Worried sick - please help ASAP

5*Mom

Fri, May 02 2014, 7:49 am

JewishMommyNYC wrote:

Do you know the growth spurt cycle of an infant? If she is breastfeeding exclusively then at 1 month she is having a big growth spurt and you NEED to bf her CONSTANTLY.

Most times when baby cries like this it is because they haven't had enough and need you to bf more. I'm talking about up to 8 hours of feeding at a time where there might only be short breaks when the baby falls asleep for a little while or needs a diaper change. You just have to keep feeding and if you do this constant feeding and you latch the baby on anytime he starts to cry- If you do this all day/night and the crying doesn't stop then go to a doctor. It sounds like the baby is hungry to me though.

The growth spurt doesn't last very long so hang in there.

Hmm, this hasn't been my experience at all.

Growth spurts can happen any time, of course, but they typically happen at 6 weeks. This really does not sound like hunger or a growth spurt. I think overfeeding causes more problems than underfeeding, but this doesn't sound like overfeeding either. (Well, not really overfeeding but foremilk-overfeeding which usually means hindmilk-underfeeding.)

JewishMommyNYC

Fri, May 02 2014, 8:57 am

5*Mom wrote:

Growth Spurts occur between 4-6 weeks. You dont know when your baby is having thm unless she is nursing around the clock (much more than usual) and sleeping a lot. You won't have a sleeping baby if you have a hungry baby though. In my experience, I nurse frequently and for prolonged periods of time during growth spurts and I never have issues. I've heard plenary of stories about babies who didn't get enough milk during growth spurt because the parents just didn't think the baby could Nurse that much or that they would over feed. You cannot over feed breast milk. It still sounds to me like the baby needs more nursing time, a lot more nursing time. I think you might be on to something mentioning the formilk and hind milk. OP should make sure she is spending ample time on one side before switching to make sure baby is getting hind milk.

OP I suggest you get on contact with a LLL group in your area if you think you need breastfeeding support of if you have questions with it. Www.llli.org

Here is an article about growth spurts and breast feeding:
http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurts/

Lastly I want to say that THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT AS A NEW MOM was to nurse for hours during growth spurts (taking breaks when obviously needed like to sleep, for baby to sleep, diaper changes) and any time the baby cries to nurse- this typically happens more during growth spurts. That's the best thing I was ever told and luckily I have followed it and haven't ever experienced crying baby all night.

Best of luck to you and baby. I'm just giving you my opinion because in my experience it has worked wonderfully and its the best advice I was ever given.

amother

Fri, May 02 2014, 8:57 am

5*Mom wrote:

Thanks both for commenting . I agree this baby isn't hungry - I always thought that when she was crying and tried giving her a bttle after feeding (stupid I know) and he didnt want it (or the breast). If anythin she comfort feeds ... But I let her try basically every time she cries .
I've been letting her stay on the breast for longer ( as in even when she falls asleep on me ) so that when she keeps sucking a bit she would drink milk and get to the hind milk.

Green beans are off limit as well:)

Once I figured the pain was almost for sure caused by the peas the real issue now is the restlessness - something is bugging her even if its not totally painful. So I eliminated formula (will maybe try the lactose free , sensitive one) and I'm wondering if that alone would make a difference .

abaker

Fri, May 02 2014, 9:02 am

if you nurse baby often....try offering the same side first. the fat content in milk is higher when feedings are closer together. so she will be getting more fatty hindmilk needed to grow. (my mw said foremilk/hindmilk imbalance really isnt very common)

growth spurts at 4, 6, 8 weeks = cluster feeding! baby may want to nurse all the time, but this passes very quickly as another poster said. just feed on demand. and if baby fusses at the breast she may be wayyy overtired and/or really hungry...so try to keep calm yourself and soothe her until she will latch on.

also, you mentioned just starting to give a pacifier...be sure you only give it to her if shes had a full feeding recently...if not she may be sucking on that and falling asleep briefly, only to wake up a short while later since her tummy isnt full!

you sound like a great mommy, you are not spoiling your baby...feed her and hold her as much as she wants. this stage doesnt last forever....a babys needs and wants at this age are the same thing at her age.

mazel tov and enjoy your little one!

