Hello Friends,

My little daughter (4 weeks old) has become real fussy & screams now a days. Sometime I don't know how to make comfortable / console.. I am only breatfeeding her.

Below are the symptoms -

1. Generally cries a lot in the evening
2. In the evening she does not nurse well, neither sleeps. In the evening she want to feed within 45 minutes or so..
3. Getting greenish poop at night (generally) not very often
4. Sleeps only 10-12 hrs... many time its not solid sleep...
5. At night she feed avg 2.5 to 3 hrs and only for 5 to 10 minutes... Even in the morning she hardly feed for 15 minutes not more than that..

Here are my queries... need your expert guidance... I am really worried.

1. Many symptoms are similar to Colic or Oversupply of Breatmilk.. How can I know what happened to my baby ? FYI, I have stopped eating diary products.

2. I generally feed her one breat at a time. But I feel that it can be over production of milk specially in the evening as milks leaks almost all time in the eve or Night. Now if I feed her say after 30 -45 minutes in the evening ( generally baby cries a lot and when I feed her she at least keeps quite for some time) will it be overfeeding?. (baby max feed for 5-10 mins)does really baby overfeed themselves ? How can I know that its overfeed ? Because overfeed makes colic wrost (if suppose baby is having colic)...

3. How can control her fussiness ? Holding baby all the time generally make her calm... but as I am working & will join office soon... Holding baby all the time will not help me... so what extra I can do to handle the situation without holding her on lap/feeding her to make her quite ?

All please let me know your idea / suggestion. I am really worried about situtation.. I have been helpful all the time by this forum and all of you... again I need your help... looking for your suggestion.

Thanks

First you need to be relaxed and not stressed yourself.
Is she fussing only during feeding time or after as well?
You say she does not nurse well but you feel she may be getting too much so I am not sure what you are asking here.
Also are you still taking your vitamins and do they contain iron?
Often a green stool is a sign of too much iron. Certain foods such as grape juice will cause this too. So watch what you are eating.

Hello Firends,

My lil daughter (4 weeks old) has become real fussy & screams now a days. Sometime I don't know how to make comfortable / console..I am only breatfeeding her.

Below are the symptoms -

1. Generally cries a lot in the evening
2. In the evening she does not nurse well, neither sleeps. In the evening she want to feed withing 45 mins or so..
3. Getting greenish poop at night (generally) not very often
4. Sleeps only 10-12 hrs...many time its not solid sleep...
5. At night she feed avg 2.5 to 3 hrs and only for 5 to 10 mins...Even in the morning she hardly feed for 15 mins not more than that..

Here are my queries ...need your expert guidance...I am really worried.

1. Many symptoms are similar to Colic or Oversupply of Breatmilk..How can I know what happend to my baby ? FYI, I have stopped eating diary products.

2. I generally feed her one breat at a time. But I feel that it can be over production of milk specially in the evening as milks leaks almost all time in the eve or Night. Now if I feed her say after 30 -45 mins in the evening ( generally baby cries a lot and when I feed her she at least keeps quite for some time) will it be overfeeding ?....(baby max feed for 5-10 mins)does really baby overfeed themselves ? how can i know that its overfeed ? because overfeed makes colic wrost (if suppose baby is having colic) ...

3. How can control her fussiness ? Holding baby all the time generally make her calm...but as I am working & will join office soon...Holding baby all the the time will not help me...so what extra I can do to handle the situation without holding her on lap/feeding her to make her quite ?

All please let me know your idea / suggestion. I am really worried about situtation.. I have been helpful all the time by this forum and all of you....again I need your help ...looking for your suggestion.

Thanks


You won't overfeed a breastfed baby, so don't worry about giving her too much. Feeding every 2.5 - 3 hours is perfectly normal. Breastfed babies will generally eat more often than formula fed babies because breastmilk is more easily digested. If she is only going for about 5 or 10 minutes however, she may be getting just mostly foremilk and not enough hindmilk... this can be a reason for the green stools. If you have a good milk supply, offering one breast only at a feed is fine... you may also find she will get more hindmilk if you put her back to the same breast at the next feed... for example, two or three feeds on one side, than switch for the next two or three feeds.

