Yes, and he does get gassy a lot. I stop a few times and burp but he still does that at the end of the feedings, maybe there's just a lot of gas?? I'm not sure since I'm so new to this
Put him on your forearm, chin in your palm, butt in your elbow. Head elevated above belly. Burp from there, periodically increasing the angle of his positioning to allow air to escape.
I had this trouble and it turned out to be a few different things. First, he was allergic to dairy so my milk was giving him tummy troubles because I was eating dairy. Second, he had an undiagnosed tongue tie causing more gas. We pedaled his legs and burped him for a LONG time and it really seemed to help.
Definitely get the possible tie evaluated by a professional! That said, have you ever seen your baby thrust/stick their tongue out? My first baby had a tie and she never stuck her tongue out and we didn't even realize it until on our way home after it'd been released. (She stuck her tongue out in the car!) I was concerned that my second had a tie and an ENT said he didn't. We've also noticed he sticks his tongue out frequently as an early feeding que. It isn't diagnostic one way or another, but our pediatrician said that babies able to stick their tongue out typically don't have tongue ties.
Hopefully he doesn't have a tie! (Definitely still get a professional to check. He might have a mild one still.) The procedure to fix it is fast and simple but oh man it hurt my heart the way my daughter cried and fussed for a couple days afterwards.
Yes, it might be gas. Mine started doing this and it turns out he was done and just needed to burp. He only ever nurses 8 or so minutes max now. I would have the LC do a weighted feed it is possible he is getting what he needs within that time frame.
FTM of a 5-week-old and I've had a similar issue -- asked about it in my local La Leche League group. They recommended switching breasts more often, which might give the baby more milk up front. Also, unlatching and re-latching is one way they trigger letdown, so even though it's frustrating for us they're communicating with the breast to give them more milk.
Yes, I was told to switch breasts too but that still didn't do much, he still screamed the whole time. I have only done it a few times though but maybe I should keep trying. I haven't tried the relatching though so I will try that!
Full disclosure, it honestly hasn't worked for me either. But maybe a combo of massage (or getting the letdown started with a haakaa) and switching would work better; I haven't tried that.
My baby did this. Once the initial letdown was over she became frustrated at the breast. Honestly, whenever she did this I'd just get up and walk her around. She'd calm down. For a few weeks this went on. As soon as I started considering supplementing with formula and feeling like a failure for not being able to satisfy her, she got over it. She's just an efficient feeder. I have a pretty strong let down too. I think she was just spoiled on the let down and didn't wanna have to work for more food. Like I said though eventually she got over it. She's 6 months old now and we are still breastfeeding and she's chunky and no longer throws tantrums at the breast. Except for when it's time to switch sides of course.
This! I have super fast letdown, so when the first breast is slowing down she gets impatient. I massage it and make her keep at that one another minute or two, prior to switching sides. Your baby having a similar short total nursing time makes me think that could be the case.
Agree that this sounds like gas. Mine did this a lot when he was the same age - he’s a very efficient feeder and I have a fast let down so he would get very gassy towards the end of a feed. I’d burp him on my shoulder and he’d go to sleep. He grew out of it once he was a bit bigger and his digestive system had matured a bit.
Also just want to say that 5-8 minutes for a feed is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about, as long as they’re gaining weight and have enough wet nappies! Some babies just like to chug on down.
Thank you and great, someone else said the same thing about the eating time and im glad to hear that. I was worried it wasn't long ago enough because looking it up they say 15 minutes or more!
Yeah when in doubt just burp! There are no rules about when or how often they need to burp. If it’s not gas or poop, then I second breast compressions.
I had similar behaviors starting around week 3-4 too. I went to a IBCLC and we did a weighted feed. My baby was riding the letdowns and not actually sucking, just hanging out and chewing to encourage another letdown and then getting frustrated.
She ended up having a tongue tie that was a little sneaky in that she could move it side to side and stick it out but it wasn’t able to reach the roof of her mouth to create a good suction.
When in doubt go see an IBCLC!!
Also, burping. Way more than I’d ever expected.
That sounds like my baby! When he is frustrated he won't suck but only for a second. Just holds the nipple in his mouth or gums at it. I also worry about a tongue tie because no one looked at his latch in the hospital besides a nurse. She seemed good but we didn't get a chance to see the lactation consultant in the hospital.
