# Newborn rooting but screaming at the breast



## lisalu100 (Aug 18, 2008)

My three and a half week old was nursing pretty well until a couple days ago. Now, she seems full, she brings up some gas, and nuzzles my shoulder/her hand so I over the breast again, she launches at it, shaking her head furiously, then latches on happily for a few seconds before screaming and pulling off. Repeat a couple times. This happened at a restaurant today and I gave her a pacifier for the first time. She was VERY content in my arms for over an hour, sucking on her paci and looking around.

Is it possible for her to show signs of hunger even when she isn't hungry? She seemed to only nurse for a few minutes before this happene. When this has happened before, I have given up nursing, and distracted her, then rocked her to sleep, and she's slept for a couple hours, then woken up and nursed really well.

I have tried letting the milk run once letdown has started, then putting her on again. If she's managing to sleep, maybe she isn't really hungry?

Any ideas? Thanks


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## CookAMH (Jun 2, 2008)

My now 3-mo DS would get mad at the breast if he wanted to suck but there was milk. He didn't want milk, he wanted to suck. So he sucked happily on a pacifier because I often didn't have an empty breast to offer. I have heard that the rooting reflex is there but isn't always a sign of hunger, that it's a reflex newborns have when they are near the breast or near something to root.


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## spiraldancer (Dec 1, 2001)

My third lo, now 8 months, started doing this kind of thing at around the same age. It was really frustrating to try and figure out what he wanted/needed. For us it seemed like I was producing way too much foremilk (extremely forceful letdown) and because of that he was gassy and often choked and sputtered and got mad and screamed/pulled away. As you mentioned you've tried, I ended up expressing some milk before latching him on for a nurse, which seemed to help. Also, at about that time he got "colicky" (lots of unexplained, hard to comfort screaming, legs pulling up to belly, etc) and I went off dairy completely, which also seemed to help a lot (though it still took a few months til he seemed more settled and comfortable). Maybe your midwife/doctor give you some assistance if it keeps up. . . good luck!


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## Beene (May 19, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookAMH* 
My now 3-mo DS would get mad at the breast if he wanted to suck but there was milk. He didn't want milk, he wanted to suck. So he sucked happily on a pacifier because I often didn't have an empty breast to offer. I have heard that the rooting reflex is there but isn't always a sign of hunger, that it's a reflex newborns have when they are near the breast or near something to root.

This, but could also be a sign of dairy protein sensitivity. My son would do this because his tummy would be uncomfortable after nursing, which made him wan to comfort nurse, which would then cause further discomfort. It was a vicious cycle...


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## Narn (Nov 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spiraldancer* 
For us it seemed like I was producing way too much foremilk (extremely forceful letdown) and because of that he was gassy and often choked and sputtered and got mad and screamed/pulled away. As you mentioned you've tried, I ended up expressing some milk before latching him on for a nurse, which seemed to help.









:

My LO did the same thing at that age. I was definitely producing way too much milk. I tried block feeding, which helped a lot.

I also recommend cutting out the dairy.

Check out this link: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html


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## Pavlovs (Dec 25, 2007)

My now 4 week old started doing what you described around week 2. It took me a couple of days to realize he was just tired and needed help unwinding and getting to sleep. It happened at the same time each day. Now I know that around 5 o'clock he will get fussy, so I am prepared to sling him, bounce him, hold him until he falls asleep. This fussiness lasts u ntil he falls asleep for the night around 7:30.


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## Beauchamp (Jan 12, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lisalu100* 
...she seems full, she brings up some gas, and nuzzles my shoulder/her hand so I over the breast again, she launches at it, shaking her head furiously, then latches on happily for a few seconds before screaming and pulling off.

She wants to comfort nurse. Mine does this exactly. Try the paci, if you are comfortable with it. Mine sometimes wants the "real thing" though. Once I pumped for a minute or two to get some milk out, then offered the breast again, less full this time. Happy baby!

Babies have a strong need to suck. Your breasts are nutrition AND comfort. She still wants YOU, just not the milk, during those moments.


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## sparklebean (Apr 10, 2009)

Wow I'm so glad this got asked! My LO just started doing this and I thought he just wanted to comfort nurse because he will just sortof "chew" on me so he won't get milk- ouch!

I'm going to try cutting out the dairy/ get a pacifier.

Thanks mamas!


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## peainthepod (Jul 16, 2008)

Mine did that because I had extremely forceful letdown after my milk came in. Hand-expressing a little bit into a cloth diaper or dishtowel just before I latched him on helped a lot.


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## JessieBird (Nov 21, 2008)

Mine did exactly that and it was due to forceful letdown. It came on suddenly and took me a while to figure out, during which time he became totally terrified to nurse and it caused us major problems, including a strike. Hand expressing helped and so did trying different positions to see if any changed the flow - side lying was no problem so for about three weeks we only nursed lying down. I also reluctantly turned to a pacifier during this time and it worked wonders. Giving a paci for a few minutes before nursing really helped to get him over his fear of the breast and of course helped immensely when he wanted to suck but not be drowned in milk.

Whether the problem is your letdown or your baby's desire to suck (or both), rest assured that it probably won't last long. Your supply will likely even out and the need to suck will diminish over time. Then some other challenge will present itself! (just kidding....sort of!







