10 Week Old Screaming While Nursing

I know you have gotten tons of responses but I just wanted to let you know I went through the same thing when my baby was about 5 weeks old (he's 12 weeks now). I discovered that he was getting mad because the milk was coming too quickly. I pumped a little before he started eating in order to slow the milk flow down. Hope this helps!

I would say its probably an ear infection. The sucking action can be uncomfortable for little ones. Take him to the doctor, better to be safe than sorry.

One of my children did that when I started losing my milk and the other did that when she was teething. Hylands teething tablets helped and unfortunately I never did get my milk back.

Did you change anything in your diet? or have you checked with the pediatrician to see if it was acid reflux? Your baby could even be lactose intolerant. It happened to my first baby (the acid reflux combined with being lactose intolerant). It took me month to figure it out with the help of a GI doctor. He is doing fine now, but I wish I had received help earlier... Good luck

M.,
At about 4 weeks old my son became very fussy, especailly when it was time to nurse. He would latch on suck a few times and then pull away and cry, then he would latch on again suck a few times then pull away and scream, this is how most feedings went for about a week. It came down to him screaming for two days straight and I took him to the Dr. She said it was reflux. The reason he pulls off and crys is because the stomach acid had given him a sore throat and it hurt to swallow. He hardly ever spit up though, so it was hard for me to think it was reflux until I read the book, Colic Solved, written by a pediatric gastroenterologist. Here is a link to the book -http://www.colicsolved.com/
My son was put on Prevacid, and after about 4 days my little guy was all smiles and much happier.
Hope that was helpful. Hang in there it will work out. Just don't give up nursing, breastmilk is the best thing for a reflux baby or any baby for that matter =).

Samw thing happened with my baby boy, he would refuse to nurse, turn his head away and scream, even when I knew he was starving. It turned out to be a combination of food allergies (dairy, soy and corn) and reflux. My doctor suggested giving him a little sip of mylanta to soothe his throat before nursing, when this worked he prescribed him some prescription reflux medication. I thought he would hate nursing forever, but after we fixed the problem, he started doing much better!

Have him checked for acid reflux. Does he spit up often? Try giving him a drop of Mylecon before you feed him. He may need a prescription, tho. He'll grow out of it, but it's common for babies to have it. My son had it mildly and didn't need a prescription but my cousin had it pretty bad. He had to be upright for a half hour after eating and even sleep slightly elevated. He spit up quit a bit, too. But by about 6 months, he was much better. So I would see if that's his problem. He's screaming because it hurts to eat right now. Until you see the doctor, hold him as upright as you can (I know that's hard when you're nursing) and keep him up after eating. Try the Mylecon and see if that helps, too.

this happened with my baby girl and turns out i was not letting down fast enough and was loosing my milk. she was getting mad because she was not able to get any food. could be the same with your little guy or maybe his ear has fluid if he has had a cold lately or maybe you ate something that makes his milk taste strange. those are my ideas . hope you get back to feeding well again!! N..... or there is something called a nursing strike i don't remember what that is exactle but i just remembered that too. ok, those are all my ideas! Gl! :)

Have you pumped to get an idea of your milk production? My daughter, third child, was over 8 pounds when she was born. She would get very upset and cry when I would try to nurse, to the point that I couldn't calm her enough to latch on. I had a nurse show me a very helpful tip. She told me to put a little formula on my nipple and that was enough to calm her down long enough for her to latch on and my milk to let down. The nurse told me that sometimes larger babies are so hungry and impatient that they want instant gratification and are fussy because for some women it takes a short time for our milk to let down. So by adding a little formula to my nipple she got a taste of food, and calmed down long enough for nature to do the rest. Hope everything works out, if it doesn't improve a call to the pedatrician would be a good idea.

Check to make sure that you are making enough milk. I was loosing mine and didn't realize it for a long time. My daughter just put up with it for awhile and then she got to the point that she would just scream, because she was literally starving to death. Not fun. So check on that.