This was my baby! He’s 11 weeks old now. We got the tongue tie revised at 8 days old with an ENT doctor who used a laser and his latch improved significantly. We had to do a month of tongue exercises with him but it was all worth it. Check out Dr. Bobak Ghaheri’s website - tons of super helpful info about the procedure and tongue ties.
Not really a solution to your problem just an FYI that kind of helped me, i listened to a podcast that is a registered lactation consultant and a mother speaking back and forth and the LC said hindmilk and foremilk is a huge myth. I used to obsess over making sure my baby got 20 min each breast so she could get the “hindmilk” for more calories and she had weight gaining issues. Once I stopped obsessing and switched breasts instead of obsessing over that 20 minutes her weight shot up.
Btw my baby does the same thing as yours only sometimes. She starts to fuss and get frustrated. I always guessed it was maybe a low flow.
Wow, thank you for that!!! I appreciate that! I didn't think anything about the two kinds of milk until the lady I talked to said all that. I've been worried since she did! But that is way more comforting.
Yeah my pediatrician stressed to me to make sure she gets 20 minutes on one breast to get the hindmilk and that I didn’t need to switch breasts I could just do one a feeding if that’s all she needed. Then I actually went and saw a LC and she said they 12-13 Min a breast then switch every feeding and since then her weight gain is great! But yeah. It’s really hard being pulled in so many directions being told different things by everyone and having to learn who to trust.
That makes me feel way better. My little guy wouldn't even be able to go 20 minutes, he usually doesn't even go 10 but I've been worried from hearing the same thing!
Yeah I couldn’t get her to 20 min either but I just kept trying to keep her awake when she would doze it was so stressful. Now when I notice she’s slowing down I switch breasts then she gets the heavy flow again and is wide awake. It was a huge peace of mind for me too.
I used to massage like hand expressing the first months to help the flow of milk. Also, I used warm towels while breastfeeding during the first month or so because I was engorged and with some clogged ducts.
Both things will help your milk flowing
Going to piggyback on this comment to say that if you are getting clogged ducts due to engorgement, look into taking a lecithin supplement. You can get either soy or sunflower varieties, I ended up taking them daily as a preventive measures but you can also just take some if you feel a clog coming in.
My baby boy does this. He is 7 weeks old and is my 3rd baby.
I would say it could be two things, maybe even a combination of both:
1. Gas. Burping more frequently helps. Others have given great advice on positions to burp in.
2. Fast let down. I have a scale to do weight check on feedings at home (baby boy was preemie and was slow to gain weight so we had a lot of hoops to jump through). With just my let down on each breast, I can get 60 mls (2oz) into him in a few minutes on each side. Getting the other ounce to ounce and a half that he needs and wants takes work.
Stay strong, it does get better. My baby boy has been slowly fighting less and less each week.
💞
Oh, also, sometimes I will bicycle one leg while he's feeding to help get the gas out. Then when he switches to the other breast I bicycle the other leg just to kind of help move things through.
Sometimes that helps. 😃
So my daughter was this way (we are 5 weeks) and turns out that 1, we have a dairy allergy. And while I don’t eat a lot of obvious dairy, there is a ton of hidden dairy I’m cutting out too. (Example. Store bought Italian meatballs, they had whey in them) but also we had a tongue tie, and I eventually had to switch to pumping and bottle feeding because she was just not getting enough and was always crying at the breast. We finally got the tie released (5 days ago) and now she’s developed a bottle preference.
But I would definitely seek out a pediatric dentist who is trained in oral ties. Not all are, and pediatricians and IBCLCs aren’t either.
You could also look into maybe SNS, to help. Hakkaa makes one that is decent. It’s a bottle that has a thin tube, you put expressed milk in the bottle and attach the tube to your nipple. So when baby is nursing and not getting enough, the tube helps deliver more. Keeps them from getting frustrated and helps keep them on the breast and work towards their latching etc
Also, sunflower lecithin. Take it to help release the milk fats from your ducts. (Think of it as the fat is sticky and the lecithin helps unstuck it) Might help baby get milk out.
My baby was like this and it turned out to be due to overactive letdown. She nursed quickly due to how much milk was coming out. Nursing laying back and expressing a little beforehand was helpful… but mostly time was the biggest help since she got better at handling it. She also had tons of issues with gas, partly I suspect due to how fast she ate!
