Breasfeeding help -- daughter fussy when feeding?

Question

I need some advice from any experienced breastfeeding moms out there. I've found that my daughter is particularly fussy when breasfeeding in the afternoons/evenings the last week and I need help!
I'm exclusively breastfeeding my 4 month old daughter, born 6 weeks premature so I was pumping and bottle feeding for the first 4 1/2 weeks. We're breastfeeding normally now, about every 2 - 3 hours during the day, every 3 - 4 hours at night. She feeds for 25-30 minutes each time and is having lots of soaking wet diapers.
What worries me is that the past week she's been particularly fussy at her evening feedings and I'm not sure what could be wrong. She squirms and pulls away at the nipple like there's none there & cries. When I try to express a bit manually, there's lots there. I know she's not getting a full feeding in the evening because of this. I'm concerned about my supply diminishing because of these poorer evening feedings so I'm starting to pump again.
Suggestions?

Answer 1

You don't have to pump again in the evenings, in fact, that's the last thing you should do.

It's common for a breastfed baby to nurse almost constantly in the evening, it's called cluster feeding.

YES, your milk volume is lower, but you have MORE of the higher fat hindmilk that comes at the end of the feed and at the end of the day. It's that hindmilk that will keep her satisfied for longer and prepare her to sleep longer at night.

Hindmilk is hard to draw out. Pumps have a hard time getting that thicker great stuff out, and that's exactly why you should not introduce a pump. Your baby CAN draw out the milk, and you should let her.

Evenings is also a time where baby has just HAD it. They are over stimulated, they are tired, they just need to nurse and fuss. It could also be part of a growth spurt, or that she's reaching a developmental milestone.

You need to have faith in the process. You carried that baby, you birthed that baby, you make the best food in the right amount for your baby. As long as you nurse her when she wants, and for as long as she wants (even if it means your butt is parked on the sofa for 4 straight hours) then you do NOT need to worry about having enough milk.

Answer 2

You are fine, and she is getting fed. Many questions are to be asked. What are you eating? Is she teething already? Is she colicky? What are her BM like? All these are normal things that happen. Either way, unless she is losing weight, she is getting enough. You will always be able to get milk out of your breast because you never run out. If you ate hot, spicey or bitter foods, sauerkraut is one food children can taste through the milk, they might be fussy, but when they are hungry they will not taste it, and when they finally do, they will be fed. Milk products that you eat, could cause colic in the baby, and when they have gas, they do not want to eat either. Also if they are constipated or have not gone yet, that affects the appetite, just likle you. Teething is also beginning feel the gums, they are hard. It will be awhile before the teeth come out, but the gums are already starting to go through the change. If your bundle of irritable joy is teething the drooling is now full force. There is one rule about baby's eating habits. If they do not take breakfast, they will take lunch. If they do not take lunch, they will take dinner. If they do not take dinner, they will have breakfast. They will eat when they are hungry. The biggest problem is how are you holding out? Drain your milk if you are engourged just into a pad. Let new milk come out. Not all milk from you has to be bottled. See if they will take a supplemental bottle of formula. If that works, you ate something that is not good. Either way, the taste buds are not as accurate as ours, and when they are hungry and thirsty they will drink.
I breastfed three children. No. 1 stopped, because she was teething and bit me so hard, that I screamed and it scared her, and she did not want to come back. The second was on the breast until 13mo. when she preferred a cup over me and the bottle. The third was 18mo. who was a preemie and he also got off, when he started to rather have a bottle and cup over me. One more thing, when I had my second child, she gave me such a hard time, and sucked so hard, I had blisters on my nipples, but it was all overcomed. My no. 1 had a rash and by a doctor told me that the baby was allergic to my breast milk. It was formula, and I had to use soy as a supplement. The doctor was off, children are not allergic to any breast milk, and it is good for them. That is why humans drink human milk, calves drink cow's milk, and every animal drinks it own kinds milk. That is how God makes it.
Do not worry. One more rule to remember. Back when your great- greatgrandmother was pregnant, nothing else was available. There was not another choice. If the baby was that bad, the baby would not make it, but look you are around, obviously your greatgrandmother, grandmother and mother made sure you are here now, so guess what. One day, you will be the great great great grandmother for a baby that will be finicky too! G-d bless and congradulations on your little girl.

Answer 3

Lots of babies have a fussy time in the evening, and really nothing seems to work. However daylight exposure particularly in the afternoon for mom and baby can help.

Its hard to advise you as to whether you need to pump, for most women I would say you don't that your supply will just adjust but it depends on how established your supply is at this point. If you are having supply problems you should really consider nursing more often. Evey 2-3 hours is not often enough for some nursing pairs, though it is for many.

She probably is getting a full feed though, she is just cluster feeding so she takes smaller amounts more often but it should add up to more overall. That is what is allowing her to go so long overnight.


