Screaming Baby When Breastfeeding

E., I would supplement with a bottle if you can. He's hungry and there is absolutely nothing wrong giving it by the bottle all the time. it's easier for them to drink from the bottle and they get more and it's quicker.

Just a thought.... have you tried to see if he has a milk allergy? Or maybe an allergy to something you are eating? I know someone who had that happen with their son.

Does he act the same while taking the bottle. Milk comes out easier from the bottle & he has to work harder to breastfeed. He may be getting frrustrated because it's not coming out as quickly as the bottle. It may also be gas or reflux. Good luck & he should outgrow the colicky phase very soon.

Hi E.,

I have a 3 1/2 yr old that I nursed exclusively and had a problem like what you describe around 4 mos or so. She would turn red, writhe around, go straight and I would also hear her stomach gurgling loudly. She also went through times of just crying almost inconsolably. It happened one time at the Pediatrician's, thank goodness. I am a first time mom and did not know what was "normal". Turns out she had a milk protein allergy. The Pedi said it would make her feel as if she had colitis. They tested her poop in her diaper and found a trace of blood in it, it was not noticable whatsoever. This may be something to check into, what you are describing is very familiar. I wish you good luck! I know it is so hard when they are not feeling well, most especially when we can't communicate with them to find out what's wrong.

I ended up having to totally eliminate dairy and any type of milk protein from my diet. It was difficult, but worth it. Also caused me to lose lots of weight! This was a good thing! Feel free to email me if you want to chat. Best wishes to you and your little one.

Take care,
P.

www.workathomeunited.com/pegwilson

It sounds like you might be directing the process a little too much, BUT I can't really tell. This is one of those cases in which a lactation consultant can really help. Make an appointment with your pediatrician and see if one of the nurses there can help you.

It's possible that your flow is either too fast or too slow for him at times (mine was!). maybe you're upset and not letting down... etc. etc. etc. There are so many possibilities. But if he resists nursing, then take a break until he is ready to give it another try. If he goes stick straight then lighten up a little--you can't force nursing and trying to make him nurse just makes the situation worse. It's possible that he really favors one breast (mine did). Nursing is an organic process with lots of back & forth. Babies are all different. Some settle down & suck away like they're having a meal, and some want to take three sips, play, and come back for more in five minutes--then they're off again after five minutes of nursing... and so on. Let him set the pace. Oh, and don't take anything personally. You are his world and he is not rejecting you. He just wants to do it differently. It's not about you and him and your relationship. He's just trying to tell you something about how he likes to nurse and it can be really, really hard sometimes to figure out what these little guys want. That's why I think that a little coaching can make a big difference.

Best of luck to you. You're doing a great job--your commitment to nursing is going to set him off on the right track and you should be proud of yourself.

Hi E.,
Does he get a good burp after the first side? Maybe he needs to burp more. Some kids are really gassy and need to burp 3 or more times. Also, maybe he gets gassy because he's allergic to milk (the dairy you're eating). I interpreted what you said as he screams and seems really fussy once he gets laid down to feed again, right? If so, being gassy is my opinion. It also sounds like it could be a bad latching situation. He's also used to getting a lot of milk fast from a bottle and maybe gets frustrated and hungry when he has to work for it from your breast. I'm not really sure what to tell you about fixing the latching situation. Have you tried visiting a lactation consultant? I hope you figure out what's wrong and I hope I helped you a bit. Good luck with everything!

You are getting soooo much good advice.

My son, now 23, only wanted one side at a time. So we nursed for 20-45 minutes on one side. Since you are also offering him bottles this would work perfectly for you cuz you can pump the other. Don't disturb him! Let him be happy and drift off to wherever babies go after nursing. It's OK to only nurse one side, you may develop multiple let downs and you will make what he takes and what you pump.

My youngest son, now 21, wanted three sides. My daughter, now 28, with twins, was my best "by the book" nurser. It's so funny how their personalities are still the same as they were when they were nursing. Anyone else notice that about their children?