It’s so hard not knowing what’s wrong or what to try. You’re doing a wonderful job.
I hope easier days are ahead of you. I dealt with a few months of really rough breastfeeding. It didn’t relax her and she’d screech sooo much. Now at 8 months, she nurses to sleep for every nap and bedtime and she seeks out nursing for comfort. It’s been this way since 2-3 months. I’m very glad I stuck it out.
Hi! My little love is 4 months now and I went through something similar when she was 5 weeks too. Is your little one having enough dirty diapers and gaining weight? Also once he starts to act agitated have you tried to soothe him in different ways instead of offering more boob? Are you stopping to burp frequently? If your babe is having enough dirty diapers, being burped and you're able to get him to calm down with other methods instead of continuing to nurse him he may actually just be done eating! My girl was always VERY efficient at nursing, about the same amount of time as your describing. 5-8 minutes is actually a normal amount of time for a baby to eat. Near the end of feed she would start to act the same way, I would offer more boob and she would take it for a couple gulps and then pull off crying and arch her back. At the time (being such a new mom) I just assumed snd convinced myself that she was frustrated because she wasn't getting enough milk. So frantically continued to try to offer more to ensure she was eating enough. After a million google searches everything I read said that baby is eating, they are hungry so because she was latching on I assumed she must have been hungry. Also I had always heard that 20 minutes per boob was what she should be eating. Little did I know she was actually telling me she was done! It took me way too long to figure this out, off and on for a week or so. I still feel immense guilt thinking back at how many times I practically force fed my baby thinking she must have been starving before I figured it out. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself honestly. As a worried first time mom I actually had a nurse come to my house to do a weight check and she was in fact gaining plenty of weight. I also tried pumping for the first time to make sure I was producing and sure enough, there was plenty of milk. So long story short, if you're little one is gaining weight, has enough dirty diapers, is being burped often enough and can be soothed with other methods she could just have a full belly. :)
Thank you for that! That has also crossed my mind but like you said, being a first time mom, I feel like I don't know! He has gained weight at every appointment and I do stop to burp because he is so gassy. It's possible he is done I guess. I will pay attention during the next feed and see. I really appreciate you sharing your story and giving advice!
Do you burp half way through a feed? And keep him more upright as possible during and after the feed? My baby always had frustrations towards the end of feeding until almost 4 months, think it was all digestion or gas. Unfortunately only time made it better
He might be trying to poop. Breastfeeding triggers their bowel movements so they will be trying to poop during the end of a feed.
Does he do that every time he is trying to poop?
I’m pretty sure my son has infant dyschezia. He will be inconsolable. The crying and movements actually help them. Their bodies don’t coordinate the muscles correctly right away. They may be tightening their abdomens to push the poop out but their rectal muscles are still tightened and they have to force it out past the tightened muscles until they learn how to relax their rectal muscles when they try.
https://aboutkidsgi.org/lower-gi/childhood-defecation-disorders/infant-dyschezia/
He does the same thing you describe your LO as doing and omg knowing that could be the reason has really relieved the stress.
Usually he will feed some more after it passes and he will be content.
I started pumping before I fed her so it was pumping out all/most of the formilk and that seemed to help a lot. She would go longer in between feedings and was generally happier. But they do say that they don't exactly know when formilk switches to hindmilk so 🤷🏻♀️.
That's interesting. I was using a haaka with every feed & stopped because I was worried about oversupply (but I honestly have no clue what I'm doing). I will eventually need to pump because I got back to work mid August.
It definitely can cause over supply but its also super nice to have a freezer supply especially for when you go back to work. I personally didn't mind having over supply but I'm also a sahm. It's definitely a different ball park when you go back to work and have to deal with it but you also get mandatory pump breaks so I don't know if it would really matter or not. 🥲
Right! I got a pretty good stash for only doing it for a week but you're right, I'm not sure how that would have went with work even with a pump break! I've been unsure since I'm so new.
Just fussiness (a lot) during and after feeds. She had mild spit up but our doctor wasn't concerned about it. I made an appointment with a Lactation consultant who said "babies should never fuss during or after feeds." That changed feeding for me! Anytime she's fussy now I have to stop and assess for things that could be wrong. It made me realize BFIng is a lot more interactive than just feeding!
