Support Breastfeeding?

It is normal. He is probably trying to pass gass. Nipple shields have been known to decrease milk supply and are usually only recommend for those with inverted nipples. It might be helpful to contact a lactation consultant to help with sore nipples, latch on, and concerns about baby's behavior.

Congrats on your little one! Mine does this too. I just think it's kinda cute. For him, it's more of an "I'm happy" sort of thing, but he also gets agitated at times and starts flailing. Usually it's because he has to poop or burp. Sometimes I'll take him off the breast for a minute to help ease the gassiness and I'll burp him. Then he usually settles down. Also, if you're not relaxed, the baby sometimes won't relax. Maybe talk to him in a soothing voice to help him get into the "zone" and the rhythm of nursing. Good luck! It's nice to know there are other nursing moms out there that get frustrated at times. I guess you and I are not alone.

How old is he? It sounds like he might have gas? Maybe try gas drops? Maybe try a different position. Laying down on my side works well for me. Maybe you milk is not coming down fast enough for him and he is getting frusterated. I sometimes have to really concentrate and almost imagine the milk coming down and that seems to work for me. I can't be distracted either. Are you in a quiet room? Sometimes you have to just take him off and not let him call the shots. If he is like that, stop and try later. He will eat when he is hungry!

These are just some ideas I had off the top. Good luck, stick with it, I am sure it will pass. It is the best thing for you and him!!

A.

When I spoke with my doctor about this same issue they told me to burp my daughter before she started to feed... it helped. More than likely when they are kicking or making noise they have some gas which could be coming from either end :)

Hi B.,
I think this is so cute. My 5 yr old son still "sings" to his food, especially if he really likes it. Both my youngest children were "grazers" and would nurse forever. I don't really think it's anything to worry about but it can be hard on you when they nurse forever. Try using a sling and letting him eat whenever he wants (demand feeding). I couldn't get my children onto a schedule and I had to come to terms with that. :) Good luck, you're doing great!

that would be really upsetting. before my son was born, my chiropractor told me if the baby had a hard time latching that it means the baby needs help with minor adjustments or work with their palate. i'd be happy to give you her # if you'd like. she's helped our family so much! good luck and keep trying! :)

My husband is always laughing about all the noise our daughter makes while eating. And she is rarely ever still while she's eating, either! The most important thing to hear while your baby is breastfeeding is the swallowing, which can sound like a little grunt. As for the time, at first it can take around a hour for a feeding, but that gets better as they get older & more efficient. Congrats on your new baby & best of luck with breastfeeding-it's a great thing to be able to do for your son!

My kids did the noice making but not so much on the popping on and off. Is the latch okay or does he have thrush in the mouth or does her like a different position? When my girls were newborns it took about an hour to feed them for awhile. You don't state how old he is so I'm just saying that if he's a newborn it can take that long.

My daughter was doing the exact same thing for a long time and I could never figure out what the deal was. Until I tried burping her in between the feeding. She gets a little pissy but she is happier in the long run. Try burping every few minutes or when he starts grunting is a good time as well. Should help...it might also be gas. If that is the case just gently massage the lower abdomen or move his legs in a bicycle motion.

My son always grunted and made noise while I breast fed him. In fact, he is 7 and still makes noises while he eats. Unless he is choking on the milk, I wouldn't worry about it. I had twins for my first pregnancy and they each nursed about 45 minutes each time. As your milk supply increases and your baby gets bigger it will get faster. Within a few months they were nursing in less than 15 minutes each.

I want to encourage you not to quit. It is well worth the effort. Especially as they get a little older. You get to connect (no pun intended) with them in a way no one else gets to. And there is something special about providing the nuritiment they need from your own body.

B.,

Two of mine did that. It was like nursing a little piglet. They outgrow it eventually. Then they get to the point where the want to nurse, but look around at the same time, so it is more like nursing / wrestling a baby alligator. So goes the joys of nursing. Just be patient, keep going and try to keep him from detatching. If you get really frustrated, the Le Leche League can be of help.

Good luck,
S.

Yep, it's common. If you want to distract him so he doesn't grunt: hold his hand, kiss it and run it around your mouth and face so that he is thinking of something else. You can also sing to him or read to him.

Nursing can be a relaxing time for both of you to engage in the closest way possible (this time will pass and you will never have the chance again!). Develop your very own relationship around nursing by using the time to really get to know him. If you have the TV on, turn it off... it is definitely a source of distraction for nursing babies.

Hi, B.. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old that I breast fed. My first one was fine except he ate really slow and we would nurse for at least an hour every time. My second baby however, was sooooo different. She was fast and fidgety. She made noises all the time and would reach behind her back and grab her foot and lay there nursing while she swung her leg really fast back and forth. I remember just thinking, "relax already! This can't be a good way to eat." Well, I had contacted my local La Leche League leaders and they told me it was perfectly normal for some babies and that you could wear some kind of baby safe necklace with toys hanging on it for them to play with while they nurse. I never did the necklace thing, but I always made sure she had something to play with. It helped. Otherwise, I would just make sure he is actually getting enough milk flow to keep him satisfied. If you are not obviously full and then being emptied maybe there is some reason why you are not producing enough or it is not flowing fast enough to keep him happy. If you can contact a local LLL group they can be very helpful. Hope this helps! ~ S. S

I am a mother of three girls, whom I breast feed all three of them for the first 9 to 10 months,, When the milk isn't coming fast enough the babys would grunt and push on my breast to get the milk to flow faster....
I had found that by drinking malted milk shakes, a can of beer, or other things high in malt it supplys more milk, you also might want to increase your intake of fluids to produce more milk for the baby, but all sounds normal they just want to drink in the first three to five minutes because this is when the milk seems to flow the fastest.
Hope this helps. Kathy

Babies make all sorts of noises while feeding. Don't let this discourage you. My first daughter was a grazer and a lazy nurser. She would be on and off a lot. I didn't mind and kept going.

