Too sleepy to nurse

[newkidontheblock]

Hi there. Needed a bit of advice. We are in a funk here with naps. This then affects her eating as she is too sleepy. This then leads to night wakings as she doesn't get the calories she needs during the day. To break this cycle, I thought of giving her a bottle of ebm as a top up sometime after nursing before the nap. She hasn't been accepting it. Yesterday, she cluster fed all afternoon as I pretty much for desperate enough to try and nurse her to sleep (She seriously needed the sleep) So in the evening before bath I gave her a bottle and she polished off 6 oz. I then nursed her just before bed and she slept through.

This evening she was so very fussy while nursing, even started outright crying. I kept waiting/ distracting her and then trying again but it wasn't happening. So I offered a bottle again and she very slowly, with lots of popping off and on, had 4 oz. Now she refused to nurse after her bath to the point of crying. I gave up and put her down for the night only to get her calling me a few minutes later. This time she nursed very briefly and now she's down for the night.

I know that 4 mos is prime time for nursing fussies. I nurse her in an extremely dim room and keep switching sides when she fusses. What should I do? My gut says to axe the bottle totally for now. Will this fussiness affect my supply? Could it be because of my supply? I'm quite confused at the moment. Is she showing a preference for the bottle?

Edit: She went down at 7:15. WU at 8.20 calling out. Offered her and she latched on but promptly fell asleep. Put her down & she woke up crying immediately. Now DH is giving her a bottle. I know I am going wrong here. WWYD?

[*Ali*]

I don't think it sounds like a bottle preference because she is hit and miss about the bottle too by the sounds of it.

Could she be getting a tooth or sick? Earache can make LOs not like laying down to nurse or a cold can make it difficult to breathe and eat.

Otherwise it might be down to OT if she is not getting restorative, longer naps at the moment.

Have you tried breast compressions in case she is getting impatient for the let down?

[newkidontheblock]

4 months is trying to break me, and I'm starting to think it's working. Day before, she finally went to sleep at 10. Yesterday I took her to the doc because I felt it could be her teeth or a ear infection, as she refuses to nurse from the right breast unless in the football hold. He barely checked, said there is a small wax buildup. I have some drops for it. I thought she would sleep off yesterday because of the vaccines but nope. And she wouldn't eat yet again - same feed right before bed. She just started crying and then latched on for comfort but ate. I d trying to put her to bed early 6 ish. She finally went down at 8.30. What is happening??? I want to breastfeed her for a year at least! Also, she always takes 30. - 40 minutes to eat, now it's stop quick but she definitely isn't getting enough. There isn't even an LC here that I could contact

[*Ali*]

What makes you think she isn't getting enough? How often is she feeding? Could you be offering a feed too often? Or there is a growth spurt at 4mo so maybe she is feeding often to stimulate your supply. Did you try the breast compressions?

IME 30mins plus would be excessive to feed for that long at this age. Mine were down to 8 and 6 mins well before now. She should definitely be getting more efficient by now.


I hope sorting out the wax build up in her ear helps. I'd continue to feed in the rugby hold if she prefers that.

[newkidontheblock]

She was born at 38 weeks with weighed only 2.24, which dropped in the first week. Nursing her was HARD as she never woke up ever! Finally in desperation we got the pump so that we could spoon feed her. This problem continued for nearly the first month! We had marathon feeding sessions all day every day. In retrospect, some of it was because of evening fussies. Also, we had to feed every 2 hours day & night. We would wake her up to feed.

So, yes, now we're down to 30-40 minutes :p Maybe she gets what she needs sooner but how do I tell? If I stop soon, she won't sleep & keeps asking. I have tried limiting the time & offering more often.

Can I ask, how do you fit in more than 6 nursing sessions in 24 hours if the baby does not wake up to eat in the night? If this JUST the 4 month crazies? According to EDD, she would have just completed week 17 now...

[*Ali*]

I'm not suggesting you limit the BFs if she wants to feed for that long just that I wouldn't worry if she doesn't want to. I'd definitely be led by her.

The only way to fit in more BFs in the day would be to feed a couple of times in each A time but most LOs will be having at least one if not 2 or 3 NFs at this age though. Depending on how much they can take at each feeding it may just not be possible to take enough in the daytime to make  it through the night without a feed.

How is her weight gain now? Has she been checked for a tongue tie? Reflux?

[newkidontheblock]

I don't know how she makes it through the night. She is in the driver's seat with anything feed related. She started this herself and whenever she needs, she wakes up and asks in the night. She doesn't have a pacifier and I figure right now if she wakes in the night, food is what she needs. Anyway, as you pointed out before, things change and when she needs more, we'll have multiple night wakings.

I have learnt that it takes just 2 days for her to pick up a habit. So yes, no bottles. Also doing a lot of skin on skin. Situation isn't resolved yet. It is just that feed - the one right before bed. Watched the Jack Newman videos today, so that I could be sure about how she is eating. I will keep observing. I hope this goes away.

No reflux. Or rather, my doc keeps drawing me pictures and explaining what it is but not checking her. She's a happy spitterupper though. They don't check for tongue ties here :S I am happy with her weight gain. She is 6.1 kgs now.

[*Ali*]

I hope holding back on the bottles helps.

[newkidontheblock]

Ali, started another thread related to this. Could you have a look and tell me your opinion, please