Fussing While Feeding

Dr. Greene’s Answer:

Heather, having your baby scream at the breast must feel so disheartening. I’m sure there are many things that you imagined about how things would be between you and your baby – and probably these jarring screams were not part of the picture.

Babies tend to be at their fussiest (in all of childhood) between about 4 and 8 weeks of age. Many babies are especially fussy in the evening. There are many reasons for this. Partly, they are tired from a long day (I get crankier too, when I am sleep-deprived). Partly, the daily tides of hormones shift in the evenings – little discomforts become more noticeable (you may have noticed that most sicknesses seem worse at night).

Caffeine (think coffee, teas, sodas, Excedrin, Anacin, Midol), and caffeine-like substances (think chocolate and many cold medicines) can heighten this effect. Caffeine in the breast milk does affect babies.

When a baby is fussy at the breast, one of the first thoughts is often about foods in Mom’s diet. Apart from the caffeine issue above, most mothers can eat most foods without causing a nursing problem. Some babies are sensitive to certain foods – and you picked a good one to try stopping. Dairy (milk, eggs, ice cream, cheese), peanuts, and nuts are the most likely culprits.

Some physical problems, such as thrush or GE reflux, will cause discomfort that is most troublesome in the evening.

In general, babies who are fussy at one feeding will be less fussy if that feeding is moved half an hour earlier. This is especially effective if the baby has been asleep and you nurse before he wakes all the way up.

Sometimes swaddling the baby for the evening feeding will help – they like to feel more secure and protected in the evening. Some babies are sensitive to the cool of the evening, and wearing something warmer (especially on the feet and shoulders) might help.

Others, though, will take the evening feeding better with full skin-to-skin contact (perhaps under a blanket for added warmth). Some babies are most comfortable in the evening if the person holding them is standing up and/or swaying. Ironically, you both may feel more relaxed if you nurse standing up.

If he arches his back during feedings, though, a different nursing hold might work better. Try the football hold, to keep him in more of a ‘fetal position’, with his chin close to his chest. His bottom needs firm support, but his legs should be in the air with nothing to push against. You may need strategically positioned pillows or a nursing pillow to help.

In addition, the more that babies are gently jostled during the day, the less fussy they are in the evening. A carrier or sling may help. Singing during evening feeds helps for some babies.

I know, Heather, that you have already met with a lactation nurse, but when feedings continue to be problematic, I strongly recommend working with someone until they become easy and joyful for both you and the baby. This might be the same person, or a different lactation consultant or an experienced doula. There is no substitute for their practical wisdom, individualized to your situation.

You have my admiration, Heather, for all you have been though so far to nurse your son. You have already given him a magnificent gift that will benefit him for the rest of his life.

Dr. Greene is a practicing physician, author, national and international TEDx speaker, and global health advocate. He is a graduate of Princeton University and University of California San Francisco.

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  1. Rama

    I have an 10 week old baby. While every feed he is screaming even if he is hungry and after few minutes omitting some amount of milk, any suggestion to stop his screaming.

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    • Lenni Doyel

      Oh, poor baby and poor mama. This might be GERD. Have you ever had acid reflux? I have and I wanted to cry — especially when I ate. It’s likely time to talk to your baby’s doctor and get help.

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  2. Marian

    Same problem my son was like this too… your letdown is too forceful for baby.. babies grown into being able to handle a forceful letdown.. I’d say by about 3 months.

    You can try different holds that uses gravity, example lay on your back and have baby on top of you..

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    • ChaCha

      I have been having the exact same problem described above with my 6 week old. I’ve been trying to remove the baby right at letdown and that seems to help a bit, but we’re still having problems.

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  3. Heather

    Hello. I was curious as to what Heather ended up doing. I too am experiencing the exact same thing with my 5 week old.

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  4. Whitney

    My son is 6 weeks old. He is very gassy and when he eats he grunts, his face turns red and has a high pitched cry. I burp him between every ounce (he’s currently drinking 4 every 3 hours) and give gas drops before every feeding. His dr switched him to similac sensitive but it didn’t help so he told me to try similac soy isomil. He’s been on that for 5 days with no results and is spitting up more than normal and now hasn’t pooped in 2 days. I need advice. Please help.

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    • Vk

      I’d go bk to ure gp and ask for gaviscon sachets so u can add them to the feeds and get gp to refer your baby to see if there’s an allergic reaction to milk diary soya etc x hope your baby’s doing well must be on solids by now and pretty much walking x good luck

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  5. Aymee

    I’ve always thought dairy=cow. Mammals (cows and goats) produce milk and products such as cream,cheese, and butter are dairy. Eggs comes from chickens. They are not dairy. But yes, you can be allergic to eggs. However eggs are not classified as a dairy product.

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  6. jane

    I have an 8 week old baby who is very good 80% of the time. When I feed her she turns into satan. She won’t let me burp her & goes all rigid when I try (mid way through the feed). She starts to scream the house down & the only way I can even try & burp her is to put a soother in her mouth. I was getting burps 1/2 through the feed but this has stopped. When the bottle comes out of her mouth(i do this because she is taking the bottle so quickly) for a rest she goes into a frenzy with her arms & legs kicking. She has been on comfort milk since she was two weeks old for colic & constipation. She is using a teat 3 because the formula is thicker & it takes over an hour to feed her if she is on a teat 2. However she is taking 180ml at every feed & she can finish this if you let her in 10-15 mins which is obviously too quick Can you offer any advice?

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