Is she falling asleep and that is why she is only going that long... or does she become fussy and come off after that long? If she is falling asleep, try tickling down her back, rub her head, use a wipe on her arm, massage your breast a bit... just enough to get her to suckle some more but not come off the breast. You may find if you just take her off, unwrap her a bit or act like you are going to change her diaper, she will likely stir some more and you can put her back on. If she is wrapped up, unwrap her... sometimes they get too comfy and will zonk out on you.

If she gets fussy soon after going on and backs off, it could be an overactive letdown... this can account for the leaking from the other breast when you are feeding. Try massaging the breast prior to putting her on to elicit let down, or express a bit first. You can also try leaning back a bit more and so she has to feed against gravity a bit. She will adjust to the flow, but it can be frustrating at first.

Babies often get a bit fussy later in the evening... she may want to nurse more often at this time if she is going longer stretches between feeds during the day. You could try feeding her a little more often in the day, even if it means trying to wake her once in awhile.

She is not nursing well.. but I mean to say that I am producing over milk which may be causing foremilk& hindmilk imbalance... not sure...

She is fussy during feed now a days as well as in the evening... screams like anything.. I am not able to understand why she is behavin that way... what is the problem.. I m really worried about her..

Thanks

You won't overfeed a breastfed baby, so don't worry about giving her too much. Feeding every 2.5 - 3 hours is perfectly normal. Breastfed babies will generally eat more often than formula fed babies because breastmilk is more easily digested. If she is only going for about 5 or 10 minutes however, she may be getting just mostly foremilk and not enough hindmilk....this can be a reason for the green stools. If you have a good milk supply, offering one breast only at a feed is fine....you may also find she will get more hindmilk if you put her back to the same breast at the next feed...for example, two or three feeds on one side, than switch for the next two or three feeds.

Is she falling asleep and that is why she is only going that long...or does she become fussy and come off after that long? If she is falling asleep, try tickling down her back, rub her head, use a wipe on her arm, massage your breast a bit...just enough to get her to suckle some more but not come off the breast. You may find if you just take her off, unwrap her a bit or act like you are going to change her diaper, she will likely stir some more and you can put her back on. If she is wrapped up, unwrap her...sometimes they get too comfy and will zonk out on you.

If she gets fussy soon after going on and backs off, it could be an overactive letdown....this can account for the leaking from the other breast when you are feeding. Try massaging the breast prior to putting her on to elicit let down, or express a bit first. You can also try leaning back a bit more and so she has to feed against gravity a bit. She will adjust to the flow, but it can be frustrating at first.

Babies often get a bit fussy later in the evening.....she may want to nurse more often at this time if she is going longer stretches between feeds during the day. You could try feeding her a little more often in the day, even if it means trying to wake her once in awhile.


Hi DoualaLC,

Thanks for the answer.. Now I am bit relieved regarding the "overfeeding"...
So even if my baby wants to nurse after 1 hr I can give.. I was confused as I heard that they can only feed only after 2 hr - 3hr... so thought if I feed her within that time frame its may be overfeed.

Yes I generally unwrap her during feeding
Many time yes she falls asleep after feeding 5 - 10 minutes. But I try to wake her up..

After reading your comment it seems you want me to try block-feeding... Ok I will try this one... anything else should I follow... any special diet ?

Thanks again

Another question... If some day she nurses for only 4 times do I need to worry a lot?. she is not at all interested to feed today and within 12 hrs she just nurse only twice... please tell me what should I do ?

You should check with the dr he can usually tell by weight and health if she needs to eat more or less.
Also if she is not getting enough milk you might try giving her a bottle as well.
They use to say one or the other but now pediatricians are saying you can give both.

But is this normal ? Today she is not at all feeding and when ever I am trying to feed her (breast) she is just crying a lot... some time we are not able to handle her..

Please tell me if any one of you faced same thing... she used to nurse really well previously... I don't know what happened suddenly... please tell me

Try just not feeding her one time when she cries and refuses and see how it goes.
She will let you know when she gets hungry.

Certainly feed her as often as she appears hungry... watch for her cues, smacking her lips, tongue thrusting, sucking on her hand... if you wait until she is crying, you have missed her hunger cues. Besides, since it is not going smoothly at the moment, all the more reason to have her on frequently so that you both get the practice. Down the road some babies will get their fill in 5 - 10 minutes, but she is a bit young for that.

Frequent feeding is key in the early weeks for building your supply and for both of you becoming very comfortable with what you are doing. You will feel like you are wearing her at times... and that is just fine. Expect it... it's normal, and it will benefit you both. It is very important not to compare your breastfed baby with a formula fed baby... they do not eat the same, gain weight the same, or sleep the same.

