Is there anything wrong with my baby?

[cvd16]

Hi All,

I have a 4 week old baby.

As of now, she normally drinks 4oz of formula / breast milk at each feeding. However, early this morning, she drank 8 oz!! Once at 2am, 4am, and about 6am. Is this a growth spurt?? Later on in the afternoon, she continued to drink normally - 4oz at each feeding.

Also, a few hours ago, she became hungry around 5pm so I fed her 4oz. Normally, she becomes sleepy after a feeding, so after she eats, I burp her, then hold her in the glider and rock her to sleep. At the same time I'm holding her because I want her to stay upright to digest. She's prone to spitting up constantly and occasionally getting the hiccups and I feel that doing this kinda helps prevent it.

Anyway, tonight after eating, she was still extremely fussy! She would be crying and whenever I tried to hold her against my chest, she became all fidgety, like I wasn't comfortable for her anymore Do any of your babies do this? Become all fidgety on you? It seems like my baby was trying to get comfortable on me, kept repositioning herself but nothing felt comfortable, and when nothing was comfortable she would start to cry. So I would stand up and hold her, and sway back and forth. It kind of helps, but at this point, she's just wide awake and I want her to get some sleep (also so I can get a break!). But this has been happening more frequently - her not feeling comfortable on me / super fidgety when I hold her. I notice that when other people hold her, she's not as fidgety. Are my breasts in the way? Lol

And tonight I felt like she was just crying almost non-stop and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. At some points, she would show signs of hunger, so I tried to give her another bottle, but every time I put the nipple near or in her mouth, she would be shaking her head like she didn't want it. Then she would scream and cry. I don't know what to do!! This went on for a while until finally I swaddled her and rocked her in the glider until FINALLY she fell asleep. Rocked her some more for about 15 minutes then gently and carefully put her in her bassinet.

Tonight was just insane. I don't think she has ever cried so much or has been so fussy. Is this normal? If so I'm not used to it. I'm a FTM and I'm so overwhelmed. I've been crying everyday and been short with some people and I think it's due to lack of sleep. But do you think there's anything wrong with my baby? If not, then great.. I'll be a little relieved and guess I just have to ride this out.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Left wonderin]

Firstly congratulations on your baby being a new mum is exhausting and overwhelming but don't worry it does settle down . Sounds like your LO is perfectly normal . All babies spit up a little after feeds , it doesn't bother them at all so I wouldn't worry about that .

If baby is squirming as you describe it is possible that they have trapped wind that can be painful for them and stop them settling . Try burping some more if you notice them pulling thier legs towards their chest ect .. Sometimes wind can get trapped and be really hard to release . It can be very uncomfortable and babies will scream the house down to let you know .

Sounds also like she was over tired . If ba its get too tired they fight sleep and it takes perseverance to get them to give in and sleep just like you did most babies need lots of sleep up to 16 hours per day at 4 weeks. The squirming could also be her being overtired and finding it hard to settle . Your baby sounds perfectly normal to me .

Just keep an eye on LO if she is particularly fussy / crying inconsolable after every feed or for long periods of time in the evening . She may have reflux or colic , again not harmful but a different formula might help.

Let us know how you are getting on xxx

 

[cvd16]

Thank you for the reply!

About the burping - I read somewhere to burp inbetween feeds. I do that.. but at the same time, when I pull the bottle away to burp her inbetween feeds, she gets mad and cries! So sometimes I can't even burp her, or if I try to, she gets all squirmy.. until I put the bottle back in her mouth then she is calm. She is one difficult baby. I have to let her have the bottle for a good amount of time before I can take it away to do a burp it seems.

 

[noon_child]

My LO was always calmer on other people and I think it was because on me her feeding instincts kicked in so she'd be trying to find my nipple all the time as this was her way to eat drink and sleep so it was her "go to" thing.

Babies can confuse needing to burp with being hungry, so they chew fists etc.

Sounds very normal. Motherhood is a pretty constant round of guessing and repeating and your never quite sure what worked or why.

 

[cvd16]

Yes my baby does that too! Although she is bottle fed, every time I get her in position to feed from a bottle, she turns her head to look for my nipple (I used to breast feed her in the very beginning until I decided to pump milk and put in a bottle).

The funny thing is, when other people hold her to feed her - my husband, my parents... she does the same thing, look for the nipple lol

 

[Left wonderin]

If your baby wants to finish her bottle in one go and wind at the end I would go with that . If it is easier on both of you . It won't do any harm

 

[1nceUponATime]

Sometimes my baby is a Tasmanian devil on my chest lol as we like to call her... I feel really beat up by her sometimes. She wriggles and fidgets. I have noticed if she can't quite get comfy she has a stuck burp.... or sometimes when she's really fussy , a minute later she will poop or fart so I second the idea that it may be trapped gas! But honestly it is probably completely normal either way. My baby changed constantly from birth to current... everytime I became use to a way she was, she changed! She's not as fussy at the breast now because I think she's a little professional eater now whereas four weeks ago we were still struggling to find our rhythm.

So if it's a new pattern for your baby, wait a week and I'm sure it will change!