HELP! 11 week old will only eat on one side for 3 minutes.

[asher and noël's mama]

i could use some helpful advice, and fast.  my 11 week dd will only recently eat on one side for up to 4 minutes tops.  then she pulls off.  if i try to give her more she fights it so hard, seems almost in pain.  i worry about gas, and other things, but i have tried many remedies, and nothing is working.  she has been on easy for 2 weeks, and is doing wonderfully, and then just this last week this has happened.  she will go 3hrs between feedings, and sleeps fairly well at night.  but, she won't eat as much as she use too.  i have even tried to give her breast milk in a syringe, and still, she only takes a bit, and then doesn't want that.  i am not emptying when she eats, and i am afraid she is not getting the hind milk.  if i try to switch sides, she refuses that also.  even we i really, really, try to make her, maybe she will such for 10 seconds, but then nothing.  sometimes about 15-20 minutes later she will take a little more, but it just doesn't seem enough.  and i don't want to get in the bad habit of feeding her twice in an three hour routine. 

what do i do? 

~kellie

[daisymelan]

{{{{hugs}}}}

I don't know if this will help... but my lo didn't like a flat breast.  I had to hold my breast in a scissor hold so that it felt hard and full.  have you tried this?

Are there any signs she's not getting enough?  Is she acting fussy?  Crying, etc?

Please keep us posted!  Hang in there, I'm sure some great mamas will have some great advice for you.

[Samuel's mum]

I would ask these questions:  Wet nappies? Does she seem generally happy and alert at other times? Does she sleep well (assuming she may still wake up several times)? Any concerns over weight gain?Are you seeing symptoms of wind or could it be she is just saying 'no, mum, I've had enough'?

You say she does sleep fairly well. If she was desperately hungry I'm not sure this would be the case. You don't mention weight gain concerns.
You say she is 'doing wonderfully'.
You don't mention any concerns about dehydration.
I think that it is just possible that she has become a very efficient feeder. There is an enormous spectrum of what is normal. I can't remember exactly but Sam was not a lot more than 5 minutes at that age. Is time is really your only concern?  You may want to talk to a trained breastfeeding counsellor - free helpline numbers are on this page. They will certainly be able to talk to you about whether the length of her feed is 'normal' and could reassure you completely in a free five minute phone conversation.

Here are a few of my untrained thoughts:

You could experiment with breast compression if you want to make those few minutes more efficient. Here's a description:
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/15breast_compression.html

I would also suggest resisting the temptation to swap sides especially if you are concerned about hindmilk.

If you really worried I would consider suspending EASY for a while and experimenting with EAESY as you are. This may only have to be a temporary thing until you feel you have a handle on what is going on. After the gap I would still offer the first breast again. Lots of people who are faithful to 'baby whispering' use some flexibility especially if they are breastfeeding.

Feeling 'empty' isn't really something to go on. You are now at the point where you may be levelling out in your engorgement/breast experience (!) and there are less fluids and blood collecting in your breast tissue. Feeling 'full' is about other fluids rushing to the breast tissue - not just milk.

Let us now how you get on.

[asher and noël's mama]

thanks samuel's mum... i feel at my whits end today.  i finally called the doctor and we are going in tomorrow.  i just want to make sure that she is gaining weight(at two months she was already 13lbs 11oz).  i really hope it is that she is an efficient eater, that would be wonderful.  it just seems like each day she nurses less.  today is the worst.  plus today she has not taken good naps.  i think wind (that is gas right) may still be a factor.  i have really been watching my diet for gassy foods, but i can't seem to figure out what could be causing it.  i also thought maybe reflux, because when i do try and put her back on she pulls her head back hard, stiffens up and seems to be in pain, that is another reason i thought wind.  but, she doesn't spit up at all (a lot of reflux babies do.)  plus this has just started to happen, i just don't get it.  when she pulls of my milk is still watery, so i am pretty sure she is not getting the hindmilk.  i guess i will ask the doc all these things tomorrow. 

have you heard of gripe water?  it is not in the states, but some aussie friends of our gave us a bottle and that seems to help a bit.  but, i am not sure i want to give it to her all the time.

i will keep you posted.  thanks for all your great input!

[daisymelan]

We have gripe water here in canada.  I haven't done much research on it, but I have used it on ds when he was gassy and a bit for teething.  I haven't done extensive research on it, so I'm not sure the pros and cons.

I do know that my mom used it on me as any wind in my face would give me an awful tummy ache until about the age of 2.  She swore by it...  she said nothing else would work.

Good luck at the dr's... Please let us know how you make out.

