crying and pulling off - what's normal?

Dorie G writes:
: My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during feeding.
: He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on both
: sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
: help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
: to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience. Plus
: both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
: when this happens. Ugh!

How old is he?

Larry

My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during feeding.
He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on both
sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience. Plus
both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
when this happens. Ugh!


I remember when that started happening to me, thinking "so this is why so many
moms think they don't have enough milk"!

Fortunately I never had any doubts on that score, nor did I have any
bottle-pushing grandmas nearby, and he outgrew it quickly enough.

It may very well be gas or overactive letdown. It could be that he's got a
cold or an ear infection that makes lying down in a nursing position
uncomfortable. It could be a reaction to a new smell or taste (have you
switched to a new lotion, soap or laundry detergent, or started eating
something you haven't had since his birth)? It could be just one of those
things. How old is your baby? Does he eventually settle down and nurse well,
or is the entire feeding a struggle? Is he crying at every feeding, or only at
certain times of day?

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs

"Dorie G" wrote in message
...
My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during
feeding.
He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on
both
sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience.
Plus
both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
when this happens. Ugh!



Audrey has done this off and on. what I usually do is swap breasts, or
change feeding position or sit her up or on her belly to burp her. very
occasionally its been because im trying to unknowingly force feed her lol
(demand feeding only works in one direction!) I still haven't worked out the
cause, but at 5mo, usually swapping breasts or positions is the answer.
sometimes I think its just irritability and a way to burn off steam.

Leah


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"Dorie G" wrote in message
...
My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during
feeding.
He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on
both
sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience.
Plus
both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
when this happens. Ugh!



You don't say how old your baby is, but I'm guessing he's pretty young? If
so, I'd say it's pretty normal. DD (4.5 months) still does this every now
and then, and I've never been able to figure out what exactly the cause is.
Sometimes it seemed like it was because the milk was coming too fast;
sometimes it seemed like she was frustrated because the milk was too slow.
My advice: don't stress about it and follow his lead. You say he's gaining
weight fine, so that's not an issue. When he pulls off, try burping him and
offering more. If he wants to nurse more, fine, if not, fine. Don't push it,
and don't let yourself get upset by it.

I understand how difficult it is when you have an audience. Try to just
ignore the looks. As he becomes a more mature nurser, and as your body
adjusts to the amount of milk he needs, it does get easier.

--
Jodi
SAHM to Oliver (2 years, 6 months) & Arwen (4 months)

"Dorie G" wrote in message
...
My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during
feeding.
He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on
both
sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience.
Plus
both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
when this happens. Ugh!



My DS did it for a few days before my period came back. Maybe it tasted
funny?

Judy

"Dorie G" wrote in message
...
My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during
feeding.
He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on
both
sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
help some - or something else.

It could be a number of things, and I'm sure people will give you stuff to try.
But my personal experience is that all of my babies Just Did This sometimes,
and I never did figure out why. In our case they obviously did grow out of it
and it did not become a serious problem, just maddening.

I think one of the first things to eliminate (not because it's the most likely,
but because it would be the most serious thing I can think of if you missed it)
is reflux.

--Helen

Dorie G writes:
: My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during feeding.
: He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on both
: sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
: help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
: to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience. Plus
: both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
: when this happens. Ugh!

Dorie responded to my question that he is 3 months old. It is a little odd
that traditionally, with colic, this usually starts around 6 weeks and starts
to resolve by 12 or sometimes as late as 16 weeks. That said...

I doubt that at this time is is OAL, however gas from sensitivity to something
you are eating is a possibility. While wheat and dairy are the most common
culprits, it could also be some vegatables like beans, onions, or cucumbers.

The good news is that if he is starting this late, it will probably not be
too serious or last too long. One possible solution is to drink a couple
cups of fennel seed tea at the time of day when it is the worst (usually late
afternoon or evening)

Other posters may have helpful comments, too.

Larry

"Dorie G" wrote in message
...
My ds has recently started pulling off the breast and crying during
feeding.
He seems to do it more on one breast than the other - but it happens on
both
sides. I'm wondering if it's overactive letdown, gas - burping seems to
help some - or something else. Is it something he will outgrow? He seems
to be gaining fine but it makes for a real frustrating bf experience.
Plus
both his grandmothers (bottle feeders) look at me like I'm torturing him
when this happens. Ugh!


This happened to me when DS was in his second month. Was a combination of
OAL and reflux. Feeding from the same side consecutively helped this a lot,
and by the time he was 3 mos. he'd quit pulling off and hitting me
altogether.

I did catch hell from family bottlefeeders, too. No fun!

Beth