You would think that getting a baby latched on with a flow of milk would be just the thing to calm fussiness. After all, the classic image of a nursing mother and child is one of peace and contentment. But what happens when your baby fusses, cries and pulls on and off?
Here are a few things that might cause this behavior:
Diaper – Check to make sure your baby is not fussing over a wet or soiled diaper against her skin. Some are more sensitive than others and will fuss or refuse to eat while sitting on a mess.
Stomach Discomfort – Sometimes, Mary Kate comes on and off during a feeding if her tummy is hurting. I will stop and burp her and she is much calmer after that. Or I may just pat her back as she nurses, to avoid losing a good latch. Babies who spit up frequently or have reflux may be more comfortable nursing in an upright position. Medication or other treatments may be needed if symptoms are moderate to severe.
Fatigue – Babies get really cranky when they’re tired. This can definitely causes fussiness during nursing sessions. You just have to be patient in this situation. Your baby might also be done, and simply not want to nurse anymore. If that’s the case, just put her over your shoulder, pat her back and take a little walk to see if this quiets her down or leads to sleep.
Teething – Pain and discomfort in their mouths can cause teething babies to pull on and off, or just be especially fussy while feeding. The suction may exacerbate their pain.
Milk Flow – Alright, Goldilocks: Is it too fast, too slow or just right? Either of the first two can cause your nursing baby to protest. An overactive letdown may overwhelm your baby, especially at the beginning of a feeding. There are some good solutions to this issue in Dr. Jack’s Newman’s article. Remedies for a slow letdown, which can frustrate a hungry baby, can be found here.
What about milk supply? It’s possible that there might not be enough milk to meet demand, causing constant fussiness. The easiest way to spot this problem is by keeping track of your baby’s diaper output. Your health care provider or lactation consultant can advise you in terms of what to look for. You can also check to see that your baby is swallowing regularly at feedings and seems content after sucking for a good while. And of course, steady weight gain is the gold standard (roughly 4 to 7 ounces per week).
Time of Day – As a rule, my babies save most of their fussiness for the evening. It always seems to start about the time I sit down to enjoy my supper. Hmmm… When a nursing baby is on and off the breast constantly, and pretty fussy throughout, it’s called Cluster Feeding. And it’s actually very common, so while you may be pulling your hair out with frustration, it’s nothing to worry over. Babies who are fussy at the breast in the morning may be reacting to your being more full of milk due to less frequent feedings at night.
Illness – Colds, flu, thrush, earaches and other ailments can cause a baby to be more irritable while nursing. When your little one is stuffed up, in pain or just not feeling well it can make feeding more difficult for a while.
Allergy or Sensitivity – What you eat may be affecting your nursing baby. If the other solutions above haven’t worked, consider looking at your diet more closely and start by eliminating the most common triggers (wheat, dairy, soy, nuts, etc.) one by one.
Sometimes, we never find out what’s behind the fussiness. Crying is a baby’s way of saying something isn’t quite right, but it can tricky to get to the bottom of it. If none of the scenarios above seems to fit your situation, definitely get assistance from experienced pediatrician, midwife or lactation consultant.
I had a lot of fussing at the breast with my first son. He developed Nipple Confusion and couldn’t handle the binky and bottle and breastfeeding. I had to stop using any sort of synthetic nipple and do 100% breast. For my next children, I knew to put a sign on the bassinet at the hospital saying “no binky no bottle, I’m a breastfed baby” and I seriously limited the time he spent in the nursery.
Jeanette, thank you for sharing yet another reason that a baby might be fussy at the breast. I hope your experience will be helpful to other mothers who might experience the same thing. I like how you made it very clear to caregivers at the hospital what was best for your children! ~Anne
My kids would pop on and off when their noses were stuffy. They could not breathe and nurse at the same time!
I’ve always thought that must be so frustrating (nursing and trying to breathe deeply). ~Anne
Omg thank you! What a great article! Most blogs just assume babies are either on formula or that nursing moms don’t need tons of support because it’s a natural process. Your tips are great since my son is a very distracted nurser and thinks nothing of pulling away and leaving me exposed! Thank you again and keep up the great work!
Thorough article and very informative!