Temp: 52.0F
More info

 Feed

Subscribe to Alameda Magazine : Health and Wellness

The First Year

Trouble With Breast Feeding

When Baby Nurses for Comfort, Not Hunger

Question:
     Most of my friends’ babies seem comforted by nursing, even when they aren’t hungry. My baby seems just the opposite. Sometimes she is eager to nurse and nurses really well, but other times she acts hungry, starts to nurse and then gets very upset. She arches her back and starts to cry. Have you ever heard of this? This happens several times a day. Is it possible that there is something the matter with my milk? She’s always loved to nurse, and she has been gaining weight beautifully, so I must be doing something right, but her behavior is very upsetting. She’s only 10 weeks old, so I don’t want to stop nursing!

Answer:
     If your baby is growing well and usually seems satisfied with nursing, I’m sure that your breast milk is just FINE! Every mother makes milk that is just right for her own baby at that baby’s age (yes, there are rare exceptions, but in those cases the baby is not thriving and usually has other signs of digestive upsets).
     Occasionally a baby will have a negative reaction to a taste in mom’s milk, which can be affected by what you eat or drink, or by vitamins or other supplements. It can’t hurt to take notes about what you are eating and drinking to see if there is any pattern to your baby’s reaction.
     The most likely reason for your baby’s behavior is that sometimes your baby is nursing from hunger and sometimes just because she enjoys sucking. At this age, babies need both nutrition and comfort. My guess is that you have an abundant supply of milk and your baby, who is at an age when she is growing very fast, is often hungry. So most of the time when you put her to your breast, she does great. Other times she may not be as interested in getting a meal. Maybe she’s sleepy, maybe she’s just feeling a little unsettled, maybe she just loves to be in your arms. She wants that nice feeling she gets when she nurses. So she starts to suck, your milk starts to flow, and all of a sudden she’s very upset, because her tummy is full and she doesn’t want the milk at all. In fact, if she does nurse, she’ll probably just spit the milk back up later (babies are very self regulating in this way!).
     All 10-week-old babies suck to soothe themselves, and some babies need more sucking time than others. The really vigorous suckers sometimes are called “barracudas.” For some babies, long and frequent sessions at the breast satisfy this need. Other babies don’t like it if they have to eat every time they want to suck, even if the milk is just trickling in. So they do what your baby is doing: They try to suck just for comfort and then get mad and pull off the breast when they get more than they wanted.
      Here’s what you can do to see if this is the right explanation. Next time your baby complains or arches back from the breast, try offering her your little finger to suck on and see if that seems to comfort her. If that works, you can use your pinkie as an alternative to nursing, or try giving her a pacifier. At some point, if she really wants to suck without feeding, she’ll begin to suck her fingers or her thumb and the problem will be solved.
      If your baby seems hungry but still pulls back when she starts to nurse, it may be that your milk is coming out too fast for her to swallow. If your milk tends to let down quickly, you can express a little milk by hand right before nursing, just to soften the area around your nipple. That will slow the initial flow.
      Babies are growing and changing rapidly at the end of their newborn period. As they grow, they often change their patterns of nursing and sleeping. It’s understandable that you sometimes wonder if you are doing everything right, even when your baby is thriving. As she gets older, you will find it much easier to know when she is content, and to feel comfortable with her occasional periods of unhappiness. You will be able to trust yourself, and your baby, to learn that a little discomfort is OK, and that you can both get through this together.

Meg Zweiback is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and family consultant in Oakland. She is an associate clinical professor of nursing at UCSF and posts articles and resources on her website, bringingupkids.com.