)


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## lilabet (Aug 6, 2003)

Fraser does this, and it is when he needs to comfort suck, i.e use his dummy (paci) not suck on me, as he doesn't want any milk at this time.


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## ReadingRenee (Aug 8, 2008)

I had the same problem with my LO at the same age now 3 mos. It took me FOREVER to figure it out, but now I know that besides dairy and soy sensitivity, I had overactive forceful let down. I never thought that I did because I wouldn't see milk spraying out when she pulled off. I couldn't figure out what was going on because she would scream and cry and I would switch sides and she would nurse for a minute and then scream and cry repeat repeat repeat until she just wouldn't nurse anymore at all. Finally I realized she was switching sides so much because once my letdown got going it was too much for her and switching sides helped temporarily because it took a minute to get it going. Eventually every time she latched on the letdown was right there and she would stop nursing. She was gassy and uncomfy too and I realized it was because she was getting nothing but foremilk. Again, I didn't have one of the major signs which is green frothy poop but once I started block feeding I saw a DRASTIC difference. We actually started having good nursing sessions again, and the gassiness went way down. I wish I had realized a long time ago that this was the problem but I just didn't realize I could have overactive letdown with no spraying although I had every single other sign.

Anyway, I hope you get it figured out, it took me months of frustrating nursing to really iron it out.

I know at 3 months the supply is supposed to even out too so that probably helped as well although if I try to nurse her without doing the block feeding she gets upset and won't nurse.

Just recently she has finally started to comfort nurse! I know lots of people don't want to be the pacifier for their LO but when I was actually ABLE to be her pacifier I was so excited!


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## Altair (May 1, 2005)

I ditto everything above-- what worked for us was block feeding, pacifier use when he just wanted to suck and was mad at my milk coming out, and also pacifier use for 1 minute if he was hungry but screaming at the breast. I'd let him suck to calm down, then quickly take out the pacifier and replace with my nipple, and he'd nurse happily. That trick got me through a LOT of screaming. The MAM pacifiers worked the best for him.


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## leighann79 (Aug 4, 2005)

I have the same thing with my almost 2 week old DS. I started using the paci two days ago and it's helped alot. We use it when he seems to want to nurse, but gets mad about it. I know he's full and just wants to comfort suck. It's been so much easier/less stressful to get him to sleep since we found a paci he will use.
I'm also block feeding to help with the oversupply.


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## kdescalzi (Jul 30, 2007)

My 3 mos old dd is the same way. She has always had this high need to suck and when she is not hungry she gets really angry when my milk lets down. I have also noticed she will do this when she is tired and trying to fall asleep. After endless nipple ripping I just bounce her to sleep. My question to all you pp's is how do you get your lo's to take a paci?? I have tried every make there is and the mam brand stays in her mouth but she won't accept it that often. Any other brands being used??


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## femalephish (Feb 3, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pavlovs* 
My now 4 week old started doing what you described around week 2. It took me a couple of days to realize he was just tired and needed help unwinding and getting to sleep. It happened at the same time each day. Now I know that around 5 o'clock he will get fussy, so I am prepared to sling him, bounce him, hold him until he falls asleep. This fussiness lasts u ntil he falls asleep for the night around 7:30.

nak

this is EXACTLY my DD! between8pm and 10- she is fussy/crying and rooting around like she wants to nurse but will then cry at my breast. I just try to comfort her as much as I can, then she will generally get to sleep by around 10, and sleep for four hours. She is six weeks now.

Good luck!


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## Altair (May 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kdescalzi* 
My 3 mos old dd is the same way. She has always had this high need to suck and when she is not hungry she gets really angry when my milk lets down. I have also noticed she will do this when she is tired and trying to fall asleep. After endless nipple ripping I just bounce her to sleep. My question to all you pp's is how do you get your lo's to take a paci?? I have tried every make there is and the mam brand stays in her mouth but she won't accept it that often. Any other brands being used??

In the beginning, I held it in his mouth with my body. Like I would hold him in BFing position with his face turned into my breast, but put the paci between my breast and him. He loved that until he could keep it in himself.

He definately needed it MUCH more in the first few months, he's almost 5 months now and just uses it to fall asleep (he'll nurse then latch off and want the paci then fall asleep) and in the car.


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## crazychick (Aug 1, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *femalephish* 
nak

this is EXACTLY my DD! between8pm and 10- she is fussy/crying and rooting around like she wants to nurse but will then cry at my breast. I just try to comfort her as much as I can, then she will generally get to sleep by around 10, and sleep for four hours. She is six weeks now.

Good luck!


My dd is the same way. when she crys like she is hungry and then screams bloody murder when I try to nurse, I know she is tired and get the bink in her mouth and cover her face to go to sleep


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CookAMH* 
My now 3-mo DS would get mad at the breast if he wanted to suck but there was milk. He didn't want milk, he wanted to suck. So he sucked happily on a pacifier because I often didn't have an empty breast to offer. I have heard that the rooting reflex is there but isn't always a sign of hunger, that it's a reflex newborns have when they are near the breast or near something to root.

my ds1 was like this too.


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## alfabetsoup (Jun 13, 2005)

Some babies just want to suck. DD1 was a textbook comfort nurser, would camp out for hours at the breast but DD2 just wasn't. Gave her a bink after a week of screaming and spitting up and haven't regretted it for one second.


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