Breastfeeding Challenges at 15 weeks
Posted by Kimberly Bepler on Mon, June 22nd 2009 in Breastfeeding
My baby is 15 weeks old and has become extremely fussy at feedings and is having a hard time calming to nurse, and sometimes refuses to nurse. He’s normally a very content baby who breastfeeds every 3-4 hours but a few days ago occasionally started pulling off the breast during feedings, and now is often too upset to feed. He had a few bottle feedings in the last week, and
I am worried he has a stronger preference for the bottle. We use The First Years Breastflow bottles, and I also am using a nipple shield for nursing.
Sometimes I’ve tried removing that to see if he’s too impatient with that, but it doesn’t seem to help. He doesn’t show signs of being sick—when he’s fed and well rested he’s his usual happy self. The fussing can go for up to an hour at a time, and it’s starting to interfere with his sleep schedule.
Any advice? Please help!
Answer
Dear Mama,
We can only imagine this is both frustrating and concerning for you. Thank you for reaching out and asking for support. Breastfeeding is so good for you and your baby and we applaud you for continuing to feed your baby mama milk, even when it is challenging.
We have the following questions to get some more clarification and better address your question:
*Does this seem to happen at a certain time of day?
*Do you wear your baby in a carrier, and if so what kind and in what position?
*What is your milk production like? Does it flow fast and spray in his face?
*Does he generally use a pacifier?
We do find that fussiness and cluster feedings are common around this age. You can read more about this here: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html
You might find great peer support for breastfeeding and help answering specific questions at a local Le Leche League meeting.
Kimberly Bepler, Postpartum Doula offers this advice: I have seen many babies change their feeding behavior around this age, and it can be for many reasons. Sometimes babies just get more efficient and don’t require as long at the breast, and this becomes a struggle between you to keep them there too long. Sometimes baby is having pain with digestion, or more likely with reflux, and it impedes their feeding (and happiness on the breast).
I would recommend you visit a lactation consultant and consult your pediatrician.
It does seem that feeding should be a pleasurable time for babies (and mamas!), so when babies fuss at the breast I always question it. It just doesn’t seem like such an essential part of life should be difficult and a struggle for your baby.
But either way, you need to have your little one evaluated by a health professional, and you might have to look beyond the traditional to help your baby go back to the breast and enjoy feedings again. Chiropractic or craniosacral therapy and also naturopathic treatment can be beneficial to babies who are experiencing fighting at the breast, so this would be something I would also recommend looking into. They can also be very helpful when your pediatrician is out of ideas.
We recommend either Beth Yohalem-Ilsely or Amy Watson for infant craniosacral therapy.
You also might want to look at http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com as that has a great listing of symptoms that your baby might also be experiencing if it is reflux. Reflux is a confusing issue, and I recommend doing some research on your own before going to the doctor so you can have an informed conversation and know your options.
Also know that many moms experience a change with nursing about this time, and it is usually resolved within a short time (sometimes with treatment, sometimes without). It probably has a solution within the resources you have available, and hopefully you and your baby will be on your way to peaceful feeds very soon. As always, we recommend listening to your instincts. You know your baby better than any other person on the planet. We often find that mamas intuitively know exactly what their babies need.
warmly,
Mothersource.org experts
This is the follow-up response from the mama:
Thank you for your response! It helped us in the sense it gave us a new perspective on his acid reflux issues. He was on meds, but we realized we needed a new one cause he was in lots of pain which showed up more in subsequent days. We got the new meds and he’s happily nursing again.
Thanks for the help!