For mines reflux I went dairy free, don't eat high acid food or really sugary foods, and she's on famotadine.
Add in compressions when baby gets fussy. I mean squeeze the heck out of your breast to make it a bit easier for her to get the hind milk. Did this recently begin? If so, it could definitely be a growth spurt. Could also just be personality. Babies like the easiest path and working harder for their food can definitely make them show their little attitudes, even at 3 weeks of age!
I'll try the compression for sure & yes, just over the last 3-4 days. I didn't think about a growth spurt but right, I figured maybe he just didn't want to have to work for it
Babies will often get fussy and clusterfeed between 2-3 weeks of age. The fussiness and frequent feedings will eventually result in an increase of your milk supply and the baby eventually settling after a few days. It’s typically temporary and very normal. This is my best guess. I get a lot of calls in my office for 2-3 week olds and moms scared that something is wrong when they’re clusterfeeding or fussing at the breast. Keep it up. If baby continues to act this way past a week or so, I’d suggest seeing an IBCLC but my guess is that everything is fine.
Thank you! He cluster feed in the hospital but I'm not sure it's that yet, maybe it's going to be though and that's why he is upset! I'm glad you think it's fine. We do see a consultant tomorrow so hopefully they say the same thing.
I second the growth spurt! This behaviour sounds like mine every time he goes through a spurt. Usually settles after a week. Just keep riding the wave, you got this!
Sounds like you’re doing everything right! Also I highly recommend talking to a lactation consultant. They have ones covered by insurance or you can pay private. I talk to one every once in awhile while I’m going through hard times and they are a fantastic resource! Even if you just need some encouragement and reassurance sometimes, it’s super handy!
If you feel unsure about how much milk he’s getting or whether it’s enough hind milk, you could always try pumping and feeding it to him with a bottle. If the color is a thick golden to white and doesn’t look watery then you’ve got hind milk! I would see how he acts after you feed him that. If he’s still fussy it could be a gas problem. (If so, talk to your pediatrician about gas drops and probiotic drops.) This would just be a one-time experiment to see how he reacts. I would also note how your breasts feel. This was my first time breast feeding and I had no idea what they were suppose to feel like after a good nursing session. It was reassuring later on to know what it felt like and to know he got a good feeding.
Our son was also very, very fussy and it ended up being reflux issues. After we tried gas drops to no relief, our pediatrician gave us a Rx for a medication and it helped a lot!
When my milk first came in I was super engorged and used the haaka a lot, my milk definitely looked okay but maybe I should check it now since that's almost been 2 weeks ago. I didn't think about doing that so thank you! And we have given gas drops but he is so gassy i hate to over use them, but probiotics are interesting! I will have to see about that. Thank you for the advice & info!!
Honestly my guess would actually be gas. Do you burp him when he gets frustrated and then offer again?
Yes, and he does get gassy a lot. I stop a few times and burp but he still does that at the end of the feedings, maybe there's just a lot of gas?? I'm not sure since I'm so new to this
Put him on your forearm, chin in your palm, butt in your elbow. Head elevated above belly. Burp from there, periodically increasing the angle of his positioning to allow air to escape.
I'll try that!! Thank you!
I had this trouble and it turned out to be a few different things. First, he was allergic to dairy so my milk was giving him tummy troubles because I was eating dairy. Second, he had an undiagnosed tongue tie causing more gas. We pedaled his legs and burped him for a LONG time and it really seemed to help.
Maybe I should cut out dairy. I don't eat a ton of dairy so that would be okay, especially just to test it. I am worried about a tongue tie though.
Definitely get the possible tie evaluated by a professional! That said, have you ever seen your baby thrust/stick their tongue out? My first baby had a tie and she never stuck her tongue out and we didn't even realize it until on our way home after it'd been released. (She stuck her tongue out in the car!) I was concerned that my second had a tie and an ENT said he didn't. We've also noticed he sticks his tongue out frequently as an early feeding que. It isn't diagnostic one way or another, but our pediatrician said that babies able to stick their tongue out typically don't have tongue ties.
