Breastfeeding agitation?

[MummaSue]

Second post of the day in the problems and support

I have been feeling agitated and jittery during some feeds with DD. Mainly overnight but it's starting to spill over into a few feeds in the day. Just really jittery and wishing that she'd stop. I never stop her though and just grit my teeth through it.

She still feeds very frequently, even just for a few sucks every hour or so - and we're slowly getting longer stretches at night.

Anyway, I googled this and it seems to be fairly common but in people who are tandem feeding and/ or feeding through pregnancies. I'm not pregnant and I'm only feeding DD.

Has anyone experienced this? And if so, did it go away? How did you manage it?

I am still LOVING breastfeeding her, it's just the most special time. I just feel a bit weird that this physical feeling comes over me when we're feeding sometimes.

TIA.

[organic-girl]

Mmmmm what type of pain? Have you ruled out thrush or vascospasm?? (sp?)


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Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

YOU are what YOU eat!

[MummaSue]

It's not pain. It's agitation.

[organic-girl]

Ohhhh sorry, I'm really not coping with reading things properly lately...

You poor thing, I know there were times, but not all the time, I just wanted to be left alone and it's hard. I started my night off with a camomile tea and then a St johns wart tea. I think it helps those 'feelings'...

Sorry I can't be of much help...


---------
Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

YOU are what YOU eat!

[MantaRay]

Hun, as you say, this does usually happen more often with tandem feeding or feeding while pg, but it can occur at other times as well. For some mums it is so uncomfortable that they decide to wean. I hope for you this is just a phase that you can get through and come out the other side.

I'm not sure how much is known about the cause, but a friend of mine has a similar reaction to some medications so I wonder if it has to do with the levels of something?

[Jennifer13]

Is it possible that you just need a bit more of a break from Mummy-ing and bfing sometimes? Does your DH take your DD so that you can spend some time just relaxing, getting a massage, catching up with a friend for coffee, reading a book, whatever makes you feel good? You might just be a little 'touched-out' and need some time to yourself to regroup. It feels physical, but maybe it's related to how much you are on demand.

[courts&munchkins]

I just wanted to send you some hugs. I have serious breastfeeding aversion and I struggle daily with dd. I pull her off when she starts to go into suckling mode as I cant stand it anymore. I have always been like this though and its getting worse as she gets older. I hope its just a phase for you and it becomes enjoyable again. I understand how it is when it's really hard.

[Jellyfish]

I've had this a few times through-out DD and I's breastfeeding journey, even when not pregnant... it is hard to explain but I know exactly what you mean, it did always pass but it is pretty hard to deal with when you're in the middle of it. Sort of like an impatience and I think it is just to do with being a bit over it/touched-out/needing some space/time.

Really hope it passes soon it is okay, if you do just need a bit of a break to try and just distract her for a bit before the next feed with something else, that is mostly how I got through it

[MummaSue]

For some mums it is so uncomfortable that they decide to wean. I hope for you this is just a phase that you can get through and come out the other side.

I hope it's just a phase too, thanks hun. I really really don't want to wean and to be honest, I won't. I'll just keep seeing how we go.

You might just be a little 'touched-out' and need some time to yourself to regroup. It feels physical, but maybe it's related to how much you are on demand.

Yep, I totally think that I am feeling touched out a lot of the time. Especially at night. DH is home full time now, so he takes care of DD's needs lots of the time. It's a different story at night though because she will only settle to sleep on the boob and still wakes frequently during the night, again only settling on boob. She takes good big feeds at night which is why I've been reluctant to night wean her. And her intake isn't great in the day time (food I mean) so I would worry about cutting out those night feeds.

It is hard to explain but I know exactly what you mean, it did always pass but it is pretty hard to deal with when you're in the middle of it. Sort of like an impatience and I think it is just to do with being a bit over it/touched-out/needing some space/time.

YES! It's like an impatience. But not a mental one, like I have butterflies and am anxious for her to hurry the hell up. You know? And yeah, I do think that the touched out thing is what's happening.

Thank you so much for the support everyone
Will just keep going and see what happens..... DD is nowhere near weaning any time soon, which suits me, I love breastfeeding.

I actually found a really good LLL article on Breastfeeding Agitation so it's helpful to know that it's normal when feeding older babies

You guys rock xx

[onthefly]

yes, I've experienced this at times with DS. maybe siilar age...? can't remember.
Can you give yourself a break sometimes? Maybe some planned mummy timeouts? It might help.

[Barb Glare]

Sounds EXACTLY the way I feel about my daughter's piano practice. I wanted to nurture her (perceived) talent. I bought a piano. I payed for the lessons. I go to the concerts. But listening to her practice is like nails on a chalkboard. I grit my teeth, listen and tell her what a good job she's doing - but I can't wait for it all to end. It's worse than listening to school readers. There's stuff you do for them that you don't love. But you do it for them anyway....because you do love them....It's normal for us to feel a bit over it from time to time. Don't think I am making light of the way you feel- I have been there myself. but sometimes I think we expect to much of ourselves. You have been brewing some awful bug for the last days by the sound of it - that's bound to make you feel worse.

