Hi ladies,
Anybody have advice about cluster feeding time in a 3 week old? My older daughter had her witching hour(s) at this age but I don't remember it being this bad. For the past week, from 10ish to 2 ish in the a.m. as I'm nursing baby will latch on, sometimes feed okay for a bit, then start moaning and looking uncomfortable and pull off. I think it may be over supply or fast let down...she then screams and cries inconsolably. I've tried wearing her in a wrap, frequent burping, tummy positions, moving while nursing. All of these work to some degree before she starts screaming again. For the nursing issue i've tried pumping some off but i fear it will make the problem worse in the long run. Ideas?
Emerging from the 4th trimester--thanx for all the advice. Wasn't diet , she just wanted to comfort nurse and my supply wasn't regulated enough yet so there was too much and she wouldn't take a pacifier. Just had to take turns bouncing and finally realized I had to get her more awake after feedings in the day
QUICK. Look around for your local LeLeche League. They are the absolute experts at breastfeeding problems.
My oldest was colicky and did the cluster feeding thing late at night as well, from about 10 to 1. She cried every day for the first 6 months from about 5 - 10 PM, no matter what I did - we walked, we wrapped, we cuddled, we wore her in a sling, we took drives, nothing helped. Finally the doctor told me to simply lay her down and take a break for half an hour after making sure she was dry and fed, etc.etc. But when she was on my lap late at night while I was watching tv she basically used me as a pacifier and fed intermittendly, but we were so happy she was quiet I did not care. After that I could put her in bed but she nursed every 2 hours until she was about 7 months when I let her cry it out. She is now 14 and has been super sensitive all her life which has positives as well as negatives. The positives are that she can entertain herself for hours even as a toddler, she is highly artistic and draws like a professional, she writes beautiful poetry, she cares deeply about her friends, and as a teenager still likes to talk to her mom (incessantly sometimes!). Hang in there, even the most colicky child outgrows it by about 3-6 months of age.
My son had severe food intolerances. He would refuse to nurse for a long time and then wanted to nurse for hours. (Breast milk has it's own natural antacid, so it can be soothing while they eat, then when they stop they are in pain.) He did a lot of spitting /throwing up/lots of screaming and crying for a long time after eating. At first the doctor did not believe it was a problem "oh, you are a first time mother, some babies spit up more than others." Especially since he was gaining a lot of weight with his mega-nursing for self-soothing. So I made a new appt, and purposely nursed him before we went in, then she got the idea.
Anyway, first they told me to go off milk and wheat. That did not help. I ended up going off everything except poultry and orange juice with a nondairy source of calcium. And then after he got much better, I started slowly adding foods back to my diet. They would have never guessed what my son had a problem with as they are the least common problem. (Legumes, broccholi, and basically green veggies that are hard to digest.)
Anyway in the meantime before I figured out what the problems in my diet were, I had to hold him up vertically after he ate and for as long as his tummy bothered him. Both are backs would ache. We tried a little zantac.. he would not take that, so the doc gave us a different one that helped a some.
Once I knew it was the diet and not milk or wheat, and I went on the extreme elimination diet.. it took about 2 weeks to start seeing a little improvement, then about a month before he was good enough to eliminate the medication.
You have gotten some great responses. In case you haven't talked to a La Leche League leader, here is the link for 3 leaders in your area.
http://www.lllofmd-de-dc.org/Cumberland.html.
Keep working with this, it will get better.
One of my daughters seems to be very sensitive to the caffeine I ingest during the evening. The earlier in the day I cut the caffeine out, the better she sleeps at night.
Have you tried a food journal of what you're eating and drinking and how it may correspond to your daughter's difficult nights?
Good luck to you. It will calm, but this is a very rough time.
If you have a fast letdown, then pumping just before nursing is the way to go. Also keep in mind to only breastfeed from one breast per feeding session.
How are her poop diapers? Soft but formed, not hard? If they are too loose, then she's getting too much foremilk, and the pumping before nursing will have a double purpose... to get the most of your let down as well as allow her access to more hindmilk.
Bicycling the legs helps with gas too.
If you think it fast let down, try leaning back or even lying down while feeding. Otherwise, it may be acid reflux, colic, gas, have you tried gas drops. I would definitely ask the ped. at her next appointment.
