes to a bottle flow. If you are going continue to nurse and bottle feed, begin to pump milk and feed your baby the breast milk to see if it is the adjustment to the bottle vs the milk. Also the more you nurse the more milk supply you will have. What also helps is to message your breast with your fingertips from the top to the nipple. Excreting some of the milk gets your breast in the habit of being stimulated which will increase your milk flow.

with my son was breastfeeding and he got constipated which it sounds like the same thing my son had and they told me to give juices, warm bath, pettrolum jelly on the tip of a therometer and try lubricating which most didnt work. they told us at last resort to use an adult suppository and cut it in half and it worked like a charm and also gave water in between breastfeedings too. it happened right around the same age as your baby.

First, please please don't ever worry about having adequate milk supply! I'm a second time breastfeeder. My first fed till 19 months and my second is still feeding and at 5 1/2 months. The grunting and such is really nothing to worry about if she is passing gas and stools with no problems. The thumbsucking..... eh, try a pacifier, they are easier to take away. If they are a thumbsucker, it's self soothing, but you will have a terrible time breaking them of that habit. Spitting up more often, is this just normal spit up? or is it projectile? does it come up curdled in large amounts? Most babies spit up from over eating, being too jiggled after a meal, or from reflux. My youngest has this thing she started about a month ago, it could be similar. Well minus the grunting that is. But mine will pull off, latch back on and pull off repeatedly, then start screaming, I finally figured out she wanted to be cradled and wanted her pacifier, not the breast and more milk. This seems to work and she goes right to sleep.

A little more about the milk supply. I wonder, by the way you phrased things, if you have spoken with a lactation consultant or taken a breastfeeding class? Your milk supply is replenished on a constant basis all day long. You don't wake up with a set amount. Every time your baby eats, it signals your body to "let down" more milk. The more she eats, the more your body will produce. If she eats on a close schedule, your body will reflect that. So by you giving her the formula at night, you've told your body you do NOT need it to produce that much at that time, but if you feed the baby your milk only, your body WILL produce enough, even if you have to switch breasts a couple of times.

All in all, I don't personally thing the grunting and straining has anything to do with colic (though I'm not a dr), I think she's just getting cozy, maybe trying to move some stuff along to ensure room in her tummy. I wouldn't worry as long as you're getting wet diapers and she's passing gas ok. Also, breastfed babies are known to go up to 10 days without passing a stool (but watch out when they do! LOL)... so if she's not pooping but once every few days, unless it's hard stool (signaling constipation), then she's just fine :)

M.

If you're only give her 2 oz of formula then cut out the bottle! Two ounces is so little an amount that you're doing more harm to your supply than anything else. If you're giving a pacifier, that too will hurt your supply. Breastfeeding supply is based on demand. The more you offer the breast, the more supply you will have. Pumping is not an indication of supply, and most women have more milk in the morning when waking than in the evening because you go longer at night between feedings. Be sure to eat first and then drink so you are getting enough calories, but be sure to drink plenty of fluids too. You might try changing the position you nurse in when she gets fussy, burping her when she pops off the breast. This is also about time for a growth spurt. The more she nurses over the next few days, and it may seem like a lot, the better your supply will be. You also might listen for her gulping. If you have a fast letdown she might be choking. Look at your breast when she pops off. If you're spraying, adjust your position so you are reclining a little or try lying down to nurse. This way gravity is not working with the flow and speeding things up. Something I found helpful to ease gas pains is to either sit on the edge of the bed or on a birthing/exercise ball and bounce with the baby in the over the shoulder burping position. If all else fails, call a lactation consultant. Most hospitals have them on staff, as to some pediatricians/family practice groups. If you qualify for WIC, there should be someone available to help, and you can always call the local LLL group. Many LLL leaders are available for home visits to help assess what the problem might be. Congrats on the new baby! My new baby is 13 weeks today!

Wow, sounds so familiar. I went through the same thing with my daughter. Turned out she had reflux. You may want to ask your doctor about that. She was put on Prevacid and Axid. Axid worked, prevacid did not. Also, she probably is trying to empty herself...and even though breastfed babies rarely get constipated, the still sometimes have to push it out and the older they get the more this happens and it's just a new sensation for them. My doctor reccommended giving her a Tablespoon of camomile tea twice a day. It helped some, but I think her real problem was reflux.

Try not to worry too much, believe me I know that's hard advice to take. But my little girl is now 7 months old, still breastfeeding and reflux is gone.

Good luck.

Jennifer,

Could your baby be congested? I had a similar problem and my little guy had a full nose. I used the saline drops and the bulb (which of course he loved) to clean him out. He did much better. Please make sure you pump when you supplement, or your milk supply will continue to dwindle, as it is a supply and demand relationship. You could also try to pump for 10 minutes about an hour after you nurse your baby. Fenel Greek (sp) and Blessed Thistle supplements has helped me with low supply. Also regular oatmeal seems to help too.

Hope this helps?
K.

I put my baby on Zantac for his first 4 months of life and that helped with the painful gas. He was a big time grunter as well. It didn't last for very long, maybe a couple of weeks and then he outgrew the grunting, straining thing. Every once in awhile he still does it, so I just prop him up and burp him, let him cry for a minute and then put him back on the boob when he burps and settles down. A lot of times, it seemed that he just needed to burp or pass gas when he starts grunting.