5 month old still had trouble BF

[*Sandra*]

My DD has been EBF since birth and she still seems to be having trouble. She is on and off the breast, I hear the milk going down, it seems as though the flow is still too much for her to handle.  She has started solids and would much rather eat solids than BF. She is now taking most of her feeds at night as she seems to be able to handle eating better when she is sleepy.  The other thing is that she arching her back and crying. 

I am still wondering if she has reflux but my gut tells me that is not the problem.  I really think there is a flow problem. 

What can I do to help? 

[fosterfam889]

Not sure how much help I can be, but my lactation consultant has always said I have a strong let down. She showed to always nurse my son in a cross craddle position, reclined back so that you are working against gravity a bit. I usually sit in my glider, recline it all the way back and put my feet up on a chair that I took from my kitchen table. I place a pillow on my lap which gives me and DS support. HTH!

[*Sandra*]

I have tried that and it is one of the better ways.  Lying in bed seems to be the best but even that seems hard for her during the day, plus, I can't always be lying in bed for a feed (although I wish I could  )

Is it normal to still be having problems at 5 months?  I actually feed like it is getting worse because she is so distracted by anything these days so it makes her not even want to try BF properly.

[Fiver]

Distraction can be a big issue at this sort of age, which could also go at least some way to explaining the bobbing on and off and arching.  Some mums find they need to do almost every feed either when LO is sleepy or in a darkened room (or both!)

If you're still having some issues with a strong letdown, you could try catching the spray in a towel/cloth and see how that goes?

[*Sandra*]

I can't always tell when my letdown is coming.  Is that weird of me? Today DD was actually letting milk spill out of her mouth, my DS always did that and he got the hang of BF in one week.

[becj86]

Is it normal to still be having problems at 5 months?

DS still gags on the second letdown sometimes at 19 months. The second letdown is a surprise... LO is drinking happily and suddenly the tap turns on really fast.

I can't tell when my letdown is coming either. Lying back was the main thing that helped DS - still is

[~inbalance~]

Some mums find they need to do almost every feed either when LO is sleepy or in a darkened room (or both!)

These are the ONLY ways I can feed my DD these days.    It has to be completely quiet as well, as soon as one of my other kids makes a loud noise it's game over for that feed.    Sleepy is the best really.

If you're still having some issues with a strong letdown, you could try catching the spray in a towel/cloth and see how that goes?

I do this as well on occasion.

Just wanted to add some hugs.  We are doing fine for the most part but if my DD gets upset in any way then she won't feed and that can be frustrating.  She is a bit touchy about feeding.  Too loud, too light, not tired enough, upset about something, letdown too strong.... all these things bother her when feeding.

[Fiver]

I can't always tell when my letdown is coming.  Is that weird of me?

Absolutely not - many women stop feeling the letdown reflex strongly by 5m and some never feel it at all.  The way you'd tell would be the suck/swallow pattern from your LO.  Once she's gulping, you've let down

[*Sandra*]

But how am I suppose to lie down to feed in a quiet, dark area all the time? 

I feel like I need to be lying down for the letdown but I also need quiet and dark because of distractions.  Because with three kids it is almost impossible to find that and she is eating almost every two hours at night and very little during the day.  We're both tired.

I can't get the letdown in a towel because I don't know it's come until after she is choking.

[becj86]

But how am I suppose to lie down to feed in a quiet, dark area all the time?

You can't I have fed lying down on a hill in a park... Can you pop a chair/pile of pillows in her room so when she wakes from her nap you can lie back and feed straight away so she's still drowsy?

[*Sandra*]

I try to feed right when she gets up and it works as long as my 2 year old is not home. If she is home she just HAS to go see Kayla right when she wakes up   but she is often out with grandparents or at daycare so I will make sure I do that whenever I can.  Yesterday I got DD and was starting to feed when my DS came in and turned on the light!  It's a bit of a gong show when everyone's home.

Poor third child, I should know, I am one too

[~inbalance~]

Do you find you have good phases and bad phases?  Because I know for us, BFing is *generally* going well and always has, but we hit phases where it is harder.  Right now is one of them, I don't know if she's sick or teething or what, but yesterday she hardly nursed at all and screamed a lot of the time when I tried.  I was so engorged by bedtime on the right side, because she prefers the left and on bad nursing days she almost entirely refuses the right.  I was actually lying in bed last night hoping she would wake up to feed, because I knew that was the only time she's properly empty that breast. 

[Fiver]

If you can find a way to feed in a reclined position rather than lying down, that should help with the flow to a degree.  Even if that means putting your bottom towards the front of the chair you're in to start the feed and then pushing yourself to a more upright position once you've had a letdown.

What about a nursing necklace?  That might be something that will catch her attention, but be there right in front of her face for her to see/feel while she carries on nursing rather than needing to look around?