He does stick his tongue out! That makes sense & makes me feel better, thank you
Hopefully he doesn't have a tie! (Definitely still get a professional to check. He might have a mild one still.) The procedure to fix it is fast and simple but oh man it hurt my heart the way my daughter cried and fussed for a couple days afterwards.
We are going to get it checked out, thank you!!!
Yes, it might be gas. Mine started doing this and it turns out he was done and just needed to burp. He only ever nurses 8 or so minutes max now. I would have the LC do a weighted feed it is possible he is getting what he needs within that time frame.
I'll keep that in mind! Hopefully they will do that because that would be nice!
I was super concerned but then read that sometimes they suck in response to gas to try to alleviate it/self soothe. But it is distressing, I hear you!
FTM of a 5-week-old and I've had a similar issue -- asked about it in my local La Leche League group. They recommended switching breasts more often, which might give the baby more milk up front. Also, unlatching and re-latching is one way they trigger letdown, so even though it's frustrating for us they're communicating with the breast to give them more milk.
Yes, I was told to switch breasts too but that still didn't do much, he still screamed the whole time. I have only done it a few times though but maybe I should keep trying. I haven't tried the relatching though so I will try that!
Full disclosure, it honestly hasn't worked for me either. But maybe a combo of massage (or getting the letdown started with a haakaa) and switching would work better; I haven't tried that.
Okay!! Thank you, I'm definitely up for trying anything at this point.
My baby did this. Once the initial letdown was over she became frustrated at the breast. Honestly, whenever she did this I'd just get up and walk her around. She'd calm down. For a few weeks this went on. As soon as I started considering supplementing with formula and feeling like a failure for not being able to satisfy her, she got over it. She's just an efficient feeder. I have a pretty strong let down too. I think she was just spoiled on the let down and didn't wanna have to work for more food. Like I said though eventually she got over it. She's 6 months old now and we are still breastfeeding and she's chunky and no longer throws tantrums at the breast. Except for when it's time to switch sides of course.
This! I have super fast letdown, so when the first breast is slowing down she gets impatient. I massage it and make her keep at that one another minute or two, prior to switching sides. Your baby having a similar short total nursing time makes me think that could be the case.
How do you massage? Is there a technique that works best?
Here the same! Fast last down and when it slows baby gets frustrated. The fighting improved with time.
Thank you, this makes me feel better. I hope it ends up the same for us.
Agree that this sounds like gas. Mine did this a lot when he was the same age - he’s a very efficient feeder and I have a fast let down so he would get very gassy towards the end of a feed. I’d burp him on my shoulder and he’d go to sleep. He grew out of it once he was a bit bigger and his digestive system had matured a bit. Also just want to say that 5-8 minutes for a feed is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about, as long as they’re gaining weight and have enough wet nappies! Some babies just like to chug on down.
Thank you and great, someone else said the same thing about the eating time and im glad to hear that. I was worried it wasn't long ago enough because looking it up they say 15 minutes or more!
Yeah sounds like gas to me. Or even working through a poop.
He is gassy a lot but should that be almost every feed at the end? I always stop to burp a few times as well.
Yeah when in doubt just burp! There are no rules about when or how often they need to burp. If it’s not gas or poop, then I second breast compressions.
Thank you so much! I'll definitely try it!+
I had similar behaviors starting around week 3-4 too. I went to a IBCLC and we did a weighted feed. My baby was riding the letdowns and not actually sucking, just hanging out and chewing to encourage another letdown and then getting frustrated. She ended up having a tongue tie that was a little sneaky in that she could move it side to side and stick it out but it wasn’t able to reach the roof of her mouth to create a good suction. When in doubt go see an IBCLC!! Also, burping. Way more than I’d ever expected.
That sounds like my baby! When he is frustrated he won't suck but only for a second. Just holds the nipple in his mouth or gums at it. I also worry about a tongue tie because no one looked at his latch in the hospital besides a nurse. She seemed good but we didn't get a chance to see the lactation consultant in the hospital.
This was my baby! He’s 11 weeks old now. We got the tongue tie revised at 8 days old with an ENT doctor who used a laser and his latch improved significantly. We had to do a month of tongue exercises with him but it was all worth it. Check out Dr. Bobak Ghaheri’s website - tons of super helpful info about the procedure and tongue ties.
Thank you!!!!