E., you are doing fine! Sometimes you just have to relax and follow what the baby wants and stop worrying about what the Grandmother's and the LC and the Pediatrician think.

my son was the same exact way--only a little earlier in life (2-3 months old at the time, now 6 months). we talked with our pediatrician about it and she recommended some mylanta before feedings for a weekend. that worked great!!! she then concluded that he probably had reflux not colic and prescribed zantac for him. hope this helps--hang in there

I wonder if it is something in your diet? Brassicas and other items can make milk taste differently. Try pumping th milk and see if he will take it that way. It may provide some additional information.

Hi E.,
First of all, E. is my daughter's name--I love it! Secondly, I had similar issues with my son. Breastfeeding went horribly with him and I did have to stop. He was my first and he wasn't an easy baby. My daughter breastfed for 8 months without a hitch. With my son, I wished that I fed him more. I kept thinking, "he can't still be hungry," but I think he was. Are you starting on the breast you left off on the last feeding? I heard that the "end" milk is the most filling. I know that some babies just prefer one side over the other. I'm sorry about your pain--I know it kills.
I'm not sure how helpful that is. I just want you to know that it does get easier. Luke is 7 now and fine.
Good luck!!
N.

Hi E.. Sorry you are having so much trouble. Have you tried swaddling him when you breastfeed? It will help tremendously!
Swaddling is not that easy to do in my opinion, so I always used the ones that have velcrow (Kiddopotamus brand is a gond one, the First Years ones are not so good) or the Miracle Blanket.

Also, have you read or gotten the DVD The Happiest Baby on the Block? I too had a colicky child and that saved my life!

Feel free to email me directly as well.

Good luck!

I know you have had many responses. My first son was similar, screamed all day and night kicking and flailing, never nursed well. Little did I know he had digestive issues. I just wanted to agree with checing out reflux and also looking into milk protein intolerance/allergy. I had to go completely dairy free (which includes not only common milk products but ANY product that contained milk products, breads, crackers, etc..)to continue breastfeeding. This eventually got me to switch to formula (and then it was prescription Alimentum) I also wanted to say that breastfeeding my first was a nightmare, my second was a dream, then my twin boys were challenging because there were 2, but did well until 6 months. Not sure if you're planning for more but dont't let a negative first experience impact the next, each can be very different. Good Luck

Regarding the screaming after nursing- he might have reflux. We went through that with our daughter, maybe try nursing him more upright- I used to hold her vertically against my chest and just slide her down until she latched on. If it wasn't a good latch, we just tried again until she got it, (after I'd comfort her for a few moments if she was crying in frustration.)

I had a similar experience as one of your other respondents- our little girl had terrible colic until I cut out dairy completely- not just the milk, yogurt, cheese, etc., but everything that had even a trace of milk in the ingredients. It took about a week or so to see the difference, but it cut out about 75% of the colic- we were down to maybe 30 minutes of screaming per evening instead of hours. I resigned myself to the fact that she was simply a high needs kid- very sensitive about everything. Well, she's seven months old now, I re-introduced dairy again for the past month, and she is doing great. And she is a happy, happy baby now. Hang in there...it gets better.

Wow, does that sound familiar! When my now 2 year old was about 2-3 months, he started crying and screaming about 10-15 minutes into a breastfeeding. We fed him some by bottle because I worked, but I wanted to breastfeed as much as possible. I was desperate for a solution, and one day my mother was watching him eat, and proclaimed "He's a lazy eater!". She was right--the breast gave him his food too slowly for his tastes, and when we switched exclusively to a bottle that had a faster flow, he was perfectly fine. I still pumped until he was about 6 months, but switching to a bottle completely stopped the screaming.

My son had colic too, but I don't think that is the problem here. I'd say the real test is whether or not he does this with a bottle of breastmilk. If not, I'm sure the speed of the flow is the culprit.

I had similar problems with my son and discovered it was due to me having too strong of a let down. Have you noticed when pumping if your milk seems to have a strong flow? Some of the things you described are signs of having a very strong let down including a baby crying and arching their back when nursing and difficulty with latching. The milk comes out too quickly for the baby to keep up. Often if you have your baby start to nurse, then stop and give it time through the let down, your baby can then latch on and nurse more comfortably. Certian feedings will be worse than others as your milk supply changes throughout the day.

