Baby cries unless on boob

[chele]

Hayden cries ALL the time.

ALL the time

Nothing will comfort him except boob. He's quite good at night and most nights goes between 4-5 hours the first half of the night. But during the day he's a complete nightmare and on no feeding schedule at all. Yesterday he suckled for two whole hours at one point and from 7am-4pm was off my boobs for about an hour in total.

I've tried swaddling, sitting in different positions, holding him close, nothing works so I end up feeding him and often feeding when he's not hungryz it's the comfort of my nipple he wants.

Part of me just wants to jack it in and move to formula to see if he's more settled. Part of me wants to try combi feeding and expressing. But I worry how he'd comfort if he didn't get nipple.

I FFd my first and never experience anything like this. They're like chalk and cheese. With a 21 month old to look after, it's hard work having Hayden constantly at my boob. He doesn't sleep much either.

I just hold on to the fact it won't last forever. But how long will it last? I'm ready for having a meltdown and my DH hates being around him

Help!!!!xx

 

[grandbleu]

I've found that BFeeding is truly a labor of love - for me at least it's not easy but it has gotten better week by week.

Bouncing gently on an exercise ball really helped us in the beginning as well as baby wearing. He also slept with us his 1st 4 weeks as he had no schedule but is now in his own crib and doing much better in terms of sleeping. The first 6 weeks of his life are a blur of sleep deprivation so that's normal. OH didn't like all the crying and we made a compromise that I would do the nights (I wasn't working and he has a hard physically demanding job) - OH did much better when he had a decent sleep so maybe that's an option for you both for the short-term? We also used a dummy the first month (he had such a need to suck) - it's not recommended for BFeeding as there can be nipple confusion but try Soothies (Avent) or GumDrop pacifiers that look more like "nipples".

Good luck and your baby sounds perfectly normal for a newborn! It will get better and remember that each babe is different so it could be that your babies natural temperaments are different and has nothing to do with BFeeding or FFeeding.

PS. For me things started getting better at 4 weeks, then even better at 6 weeks and then I felt like I had a new baby at 8 weeks! - I never thought that I would see the end of the newborn phase but persevere and you will get there.

 

[chele]

Thanks Hun

I've tried two types of dummies but he won't take one.

It seems things are getting worse. He was never like this until about a week ago. I could understand if he was like it from the start but he's "grown into it" x

 

[NickyT75]

could be him going through a growth spurt hun it will pass xx

 

[Jamaris Mummy]

Hey hun my baby girls the same she always wants the boobie I think it's very normal behavior for a newborn as they have an instinctive need to suckle by only for food but comfort and security. I just try to think how strange it would feel to them being out in the world after 9 comfy months inside mummy. I found if I bath, massage, swaddle and feed bubby that seems to help but I know how hard it is when they won't sleep. My lil girl Indigo refuses to sleep in the day sometimes she's good but today for example slept in half hr bursts and would sleep longer if I kept her on me and not in the bassinet. Hang I. There I've heard it gets better you are doing a great job!!!!

 

[Super G]

Some really good info on frequent nursing here - https://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing.html

and growth spurts here https://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

hang in there

 

[chele]

Some really good info on frequent nursing here - https://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing.html

and growth spurts here https://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

hang in there

Thanks for these. He's nursed most of the morning and is now napping on my lap

Guess I just hang in there!x

 

[ellie27]

My LO is the same - and has been like this since birth and nothing has changed and he is now still the same at 8wks.

eg during the night there, feeding from 12 midnight til 3.15am, then he slept for 2.5 hours, then awake feeding from 7-9am, then slept 1.5 hours.......

Thats fantastic your LO can sleep 4-5 hours at a time!! Max my LO sleeps is 2h45mins at the one time, and feeds are anything from 1-4hours long.

At 8 weeks old I am not quite convinced this is going to change as it has been like this from the start.....

I have a LO too - 23 months - and it is a struggle and I feel I am not giving her the attention she needs and its really not fair....

You are doing a great job!!