Just when I thought I had a "Schedule" figured out, it changed, this too will change in time.

Our second daughter was a champion nurser and I even tandem nursed for a year and loved it.

What ever the situation is, the opportunity to nurse is but a blip on the big scheme of things. The more and longer you can do it, the better for you and your baby on many levels.

The thing you want to look at is baby's in put/ out put and growth. Is he wetting diapers regularly and is he growing? That is the bottom line.

If you go to www.lightlink.com/hilinda/Diane/breastorbottle.html there is a great easy to read list of benefits of breast vs bottle.

Good luck to you and keep nursing!
J.

Ask your Dr. or the nurse to help you.I had to use a shield Because she had thrush.But after that I made sure thenipple was out enough and make sure your breast is not cover his nose. There are alot of group in towns to help support breast feeding.Or look on the search on the compter there is alot of info there.

My middle child did that exact thing and he ended up having digestion problems and had to be on Zantac from about the age of 3 months to 9 months. Perhaps your baby doesn't have a serious problem like that, but if it keeps up it's something to discuss with your doctor.

My two month old dues this as well to some degree. I know that he gets a lot of air during feedings, so I try to burp him frequently. I would make sure that you are getting the burps out. Prior to two-months the burps can be extremely difficult to get out.

My 4 month old does this too - as did my now 3 year old. Usually it's a bit of gas or the flow of milk has slowed! As for the hour plus feedings - both my boys did/do that and it about drives me nutty, but they are happy and healthy so I guess I just deal with it! Best of luck!

hm.
i would contact your local la leche league! llli.org!

they would have great information, lots of information, and other moms who may have been through the same thing! and they are FUN to attend! i HIGHLY recommend them! :D

good luck

Hey B.,
Could those be sounds of satisfaction? All 3 of my kids nursed and everyone within 20 feet (even though I was discreet) knew what was going on. My kids would grunt and sigh and the older they got they became more distracted with their surroundings... We would always joke that it was like I was smuggling a little piglet under my clothes. You didn't mention how old he is, but maybe you should consult your pediatrician, he might be ready to try some cereal or other foods?!
Good luck and stay patient! J.

A little about me: 27 y/o SAHM of 3, Nick 3 1/2, Sophia 2 1/2, and Gia 10 mos. Married for 3 years now...

It's pretty common. Babies usually do this for one of three reasons; 1.) They're really content and are really "physical" as they enjoy their milk session. 2.)Your milk is letting down too forcefully or too fast, and he's having trouble taking it all in. 3.) He's getting frustrated because letdown is too slow or not happening at all, and he's working really hard to try to get the milk flowing.

If let down is too intense, you might want to pump each side with a hand pump for a minute or so to get the edge off before offering your breast. You might be engorged, and when this happens the milk comes in too fast. The pumping should help empty the breast enough that the flow will slowdown. If he's still exclusively breastfed, be sure to just pump enough to "lighten the load" but not empty yourself.

If slow to no let down, you could try massaging your breast by using a flat hand and pressing dowward toward the nipple several times to help with let down. Be sure you do this around the entire surface of your breast (sort of like a monthly exam) so that you get to all of your milk ducts. For the areas under the nipple be sure you are pressing upward instead of down. Your goal is to massage toward the nipple, as you are trying to encourage milk flow toward the nipple. You could also try a warm cloth on the breast for a few minutes to get things flowing also.

Sometimes you can have blocked milk ducts (early stages of course) and not know it. This could affect let down. The two methods I mention above can help remedy this. However, you'll need to be more aggressive with the massage in hopes of getting your milk ducts to release if the problem is blockage. You'll know you made a breakthrough because the milk will come out pretty quickly and alot of it.

If massage is unsuccessful, and you suspect you have blocked ducts, get to your Ob/Gyn or a lactation expert asap. If not tackled in good time, you could develop mastitis (breast infection) which is painful and can make you very sick. Keep an eye open for fever, nausea, and general flu-like symptoms in addition to extreme pain in your breast.

Last but not least, be sure he's latching properly. If you're needing nipple shields, there is a possibility he's not latching properly. I coincidentally answered another breastfeeding question yesterday concerning proper latch. You might want to check that out as well. Check the Aug 17th post titled "Suggestions for deepening latch."

Hi B.,
Both of my kids made all sorts of noises while they were nursing. It's totally normal. And sometimes it does take quite a while to get done with a session. That gets better as they get older...then around 8 or 9 months they get a little distracted because they know there is so much going on around them! YOur son might be trying to pass gas or if he is pulling on and off and getting really frustrated he could have an inner ear infection. You could also talk to a lactation consultant (you can find your local Le Leche League leader's number at the doctor's office most likely) to discuss different ways to hold your son while nursing. Good luck:)

My son did that too. He has acid reflux. It is very common for them to have that. They out grow it. But he might benefit from some meds for it. It used to be a wrestling match with my son as he would go off and on for over an hour. And then he would mistake the pain for wanting to eat. He would eat for hours at a time. And then he would make it worse my over eating. Usually if he is arching his back and crying while trying to eat it is reflux. I would just go talk to your doctor about it.

My daughter grunts and groans and kicks all the time, as did my oldest. Most of the time it is just happiness, like if she has been sleeping all night and is just really really hungry or if she has been fussing. She is just happy to get her milk. Maybe that is the case for your son.

I too use a nipple shield. All the time. In fact I used a nipple shield for 15 1/2 months with my oldest and never had a milk supply problem, I have been nursing Madelyn for 7 months and with a nipple shield the whole time, neither of us have problems.