I am breasfeeding my 1 mo. old and she is tugging and pulling off while crying. Please help!?

Question

She should be hungry and she will be okay for a few minutes then she starts grunting and crying and she pulls off. She screams until I put her back on then she'll nurse a few minutes and the cycle starts over again. This usually happens during early evening feedings. She is not constipated. Any ideas???

Answer 1

She may be allergic to something you are eating and passing through your milk to her.My son did the exact same thing and he is allergic to dairy and soy.Personally I would try cutting out all dairy products for a few weeks and see if this makes a difference,if it does then that is great,if not,at least you tried.Your best bet would be to talk to your doctor,get ahold of your local Le leche league or even a dietitian at a near by childrens hospital,they are all very helpful.

Answer 2

She's frustrated that the milk is coming too slowly, and she's too mad to fix it the right way. Early evening is prime hunger time for newborns. That's when most of your nursing "marathons" take place. Keep cool. If you get upset or anticipate the pain, your milk may not let down, and the pulling off will get worse. Try nursing more frequently or even trying herbs. I used Fenugreek and Mother's Milk tea, but there are many others out there. Find a Health Food store with a knowledgeable staff to point you in the right direction. Make sure you are fed and hydrated in the evening, and try putting baby on the breast before she's really hungry. My baby did EXACTLY this, and my lactation consultant recommended all these things. You're not touching the back of her head, are you? That drives babies nuts. Good luck. It will pass.

Answer 3

Maybe she needs to burp! I know it can be so frustrating. Hang in there. It gets easier after 6 weeks then 3 months. After that it's a breeze. (Unless you get engorged.) Are there any good breastfeeding support groups you can attend. They'll definitely have an answer for you there. The La Leche League should be able to help.
Also, if you produce too much milk, sometimes the milk can shoot to the back of the baby's throat during a let down. That can gag the baby and they'll cry then. Ask yourself, are you having a let down just as the baby starts crying? If so, there is a shield you can get that goes over your skin. It's like a big bottle nipple (Contact your pediatrition to buy one.). It takes a while to get the baby used to it, but it does help and is easier on your skin.

Answer 4

sounds like your boobs may be too full sometimes with my son (he was a piglet) he would go through a growth spurt and my milk production would go way up then he wouldn't eat soo much all day long and a nite i would be sooo full of milk it would come out too fast and he would have a hard time eating you can try to hand-express or pump a little just so it doesn't sqirt so much but i think you'll be able to tell if this is the case bc when the baby pulls off the milk doesn;t just stop it'll keep sqirting a bit or dribble down the breast you might not even notice except your shirt or bra at the bottom of the breast might be wet if so just don;t pump too much or your milk production won't go down GL breast feeding is soo funny in a couple months you'll forget that it was never second nature

Answer 5

I would *not* give her a bottle this young. It could cause her to become nipple confused and this will only make problems worse.

First, call your local La Leche League. They offer telephone support for FREE and you can attend monthly meetings free as well.

I would suggest all or any of the following, whichever you are most comfortable trying:

-swaddle her before nursing to keep her tight and cozy
-try breast compression during feedings, this will increase the milk she receives. This is done by cupping your breast with your free hand during nursing and gently compressing from the ribcage to the areola.
-change nursing posistions
-go into a darkened room and lesson stimuli like t.v's etc.


Make sure your baby isn't receiving anything other than breastmilk, this could interfere with your milk supply which might be making her fussy.....and milk supply is often a bit lower in the evenings anyways. Just keep nursing frequently.

Frequency = Quantity

Answer 6

This is the eary evening meltdown. Many babies get upset at this time of the night when everyone is coming home and starting dinner and getting back together. Sometimes this is more than a newborn can handle. This would be a good time to maybe start wearing your baby for awhile. Get a sling or front carrier and wear her. That was the only way I could get anything done.

She isn't really hungry and is just nursing for comfort. This too will pass and she will grow out of it. Take care and good luck.

Answer 7

I have 3 kids nursed all for a year and some. Right now I have a 5 month old. It is my experience that she could be tired and just frustrated that she is not yet sleeping. Put her in her favorite position to be held. Walk, rock, what ever she normally likes, give her some time. As for you you must remain quiet inside, really at peace, she feels everything. When you are anxious because she is not happy she is too.

Answer 8

she's probably not getting the milk fast enough when babies go thru growth spurts they act like that because they aren't getting enough your body will adjust and make more milk and then she'll settle down. could it be something you're eating? broccoli,onions, carrots, smoking, caffeine, etc. try drinking 2-3 glasses of water about 2 hrs before the early evening feeding to help increase milk production. don't give up breast feeding isn't as easy as some people make it out to be but like they say "nothing worth while is easy" stick with it you won't regret it.

Answer 9

Have a glass of wine or a beer. It helps you produce milk and helps the let down process become more. Be sure you're eating enough. Be sure you are VERY hydrated! No worries as long as your baby is making enough dirty diapers. =0) Good Luck!

Answer 10

Try Little Tummies or Mylacon gas drops it sounds like she is having gas pains. My daughter does the same thing and the gas drops really help. Also you might want to go over your diet and make sure you are not eating foods that will make her gassy. Everything you eat affects her.