Cluster Feeding and Fussy Evenings
... My baby nurses and fusses all evening! What's wrong?
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html


http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detsleepthrough.html
Human children are designed (whether you believe by millions of years of evolution, or by God, it doesn't matter) -- to nurse *very* frequently, based on the composition of the milk of the species, the fact that all higher primates (Primates are the zoological Order to which humans belong, higher primates include monkeys and apes) keep their offspring in the mother's arms or on her back for several years, the size of the young child's stomach, the rapidity with which breast milk is digested, the need for an almost constant source of nutrients to grow that huge brain (in humans, especially), and so on. By very frequently, I mean 3-4 times per hour, for a few minutes each time. The way in which some young infants are fed in our culture -- trying to get them to shift to a 3-4 hour schedule, with feedings of 15-20 minutes at a time, goes against our basic physiology. But humans are very adaptable, and some mothers will be able to make sufficient milk with this very infrequent stimulation and draining of the breasts, and some children will be able to adapt to large meals spaced far apart. Unfortunately, some mothers don't make enough milk with this little nursing, and some babies can't adjust, and so are fussy, cry a lot, seem to want to nurse "before it is time" and fail to grow and thrive. Of course, usually the mother's body is blamed -- "You can't make enough milk" -- rather than the culturally-imposed expectation that feeding every 3-4 hours should be sufficient, and the mother begins supplementing with formula, which leads to a steady spiral downward to complete weaning from the breast.

Answer 4

thats the witching hour! Maybe she just isn't really hungry enough to want a feed or is overtired and irritated thus causing her to fuss.

I would try waiting a little longer before trying to feed her so she is really hungry and keep in mind the older she gets the longer she will go between feeds. Also feed her in a room with no distractions and soft calm atmosphere. Maybe some soft music of humming will settle her down.
If she rejects the feed, then wait and do it again half an hour later. she may just not be ready yet.

Your supply isn't going to diminish because of this one or two fussy feeds a day so there is probably no need to pump just yet.
Every baby has periods of time where they change routines and that is your biggest hurdle as a parent. You need to adapt to her changing needs and figure out what is causing the fussiness. I'm sure its not your supply because you said you can pump out fine. Maybe its being tired, overstimulated, irratated, sick, wet or dirty diaper or its just that time of day.
A lot of babies get really fussy between approx 5-8pm and most mothers want to tear their hair out!!!
Nobody knows why really but its very common.

Hang in there and keep doing what you can to settle her. If she rejects the feed try again later when she is hungry enough and provide distractions to settle her.

best of luck!

Answer 5

It could be nothing. But it could be one of the following:
Have you checked inside her mouth? If she is hungry but it hurts to suck or swallow, feeding can be very frustrating. Also, the sucking motion causes discomfort if her ears are congested or infected. They don't have to be infected for there to be uncomfortable pressure behind the ear drum.
Also, have you changed anything in your diet? If you are eating or drinking something about the same time each day, maybe that is effecting the taste of your milk that is produced each evening???? I know...there are so many things to consider!!! So many possibilities.
You seem to be doing all you can though. Don't get discouraged. And definitely, don't get stressed when she starts getting frustrated as she nurses. Babies can sense your stress level and it does even affect your flow. Your stressed, frustrated reaction to her fussiness will only feed the fire. Take a deep breath and stay calm. This too shall pass.
Good luck. I will be praying for you.

Answer 6

I have dealt with that, mostly from my first one and my 4th one... and the problem for mine was taste. If I ate chocolate AT ALL ( I in fact was convinced that holding the candy in my hand would be enough! hehe) my oldest would latch on, immediately scrunch up his face, and start crying. He would be sooo hungry, but the taste was so obviously disgusting! I found that if I expressed an ounce or two, he'd be okay with it and nurse. My fourth one hated chocolate as well, but passionately LOVED when I ate curry! So much so, that he would nurse voraciously for a day when I had eaten it, and I'd be engorged by the next day because my milk supply was brought up by it. Try to figure out if you've eaten something like chocolate that she might despise, maybe that's all it is! If that doesn't help, I'd try calling La Leche League, they are great support for nursing moms. Good luck! :)

Answer 7

Maybe the flow is too fast? Because you go longer periods with out feeding during the evening, you may have more milk than during the day.... and when your baby goes to nurse, she isn't used to the forceful let down. It happened with my son, he did the same thing, acted like there wasn't anything there, but there was plenty, too much infact. Hopefully this helps. Good luck to you. :)

Answer 8

Check out what you are eating those evenings when she gets fussy breast feeding. Sometimes the food that you eat is not pleasant to her. Try eating some garlic bread!

Also, are you talking to anyone or trying to do anything else? My son used to get annoyed when I spoke when he was nursing. He liked to eat in peace and quiet.

Answer 9

Just keep at it. My baby fusses sometimes, and it's usually when he wakes up from a long stretch of sleep. He'll eventually calm down and start feeding though.