I think it could be any of those things already listed or something else. I wasn't able to nurse my first child and when my second was born I was so excited to be able to nurse. Everything seemed to go really well for a few weeks but then he started screaming when it came time to nurse. At first I thought ear infection, or something else but it turned out to be something simple. He was responding to me being anxious and unsure of myself. Because this was my first time nursing, I would tense up and feel uncomfortable, especially if anyone else was around.
I ended up having to nurse in a quiet room, where I could relax and it made a huge difference. He stopped screaming and was able to eat.
Anyways, hope this helps.

it may be your diet. we had that problem with my 1st born and we later found out that she was alergic to a lot of dairy products and i had to cut back on milk products

My daughter did that, and come to find out, I didn't have any milk and I didn't know it. she was screaming because there was no milk coming out. I had recently gotten on a new birth control and it dried my milk out. This went on for 2 weeks. She was so hungry. It was so sad when I realized that she wasn't getting any milk from my breast. At least I had been supplementing with a bottle occasionally. So I would look in to that. Try pumping and see how much comes out. I did this and in 1 hour I only got half an ounce. That will let you know if you are producing milk and how much. I hope this helps.

my son went through this because he had a very hard time nursing. he just couldn't get enough food even though he was trying. he got so upset about that would start screaming every time i even tred to nurse him. this may not be your son's exact problem if he has been eating well up to now, but most likely there is something about the nursing experience that upset him. maybe he has sore gums or chapped lips or something about your milk has changed, like you've been eating something you don't usually eat. sometimes milk allergies show up when the baby is several months old. i ended up having to switch to pumping and bottle feeding for a while, then going back to nursing. talk to your doctor about it too. he may have other insights. hopefully your little guy wil calm down soon. just be patient.

This same thing happened with my baby girl and when I took her to the dr. he said she had an ear infection. I would take him in to the dr. to see what's up. It could be a number of different things and the dr.'s the one who will be able to diagnose it.

Hi. If he is crying at other times, it could be colic. If that is the case, I would try a the tips in a book called the happiest baby on the block. It is really helpful. Also, my daughter would do this if I missed a hunger cue, and she got overly hungry. I had to just pay close attention and feed her when she started to fuss a little, or when she would play with her mouth or put her fist in her mouth. I got to know the little sounds and actions she would make when she was starting to get hungry, and feed her then rather than waiting on the clock or until she was really hungry. My daughter had really bad evening colic starting at about 10 weeks. She would just cry in the evenings. One way we learned to calm her was taking a walk outside. Another was that I would get into the shower (warm, not hot water) with her. The noise and water seemed to soothe her. I got to where I would stand and breastfeed her there occasionally, because she would calm down and eat there, and she wouldn't other places.

Good Luck. Hang in there, those first few months are really tough. It gets better!

Have his ears. If he has an ear infection, they might hurt to lay on his side and to suck. Good Luck!

Mama, preschool teacher and holistic-midwife here. I am so pleased you have received such good advice here. I didn't read all of them, but missing is the suggestion to quit nursing....good to see so many people realize how important breast milk is...

*Get a clean bill of health from care provider.

*Investigate: Colic...you diet could be a huge issue here. There are many foods that can trigger colic reactions in the newborn. Email me if you want more info. I have counseled many parents on ways to help mitigate this issue.

*Try: a good chiropractor....yes, for a newborn. There are different kinds of VERY gentle adjustments that can serve the newborn highly. Your little one may be experiencing pain in the "nursing position."

*Lactation consultation....even up to three months, babies can start new habit with nursing having to do with latch that can cause problems for them.

Bless you new mama. Be strong and hang in there. All mamas feel like they are in the woods these first few weeks.

Let me know if I can help. I am in Boulder.

Usually there is a reason for the screaming. Is he ever in the nursing position other than when nursing. I would try holding him the way you do when you are nursing and see if he cries. It may be as simple as changing his position while nursing. I had one boy who would only nurse in the football position and another one who would only nurse stretched out sideways. He didn't like being curled up or cuddled. I'm sure other moms will also tell you about getting his ears checked. I have a grandson whose ears are sensitive about position. He starts to cry on windy mountain roads. He feels off balance which makes him feel unsafe.