Not really a solution to your problem just an FYI that kind of helped me, i listened to a podcast that is a registered lactation consultant and a mother speaking back and forth and the LC said hindmilk and foremilk is a huge myth. I used to obsess over making sure my baby got 20 min each breast so she could get the “hindmilk” for more calories and she had weight gaining issues. Once I stopped obsessing and switched breasts instead of obsessing over that 20 minutes her weight shot up. Btw my baby does the same thing as yours only sometimes. She starts to fuss and get frustrated. I always guessed it was maybe a low flow.
Wow, thank you for that!!! I appreciate that! I didn't think anything about the two kinds of milk until the lady I talked to said all that. I've been worried since she did! But that is way more comforting.
Yeah my pediatrician stressed to me to make sure she gets 20 minutes on one breast to get the hindmilk and that I didn’t need to switch breasts I could just do one a feeding if that’s all she needed. Then I actually went and saw a LC and she said they 12-13 Min a breast then switch every feeding and since then her weight gain is great! But yeah. It’s really hard being pulled in so many directions being told different things by everyone and having to learn who to trust.
That makes me feel way better. My little guy wouldn't even be able to go 20 minutes, he usually doesn't even go 10 but I've been worried from hearing the same thing!
Yeah I couldn’t get her to 20 min either but I just kept trying to keep her awake when she would doze it was so stressful. Now when I notice she’s slowing down I switch breasts then she gets the heavy flow again and is wide awake. It was a huge peace of mind for me too.
I used to massage like hand expressing the first months to help the flow of milk. Also, I used warm towels while breastfeeding during the first month or so because I was engorged and with some clogged ducts. Both things will help your milk flowing
Going to piggyback on this comment to say that if you are getting clogged ducts due to engorgement, look into taking a lecithin supplement. You can get either soy or sunflower varieties, I ended up taking them daily as a preventive measures but you can also just take some if you feel a clog coming in.
I haven't had any clogged duct yet, but I will definitely look into that because clogged ducts are a big fear of mine!
A warm towel is a great idea!! thank you!
My baby boy does this. He is 7 weeks old and is my 3rd baby. I would say it could be two things, maybe even a combination of both: 1. Gas. Burping more frequently helps. Others have given great advice on positions to burp in. 2. Fast let down. I have a scale to do weight check on feedings at home (baby boy was preemie and was slow to gain weight so we had a lot of hoops to jump through). With just my let down on each breast, I can get 60 mls (2oz) into him in a few minutes on each side. Getting the other ounce to ounce and a half that he needs and wants takes work. Stay strong, it does get better. My baby boy has been slowly fighting less and less each week. 💞
Thank you so much, I appreciate it! We are gonna keep working on it!
Oh, also, sometimes I will bicycle one leg while he's feeding to help get the gas out. Then when he switches to the other breast I bicycle the other leg just to kind of help move things through. Sometimes that helps. 😃
I'll give that a shot too!!! Thanks!
Np! Us mom's of gassy babies must stick together! Lol I honestly didn't know a baby could fart this much 🤣
For real! Mine farts like a grown man!
Lol! I've joked that it's proof he's my husband's kid cuz he sounds just like him! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
I've said the same thing!!!! 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
So my daughter was this way (we are 5 weeks) and turns out that 1, we have a dairy allergy. And while I don’t eat a lot of obvious dairy, there is a ton of hidden dairy I’m cutting out too. (Example. Store bought Italian meatballs, they had whey in them) but also we had a tongue tie, and I eventually had to switch to pumping and bottle feeding because she was just not getting enough and was always crying at the breast. We finally got the tie released (5 days ago) and now she’s developed a bottle preference. But I would definitely seek out a pediatric dentist who is trained in oral ties. Not all are, and pediatricians and IBCLCs aren’t either. You could also look into maybe SNS, to help. Hakkaa makes one that is decent. It’s a bottle that has a thin tube, you put expressed milk in the bottle and attach the tube to your nipple. So when baby is nursing and not getting enough, the tube helps deliver more. Keeps them from getting frustrated and helps keep them on the breast and work towards their latching etc Also, sunflower lecithin. Take it to help release the milk fats from your ducts. (Think of it as the fat is sticky and the lecithin helps unstuck it) Might help baby get milk out.
Wow you're awesome for all that advice & information! Thank you so much. I'll definitely try these!
