6 o clock madness

[AlisonOrdnung]

My baby loses it about 5 or 6pm every night. I put her to the breast and know there is milk there (maybe not much, but there is some) and she wll open her mouth as if to feed, and then scream at my breast. My first baby did this too. A bottle feed sorts the prob (I know, sorry) Is the standard advice that she's hungry but my supply is low, or she's windy, or it's just 6pm madness? Background: She's ten weeks and has only gained 3oz in the past fortnight and I feel like shit because this is the second baby that I don't seem to be able to feed.

It's normal for babies to be fussy (or screaming) in the evenings - usually between about 3 weeks and 3 months or so, and doesn't necessarily indicate concerns with feeding. Kellymom has some info.

Does she sleep well during the day? A lot of babies get like that in the evening due to overtiredness from being awake for too long between naps, or for only napping for a short time at once. Many babies that age can only manage about 1.5 hours awake between sleeps.

My DS was like that at times in the evenings around that age. If he was apparently hungry but crying and refusing to feed, I'd offer him my finger to suck on, which would calm him down, then I could whip the finger out and latch him onto the breast.

Alternatively, could you try putting her in a sling to see if that helps? At that age, DS wouldn't even take his 'bedtime' feed unless he'd woken from a last nap immediately beforehand. He'd only sleep in the sling in the day at that point, so I'd go for a walk with the sling or bounce him in the kitchen under the extractor fan till he dropped off, and when he woke I could feed him and put him to bed.

I'd vote for 6pm madness too. DD needed to be taken out for a walk so she could nap every day sometime between 6 and 7. We still couldn't get her into bed before 9:30, but at least with a bit of a nap she'd survive the evening without screaming.

It stopped around 15 weeks and she just started going to bed earlier instead.

She was a fussy eater in the late afternoon evening right up till about 5m (I know! I'm sorry, but it did get easier, simply because I knew she was basically fine the rest of the time and the grouching was just grouching not starvation).

I'm sorry you are feeling like shit. What you describe sounds normal and doesn't necessarily imply that you are unable to feed (with the possible exception of the weight gain, but even that may well be normal or explicable for your little one). Are there other things worrying you?

Thank you. I'm feeling pretty crap today because I'm tired and have been a real grouch with DS. He's been the perfect big bro up til now but is losing his patience with DD's almost constant feeding, which is wearing me down too, esp since she's not gaining at the moment. Generally speaking I've never been happier though. Just a bad day coupled with tiredness.

I'll try the tips tomorrow and see if I can get away without supplementing. HV is coming round too so I'll moan at her!