Gook luck

Hi, I have some advice for you that may sound scary, but i can assure you that if you do research it will ease your worries. CHIROPRACTIC. if you can find a local chiropractor who frequently treats children, beginning at birth through adults, and who you feel comfortable with, i am 99% sure that they will be able to help. my thought behind this is that if there is even the slightest misalignment of the spine at the base of the scull or upper neck, babies will not be comfortable turning their heads for long periods, especially to nurse. many times moms will notice that they just don't want to nurse on one side vs the other, and this is usually the reason. unfortunatly most babies born today, even naturally, do have some misalignment from the birth process. I have had my daughter adjusted since birth, well, really since conception, and she is the most healthy, happy girl you will ever meet.
I have some names for you locally if you want.
Dr. Rhonda Sturgeon, at Lighthouse chiropractic
Dr. April Cardwell, at Spine Correction Center of the Rockies.
No matter who you go to, make sure they are family/kid friendly. good luck
tracy M

Sounds like acid reflux to me - I would check with your Dr. My son cried for 6 weeks during/after feedings - poor guy! We got him on prevacid and it kicked in after about a week and then things were great! He was on prevacid until he was 8 months old.
Good luck!

You might check with your doctor. He could have the begining of colic. A stomach problem that causes severe pain, and causes babies to cry. Check with your doctor and they will be able to tell you for sure if he has colic or not.
My son had colic and would cry during feedings. It finaly went away around 3 months of age. Good luck to you.

Hi M.,
Does you 10 week old have a white looking rash in his mouth. It is not common for breastfeeding babies to get thrush but they can and it is painful to them. Thrush is a type of yeast infection that babies can get in their mouths. It is treatable . If you notice anything like that I would take him to the dr. Also, are you sure that he is getting milk when nursing? If the nursing is at all painful to you then he probably is not latched on correctly and not getting the mile he wants. Good luck

Hi M.. Congrats on being a new mommmy! With the crying...Do you feed your son a certaing way? Does he cry in other positions, or a certain one. Has he fallen or had any misshaps of late? Both my children at certain points had sore necks and backs--first from labor and delivery and later as they started moving more. I suggest a good chiropractor. I'm in Greeley and suggest Weld Clinic--Drs. Eric and Patricia Sorbo. They adjusted my children and my daughter in particular had neck tension that they fixed. (She had always cried on her side when I tried to nurse her-before chiro. help. It's gentle too). I know there's other good docs out there as well. Other things it could be: teething (sometimes sucking hurts), gas or constipation.
Good luck.
J.

I've never had this happen but I've heard that if you nurse right after exercising hard, the milk will taste strange and the baby might not want to eat. This happens because your muscles break down lactic acid when you exercise hard and then it gets into the milk.

It sounds like a possible ear infection. I would take him in to be checked.

Good luck!

Does your child spit up alot, wheeze or cough after eating? If so they could have GERD. Our baby had it and would have milk and acid come up while nursing. Talk to your doctor. If so they have easy solutions. (Our daughter outgrew it by 10 months). Otherwise, try other positions, and check their gums, its not to early to start getting tooth buds. Good luck!

Hi M.- I also have a 10 week-old little boy. Congrats to you!
My son did the exact same thing for awhile. I find he does much better when I lay down with him to nurse. My problem was overproduction. The let down was too fast and it caused him to be colicky!!! I would recommend either laying down when you nurse him or pump a little before he latches. This should help. Hope it gets better, good for you for trying to make the nursing work. Keep it up! Good luck to you both.

I agree with Noelle. If he spits up a lot, you might also consider reflux as the issue. That can easily be solved, but it will take a visit to the doctor, and usually some pushing from mom. GL! I hope it ends soon as you're alreaday so tired! He needs to eat so he can sleep!

I think this could be related to acid reflux. Does he spit up more than you think he should when he does feed? It took me six weeks to figure out that my daughter had this problem. I read a lot of different web sites about this and tried changing my diet before giving my daughter Zantac.

my two month hates my right side sometimes. I found that it's partly because I leak more, and the the milk that leaks out sours and makes my breast taste and smell nasty.

A couple of things. Have you changed soap, perfume, deoderant? That could make him strike for a couple of days.
Are you waiting for him to be *hungary* or is he on a schedule? He may be going through a growth spurt and by the time you feed him he is too starving to wait for the let down. He may be a little gassy. You could give him no more than 2oz of Chamomile Tea or Ginger Tea to calm his tummy before you feed him. Gripe Water also works well (with a smaller dose).

The important thing to remember is that this does not mean he is ready to wean. Kepp on nursin' and once you figure out what he is so mad about he will nurse happily.

Good Luck!

M., I've nursed two infants and I hope you can find some good advice. My best advice, don't give up nursing! Does your baby seem gassy? I ask only since gas can make infants scream like that. Chances are that may be what it is. Make sure you are getting some good burps during and while you are nursing. This is the best way to combat against gas. Also, you might try eliminating some of the more gassy foods from your diet..broccoli, beans, etc. If you notice that your infant is pulling his legs up and stomach gets hard...it's probably your culprit.

