Growth spurt or hungry baby?

[Sophie1106]

Hi

I have posted a few times recently about my baby's behaviour lately. My 6 wk old feeds constantly between 4 and 9pm every night interspersed with general grumpiness and impatience at the breast. Today she has started early. This has been happening for about 2 weeks and has had me analysing constantly for what could be wrong. It seems according to the Health Visitor that she is having a growth spurt which normally lasts 3-4 days but every baby is different. I am personally beginning to wonder whether she is just v. hungry she is gaining a lot of weight and am considering frequent top ups or swapping to ff altogether but I know it has it's disadvantages also. Has anyone experienced anything similar and if so do you have any advice to give. Thanks in advance for your support.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Hello - well I can only tell you about my children. Both of them were born at a regular weight - DD 75th percentile and DS 50th. Both shot up in weight on breastmilk to over the top of the chart. This happened from five weeks and continued till nine months with both. However I kept up with feeding both and in fact am still feeding both so am tandem feeding them so it's perfectly possible to satisfy hungry, fast growing babies with just milk. However it is tiring and you do need to eat and drink enough yourself.

Growth spurts with mine could last up to three weeks, but the six week one is a killer. Your milk supply has evened out by this point and then has to ramp up, coupled with the evening colic which causes constant nursing - ah yes I remember it well..... but it does get better.

By four months, both of mine were feeding every four hours (albeit round the clock for a few more months) and now DS who is one feeds about four times a day and enjoys a wide and varied diet (and he's come back onto the growth charts and is on the 91st percentile now.

So if you can keep on going, do so. It'll get better. It may be that she's under the weather at the mo - that causes comfort feeding as much as anything. Just keep an eye on her - she'll bat off whatever it is no doubt soon.

[mum2JRC]

Just posted on your other post.

Quite normal behaviour for this age. I do remember the 6 week growth spurt lasting longer than a few days. I would often have to swap sides repeatedly before my DS felt content.
Have you tried putting her in a sling. It will mean you can get on with a few things but at the same time she can stay close to you.

Also is there any baby cafes or breast feeding support groups near you as that might help

[Sophie1106]

Hi thanks for your posts. I have to say that sounds daunting because I feel like a prisoner in my own home at the moment! Luckily, my husband is around at times to help out. I have to take my hat off to you for keeping this up for 4 months. I think I am going to see how it goes, I'm not known for my patience so it will have to be a day by day thing as my mood varies day to day. I have considered getting a sling and am in the process of sizing them up for which one looks best. I think she prefers to eat upright so I will need to look into it. thanks for your help.

[mum2JRC]

Sophie1106 your right you should take it day by day and set your self little small goals on what you want to achieve.
Also as she's fretful late in the afternoon could you take her for a walk in the pram as we've still got the light evenings at the mo.
It would probably stop you feeling so stuck in the house feeding and it might calm her down a little.

I hope it all gets better for you soon

[mcflumpy]

sophie1106 I could have written this myself.
My Daughter is 7 weeks old and is currently going through her second growth spurt. Today she also started early she was on the breast from about 3.00 this afternoon, after her continuing rooting at 6pm I gave in and gave her a formua top up of which she took 5oz, I know I would have been there till 9pm to provide that much!

I can't really offer any constructive advice which I'm sure you're after, all I can say is that following growth spurt No 1 at 2 weeks, I feel a little less guilty about giving her a formula top up as I know this period will end. After the first growth spurt, my nipples were shot and I was all for giving up bf but I'm so glad I didn't.
I am setting small bf goals, initial goal was 6 weeks, now I'm aiming for 12 weeks.

The one thing I do worry about is over feeding her. I'm not sure how I figure out when a top up is too much. I'm going with the rationale that if she is hungry, she should be fed.

Best of luck and hope you manage to get through this very trying time. I'm off to look at slings now...

[mcflumpy]

meant to add, my daughter is also extremely grumpy whilst feeding at the moment. I try not to take it personally, but I initially thought maybe she wasn't getting enough milk, until she un-latched and the milk came spruting out, hopefully this aspect will pass too, maybe others could advise?...