4week old- colic, wind or just "fussy time"?

[22Dee]

im breastfeeding and lil one is a nightmare mostly 7pm till 10pm

he repeatedly cries for the breast but then chews it and spits it out. its almost like hes frustrated that nothings coming out but there is! he latches for a minute then turns his head irratably while hes still locked on my nipple. it hurts A LOT! his eyes ho from side to side and he wriggles exsessively. he releases the latch then roots again then hes on sometimes not very well and all this lasts for about 3 hours it really hurts. hell do it on both sides too if i swop him over... im red raw.

ive been tracking how often he feeds. its usually every 2 or 2 1/2 hours so after his 7ish feed ive been looking for the signs and if he does the same thing then ive been restricting the breast till half 9- 10pm.. i just cant allow this abuse its causing me too much pain

has anyone known this? maybe experienced the same thing? or have any explanation of why hes doing it....

thanks

Others will be able to explain better, but in a nutshell he's trying to build up your supply with this constant feeding so it is important to try and let him feed as often as he wants to. I think almost all breastfed babies have this "cluster feeding" in the evening although that doesn't make it any easier! Have you got any lansinoh cream for your nipples? It really helped mine, as did letting them get some air after a feed.
This cluster feeding won't last forever but before long he will have got your boobs making what he needs and then it will ease. Plus the extra food in the evening might help him sleep longer periods at night...

The kellymom website is a breastfeeding bible- the second main paragraph of this page sounds exactly like what you are experiencing

I've just come out the otherside of this my DC fed like this til 8 weeks. Now she's stopped doing this. You must let them then you'll be in for a longer sleep after. Good luck.

Plus if I really needed just five mins break pass baby to partner and take a few moments out as its full on

Sounds like evening cluster feeding totally normal and it will pass on a few weeks.

thanks for your replies

i can undersrand what you are all saying bcoz i said feeds for a couple minutes but its more like couple seconds really. long enuf to get him on with a good latch (still mastering that) and then he breaks the latch n i have to start over while hes creating an enormous fuss...and ive read that page thanks but this is not what appears to be hsppening. although it sounds quite similar.

i have been thru the stage of offering breast at these times so its not that i havent already tried that.

he does not really want food. he is not cluster feeding because he is not feeding hes not on there long enuf. its like his belly hurts so he wants comfort but then the pain comes over him and he wriggles and pulls and grimaces and closes his jaw on the nipple and releases latch to just search for it again. then latches vigorously and painfully then spits it out. i dont see him swallow anything and he doesnt make the contented noises he makes when feeding at other times

if he was hungry i would not be able to distract him long enuf to hive him a bath? which is what ive started doing when he gets like this around 8pm or 9 then it seems to pass by his 10ish pm feed then he usually sleeps solid straight after which is his nighttime clock