I too went through a long period of difficulty with nursing and a lot of crying (both my son and I). He too was diagnosed with colic as well as reflux. It is heart breaking as a mother when you are trying to do what is best for your child but it only seems to make him suffer. I strongly advice you to hang in there. We did and once he got older he was able to keep up with the supply and nursing was no longer an issue. He will be turning 1 in a few weeks and still LOVES to nurse Formula will never come close to being as good for your child as breast milk. All of the benefits of nursing far outweigh any reason to give up now. I am positive it is just a difficult stage that will pass. There is a lot of info available on the internet about strong let down. I would encourage you to do a search to see if it sounds like you and read about all of the solutions. Good luck!

E.,
I agree that a visit or at least a call to the pedi is a good start. They can check ears for fluid or infection (hurts to suck) and also talk to you about reflux. The idea of you taking a look at your diet and maybe making changes is important as well, though you may have already gone that route.
You have done a wonderful job of sticking with this as long as you have with all your difficulties. Good for you! IF for some reason you need to stop nursing, you may be able to pump and bottle feed or switching to formula is not a horrible thing. You have done your best and I commend you!
Your son is very lucky to have such a dedicated Mom.

bring him to the doctor. It sounds like it hurts him to eat. He may have thrush, a yeast infection of the mouth, looks like a white coating on the tongue/ cheeks/ lips, or something else going on.

Hi E., My daughter had the same issue with her now almost 7 mo. old son. He would do fine nursing on one side, then refuse the other. She found that if she held him differently ( ie - football hold ) on the other side, he did fine. As to why, we still don't know! Give it a try. Good luck and God bless. L.

My son is now 5 years old, but I had a very similar experience when he was an infant. With hindsight, I now know that it was my diet. I should have cut the milk out of my diet. When my son was old enough to start table foods, he had serious reactions to anything with milk or eggs in it. After testing, we found out he has severe food allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts and treenuts. When I was where you are now, it was such an emotional issue. I wanted to breastfeed, but it wasn't what my son needed or wanted. I should have listened to him, rather than focus on what I wanted for him. Turns out that feeding my son will be an lifelong issue.

i would ask your pediatrician out the possibility of your baby having reflux. it may not be anything you are doing at all. both of my daughters had reflux and it can be very uncomfortable for them. it may not be as obvious as you think....my one daughter spit up all the time but my second, didn't at all. they called her one of the silent suffers...it would come up in her throat and go back down. my youngest took zantac for just over a year (some babies don't need it that long). i also gave her malox max(yo can get at any drugstore) before every feeding (check with your pediatrician to see if it is appropriate and to check the dose). i also had a lot of issues with breastfeeding (overproduction of milk, cracked bleeding nipples, engorgement etc.) but didn't give up. nursed my first for 13 months and my second for 14 months. hang in there!maybe you haven't found the right lactation consultant yet...keep looking. latch is VERY important as is can cause a lot of frustration for both of you and pain for you (bleedingcracked nipples). good luck!

S.

I can feel your pain. Your son sounds just like my 2nd little one. Have you talked to your pediatrician? My son ended up having Reflux and that was why he cried so much. He was hungry, but he knew that as soon as he would eat that it would hurt goiung down. He doesn't notice the pain as much on the first breast, but once you go to cahnge sides he may be in full Reflux pain. Hope this helped. Good luck.

you might want to have him checked for reflux.. also, check your diet.. another thing - this happened to me - I didn't produce enough milk and my son was miserable. Part of the reason I didn't produce enough is because he couldn't latch right or suck strong enough (ended up with speech delays). or it could be a combination of things, or maybe he just needs more.. have you tried supplimenting with formula?? I commend you for sticking with it after all the issues you've had..

good luck

E.,

Could it be something you are eating that is upsetting his tummy? Do you eat spicy foods? drink a lot of milk? There could be a number of things that maybe he is sensitive to; I knowthere are books out there maybe you could even ask one of your LC about this. Also, maybe he is getting air if his latch is not very good.

