4.5 wk old super fussy at the breast then can drain a bottle - why?

[MrsHY1]

Hello
Since 2.5-3 wks old my DD has been super fussy when feeding- it used to just be in the evenings but now can be any time of day. She seems to wrestle with the nipple, grunt and groan, then bob off before repeatedly trying to find the nipple again with an almost rabid look in her eye! She also never really stops a feed of her own accord. The only time she doesn't really do this is during the night when she wants feeding ridiculously often (1-1.5 hrs) but will feed well and bob off asleep, staying asleep until the next feed. After hours of fussy feeding at night I have given in and given her a bottle of either expressed milk or formula which she womps down nicely. It's definitely not tongue tie and her latch is good (although gets pretty bad after a stretch of fussy feeding). Am finding it really distressing so am thinking of combo feeding or just throwing in the towel and switching to formula entirely. Help!

Oh I meant to say, she doesn't tend to scream/cry unnecessarily and is easily comforted when myself or DH pick her up so have ruled out (rightly or wrongly) silent reflux.

Your baby is still really small and babies suckle not just for milk but for comfort and also to build your supply for future needs - although that doesn't make it less tiring! There is a growth spurt about now I think, look up wonder weeks.

Do you have a fast let down? If latch is good and no tongue tie issues, she may be bobbing off because she's gulping lots of milk down? Evening fussiness very well documented and almost all babies do this until a few months old.

Does it feel like a slow let-down? In which case kellymom has lots of ideas that I've found helpful.
I think fussiness is common and seems to come in phases.
I mix feed my baby. When he was having more formula he was fussy with gas and slow digestion. Now he's having more bf he's fussy because of slow-let down. He's just going to be a fussy baby. Easier to accept than try to battle against it although if I had more than one to look after I'd be singing a different tune