Both my girls had colic, and you would def. know if he had colic!! It starts around 2 weeks of age. He would be crying all the time (about 18 hrs a day), not just while nursing. Doctors do not know what causes colic...whether it's a stomach issue or what...they just have no clue. I can guarantee if you are just now seeing the crying...it's not colic.

You are doing such a great job by nursing your newborn, keep it up! You will have bumps along the way, but this, like all things, will pass. Please email me through my username if you would like to chat more. I've pretty much delt with it all when it comes to BFing. Good luck!

M.,

I would think maybe have his ears checked for ear infection. That would be my first guess. Second would be some kind of gastro-intestinal problem. But definately get his ears looked at.

Hi, I have had this problem before. I took my child to the dr and they said he had a sore throat. that is why he was crying when I tried to feed him, he was hungry but it hurt to eat. just my experience. good luck!

E.

It sounds like he may be teething. That is so tough! Hang in there! J.

Could be thrush, a yeast infection, which makes baby's mouth hurt to suck. If nursing was going well until now, perhaps talk to a lactation consultant to help you decipher the clues. Maybe rule out ear infections, too. I hope you find a fast answer!!

He probably has an ear infection. The sucking pulls on his eardrum and other thing and is VERY painful. Take him to the Dr. and get it checked out. In the mean time you should try a bottle (they don't have to suck as hard to eat from a bottle)

this has happened to me and there are two main reasons that I can think of, see if any of these apply to your situation:
1. thrush...(check for little white spots in his mouth and redness/tenderness on you)
2. an ear infection
both of these things would cause him an element of discomfort and sometimes pain during nursing.

Sometimes babies can get frustrated if the milk let down is too fast and they can't keep up or if they have to work too hard for the milk (particularily if he's been getting bottles and the milk has been trickling into his mouth, sometimes they get a little lazy and don't want to have to work for it). I hope this can help you trouble shoot you current situation. If none of these things help I would suggest contacting a lactation consultant/specialist. If you need help or references for this let me know and I'll see what I can do. Have a great day.

Have you tried giving him a bottle to see if it is feeding or if it is you? I have a friend who had a very similar experience and she pumped a lot and her baby would take the bottle just fine but when she would nurse her baby would just scream at her hysterically. In the end the lactation consultant found that the baby was mad when she had to wait for the mother to "let-down" because it was taking her almost 5 minutes! But with the bottle, it was coming so easily and right away. Hope you find the answer, good luck!

That happened with my DS1. It turned out to just be gas (and quite a temporary problem) and was easily solved with Mylicon drops and a little bouncing. A yoga ball is great for the bouncing and worked wonders for us. I also got pretty good at nursing while walking around, as that's the only way I could get him to nurse for a while.

Contrary to all the people who mention losing their milk, you may also want to check out the possibility that you've got *over*supply or an overactive letdown reflex. Many of the reactions baby will have to those two things are things that would maybe make a person think she was losing her milk. There's some good info at this site:
http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&...

I hope you get everything sorted out soon... I remember it was very stressful when my son would refuse the breast. Good luck!

The only thing I can think to add to the list of possibilities is Thrush. Does he have white spots in his mouth? If he has it, then so do you and you are just sharing it. Your doctor will put you on antibiotics and it should clear up pretty quickly.
Good luck.

Wow, you have received a lot of very good responses. My son did this to me and it was because I was not producing any milk. I had to start bottle feeding him. But, a lot of the previous responses make sense too. I would go visit your pediatrician to rule out the acid reflux, ear infection, (my daughter had a lot of these!), milk coming too fast, etc. Isn't it wonderful to get so many answers from so many caring women out there? Good luck to you!

I had the same thing happen with my little guy and it was reflux. My MD told me to start him on 2cc's of liquid antiacid (malloxx) every 4 hours for 3 days to see if that helepd. It helped right afte the first dose. We use it on and off with him and it really helps.

Good Luck!
S.

A chiropractic adjustment may help, poor little guy might have strain in his neck or elsewhere that hurts him when you try to nurse. Try Kristina Stitcher in Murray.###-###-####. she specializes in babies, children and pregnant mamas.