He won't stop eating

[Elicam]

Hi everyone,

sorry to post again but i really do not know what to do.

My 6 week old won't stop feeding and it is driving me mad as if he is not attched to my breast he is screaming.

He falls asleep, I put him down and he screams. He won't take the pacifier and my breast pump does not seem to be working so i am kind of stuck at the moment.

Funnily enough he sleeps at night and only wakes up for his feeds everthing 3-4 hours (last night he went 5 hours).

I need advise,I can't hold him all day and spend so much time feeding him its driving me mad.

help me please.

[have 2 kids]

How about using formula?

[AndiJ78]

The first six months of life are essentially one growth spurt after another. Your baby is nursing because he needs the nurishment. I know it can be frustrating, but that is just one of those many joys of motherhood we sign up for ; ) It does get better, just keep your chin up and it will pass. the worst thing you could do is deny him what he needs. Adding formula now is your choice, but if you want to nurse successfully for an extended period of time, adding formula now will greatly reduce the chance of doing that successfully.  Your breastmlik works on a supply and demand cycle, the more he eats the more you produce. And he is most likely trying to build that up. I am going through a similar thing right now with my 5 month old. He is coming up on his 6 month birthday and with that comes another big growth spurt. My baby who once was easy and contented for periods of time between nursing is now a nursing machine who isn't content being away from the breast for more than 1/2 hour at a stretch. but i know this will pass as he has done this several time in his young life.

Also, don't forget you baby is still so small and close to Mommy is where they want to be. You are warm, you are comforting, you are his favorite person. They have no concept of object permanence, so when you put him down and go out of sight, you are gone to them. That has to be very scary. You can't spoila baby that young, so put off whatever pressing thing you think you have to do and spend time with your baby. Before long you will be wondering where the time went. : )

[newbie2b]

Hi. I'm not a mom yet, therefore I could be completely wrong but, I've heard women on hear say that they aren't producing enough milk for the baby. Maybe that's the case for you? I dont know anything about breastfeeding and so I dont know if you can tell such a thing but maybe that's the case? Can you talk to the pediatrcian?  Good luck and I feel for you as, I'm 37 weeks and will be there soon.

[Mia28firstbaby]

My little one at six weeks went crazy eating large quantities very often...then he slept for a few days...it is probably a growth spurt.   If there is nothing else wrong and he is eating without complication and sleeping peeing and pooping normal...just give in a feed him....  That was advice given to me..in fact he will be 8 weeks tomorrow and he is doing the same thing...eating like crazy!!!    They are also fussier at this time too.

[tmv]

Please don't switch to formula. You are doing the right thing for the little one. At 6 weeks, they have growth spurts and eat more. Also, try some mylicon drops, if they have a tummy ache, they nurse more often. Check to see that you aren't eating anything that may be gassing him. With my dd, eggs were the worse things on her gas.Best wishes to you.

[mum2beagain]

Mine was just the same at 6 weeks, nearly gave up bfeeding. It got better at 8 -9 weeks.

[twiceadopt]

mine's 4 weeks and has been doing the same thing today. she'll eat for 20 minutes, wriggle and fuss for 5, eat another 10-15. MAYBE nap for a bit, then it starts again. normally she's happy to be awake and not eat, but some days she doesnt seem to know what to do with herself. i definitely understand the problem... my nipples are killing me and its like you're glued to the couch/chair. i've been told that this passes... guess we'll find out :)

[AnnieBrooke]

When I had a similar problem with my son, I started giving him small amounts (less than the recommended dose) of Mylicon with feedings.  It helped settle his stomach a lot.  Just a thought.

[Elicam]

Thank you for your advice Andij78, I know your right, I don't want to add formula, I just have to be patient.

Newbie, I know that I am producing enough milk, as he sometimes spits it out as it comes out to fast for him to swallow.

I just have to learn to be patient and relax. I really don't know what I am complaining about anyway. He slept for 4 hours (I then feed and changed him) and then he slept for another 4 hours. My husband is with him now, so I can have a few minutes to myself.

Thank you all again. Dont' know what I would do without you.

[AndiJ78]

I am reaping the rewards of the last week of constant feedings myself! My little bugger zonked out an hour ago and is out like a light!! My shoulders and back (my poor nipple, too!) finally have a break!

Keep in mind this will continue pretty frequently dureing the first 6 months or so. But that is sucha  huge period for rapid growth. Most aabies double their birthweight by 6 months and triple it by 12. My fella is only a few lbs shy of tripling his hefty 8 lb 14 ounce birthweight and he'll be 6 months next saturday! As you can imagine, nursing on one breast exclusively means I have a permanent tush print in my chair!

[RhiM29]

When my son was born I tried breastfeeding. He never released on his own so it took me nearly a month to realize I wasn't producing enough milk. I worked with a breastfeeding coach from the hospital and couldn't get my milk to come in. Because he wasn't eating enough, he wasn't dirting his diaper very much which allowed him to get jaundice. Without bowel movements baby's bodies can't remove biliruben.

You should get another pump and check how much milk is actually coming out when he feeds. He may not be getting enough and could be why he keeps wanting to feed. Breast feeding is a wonderful experience and very healthy for the baby but some woman can't do it. I had my daughter in Jan of this year and still couldn't produce milk. My doctor says I may be lacking a hormone that aids in labor and milk production. There's nothing wrong with formula feeding. My son is 2 1/2 and has never been sick and is in the 70% on the growth charts. Hope this helps.