[HotI]

How are you going Sue?

I have found the agitation horrible when i have always enjoyed feeding. Some days, i do a countdown '10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 ta da! Mummy needs a rest now' and then do something else for a bit and then i will sit down to feed again if she still wants it in a few minutes when i am ready again. (Got that tip from BB!)

My LO has been sick and wanting to feed more, which is fine but i can't increase my supply easily like i used to be able to. i just do what i can.

[MummaSue]

Much the same at night, thanks for asking. It's only at night time (overnight) when I feel this way.

DD is very slowly giving me longer stretches at night now with sleep - at least one 4 hour stretch so I guess I am just really really tired and run down just now. Feeling the strain more than ever. When she wakes for a feed I am physically anxious and cringing at times. So weird because I LOVE feeding her in the daylight hours.

*sigh*

This too shall pass! (It bloody better!)

[onthefly]

Can your other half spell you during the night at all?

[Jellyfish]

Timely time for this to be bumped, sorry to hear you're still experiencing this! I really hope it passes soon.

I'm currently feeling this again, sigh. I'm just tired, I know I'm just tired but I am about ready to pack it in (would that be so bad, I mean she is 2 and a half and I'm 23ish weeks pregnant...) She doesn't feed during the day so it is purely overnight when I get impatient and over it, what I usually have to do is say "Mummy needs a little space now, can I rub your back instead?" which mostly works but she is old enough to reason with quite well. I know it isn't breastfeeding really, more just needing more rest with the other demands on my body and being hard enough to find a comfortable position to sleep in without having to accomidate a 2yr old who wants to suckle all night plus my nipples being a bit sensitive making it harder to fall back asleep while she is feeding but unfortunately, I really think I might gently encourage weaning by offering alternative settling techniques overnight. Sometimes I just want to scream "I've been so understanding and patient for the last few years, I've breastfed you for however long you wanted, whenever you want it. You've slept through so few times I can keep track of them on my hands and every single time you've woken I've been there, right next to you or at least the same room, even when it was only moments ago you let go of the nipple... ISN'T THAT ENOUGH? Can't you appreciate how good you've had things and give me a little bit of patience and understanding now?" which is a pretty unreasonable expectation of a 2.5yr old haha but it is hard in the middle of the night when I just want some space to sleep in peace.

I have no advice really, I need to go read back my old posts in here haha but I understand and you are doing a really, really great job. I'm sure your little one (and mine) truly do appreciate the effort we go to even if they can't express it how we might like (few extra hours please hehe).

[Arcadia]

I got breastfeeding aversion while pg so I understand. Night weaning was the only solution for us I'm afraid. We had to replace feeding with bananas and then within about six weeks she was sleeping without a breastfeed (but still fed to sleep and still cosleeping). She would wake and cuddle instead.

Thinking of you too jellyfish

[HotI]

Much the same at night, thanks for asking. It's only at night time (overnight) when I feel this way.

DD is very slowly giving me longer stretches at night now with sleep - at least one 4 hour stretch so I guess I am just really really tired and run down just now. Feeling the strain more than ever. When she wakes for a feed I am physically anxious and cringing at times. So weird because I LOVE feeding her in the daylight hours.

*sigh*

This too shall pass! (It bloody better!)

Does she feed at every wake up? My LO used to feed at every wake up, and then i began rubbing her back first. Initially, she wasn't keen and would just want boob, but over time she began to relax just with the backrub and would go back to sleep. I never refused to give her a feed, and (fortunately for me) over time she got used to going back to sleep with cuddles instead of a feed. She still wakes most nights and comes into our bed (she is in a side car cot atm) but usually doesn't feed overnight. She has been sick this week and has had feeds overnight, but i feel ok about them cos i know she needs/wants them rather than both of us feeding overnight out of habit. I also wear clothes overnight that mean bub can't just help herself and i have to rearrange to feed. Also, we have a non-drip drink bottle of water easily accessible so she has something to drink if she is thirsty.

Will she go to your partner overnight? Can you swap sides of the bed and see if she will settle for him first?

I know it's hard to make the night changes, especially when you are so tired, cos they don't always go easy. Keep remembering.. this too shall pass

[MummaSue]

Thanks again for the support, lovely people.

She won't be settled by daddy overnight. Only boob. I have tried rubbing her back instead of boob and that has worked a grand total of ONE time - and even that time she woke half an hour later for boob. I do try to lie still and see if she'll settle herself back off and again, she's done this a handful of times. I made my peace with her being a wakeful baby a long time ago. She's even barely sleeping in the day time. She'll have a day time nap maybe 4 days a week. She's too busy taking in the world.

I dunno. I guess, this too shall pass. It has to.

I was more concerned about the agitation I was feeling rather than her frequent waking. Although, I know that the two are linked and I'm tired.
DD seems to be writing her own version of the rules.
xx