5 week old, fussing during feed + lots of spit up

[Swannie]

My new update is that I have been dealing with a clogged milk duct on the right breast.  Perhaps this was the cause of baby's rejection of the right breast, or maybe a result. 

She seems to be tolerating it a bit better but still prefers the left. 

I have been trying to clear the clog by getting her to nurse on it at every feeding and then hand expressing or pumping afterwards to completely empty it.

How long should it take to clear up and when should I see a doctor if it does not?

[Fiver]

If you can use gravity to help you feed as well that will help you out.  So if you get LO lying on a bed and then you feed on all fours above her.  It looks daft, but it does help.  Also if you can get some heat on the blockage before feeding that will help it shift too, along with massaging it under a warm shower.

I'm not expert in clogged ducts, but I believe they usually clear within a few days given the right attention.

[Swannie]

Clogged milk duct has cleared/healed.

Now we are dealing with the six week growth spurt....

[Fiver]

Good luck

[Swannie]

things are bad again.  her growth spurt ramped up my supply and now almost every feed involves a lot of crying, for both of us.  when she pops off the breast the milk sprays even farther across the room than it did before.  i had some success with laid back nursing which I tried last night.  but she still spit up a lot afterwards.

i am going to try block feeding again and see if that works.

it is heartbreaking to watch my daughter cry when I am trying to feed her.

i am getting close to giving up.

[Swannie]

PS she is 7 weeks tomorrow.

[Erin M]

I've got a member here whose situation sounds so much like yours -- let me get her to reply, I think her btdt advice would help you. (((hugs))))

[becj86]

Hi I was ready to give up at this age too. Still going now at 23 months thanks to laid back feeding and block feeding settling things down.

Main things I found that helped:
*Feed no more than 3hrly (usually DS would root as if he wanted more milk but he was actually gassy and wanting to feed to move the gas along and help him pass it; and when he was tired)
*Laid back feeding for every feed - I have fed lying on a hill in a park, with my bottom at the front of a chair and leaning back as far as I could in a mum/baby room at shopping centres, and mostly in the recliner chair at home where I got DS latched and pushed back straight away.
*Block feeding - I always at least one-side fed but mostly would feed two feeds (6hr) from one side.

How are your nipples?
How are LO's poos?

Hugs xx it really is awful when baby acts as though you're doing something horrible when you're trying to feed I promise it *can* get better.

[Swannie]

Thanks for the advice.  I feel pretty hopeless.

It will feel strange to feed wait at least 3hr between feed when she seems hungry but I am willing to try!

My nipples are a bit sore but not too bad.

I completely emptied both breasts to start the block feeding tonight. 

My partner gave her that bottle of the expressed milk this evening.  She heavily protested but eventually took it.  I then gave her a breast to finish her off.  She cried through that as well.   

During this last night feed she still popped on and off even though my breast was soft and I was laid back.   She spit up a lot too.

She poos with almost every diaper change.  A few big ones per day and then the rest are small smears.  I thought it would decrease by now.

[becj86]

It will feel strange to feed wait at least 3hr between feed when she seems hungry but I am willing to try!

It felt really strange for me too - after 2 days I was so glad I had, as suddenly he actually went 4hr between feeding cues I was amazed, as I had been feeding much more frequently having been told to feed on demand. Thing was I was feeding him when he was hungry, when he was in pain and when he was tired.

Give the block feeding and the lying back a good week or so to make a discernible difference. It could be that she's got reflux as well, but with the oversupply and overactive letdown that can mimic reflux and these feeding techniques could truly be the fix you need. xx

[eva026]

Block feeding helped here too. Hurts though:(
Cabbage leaves in your bra strangely work much better at pain relief than any cold-packs

BTW, mine pooped at every change till about 4mo!

So if you get LO lying on a bed and then you feed on all fours above her.  It looks daft, but it does help.

OMG, rotfl!!!!

[becj86]

Quote from: Fiver on March 24, 2013, 19:58:01 PM
So if you get LO lying on a bed and then you feed on all fours above her.  It looks daft, but it does help.

I could never get DS to stay still... he HATED it because it was even more flow than when I was sitting! I had to take care of blocked ducts with hot showers and lots of massage/hand expressing.

[Swannie]

We went to a breastfeeding support clinic on the weekend.  We learned that we were indeed overfeeding her.  Now we wait at least three hours to feed her.  The feeds are so much better now.  She tends to only fuss when she needs to burp, or to communicate that she needs more.  Our latches are way better and she spits up much less.  We are very happy!  We started block feeding again and I got my supply under control.  I still have to lean back a lot to help her deal with the heavy let-down, but otherwise meals are going well.

Now it is time to tackle sleep issues!  Sleep is NOT going well.  I will write a post on the sleep board.

Thanks for everyone's help!

[Fiver]

Glad you got some answers/confirmation

[Erin M]

Yay for progress!