JewishMommyNYC

Fri, May 02 2014, 9:15 am

abaker wrote:

Abaker- I couldn't agree more. That was well said.

OP another thing to try for reflux is letting the baby sleep in a car seat. Make sure she is strapped in as you would if she was being driven in a car so she's safe and just let her sleep in it. I let my baby stay in the car seat for months when needed. Even my friend who is a pediactrician let's their babies sleep in the car seat. It's actually good for them.

sweetpotato

Fri, May 02 2014, 9:20 am

Quote:

sweetpotato wrote:
OP-- have you spoken to an IBCLC (lactation consultant)? If you suspect your baby has a dairy intolerance or reflux issue, I really suggest talking to an IBCLC (in addition to your pediatrician). I would do this before cutting out dairy or making radical changes to your diet or nursing routine.

My baby (now 7 months) seemed to go haywire around 4-6 weeks, and it totally threw me for a loop. First she stopped napping, she would cry for 3 hours every night, she had green, frothy poops, she would scream and writhe in the middle of nursing, she spat up, etc. etc.

I was ready to try everything--cutting out dairy, block nursing, medicine for the baby, cutting out other foods, etc. etc. I spoke with a lactation consultant and it was immensely helpful.

A lot of it, I'm now convinced, was just normal newborn colic stuff, but it seems SO much harder to deal with when you're in the thick of it, sleep deprived, and doing it for the first time. But I did make a slight adjustment to my nursing pattern and it seemed to help.

Here's some info--but don't spend too much time with Dr. Google, because talking with a professional will be much more helpful:

http://kellymom.com/health/bab.....vity/

Keep in mind that pediatricians are not always experts on breastfeeding and babies' responses to breastfeeding. That's another reason why I highly recommend speaking with a lactation consultant as well.

Quote:

im curious- what helped you in the end?

Ultimately, I think my baby was being a "normal" 1-2 month old baby and she outgrew it. I would not have wanted to hear that at the time, but I think it's true.

The lactation consultant helped me in a lot of ways, though. First, she told me that green poop is pretty normal, and only a possible indicator of hind-milk imbalance if it is lime green. She also recommended block feeding for a short time (only do this with guidance from an LC because it can reduce your supply). I do think I was having oversupply issues around the 1-month mark, and that was making my baby upset (getting way too much milk too fast, causing her to cry and squirm around and maybe giving her a tummy ache). Block feeding for just one day helped reduce my supply a drop so both I and the baby were more comfortable.

She also told me that the only foods babies are typically sensitive too are dairy and possibly wheat, soy and a few other common allergy-provoking foods. I know people are say they had experience with their babies being sensitive to peas and the like. Could be true, but most of the clinical evidence points to these foods (like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) having no effect.

It's also very common for babies this age to want to nurse off and on for hours at a time. Mine definitely did. And to be held constantly. This is all normal, and don't let the doc tell you that you are spoiling her! A 1 month old baby CANNOT be spoiled. If you need to put your baby down for a few minutes for your own sanity--that is totally fine and you should. But it is totally normal for a baby this tiny to want to be held all the time.

amother

Fri, May 02 2014, 10:03 am

JewishMommyNYC wrote:

Oh she sleeps at night fine, she's restless during the day. But I'll def take your advice to heart and keep feeding on demand. I love it when she eats a lot before night time - this way she sleeps longer hours at night .

amother

Fri, May 02 2014, 10:30 am

JewishMommyNYC wrote:

[b]

Is it weird that she doesn't like the car seat ? I thought that abs the pacifier would help her sleep longer during the day but no luck ...