# Baby won't stop rooting!! ahhh!!!



## LilacMama (Aug 18, 2008)

My baby is 8 days old and breastfeeding really well. Sometimes when she's awake, she starts rooting really eagerly but then she won't maintain a latch at all. She'll do a couple sucks and then let the milk dribble out of her mouth. When I take her off, she'll start squirming, fussing and rooting. Then she'll do the same thing -- a couple sucks and then let the milk dribble out. During her really active, awake times in the day, she'll stay awake for over an hour doing her spastic, non-stop "fake-rooting." I have tried swaddling her with her arms down and removing anything that could be touching her face.

She does this AFTER she's nursed really well. She doesn't do this at night or when she's sleepy. She is perfectly capable, and usually does, nurse perfectly well.

She won't take a pacifier. Sometimes she'll take my finger. What does she want from me??!?!







:

Thanks.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Those early days are just tough. She's still figuring out what life on the outside is like.

Sounds like you're doing great. Hang in there!

-Angela


----------



## LadyCatherine185 (Aug 12, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 









Those early days are just tough. She's still figuring out what life on the outside is like.

Sounds like you're doing great. Hang in there!

-Angela









:

also, DS stayed latched pretty much nonstop during the first few weeks... sometimes he'd nurse for up to 3 or 4 hours. She's trying to build your supply and getting comfort from you also! Congrats on your new LO!


----------



## LianneM (May 26, 2004)

Congrats on your babe!

I agree that she's trying to build your supply. In those early days, it's not the length of nursing, it's the frequency of latching. So latching frequently, even if she doesn't stay on, tells your body to make milk!


----------



## binspired (Nov 13, 2008)

I don't have experience with this, but it reminds me of something I've read regarding overactive letdown. You might want to check into that. Good luck!


----------



## p.s (May 27, 2005)

hmm... i have a 7 wk old. when he does the sqirmy spastic movements, it's usually b/c he has to pee or poop. But when he was a few days old, his mouth rooted too and his fists would try to get in on the action.

We do EC (you can check out the elimination communication forum under diapering). I can give him the nipple, and he'll suckle a few times then pop off. If he pops off once or twice, then I try pottying him. 80% of the time he had to potty and either poops/ pees or pees. And note: I would hold him for like 7-10 min while he squirmed, pumped his legs, made exertional noises.... and then would come out like a teaspoon of meconium. Or a teaspoon of urine. Learning these new functions is hard work for a newborn!

the other 20% of the time he had to burp. Babies are real primitive neuologically. So sometimes they want to do one thing, but a whole lot of things happen at the same time. Like they turn their head, and an arm flies out and leg juts out (fencing posture). They haven't yet learned to isolate one particular function. But this is part of the fun of being a new mom. Part of bonding. Soon she'll blink her eye a particular way and only mom will know what it meant.


----------

