# Tricks for a sleepy/lazy nurser?



## janerose (May 9, 2004)

DD2 is 6 days old. We were having some latch issues & I was having sore nipples. After talking with our local LLL leader & trying some new stuff I think the latch is much better & my nipples are almost not sore at all anymore.

I had supply problems with DD1 & I *know* my millk is starting to come in, but this girlie just doesn't want to nurse for more than a couple minutes at a time. VERY frustrating! She's having wets & poops (although the poops are a brownish/greenish color which everything I can find means she's not getting any hindmilk...). Her weight was down at the 4 day check, but less than 10% so the ped didn't want to see her back for 2 wks unless we felt something was wrong.

So far I've tried doing breast compressions to encourage her to start sucking again. Those work a couple times, for a few sucks each, but even then after a few compressions she just gets so zonked out she doesn't seem to care. Also, I've been trying to detach her once she starts falling asleep & then re-latch her on the other side to wake her up. This also works a few times, but still not enough to get her to do a full nursing session. Eventually she just decides she doesn't care anymore and stops trying to re-latch.







:

Any tips from someone whose BTDT would be appreciated!

Oh, and we are co-sleeping and nursing on demand as well.

Blessings,
Holly


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## CathMac (Jan 10, 2006)

I have heard that babies like the taste of garlic in Mom's milk and that this will sometimes stimulate them to nurse more vigorously. I seem to recall reading this on a very reliable site but of course I can't find it now.

Here are links to two articles on waking sleepy babies

Sleepy Babies - you'll need to jump to the second section of this article
http://www.mother-2-mother.com/cc-ba...m#SleepyBabies

Waking a Sleepy Baby
http://www.breastfeeding-basics.com/...epy_baby.shtml

Good luck,
~Cath


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## Nazsmum (Aug 5, 2006)

I had the same thing w/Noah...The only thing that worked was a cold wash cloth on his feet to get him AWAKE! then I would message my breast to get the milk coming down. I know how fustating this is...I cried. The hosital told me to give him formaul. Just keep it up. You will make it.


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## acupuncturemomma (Dec 31, 2005)

My girl was a really sleepy nurser in the early days too. The things that worked for us were: stroking/scratching her cheek, mssaging her feet, and tickling up her spine and back of neck.


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## TypingMJ (Nov 10, 2005)

My little guy was like that too. It was very frustrating in the hospital because the nurses treated me like I wasn't trying hard enough







: When I got home I found that if I tickled him under the chin it would get him to eat a bit more when he dozed off. He was a very sleepy nurser and hard to feed for about 3 weeks, then he suddenly *got it* and started eating like a champ. It's tough, but I have BTDT that and it worked out









Congratulations on your new little one!


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## artemis80 (Sep 8, 2006)

We did what we called "chicken wing" -- wiggled his elbow up and down. That would wake him up for 5 seconds, so I'd do it again and again. It must have looked pretty silly, but it was the only thing that would keep him awake! I was so worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat, but even with only nursing for 5-7 minutes a session, he had gained a lot by his two-weeek appointment.


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## mamaginabean (Feb 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Nazsmum* 
I had the same thing w/Noah...The only thing that worked was a cold wash cloth on his feet to get him AWAKE! then I would message my breast to get the milk coming down. I know how fustating this is...I cried. The hosital told me to give him formaul. Just keep it up. You will make it.

We had to do the same thing- strip the baby, and dip a washcloth in icewater. It didnt seem like the kindest thing to do, but he was pretty jaundiced and we needed to get milk in him! It will get better


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## KrystalC (Aug 1, 2006)

My son did the same thing initially. I had to wiggle him around a bit to get him to wake up. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

After noticing a few green poops, I started pumping an ounce or two from each breast prior to nursing so he would get more hindmilk and it seemed to work just fine. As long as your little one is gaining weight properly you shouldn't have any cause for concern.


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## Nazsmum (Aug 5, 2006)

How are things going??? I hope well.


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## twogreencars (Oct 24, 2006)

To the above, I would add tickle the baby under the chin. It can keep them sucking. Rubbing their head puts them to sleep. We, too, have a lazy sucker -now 2 mo old.


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## little (Oct 27, 2006)

hi there i would keep switching boobies good luck mamma!


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## janerose (May 9, 2004)

Thanks for all the ideas! Things are going a bit better. We have been weighing her at home & she's gained 1-2 oz in the past 3 days. Her poops have also gone from green to a brownish yellow. Funny how once your a parent what poop *looks* like suddenly becomes so important.








She's still a little low on the wet dipes, but not so much that we're concerned she's getting dehydrated.

What's ended up helping the most is NOT letting her suck on anything besides the boob. DH was letting her suck on his pinky finger when he'd watch her while I showered or whatever. After we thought about it we realized that maybe we were conditioning her to not necessarily associate sucking with food, so she'd latch on but only sort of suck, fall asleep, etc. Also, spacing out her feedings a bit has helped. I'm a real believer in nursing on demand, but if we can keep her nursing sessions a bit farther apart she seems to develop a sense of hunger & nurses better, is easier to keep awake, etc. The cold washcloth & skin to skin are also helping a bit. As is nursing her for awhile and stopping to change her dipes half way through when she's starting to really get sleepy. She hates having her dipe changed, so it wakes her up & then we can finish the session afterwards.

Anyway, we're still plugging along. I still don't feel like we're going 100%, but it's definitly better. And I have an appt with the LLL leader on Wednesday just to have her double check the latch, her sucking, etc and give us any additional tips.

Thanks again for all the support!

Blessings,
Holly


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## Linzie2 (Sep 14, 2006)

We have sooooooo BTDT!!! DD was this way for 2 months!!! She would still fall asleep a lot, and never really stayed awake until she was 3 months old. It sounds like your DD is already getting better, tho. A few other things to try.....sometimes when she is just starting to get sleepy, taking deep breaths helps....the chest wall movement wakes them a little. Not sucking on other things helps, too. We didn't let her start nursing to sleep (well, purposely) until about 2-3 months. Also everything everyone else has mentioned....dipe change, stripping down, cold clothes.

Good luck to you, mama!! I can't believe we ever made it through!!!


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