[Samuel's mum]

Yes, good luck at the doctors. Not all doctors are very knowledgeable about breastfeeding so it sounds like you have a good one you can trust  - that's great.
We have a product here called infacol which comes in a dropper and helps disperse gas (wind!). Does it exist there?

[Kate A]

my lo went efficent at this age too.. she would only eat in six minutes tops, sometimes less and never spit up.  I thought that she wasn't getting the hind milk, but I think she was.  she was gaining weight fine and was not a comfort nurser.  I could never nurse to sleep even if I wanted to.  she was all business.

she had bad gas too.  You can buy gripe water in the states.  they sell it at Natures, Wild Oat's Market, and I think Whole Foods.  I would check online to see if there is one of those market's nearby.  I think the gas for us was mostly caused by swallowing too much air.  I think babies who eat really quick seem to swallow way more air. 

having an efficient eater makes it difficult to stay on EASY.   If you don't have a baby that takes 30 minutes to nurse or even 15 you have to think more about A time.

hope doctor visit goes well and that this helps..

[asher and noël's mama]

hi ladies... i didn't end up going to the doc today because dd's older brother was up all night sick.  so... anyway.  i may postpone the trip anyway.  dd is doing better i think.  she still will only take one side, but seems to be taken a little more today.  i had the thought today that maybe she is constipated.  but, i thought that was common in bf babies.  she does #2 every few days lately, but the last time was a smaller amount, and she has had tiny bits in her diaper the last day. 

what do you guys think?  i have been giving her gripe water after each feed and that seems to be helpful with the wind, and maybe helping her eat a little more. 

since her eating has been shorter, so has her naps, so that also makes me think she is not getting enough.  but, her night sleep is the same, wouldn't that be an indication of not enough food?

[Samuel's mum]

I'm glad you feel she is doing better. Babies that are exclusively breastfed can have very unusual pooing habits but they don't really get constipated as such. It should be very soft and usually mustardy yellow although this can vary a bit. Some babies go several days or even in a week plus between BMs and this is perfectly fine. My hunch would also be that she would wake up at night if she was hungry but I'm no expert. I think the real indications of not feeding enough are weight gain, number of wet nappies and general behaviour. Hope older brother feels better soon.

[Mum of girl, boy, boy]

Sorry I haven't got time to read all the replies so far but can share my experience of my two effcient feeders. After reading the first baby whisperer I thought I was doing it all wrong and hadn't remembered about effcient feeders. My daughter would go for a few hours between feeds but then only be at the breast for a few minutes also but never more than 10 mins. My son is following the same sort of pattern. I get a feeling my left breast doesn't produce as much milk because the next feed is oftern a little closer than if I had fed on the right side. My let down is also very quick so I don't know if that has made them both quick feeders. Trust the weigh gain and the distance between feeds. Is your baby content between feeds?

[mena]

I can sooo relate. I actually just posted a similar, if not the same, problem I'm having with my 3 month old ds.... Won't feed long enough (according to me), has no wind (gas), naps and sleeps well at night, etc...
I've no advice, since I'm as clueless as you are, sorry! I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one having those problems, if that's any help at all (it is for me  ).
Please let us know how you get on!!

[asher and noël's mama]

mena... i think i am starting to realize that it is not a problem.  we have efficient eaters.  actually it can be a good thing that they don't take a long time to eat.  we just need to make sure they are gaining weight, have enough wet diapers, and we are good to go.  my dd is still struggling with gas/wind, and i think that factors in w/ her taking shorter feeds lately, but i also think that she has just picked up the pace.  but she goes her three hours and the same night stretch, i think she still must be getting enough. 

i hope you don't worry too much about it.  just be a patient/conscience parent and you'll do great.

[mena]

Thanks for your post 
I'm going to take it easy these days and keep an eye on his nappys and behaviour.
Altogether he's fine, but just the change of "attitude" re feeding made me a bit nervous   
Glad your LO is doing great. I know the gas can be a pain for both child AND mother, but I've heard that after the third month the digestive problems tend to disappear. Let's see.
I wish you both the best.

[Kerrie Hughes]

Hi. Very interesting reading this as extremely similar to the problems me and my lo had. Amongst other things he refused my right breast -would scream the minute I tilted him down to it. I cracked it by switching to feeding him lying down. He now eats from both breasts and is much more mellow during feeds.

I think he feels more in control and less confined in this position. Someone also said that they can regulate the flow easier (my let-down was also flooding his mouth I think). I am now introducing upright feeds, which is going okay but he feeds way better lying down. Eating out is a problem (obviously) so I usually take a bottle.

It may not work for anyone else but certainly helped Fin.

Good luck, I know how emotionally draining it is when your lo does not feed well.

Kerrie