Good luck,
H.

Hi E.,

Nobody really know what is the underlying mechanism of colic, many thinks it can be several things, so the advice I will give you may or may not work, but is worth a try. Both my children were (are) allergic to cow milk protein. This is very common. However, I didn't realize this problem until they were several months old and in retrospect I am sure this was what caused their colic problems, because it stopped when I stopped having dairy products. Try to stay off dairy products for a couple of weeks and see if things get better. By then, you will know if this was the problem. There are many alternatives to milk nowadays, soy milk, rice milk, oat milk etc that you can use when cooking. Many bread spreads are made from vegetable oils and taste just like butter (and are much healthier too!).
Another thing you can try is to make sure that your little boy gets as little air in as possible when nursing or being bottle fed. When you breastfeed, pump out some milk first so that the pressure is not so high when he starts eating. This prevents him to "swallow" too much air. When bottle feeding him, use bottles that have a good "air went" system (there are many on the market). I come from Sweden and there is a product there called Minifom that you can give you child before feeding him. It is just a few drops you give the baby which will make it easier for him to burp afterward and get rid of air. I don't know if this particular brand can be found here, but I am sure there must be similar products to be found. Ask your pediatrician.
Good luck!

/V.

It sounds like it might be gas. The initial feeding goes well, but as the oro-gastric reflex is stimulated (his guts start moving) he may be experiencing pain. You might try Mylicon (simethicone). Talk to your pediatrician.

The response might also mean he is sensitive to something in your diet. My daughter acted this way too (the rigid body, screaming after a few sucks, but seemed so hungry) until I cut dairy out of my diet. It takes about 10 days for the dairy to completely clear from your system, but she started getting better after a couple of days. Once she was older I was able to reintroduce dairy, and now I can eat anything (she's almost 7 months).

Good luck,
M.

Could it be possible that he might be cutting his first tooth?
Run your finger firmly along his gums, especially the bottom front, those teeth usually come in first, sometimes you can just feel where the gum has split awaiting that new tooth to push thru.

My son, who was 2 weeks late and a very large baby cut his first tooth at 4mo old, it took several weeks for it to fully come in, and the 2nd one came right along side!!!

Best of Luck, you got so many responses, please let us know how he and you are doing.

You really need to call the LaLeche League and they WILL help you through this tough time.

this is just a thought i always bottle feed my kids but u could try and express your milk into a bottle and offer it that way when he has finished or will not take any more from the breast you may also find that this way he settles quicker for u

May not be entirely a feeding problem - especially given that he settles when you walk with him. Try checking out the book: The Happiest Baby on the Block. Maybe colic with a vengence? Also may try going someplace where he can't be distracted while you feed (turn your rocker to the corner?) And although your LC's may say different (and it is certainly less convenient) the important part of breastfeeding is the milk and the time spent together, not necessarily WHAT he is latched onto - maybe pump & give in a bottle if he does okay that way?

Have you tried nursing in a sling? That way, you could walk while you nurse, and he might be calmer. I can't guess why he is doing this, but my daughter went through a similar phase at about the same age, and one thing that helped was that my husband would rub her feet while I nursed. It calmed her enough to let her get down to business. I had tough times nursing both of my girls--milk allergies, mastitis and chronic plugged ducts, low supply, etc., and I sort of just took it day by day: I never said "I want to do this x months" (though of course I thought it), I just said let's get through today--and I nursed Ema (now 5) until she was 2 and am still nursing Mae (16 mos.). So I think with support you can do anything, and I'll see if I can remember anything else we did during our tough times. Good luck!

My son did the same thing... I was devastated that he seemed so uncomfortable. I gave up milk products and ate a bland diet thinking it was a sensitivity to something I was eating. The doctor felt we should switch him to formula which seemed preposterous to me. They checked his stool for blood-and sure enough he had a protein allergy. One week on the formula (similac alimentum) and he stopped crying with feedings-and no more diapers with streaks of blood.