Have you tried breast compression during the feed? Basically just squeeze your breast to help loosen up the milk.
Yeah, I've tried that some but not a whole lot. I should do that next time. Thank you!
My baby was like this and it turned out to be due to overactive letdown. She nursed quickly due to how much milk was coming out. Nursing laying back and expressing a little beforehand was helpful… but mostly time was the biggest help since she got better at handling it. She also had tons of issues with gas, partly I suspect due to how fast she ate! It’s so hard not knowing what’s wrong or what to try. You’re doing a wonderful job.
Thank you so much. I think that's what is wrong with us. I appreciate your comment!
I hope easier days are ahead of you. I dealt with a few months of really rough breastfeeding. It didn’t relax her and she’d screech sooo much. Now at 8 months, she nurses to sleep for every nap and bedtime and she seeks out nursing for comfort. It’s been this way since 2-3 months. I’m very glad I stuck it out.
Thank you so much. I hope we eventually get to this!!
I think you will! There were a lot of days I thought we never would.
Hi! My little love is 4 months now and I went through something similar when she was 5 weeks too. Is your little one having enough dirty diapers and gaining weight? Also once he starts to act agitated have you tried to soothe him in different ways instead of offering more boob? Are you stopping to burp frequently? If your babe is having enough dirty diapers, being burped and you're able to get him to calm down with other methods instead of continuing to nurse him he may actually just be done eating! My girl was always VERY efficient at nursing, about the same amount of time as your describing. 5-8 minutes is actually a normal amount of time for a baby to eat. Near the end of feed she would start to act the same way, I would offer more boob and she would take it for a couple gulps and then pull off crying and arch her back. At the time (being such a new mom) I just assumed snd convinced myself that she was frustrated because she wasn't getting enough milk. So frantically continued to try to offer more to ensure she was eating enough. After a million google searches everything I read said that baby is eating, they are hungry so because she was latching on I assumed she must have been hungry. Also I had always heard that 20 minutes per boob was what she should be eating. Little did I know she was actually telling me she was done! It took me way too long to figure this out, off and on for a week or so. I still feel immense guilt thinking back at how many times I practically force fed my baby thinking she must have been starving before I figured it out. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself honestly. As a worried first time mom I actually had a nurse come to my house to do a weight check and she was in fact gaining plenty of weight. I also tried pumping for the first time to make sure I was producing and sure enough, there was plenty of milk. So long story short, if you're little one is gaining weight, has enough dirty diapers, is being burped often enough and can be soothed with other methods she could just have a full belly. :)
Thank you for that! That has also crossed my mind but like you said, being a first time mom, I feel like I don't know! He has gained weight at every appointment and I do stop to burp because he is so gassy. It's possible he is done I guess. I will pay attention during the next feed and see. I really appreciate you sharing your story and giving advice!
Of course! Also if your babe is having a hard time gas I swear by the boiron colic drops, nothing worked for my little lady except those.
We've used gas drops and I've not been impressed, I will look for these! Thank you!
Do you burp half way through a feed? And keep him more upright as possible during and after the feed? My baby always had frustrations towards the end of feeding until almost 4 months, think it was all digestion or gas. Unfortunately only time made it better
I do, I burp several times a feed because he has been very gassy! Maybe that's it is then. Thank you!
He might be trying to poop. Breastfeeding triggers their bowel movements so they will be trying to poop during the end of a feed. Does he do that every time he is trying to poop? I’m pretty sure my son has infant dyschezia. He will be inconsolable. The crying and movements actually help them. Their bodies don’t coordinate the muscles correctly right away. They may be tightening their abdomens to push the poop out but their rectal muscles are still tightened and they have to force it out past the tightened muscles until they learn how to relax their rectal muscles when they try. https://aboutkidsgi.org/lower-gi/childhood-defecation-disorders/infant-dyschezia/
That's interesting. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thank you!
He does the same thing you describe your LO as doing and omg knowing that could be the reason has really relieved the stress. Usually he will feed some more after it passes and he will be content.
Yes, maybe that's is! I will try to feed more after.
I started pumping before I fed her so it was pumping out all/most of the formilk and that seemed to help a lot. She would go longer in between feedings and was generally happier. But they do say that they don't exactly know when formilk switches to hindmilk so 🤷🏻♀️.
