Why baby fussy at breast

Forcing your baby to feed is likely to make the situation worse. If he has just been refusing the breast and is upset, distract him by doing something completely different - a walk outdoors, looking at toys, singing a nursery rhyme. When he has settled down he may be eased on to the breast, or he may be happier just being cuddled. Walk around with your baby in an upright position against your body with her head level with your nipple.

Walk and feed simultaneously. You could try putting your baby in a baby sling but remember to have your bra undone so that her face is touching the skin of your breast and she can find your nipple.

The sling will need to be worn lower than normal for this purpose. Try a completely different feeding position : your baby tucked under your arm twin style ; or lying down on a bed next to your baby with no body contact - this is especially good if it is very hot, or your baby is sensing your tension; or lying down with your baby cuddled in close next to you.

Feeding your baby while you are both in the bath may help. You may want to have someone available to help you lift your baby in and out of the bath.

Try breastfeeding baby after his bath when he is warm and relaxed if he likes baths. You could try playing with your baby on the floor while you are bare from the waist up. After some time gradually offer your breast. Anticipate your baby's waking time and lift her to feed while still sleepy - you may slip in extra night feeds this way. Try to soothe baby with a dummy.

Walking, singing and rocking while baby sucks the dummy may gradually soothe him so you can gently put your baby to the breast while removing the dummy. It may be necessary to start a very hungry baby sucking on a bottle with a small amount of expressed breastmilk, e. Some mothers, whose babies have become accustomed to a bottle, have found that putting ice wrapped in a flannel on the nipple or tickling the nipple and areola makes it easier for the baby to grasp.

If positioning still doesn't help, try to pump or hand express a little milk before starting the feeding. This way your baby won't get more milk than he or she is able to swallow. Other helpful suggestions to feed a baby fussy at breast include:.

Reflux and gas can also cause your baby to act fussy. If your baby has reflux, milk will move from the stomach through the esophagus the tube leading from the throat to the stomach and out into the mouth, causing your baby to spit up.

Handing your baby off to a partner or helper can offer the change of scene that everyone needs. You may find that your baby will welcome breastfeeding after a short break, and you may even find yourself calmer and more able to deal with the fussiness. Your baby just spent nine months in the cozy environment of the womb, and it's hard to adjust to the loud, bright, bustling world. If you can find ways to mimic the womb environment, and calm a baby's senses, your baby might take to breastfeeding more easily.

Try wearing your baby in a baby carrier , rock your baby in your arms, or try a baby swing. Dimming the lights or adding a little white noise can add to the ambiance. Try breastfeeding again after you've calmed your baby in this way.

Breastfed babies don't always need to be burped, but when they do have a burp in waiting, it often stops them from being able to nurse. If your baby is having trouble coping with your milk flow, Pacuillo has some tips for that too: "Try laid-back positioning to make sure baby is comfortable and able to deal with different flow rates.

A great time to try breastfeeding a fussy baby is just when the baby is waking up from sleep. Try to get to your baby before he or she is fully awake, and offer the breast then.

Your baby is much less likely to fuss or protest when just rousing from a sweet slumber. Many moms get understandably nervous when their baby cries at the breast, and want to just feed the baby right away. You can find some ideas below of other ways to soothe a frazzled baby. In fact, the opposite is true. Psychologists know that babies whose needs are met promptly early on are more likely to develop into trusting, confident children, because they find the world to be a safe place and know that they can always find help if they need it.

In the early months, if you are managing to keep your baby safe, fed, comfortable and reasonably happy, you are doing a great job. You feed your baby until she looks fast asleep. You carefully put her down in her bed.

Either immediately or soon afterwards she wakes up and cries. Your baby is most likely to have woken up because they were put down.

The conditions that adults might prefer for sleep — quiet, dark, being left alone — are scary for babies, who fear being abandoned more than anything. Every baby is different, and you are becoming an expert on your baby. This can feel scary at first if only babies came with an instruction manual!

As your baby gets older and more experienced, he will find the world, and his own bodily sensations, less alarming. Before you know it, you will be able to support a newer parent who is wondering how on earth they will get through it, because you did!

My baby feeds all evening, and my breasts feel empty — have I run out of milk? Every time I try to put my baby down to sleep, he cries! What am I doing wrong?