An overactive letdown may be the reason she is fussing at the breast... try the different things that may help with that, again sometimes it is mostly just a matter of time for her to get it figured out. The imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk most often comes from the very short feeds as she may not be on long enough for there to be much transition to the hindmilk... the block feeding may help with this. Even if it was just an hour before, if she is showing you cues, put her back on.

Breastfeeding can be a real commitment and while it is natural and normal, it is not always easy in the early weeks.

Look at how much she is eating in a 24 hour period. If she is nursing more often at some points during the day or night, she may nurse less at others. When she is just awake and quiet, try to put her on.

Output can help give you an idea of what she is taking in... you should have a minimum of 6 - 8 wet diapers a day... you may need to put a paper towel in the diaper (if you are using disposable) to tell if she has wet since they are so absorbent, you may not be able to tell whether she has gone. She will likely still have a few bowel movements... occasional green is not a problem, but the majority should be mustardy yellow.

Keep a record of how often, and for how long, she feeds and what her diapers are like for a couple of days to get an idea of what she is doing overall.

With not being able to see exactly what she is doing when latched on it is only speculation as to what the issue may be. You may want to see if your doctor, or where you gave birth, can put you in touch with a lactation consultant to help. Also, some areas will have groups, such as La Leche League where you can find some support as well. I would do so soon if things don't get better. It can be tempting to give up if things get frustrating, better to seek out the support before it gets to that point.

Hi DoulaLC,
First of all thanks for your continuous reply with my queries. But still I need some more suggestions - hope you will not mind...

One thing I am confused about block feeding...
I read that if I pump (by hand say) then it will in fact increase milk production... but I have to pump a bit... what should I do because baby is refusing to nurse if there is breast is full.
Secondly, in case of block feeding - say I feed in one breast for 3 / 4 times and the start the other then other breast will be full with foremilk by the time... so should I pump it out ?

Can you please tell me exactly what should I do?
Thanks in advance.

Certainly feed her as often as she appears hungry....watch for her cues, smacking her lips, tongue thrusting, sucking on her hand....if you wait until she is crying, you have missed her hunger cues. Besides, since it is not going smoothly at the moment, all the more reason to have her on frequently so that you both get the practice. Down the road some babies will get their fill in 5 - 10 minutes, but she is a bit young for that.

Frequent feeding is key in the early weeks for building your supply and for both of you becoming very comfortable with what you are doing. You will feel like you are wearing her at times....and that is just fine. Expect it...it's normal, and it will benefit you both. It is very important not to compare your breastfed baby with a formula fed baby....they do not eat the same, gain weight the same, or sleep the same.

An overactive letdown may be the reason she is fussing at the breast...try the different things that may help with that, again sometimes it is mostly just a matter of time for her to get it figured out. The imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk most often comes from the very short feeds as she may not be on long enough for there to be much transition to the hindmilk...the block feeding may help with this. Even if it was just an hour before, if she is showing you cues, put her back on.

Breastfeeding can be a real commitment and while it is natural and normal, it is not always easy in the early weeks.

Look at how much she is eating in a 24 hour period. If she is nursing more often at some points during the day or night, she may nurse less at others. When she is just awake and quiet, try to put her on.

Output can help give you an idea of what she is taking in.....you should have a minimum of 6 - 8 wet diapers a day....you may need to put a paper towel in the diaper (if you are using disposable) to tell if she has wet since they are so absorbent, you may not be able to tell whether or not she has gone. She will likely still have a few bowel movements...occasional green is not a problem, but the majority should be mustardy yellow.

Keep a record of how often, and for how long, she feeds and what her diapers are like for a couple of days to get an idea of what she is doing overall.

With not being able to see exactly what she is doing when latched on it is only speculation as to what the issue may be. You may want to see if your doctor, or where you gave birth, can put you in touch with a lactation consultant to help. Also, some areas will have groups, such as La Leche League where you can find some support as well. I would do so soon if things don't get better. It can be tempting to give up if things get frustrating, better to seek out the support before it gets to that point.

Hi ,

I have two queries about block feed which I am confused..

1. If I feed my baby 3-4 time in one breast and then start the other then by that time other will be full with foremilk again... should I pump (by hand say)it out again ?

