I have a 5 week old, and I can't always tell between a hungry cry and an overtired cry. Any ideas?

Question

We are on a 3 hour feeding schedule, so it makes sense when she cries "on time" to eat. But other than that, when she is hysterical between feedings, I am at a loss! She could be going through a growth spurt, and really need more food. I'm stumped. Any input is appreciated!

We are on a 3 hour feeding schedule, so it makes sense when she cries "on time" to eat. But other than that, when she is hysterical between feedings, I am at a loss! She could be going through a growth spurt, and really need more food. I'm stumped. Any input is appreciated!

Wow! Great answers. Thank you, everybody, your information helps a lot. And congratulations to all of you, too.

Answer 1

if your 5 week old is "hysterical" between feedings i am going to guess it is gas!!!!! run fast as you can and get some mylecon drops (they are a bit pricey but totally worth it). if that does not seem to help then i am gonna have to say you might have a bit of a colicy baby. always call your pediatrician they are (or atleast should be) very helpful to first time mommies!!

Answer 2

Try this: Wake up your baby every 2 hours, and if she won;t settle feed her. Alternate breasts at each feed ie if started with left then start with right next feed, you must drink andplenty and take in fresh fruit and vegies +++ eat healthy.
A hungry and a tired cry is the same note that once baby is fed baby will sleep, wind baby every 10 minutes as cramps or a feeling of fullness will occur and the child will cry more, and seem to want to feed more often, ie once the wind has broken. A child is continually growing the spurts only occur in the teens, or at the age of 8yrs to 10 yrs. Getting baby weighed is a sure way to find out if she is getting enough Breast feed exclusively for 6 months ie no water either in this period is the best.

Answer 3

It could be so many different things. It could be that at five weeks she should be hitting another growth spurt. She may be more hungry than you think she is. Try giving her a little more formula at a feeding if she can take it, or offer her a little bit between feedings. You could also try gas drops. They can be a wonderful thing. Every baby is different, so it is hard to say what is going to work for your child, you just have to keep trying. Congratulations on your baby! Don't you wish she had come with instructions?

Answer 4

Poor baby! Poor you! Some things that have worked for me: Reduce the stimulation. Some babies cannot take the constant barrage of TV, radio, dogs barking, people passing her around. Forget the pacifier, not every baby likes one. Try wrapping her like a burrito, so that her arms and legs cannot flail around. Holding her like a football might help put some pressure on her tummy if she has gas. Also the suggestion of gas drops is good (I would not try that dill recipe without checking it out from another reliable source). Also the bicycling of her legs can help getting out the gas. I don't know if you are breast or bottle feeding, but either one has issues. Breast feed babies can sometimes get gassy from things that the mother eats - see the La Leche League site for info on that. Bottle fed babies may have issues with the formula or the bottles. Some bottles let in too much air. The real cue to gas is if she is pulling her little legs up to her tummy. Recap: Cut down the stimulation, check for gas, check her food source. Try the burrito wrap, try wearing the baby, a swing is a great thing...I hope you get some relief. Remember she is just a baby. If you get too stressed, put her down for a minute and go decompress. Shaking her will damage her. If she doesn't stop with these ideas. Find a pediatirican who will take your concern seriously and help you find an answer.

Answer 5

Yes, she could be on a growth spurt. also she may not be getting enough at the feeding to support her for the full 3 hours. try adding an ounce... or mix in a very small amount of baby cereal. i started my son on cereal at 4 weeks. he went from a 3 hour feeding scheudal to 6 hours within a month of being on cereal. if you baby is easily conforted by being held and rocked with a paci then she probably isnt hungry. try sticking tot he schedual. if she wont stop crying give her about an once of formula. then see what happens aftter that.

Answer 6

I recently heard from a childhood expert that if the cry sounds like "nah" with an n sound at the beginning, then that is a hunger cry. Sometimes it's hard to tell by the sound, so I watch the mouth during the cry to see if the baby's tongue is pressing against the roof of the mouth with each wail and making an "n" sound. Hope that helps.

Answer 7

Watch her before she cries and if she does a suckling thing, she is hungry. If she pulls her feet up while she is crying she may have a tummy ache. My daughter would always cry between feedings without warning she would start crying and swallowing air and breathing funny.I asked her doctor and she told me that my baby had acid reflux.She was breathing funny because she was trying to breath around the acid that was coming up her throat. We got her some meds and now she is 4 mos and is over it.

Answer 8

I have 4 sons and I think at 5 weeks old it is trial and error. If you have just fed the baby then it might just be the "fussy time" I think about this age most babies develop a fussy time of day. It could also be that your babies appetite is increasing. When my babies did this I would try to feed them just a little more to see if they were still hungry. I hope I have helped.

Answer 9

If you run your finger across her cheek or mouth and she turns her head she's still hungry. If she doesnt then it could be gas. Try giving her Mylicon drops before her feeding and see if that helps. My daughter is also 5weeks old and when she cries in between feedings and naps thats what her problem is....just an uncomfortable gassy tummy.

Answer 10

There is no such thing as "between feedings." If she crys and seems hungry, then that is when you feed her. You need to watch her, not a clock. Are you nursing? If so, it's impossible to breastfeed too often. Just offer her the breast and see if she's hungry.