I remeber the walking and feeding myself. I wonder if you take a look at what you're eating- One of my children especially did not do well with garlic, and my youngest is now totally off all dairy. Just a thought. GOOD LUCK it is SO hard when all you want is to give your baby the best but remember many people have had to move to bottle and turned out just fine!!! Hang in there!

MOst of what you have in your question sounds like teething. Since he is 4 months old he is a little young, BUT, I have a firend whose son had TWO teeth at that age! I know with my son, it took forever each time a new tooth would come so maybe this is the big first teething episode? The reason your boy is screaming when nursing is because the sucking motion is making his jaw hurt. (yet hands in the mouth is somehow comfotring) Try Try try again on nursing and maybe express a bit and try a few different kinds of bottle nipples to get him through. (Just wait until he wakes himself up vomiting!!) (haha! hey it happens....)

The other thing I was thinking upon reading your post for a second time, is it the same breast he screams at each time? Do you start right then go left and that is the problem one (or visa versa?) Maybe you have an inverted nipple and he is frustrated as all get out he can't get latched on to get some more? Lots of the big BF companies (Medela and such) make nipple sheilds to help with that.

If none of that helps maybe you BF him on one side and then pump on the other and give him a bottle. (great way to get dad in the mix some more?)

Sorry so long, hope this helps!

Hi, I just want to reassure you moms, hang in there! I had 3 children and only breastfed one- He was the only healthy one of the bunch. He was very colicky and after 6 months we put him on Isomil formula. It is soy based for those children who can't tolerate milk produts. I remember the many days and nights I had to rock him, push him in a stroller, and basically carried him around all the time. Now, he is a well adjusted college student. He never cried while i was feeding him but he did eat every 2 hours. So maybe feed more often and supplement with a soy formula. Good Luck.

Hi E.,

First of all, congratulations on a beautiful baby boy. Lots of pats on the shoulders for how wonderful you're doing with him and for wanting to breastfeed him.

The first thing I would suggest is seeing a breast feeding specialist for a home visit. Contact your local hospital and ask if they can recommend a consultant. He may be having problems with his latch.

The second thing I can say is colicky might actually be reflux and allergies. I know it sounds strange since you're breastfeeding him, but consider asking if he might have reflux, which would explain the symptoms you're talking about. If he's having allergic reactions, consider eliminating foods from your diet.

I know it sounds drastic, but often just eliminating a few simple foods might help. Switch to green tea instead of coffee, eat lots of broccoli and greens instead of milk, buy millet bread instead of wheat. He might be allergic to just one of these things and that can make all the difference in the world.

Dr. Jack Newman website is a wonderful resource for troubleshooting problems:
http://www.drjacknewman.com/

Good luck and hang in there. And know that even feeding your child breastmilk for a short time can do wonders for him.

Blessings.

S.

I'm writing while bf toddler, so pardon least words possible. I feel your pain, my first was the same. He had thrush, check for white patches on cheeks, not tongue. It is painful, so sometimes they do cry. Please don't blame yourself, sounds like you are doing EVERYTHING right. I know a great LC. Are you in RI? If so Kathy Moren healthybabieshappymoms.com is her name and website. I've had so many problems, she is the best! I give you credit for sticking with it, I did too and understand how frustrating it can be, but also know how great it will get when you work it out. Does he take a nuk? Sounds like he really needs lots of sucking. Sometimes babies do only nurse on one side, two of mine did. Then they get mad b/c they don't want the milk, just needed to suck. That's where the nuk comes in handy!!!! Hang in their!!!!!

Hi E.,
Wow, how tough your situation sounds. You are doing a great job breastfeeding your son. Keep in mind that babies change so quickly that just as you think you won't be able to endure one more moment, everything changes and what was so hard will be easier and some new issue will crop up. Hang in there.

There's been some great advice about milk allergies. Have you tried cutting dairy from your diet?