2. Secondly, I read that if I pump out then that in fact will increase milk production... so what's the other way to handle the same ? Because baby is refusing to nurse when breast is full...

3. How much should I pump out ? Till all formilk goes off ?

Thanks

Hi DoulaLC,
First of all thanks for your continous reply with my queries. But still I need some more suggestions - hope you will not mind ....

One thing I am confused about block feeding...
I read that if I pump (by hand say) then it will infact increase milk production...but I have to pump a bit ...what should I do because baby is refusing to nurse if there is breast is full.
Secondly, in case of block feeding - say I feed in one breast for 3 / 4 times and the start the other then other breast will be full with foremilk by the time...so should I pump it out ?

Can you please tell me exactly what should I do?
Thanks in advance.


Any stimulation, by baby or pumping, will tell your body to produce more, but it should be done after a feeding, for example if you are wanting to start a supply to keep in the freezer or fridge... or, for a very short time prior to a feed if you are just trying to get passed let down (when the flow can sometimes be too much, which can cause baby to be fussy and back off). If you think part of the issue might be overactive letdown... she is fussy soon after going on the breast, does she gag or sputter as well, and not want to go back on?. then express just for a short time, until the milk starts flowing freely, then put her on. Either way, you need to move the milk... preferrably by baby, but by pump or hand expression if need be. This is for your comfort, to avoid engorgement... which can make them so hard baby can't latch on well, and to avoid blocked milk ducts or infection.

With blockfeeding, because of the frequency of being on the one breast for a few feeds, more of the hindmilk will still be at the forefront. When you go to the other, don't worry about the foremilk as long as you can try and keep her going a little longer, it will transition. Try the massage of the breast while she is on, often the movement of the nipple in her mouth will cause her to start sucking again. If she starts to doze off, massage some more... take her off and change her diaper than put her back on... wipe her with a washcloth or baby wipe, take her off... hold her up and talk to her a bit, try to get her going a little longer... even an extra 5 or 10 minutes can sometimes make the difference. She will get better with it... and she will start to feed more efficiently... it takes time and patience.

Any stimulation, by baby or pumping, will tell your body to produce more, but it should be done after a feeding, for example if you are wanting to start a supply to keep in the freezer or fridge....or, for a very short time prior to a feed if you are just trying to get passed let down (when the flow can sometimes be too much, which can cause baby to be fussy and back off). If you think part of the issue might be overactive letdown....she is fussy soon after going on the breast, does she gag or sputter as well, and not want to go back on??....then express just for a short time, until the milk starts flowing freely, then put her on. Either way, you need to move the milk...preferrably by baby, but by pump or hand expression if need be. This is for your comfort, to avoid engorgement...which can make them so hard baby can't latch on well, and to avoid blocked milk ducts or infection.

With blockfeeding, because of the frequency of being on the one breast for a few feeds, more of the hindmilk will still be at the forefront. When you go to the other, don't worry about the foremilk as long as you can try and keep her going a little longer, it will transition. Try the massage of the breast while she is on, often the movement of the nipple in her mouth will cause her to start sucking again. If she starts to doze off, massage some more......take her off and change her diaper than put her back on....wipe her with a washcloth or baby wipe, take her off...hold her up and talk to her a bit, try to get her going a little longer....even an extra 5 or 10 minutes can sometimes make the difference. She will get better with it....and she will start to feed more efficiently....it takes time and patience.



Can Baby bath help in this case to handle fussiness... what is normal frequency to bath a baby of 4 weeks?. should I bath her every day and wet her head?.

My daughter baths her baby every night at 9 p.m.
I think it is good because it gets them use to a routine and then when they are older they do not fight as much about bath time.
It very likely does calm them too.

As NOhelp4u said, some babies love their baths and find it very relaxing... bath, jammies, fed, cuddled, down to bed. Doesn't always happen over night, but it can help them get into a good bedtime routine.

You don't have to bath them everyday... they aren't doing much to get dirty yet and you are cleaning the diaper area at each change anyway.

For some babies, a bath everday may be too drying for their sensitive skin... you may find alternating works well if that is an issue. Bathe with mild soap one time, than use just plain water the next, and so on.

Some babies hate their baths, and you just learn to give them a quick bath... most will eventually enjoy it, especially once they see some cause and effect... when they move about, the water splashes... :)

Thanks a lot for all your support... Please pray for me that soon we pass this phase... and my baby become healthy soon...