4month old fussy day time feeds

[ErinMummy]

Hi!

I'm wondering if anyone recognises below and can help.

My baby is 4 months in a week and is ebf, she's been a good feeder and a good sleeper mostly. For the last couple of weeks she's become fussy at the Breast after the first two or three feeds of the day, as the day progresses she gets fussier and will only feed for a few minutes, sometimes at her bedtime feed (usually around 6:45/7pm) for just one or two minutes per side. Most likely as a result, she's also increased her one feed a night to two (first anytime from 11:00 to 01:30 and second 3/4 hours after that) and then waking at 6 instead of 7/7:30. She was going 8/9 hours and having just one feed.

I don't expect her to go back to the long sleep whilst she's not feeding properly during the day but she just won't feed. She feeds well at night. Although she never feeds for very long (15mins would be a long feed) but she's getting a lot in those good feeds. On a fussy feed she might feed well for 1 minute then pulls off every 10 seconds and I try to wind her but she's usually not got wind and once I've taken her away she doesn't want to go back on. But then she'll root and have her mouth wide open but then I get two seconds and she pulls of again crying. I don't think it can be something in my diet as she feeds well at times. I don't think it's distraction as she's not looking around when she pulls off. I don't have a slow flow so I don't think it's frustration - I can see milk. I wind her and it doesn't help so I don't think it's that. It happens a lot so it can't always be tiredness and she's not always tired when she does it, sometimes it's when she's woken from a nap. She is drooling a lot and hands constantly in mouth so assume teething. But is that it? Does that mean there is nothing I can do? (Teething gels etc before a feed don't change her behaviour)

Lots of detail but trying to anticipate questions!!

Thanks anyone who can help!

X

[Riversid3]

I don't have any advice I'm afraid but the exact same thing is happening with me and 4 month old dd so I'm watching with interest!

[Artandco]

I would start dream feeding here. When you wake them enough to feed and then resettle. That way you can feed at 7pm, then 9pm and 10.30pm. Then at least after that you get a longer stretch to sleep yourself.

[littledinaco]

I think it's really common for them to go through this fussy phase at around this age. It's also common for the '4 month sleep regression' regardless of whether they are more fussy during the day.
Am sure she will grow out of it, it's hard when you're in the middle of it though! I would say, just ride it out and it will pass.
Different nursing positions (particularly biological nursing and laying down to feed) can help and doing lots of skin to skin can help reduce the fussiness but I don't think you can get rid of it completely until they just grow out of it.