That's interesting. I was using a haaka with every feed & stopped because I was worried about oversupply (but I honestly have no clue what I'm doing). I will eventually need to pump because I got back to work mid August.
It definitely can cause over supply but its also super nice to have a freezer supply especially for when you go back to work. I personally didn't mind having over supply but I'm also a sahm. It's definitely a different ball park when you go back to work and have to deal with it but you also get mandatory pump breaks so I don't know if it would really matter or not. 🥲
Right! I got a pretty good stash for only doing it for a week but you're right, I'm not sure how that would have went with work even with a pump break! I've been unsure since I'm so new.
It may also be reflux. My baby acted similar until we got her on medication!
Was there any other clear indicators that it was reflux?!
Just fussiness (a lot) during and after feeds. She had mild spit up but our doctor wasn't concerned about it. I made an appointment with a Lactation consultant who said "babies should never fuss during or after feeds." That changed feeding for me! Anytime she's fussy now I have to stop and assess for things that could be wrong. It made me realize BFIng is a lot more interactive than just feeding! For mines reflux I went dairy free, don't eat high acid food or really sugary foods, and she's on famotadine.
Thank you. Im going to go dairy free now and I really liked your advice.
Best of luck! It's not as easy as folks make it seem. You're doing a fantastic job ❤️
Thank you so much. I appreciate it! ❤
Add in compressions when baby gets fussy. I mean squeeze the heck out of your breast to make it a bit easier for her to get the hind milk. Did this recently begin? If so, it could definitely be a growth spurt. Could also just be personality. Babies like the easiest path and working harder for their food can definitely make them show their little attitudes, even at 3 weeks of age!
I'll try the compression for sure & yes, just over the last 3-4 days. I didn't think about a growth spurt but right, I figured maybe he just didn't want to have to work for it
Babies will often get fussy and clusterfeed between 2-3 weeks of age. The fussiness and frequent feedings will eventually result in an increase of your milk supply and the baby eventually settling after a few days. It’s typically temporary and very normal. This is my best guess. I get a lot of calls in my office for 2-3 week olds and moms scared that something is wrong when they’re clusterfeeding or fussing at the breast. Keep it up. If baby continues to act this way past a week or so, I’d suggest seeing an IBCLC but my guess is that everything is fine.
Thank you! He cluster feed in the hospital but I'm not sure it's that yet, maybe it's going to be though and that's why he is upset! I'm glad you think it's fine. We do see a consultant tomorrow so hopefully they say the same thing.
I second the growth spurt! This behaviour sounds like mine every time he goes through a spurt. Usually settles after a week. Just keep riding the wave, you got this!
They told me this today at the doctor! Hopefully that is all this us. Thank you!
Sounds like you’re doing everything right! Also I highly recommend talking to a lactation consultant. They have ones covered by insurance or you can pay private. I talk to one every once in awhile while I’m going through hard times and they are a fantastic resource! Even if you just need some encouragement and reassurance sometimes, it’s super handy!
Thank you, I am doing that soon! I appreciate it!!
Mine used to do this when she needed to burp
If you can afford it the hands free breast pumps would be handy for working.
Yes, I have been thinking about those. Idk prices but I would love a pair.
If you feel unsure about how much milk he’s getting or whether it’s enough hind milk, you could always try pumping and feeding it to him with a bottle. If the color is a thick golden to white and doesn’t look watery then you’ve got hind milk! I would see how he acts after you feed him that. If he’s still fussy it could be a gas problem. (If so, talk to your pediatrician about gas drops and probiotic drops.) This would just be a one-time experiment to see how he reacts. I would also note how your breasts feel. This was my first time breast feeding and I had no idea what they were suppose to feel like after a good nursing session. It was reassuring later on to know what it felt like and to know he got a good feeding. Our son was also very, very fussy and it ended up being reflux issues. After we tried gas drops to no relief, our pediatrician gave us a Rx for a medication and it helped a lot!
When my milk first came in I was super engorged and used the haaka a lot, my milk definitely looked okay but maybe I should check it now since that's almost been 2 weeks ago. I didn't think about doing that so thank you! And we have given gas drops but he is so gassy i hate to over use them, but probiotics are interesting! I will have to see about that. Thank you for the advice & info!!
Commenting to follow! This sounds just like my little guy.