my 3 month old keeps breaking latch?

Question

When I breastfeed her she breaks her latch and just wants to move around and look around. I feel like she isnt eating enough so I give in and feed her a bottle and even when I do that she just wants to keep looking all around her and move her head all over, its impossible to keep the bottle in her mouth! and when it does leave her mouth she flips out and starts crying but she wont stick with it!
I want her to stay still and stay latched on my breast or at least stay latched on the bottle!
Any idea what I could do!?

"Lady Trinity"- I know how to breastfeed, I've been doing it for 3 months, she has always had a great latch up until now...I only give her a bottle as a last resort this week because I just started having this problem, she never has more than 4 oz of formula...most of the time not even that. I have a great milk supply. She is not confused because she hasnt had enough experience with a bottle to confuse the two or even expect a bottle. I know how important breastfeeding is, It never even crossed my mind to give up. I am not having a breastfeeding problem, I am just having a difficult time feeding a curious baby.
I know you meant well in your advice though.

Answer 1

#1 A baby can completely finish eating in less than 5 minutes. Mine always did and he wen from 8lbs at birth to 20lbs at 4 months.

#2 Even a full baby will "gulp" from a bottle because it drips and they are forced to

#3 some babies are destractable and you should nurse in a quiet somewhat dark place.

The Distractible Baby
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/distractible-baby.html

Answer 2

#1 Stop giving bottles. It will only diminish your supply, and cause her to possibly develop a weak latch.
#2 Don't worry about her getting enough. If she was hungry, NOTHING would distract her from eating.
#3 When she unlatches, take the breast away for a bit. Try again when she seems hungrier.

Don't worry. Your baby won't starve herself. She will eat without unlatching. She may just be a efficient eater, and full after a couple of minutes.

Answer 3

Oh Sweetie, NO! What ever you do, do not ever give her a bottle! That will undermind everything that you are trying to do! You really must get rid of the bottles and no matter what she does do not give in and give her one! Really, I am not exaggerating on this. Breast feeding will never work if you are giving her an ocassional bottle! You have to get rid of them and act as if they do not exist! Your mind set needs to be that she is breastfed and that it is the only food that is available to her! You may have a couple of fussy days but in the end she will realize that mommy's milk is the only "game in town" and she will coopertae! Really, I know that babies can be stubborn and you have got a little one that sounds like she has figured things out pretty well. A baby that does not latch on well to a bottle is no big deal but when they do not latch on well to the breast they will not get the nourishment that they need!
After three months you should not be having this problem. She should have breastfeeding down pat. Have you been giving her bottles this whole time? If you have that is undoubtedly the whole problem.
It is really hard for me to help you on here because I need to ask you questions and really understand what is going on.
What you will need to do is to contact a member of the La Leche League in your town. They are not hard to find. Go to their website. It is www.lalecheleague.org Believe me they are the worlds foremost experts on breastfeedomg. The only thing that would be as good would be a successful breastfeeding mother who could help you figure out why your little one is not latching on.
Are you sure that you have sufficient milk? Have you been giving her so many bottles that it has caused your milk supply to be low? Do you feel your milk let down the way it should? If a baby nurses for a little while and the milk does not let down she may lose interest and start doing as you describe, moving and looking around. She is probably expecting that bottle. It is not uncommon for a baby who is drinking a bottle to look around and act distracted, she does not need to pay attention for that milk to spill into her mouth, all she need to do is swallow. In order to properly breastfeed she needs to pay attention and actively make the milk come into her mouth. That is why the way that she is latching on is so important. If I were sitting there with you I could show you what I mean, but is it so hard to do it with just words. Is she taking the whole area around the nipple back into her mouth? She needs to open her mouth very wide, almost like she is yawning, then her chin should touch your breast first so that the nipple is well back into her mouth. Of course she does not need to do any of this to take a bottle and that is why it is making her so confused.
I am sure I do not have to tell you the health benefits of breastfeeding, if you have been breastfeeding your baby it is because you are intelligent and you know the tremendous difference that breast milk makes for a baby. It is the single most important thing you can do for your baby next to giving her life itself.
Please do not give up. You still have the ability to make plenty of milk for your precious baby.. Do not give that up. You need to nurse her more often to build up your milk supply. You need to make sure that you milk is letting down properly. If it is not, there are things you can do that will make it let down.
What ever you do, do NOT give up. Get the formula and the bottles out of your house, give them away or put them in the trash. Forget that they exist! That is the secret to being successful at this. I promise that your baby will be fine and will learn how to concentrate on nursing when she figures out that sweet wonderful milk comes that way! She will nurse like her life depends on it! I have nursed all my babies and the almost comical way that they concentrate on nursing is so adorable. They put their whole little hearts and minds into it.
Your daughter has just gotten confused. It can be fixed. Find a LLL member in your town and I promise she will be able to help you get things on the right track.
Spend a few days in bed with your baby! Snuggle and nurse and eat and snuggle and then nurse and sleep some more. Drink lots of fluids, what ever you like, but drink lots of it. Making milk is thirsty work. Feed her every few hours if she wants to. Like she did in the very beginning ( if she did). You can do this! I have seen mothers that had given up and been feeding formula get back to breastfeeding! It can be done. Don't give up!
Feel free to write to me if you think that there is anything I can do to help you. I would love to be able to help. I believe in breast feeding with all my heart and soul! It is just SO important for both of you and she is still so little! You can DO this! You have the most precious gift that you can ever give her! Get rid of those bottles and throw out that formula! As long as it is there in your house it is working against you! Pour the formula down the drain if you have to but get rid of it! Get rid of those bottles too! That is the single most important thing that you can do for your baby!! Really!
Take care and I hope I have helped!
Love and Blessings
Lady Trinity~