As to nursing and walking, try a couple of different slings. Depending on your size, your breast size and shape, your baby's size, etc., one might work for you where another didn't. I'm large-breasted with nipples that point southward and a Moby Wrap worked best for me when my kids were small (until about 9 months). After that, a maya wrap worked best. I used to nurse while grocery shopping and no one was the wiser. Baby pretty quickly learned how to stay latched on and I could reclaim both of my hands....it's a miracle to ba able to eat, read, cook, shop, practice piano, all nursing baby!

Another trick I used for soothing fussy babies was to place them in the sling and then gently bounce on my birthing (exercise) ball. With practice, you can nurse like this, too.

Good luck

Hi E.,
I had a similar problem with my daughter, who is now almost 10 months and after lots of worrying and trying everything that I could think of, I called the doctor- she was diagnosed with acid reflux and put on prescription pepcid, and we came to the conclusion that I was overproducing with my milk production- making the baby only receive the foremilk and not the creamier milk- which left her hungry all of the time and also very gassy,and with complete stomach upset. (one huge thing was ONLY to nurse on one breast letting baby get the creamier milk, and not switching to other side which gives baby foremilk on both sides and leaves him or her full, but not satisfied). This led to her screaming, or pushing away from me when she was eating, even though she was really hungry. I have also recently learned that she has a milk protein allergy (again, with stomach issues happening), which made me cut out ALL dairy. The difference in her behaviors during and after feedings have been significant since cutting out the dairy. I suggest talking to your OBGYN and/or pediatrician about overproduction or allergies to foods you may be eating. I wish I would have found out sooner. I now wonder if putting her on pepcid was necessary if I had only changed my diet... A website that has a lot of this information on it is kellymom.com.
I hope this helps!
~E.

E.,
my daughter has had trouble breast feeding so I started pumping anf have been doing that around the clock for 5 weeks. It's been a struggle with her latching on and my milk supply too when I pump. I just started to try to gt her to latch on again and all she wants to do is "hang out' at the breast. So I know the frustration of having them feed on one side for along time and then not take the next side. I've been advised to offer the less preferred side first until it becomes easier. My friend is a nurse and mom of 3 and each child preferred a certain side. Another thing you might want to try is to pump the unpreferred side a little because you migt be a little to full in the 2nd side for him to get a good latch. Have you tried taking him off the preferred side sooner so he'll feed on the 2nd? Like I said my daughter will hang out on me forever but she isn't actively sucking-until I go to pull her off and then she sucks on with a death grip.
I hope things get better try to take it a feeding at a time it's easier than setting a monthly goal. I keep feel like giving up and just giving formula but I keep thinking just one more feeding and it gets me threw.

Does he do well with the bottle? Because I did the samething with my first and he just didnt want to nurse anymore and wanted the bottle only. Sorry to break the news but even though they are small they already get picky about what they want. My next child I stayed home with and nursed until they where 20 months. Some babies like to feel close and others need space. Looking back my first did not like to swaddle my next child loved it. Its not you they really are amazing little people with likes and dislikes.

Hello. It's quite frustrating for you, I'm sure. I bet you are exhausted. May I suggest you pursue with your pediatrician the potential that your son has acid reflux? Both my children have acid reflux, and both had very different symptoms. Some of what you describe is similar to what my oldest daughter experienced. She had BOTH colic and acid reflux. I thought it was normal colic - EVERYONE will tell you the horror stories of their child with colic, so you think that's what's going on. It wasn't until my ob/gyn heard about my baby and said, "I don't think that's just colic" that I got her diagnosed. It may be the same for you. Just so you know, colic is a walk in the park compared to acid reflux! Turned out my daughter's colic went away AFTER I stopped breastfeeding her. Any milk-based formula also caused her problems. I had to use soy. Once she was old enough to stop formula, we discovered she was mildly allergic to milk - and since I drank a lot of it, I'm sure my breastmilk was upsetting her. After I switched formulas, the colic symptoms ended, but the acid reflux symptoms remained (to this day even, 8 years later, she still has reflux). I couldn't believe all the effort I had put into breastfeeding - only to find out that in her case, she would have been better off with formula from the start! (Not the case with my second child, who hung on for 16 months breastfeeding.) If it is not reflux, there may be some other medical reason. And if your pediatrician doesn't take you seriously, find another pediatrician.

maybe you should try change your food diet. cut down dairy? and see what happen? dont give up with breastfeed and switch to formula yet. breast milk still the best :o) maybe u can haev ur bay see pedi and take some test and see what ur baby cant tolerate so u can change your diet.

