Help - my 5wk old is suddenly not sucking very well

[newmum2Ellie]

I have a fairly placid baby girl who settles herself off to sleep regularly during the day and has just begun fitting into the 3-hr EASY routine. Since being born she has had a habit of making moaning and grunting sounds and going all stiff as if she's straining but bowel movements seem normal. She also seems to have a slight bunged up nose but health visitors are not concerned.

Ellie has always been a good feeder, if a little erratic. She used to wake up at least twice a night and I would often struggle to get her to go back to sleep. When she began EASY she woke every three hours for a feed like clockwork and slept from 11/12pm till 4/5am three nights in a row. I thought we'd cracked it (altho the grumbling still continued she was fine when feeding).

Unfortunately, for the last two nights/days Ellie has been really unsettled - grumbling and fussing constantly during feeds and not spending more than 15mins sucking before becoming frustrated. Once she has latched off and seems not to want any more, I have been offering her expressed milk in a bottle and she guzzles it down.

In order for her to get a good night's sleep the past two nights I have topped up the feeds with expressed milk however she has been restless and grumbly all night and I have barely slept a wink!

I had wondered if she was perhaps getting too used to the bottle but when this began she hadnt had a bottle for 2-3 days. I have also expressed milk immediately after feeding to check my supply is ok and it seems fine.

Sorry for the rambling message but please help!

[Angel Face]

Hi,
I am not sure if I will have too much to offer because my DD has the same night issues. As far as the express milk thing goes, she might be impatient for the let down. You could try expressing first to get the letdown coming and then pop her on. Also, watch her lips and make sure she has a good seal and the bottom lip is out and not tucked under. I had a similar problem at 2 wks with DD and it developed into a bad latch and sore nipples.
Hope this helps!

[newmum2Ellie]

Thanks for your message. I started increasing her nap times during the day and giving her Infacol before each feed. That worked a treat for a while although she's suddenly started fighting her tiredness which is becoming a bit of a worry as naptimes are suddenly much more challenging!

[GraceKellysmom]

I would caution against the "topoffs" with the bottle unless your doctor is concerned about weight gain and suggests it, or if it's a once a day before bed kind of thing. Babies get to where they prefer the faster flow of the bottle and it is an uphill battle from there, they will hold out for the bottle, it's so much easier.

Around this time, they can start to get very efficient at feeds. 15 minutes every 3 hours can be perfectly normal for your nursing relationship.

Do watch for her growth spurt coming up, she may want to eat more frequently and be extra hungry at night, waking more often.

Pay attention for signs of reflux (see the reflux board) sometimes the off/on nursing and seeming frustrated at the breast can mean other things too.