Help!!!

[Pielette]

My 3 week old baby is so so fussy. He keeps having these periods where he screams for food, I put him on the breast and he sucks for maybe 20 seconds before pulling off and getting even more upset. This can go on for a couple of hours and can be after a proper feed as well.

I'm at a loss. If he's hungry why does he keep coming off? I've still got milk in there, when I squeeze it comes out. Although it's not dripping like it usually does, I guess because he's been on both boobs so much. Do I not have enough milk? It's upsetting me so much, I can't seem to do anything to calm him down.

 

[Halle71]

May sound really patronising but could it be wind? With my first we spend many an hour stressing, bickering and crying (me) in the middle of the night because we weren't being persistant enough burping her. I was convinced she was starving and that there was something wrong with my milk when the poor litte thing was in pain and couldn't drink.

 

[superfrizbee]

I too was going to say trapped wind, as DD would do the exact same as your LO when she had it. I used to bicycle her legs and I looked up some baby massage moves on youtube which seemed to help.

 

[NurseSooz]

My little lady did this and I discovered it was reflux. It was obviously bubbling up her throat and causing her pain making her pull off.

 

[CandyDay]

My guess would be trapped wind as well. My Lo was like this as well and I found that putting her in a sling and letting her pop on and off helped. And I kept patting her back in between her little feeds to burp her and once I got the burp out then she was good. Sometimes it took a lot of work and a lot of hours to get it out. I would put a movie on to keep me occupied while I paced with her trying to get her settled. Just so I had something to watch to keep me from going crazy.

 

[JenX]

I'd say possibly reflux, but maybe nothing. My baby used to do this too and we later found out she had silent reflux. A certain amount of this kind of fussiness is normal, though, I think. Here's a good article about it:

https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/fussy-while-nursing/

 

[Pielette]

Thanks ladies.

It doesn't seem to be reflux from what I've read about it. Sometimes he does struggle with wind but it doesn't seem to be an issue when he's having these fussy sessions.

It's weird, he'll be crying for food then go on, cry again and come off, cry and go back on and repeat for a couple of hours. Then finally go on, couple of sucks and then fall asleep on the breast. And pass out for a couple of hours.

Any chance this is a growth spurt? Or maybe he doesn't know how to settle himself and gets overtired?

 

[Nervous_1]

I was going to say growth spurt given the age of your little one, as mine acted like this during growth spurts. Hopefully in a couple of days time you'll be past this

 

[Sam's mummy]

My little boy does this when he is tired. It seems like he wants to suck for comfort but gets cross when milk comes out as he doesn't want to feed. If a cuddle him in and keep him moving he usually starts to settly after his initial frustration and close his eyes. Hope you get it sorted

 

[JenX]

It's weird, he'll be crying for food then go on, cry again and come off, cry and go back on and repeat for a couple of hours. Then finally go on, couple of sucks and then fall asleep on the breast. And pass out for a couple of hours.

Any chance this is a growth spurt? Or maybe he doesn't know how to settle himself and gets overtired?

A mom with a baby the same age as yours was describing the same thing today at the breastfeeding group I go to and the lactation consultant says it isn't because the baby isn't getting enough or is distressed, it is just the way they act that tells your body to ramp up milk production. So, basically a normal part of a growth spurt.