Newborn Day 5 - is this normal?

[MessyBob89]

FTM here. Confused as to whether our beautiful new daughter's behaviour is typical. Days 2-3 were actual hell - she screamed and screamed with no respite. I had a breastfeeding support visit yesterday morning and we totally turned a corner. Realised we'd got into a cycle of overtiredness and frustration and we weren't feeding enough. My milk supply I guess is being established at this stage and DD began cluster feeding yesterday evening. Fun part is it has not stopped... Longest we've gone without a feed since early hours this morning is one hour. I'm still worried about her crying although every healthcare professional has said it's normal. My concern with the cluster feeds is we are getting very little respite in between, she'll doze in between and might get like 30 seconds of rooting then straight into blood curdling cries. She'll get so worked up in one minute flat, going bright red and can't settle her - just have to try to control it the best I can to get her back on the boob fast! Does that sound normal while she's feeding like this, to be pretty much inconsolable any other way? We can't get her down in a moses or bedside cot either (again, been told very normal at 5 days old, fourth trimester etc) so me and DH are having to take shifts hoping she'll nap 30 mins - 1 hr after some of the longer feeds and having her on our chest to sleep. She's falling asleep at the boob so definitely tired, she just constantly roots when she comes off and begins screaming if she realises you're trying to soothe her into sleep rather than immediately putting her back on a breast. Any thoughts or advice? On either the crying/unable to console aspect or the feeding/sleeping? x

This sounds very normal. The first month is very very hard with a new born. My advise is to get a sling as this might help her nap in it. The rooting and continual need to feed might be helped by seeing a cranial osteopathy. Your daughter sounds like my son and the specialist said that the need to keep feeding help to relief the pain they might have from being cuddled up inside for so long. My son was in a funny position and when he came out his ear was all squished. He fed continually for 3 months. Another top tip is to put a hot water bottle in her bed. My children always settled with this approach.

My son wouldn't take a dummy but yours might.

Sounds like the first 2 weeks with DD.
It was xonstant and full on and I dodnt know what to do.
We were xontiniously told she was hungry and was losing weight but was latching fine etc etc etc.
I was convinced she had a tongue tie and was struggling to get enough milk.
Every healthcare professional ignored me and saod we just werent feeding enough and should offer a bottle.
In the end we paid for a private midwife who diagnosed a severe tongue tie and snipped it there and then.
DD fed beautifully immediately after. Yes we dis still have cluster feeds but it wasnt as constant or painful for me.
DD gained weiggt and all was well.
Just a thought though.

Ignore the typos in the above post, was typing 1 handed whilst feeding DD!

I was going to suggest getting her checked for Tongue Tie as well. Whilst it could be normal newborn stuff, it does sound very much like my DS who had TT.

There's a list of Tongue Tie Practitioners here. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that your GP, HV or MW will be able to reliably tell you if she has one or not.

Some things that might help are doing some Breast Compressions, lots of skin to skin and going along to your local BFing Support Group

Let us know how you're getting on now @MessyBob89

Thanks all, I will bring up potential tongue tie next opportunity I get - it was checked at the hospital but I know from these threads issues can be missed! She seems to feed well... I think? She just will shortly after cry and soon be screaming for a feed again, unless we can get her to sleep, which at the moment is only sat of our chests. It's exhausting and I hate that she never seems content and we can't seem to console her without feeding!

@MessyBob89 what you have just replied with is exactly the same scenario I had.
The hospital checked for a tongue tie and wouldn't commit to saying there was one so noted on the discharge notes that one wasn't present. I honestly think it is so under diagnosed.
DD would feed brilliantly, but constantly until the tongue tie was fixed and now life is much easier.
My midwife and health visitor weren't interested. Midwife offered us a referral which we are still waiting to hear about 8 weeks later.....
One thing to check which we found helpful, when baby cries, can they lift their tongue to the roof of the mouth? If not, a posterior tongue tie is likely.
Thats what we noted as well as baby latching and unlatching alot during feeds and never seeming to be full. Plus the weight loss early on and the struggle to gain it back quickly.
Good luck with everything, you sound like you're doing a great job!

Milk Matters do a Virtual, paid for, Tongue Tie Assessment if that's an option?

@Flutterby8 ah thanks that's interesting about the tongue being able to reach the roof of the mouth - she's having a rare snooze now but will check ASAP! She is prone to unlatching too.

Have a quick Google about tongue tie and see if there are other symptoms your baby has.
It is very easily fixed if there is one present. I can highly recommend the private midwife we used. She gave us more advice than anyone else we had seen!

@Flutterby8 I think we could be onto something with this! Would explain the colic-y behaviour for sure. I had a watch of her tongue and it doesn't have a great range of movement. It only reaches halfway to the roof of the mouth, nowhere near the top. We have an appointment on Tuesday with a midwife but I'm tempted to just go private for an assessment

@MessyBob89 it's always a possibility, obviously not saying it def is in your case but your story is similar to mine.
We found a private midwife via the tongue tie practitioners site and did a fair bit of research. It is worth speaking to your midwife first as they may have some experience with tongue tie. Mine didn't hence we went down the private route quickly. But your midwife may be able to recommend somebody locally?