AND drink chamoile tea twice a day and it maybe help clam your stress and baby's stress? drink some nursing tea?

good luck :o)

Some women seem to ease right into breastfeeding, but I think for most it is really hard and something that has to be practiced over and over. I am very large breasted which, counter-intuitively makes breastfeeding miserable. I saw many LCs and it never became easy or enjoyable.

I gave it my best for 5.5 months. What stopped me though was that my son developed severe food allergies. Anything I ate passed to him and he got worse and worse. Try paying attention to what you are eating before you have screaming episodes. My son would be literally screaming on the breast from drinking my breastmilk that he was allergic to. It was awful to think how it must have tasted, or worse, that it burned and was painful.

Turns out he was allergic to dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, all nuts, all seeds, peas, potatoes, strawberries, avocado, chicken, beef, and lamb. Sounds horrendous, and it was devastating, but he went on hypoallergenic formula and was 1000 times better. He is now a very healthy 2-year-old who eats mostly fruits and vegetables and no processed food.

If it isn't allergies, hang in there, but remember to do what is right for both of you. You are not a bad mother if you end up cutting the breastfeeding short.

This happened with my son exactly. He ended up having food allergies. Ask the dr if there is a chance it may be food allergies (proteins he's getting in your milk...) Good Luck

Hi E.,
I wish I could tell you a quick cure but I just prayed the colic would subside soon...and it eventually did!!! I would walk my son, it felt like 24-7 up and down the hall way. I would keep his stomach close to my stomach and bounce him just a little and that seemed to help!! Also, I patted his back just in case he needed to burp and put him in a football hold close to me! I know how you feel and you feel so bad for them. I hope you can find someting that works for you.
:)

Have you explored the possibility of an allergy to things in your diet? Your son sounds just like my daughter. She had a milk protein allergy and would cry because it hurt her tummy. I needed to eliminate all dairy products from my diet and the problem went away at around 6 months. We continued to nurse for 2 years, so don't give up!

I had this problem with my son and it turned out he had a bad case of thrush on the back portion of his tongue and in his throat. It was hard to see but it was there. He had trouble latching, staying latched, would often scream and straighten out as you indicated your son is doing. Pediatrician told me that thrush can be painful during feedings, but not always. And, he gave it to me! I didn't know you could get a yeast infection in your nipples, but it was there, which caused them to crack and bleed and blister and generally be very painful. Easy enough to check, would be worth it if it solves the problem. Good luck!

You might want to talk to your pedi about possible food sensitivities. Perhaps something passed on through the breastmilk is giving him a tummyache and so instead of associating nursing with feeling better and full, it makes him gassy and feel yucky. Your pediatrician might be able to suggest things that you could try cutting out of your diet systematically. Good luck!

Hi there, I'm new here so I can't figure out how to read the other responses and this may be something somebody already said but: he might only need one breast per feeding. My colicky guy only ever took one breast per feeding. If he's crying as you go to the second breast, he might be full enough. Also, one LLL leader told me that at this age, they might not want to be in cross cradle because they want their rear end down and head up higher. She told me to sit on the couch near the end, put my elbow on the couch arm to support it, put the baby's bum on my lap and use my free hand to make sure he has enough support to keep his latch.

I was in the same boat too with cracked nipples, terrible latch, etc. It sounds like you're doing all you can. Hang in there!

A.

It sounds like he's experiencing some intestinal discomfort-perhaps due to some allergy (milk or soy) in your diet. I'd talk to your pediatrician. Colic is often a result of allergies.

any chance he has reflux my daughter had simaler symptoms and they put her on zantak and she was a differant baby in 24 hours!! Maybe some sensory issues I would ask a lactation consultant