What's up??

[maumau]

My 5 wk old has taken well to breast feeding and we had a fairly regular pattern of sleeping/eating. However, in the past two days she has been really fussy in the afternoon and every time I pick her up she roots and cries. She feeds normally every two and a half hours (sucking and swallowing regularly for about 20 minutes). She spits out the pacifier (which she had taken in the past), rejects my finger, and basically only calms down when I bf. When she is just sucking, she starts strongly for two minutes and then just lightly sucks for up to ten before she sleeps. I put her down and then she starts crying again. My husband can play with her and hold her without getting hungry faces for at least a half hour. Any thoughts?

[auzziekat]

My immediate reaction is: GROWTH SPURT!

Does This Mean There's Something Wrong With My Milk Supply?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/normal.html

The good news about growth spurts is that your milk is obviously making baby growth and thrive, and the spurt itself is just temporary.

Growth spurts happen around the newborn period, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 mos and 6 mos, but they can happen at any time. In general, they are signified by baby wanting to nurse constantly, and never seeming quite happy or completely satisifed. Mom, naturally, is concerned and assumes baby is starving and needs more to eat. All too often, enter bottle and formula, stage left.

Mom's instinct is right, too, in that baby needs more to eat. S/he's creating that by nursing so frequently. If baby gets formula, it stops him/her from nursing so much. If baby doesn't nurse as much, mom's supply doesn't go up. If mom's supply doesn't go up, she gets caught in a terrible cycle of needing more and more formula while lowering her supply further and further. Or, as LLL puts it:

"...babies will experience several "growth spurts" in the first few months of life. Generally, these occur around two to three weeks, six weeks and three months of age or they may happen at any time. These are days when baby wants to nurse longer and more frequently to build up mother's milk supply. Follow baby's lead on this by letting him breastfeed as often and as long as he wants. This will help bring up milk supply quickly. The breasts work on the law of supply and demand. The more baby "tells" mother's breasts to make milk, the more milk she will have.

By allowing your baby to nurse more frequently for a few days, your body will receive the message that more milk is needed for your growing baby. Once your supply has increased, your baby will usually return to his usual routine."

Also check out:

Why Does my Baby Suddenly Want to Nurse Constantly?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/spurt.html

How Can I Tell if My Baby is Getting Enough Milk?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/enough.html

How Can I Increase My Supply?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/increase.html

Goood Luck
auzziekat :)

[aidansmommy]

I have to agree with auzziekat... sounds like a growth spurt! Your daughter may be hitting the 6 week growth spurt a little early. Just keep nursing as often as she wants and things should settle down in a few days