crying during feeding - wind or something else??

[MentalMum1]

My 7 week old has periods/days when she is extremely fussy feeding. She definitely has wind issues as she has bouts of crying and appearing in pain which are swiftly resolved when she burps! I have just started using infacol and use gripe water too occasionally. The odd thing to me is that she'll become fussy during a feed up to the point where I have to stop and calm/wind her. She may burp or just become calm, but then the minute I try to continue the feed (she will still be acting hungry) she starts fussing and crying again the minute she's lying on her side. She wants to take the breast but cries immediately, even before my let down. I don't think it's a strong let down for this reason. I've tried different positions which sometimes work for a short time but then she cries again. I worry that she won't be getting enough milk and she's already gaining weight slowly so I don't want to be under feeding her to add to that! I've been reading about reflux and some of the symptoms seem to apply but would this only occur when she is lying on her side to feed? And only sometimes, probably half of her feeds, maybe less depending on the day? I know babies are also just fussy sometimes for no reason but this seems too frequent for that and she genuinely seems in pain/discomfort when it happens. For the rest of the time she's generally a happy smiley baby! Any advice appreciated :)

It's so frustrating when babies cannot tell us what is wrong :(

I think it's relevant that this does not happen all the time - even on the days it does happen, it does not happen at every feed. It's also very common that babies who do this are calmer and easier to feed at night.

Babies who are this young are 'disorganised' - they cannot regulate their feelings well. It may be that sometimes, she does not want to feed, or does not want to feed more, and the only way she can tell you this is by fussing when you try to feed her/continue to try to feed her. The fussing may not mean pain or discomfort.

It might be worth taking her lead, and just cuddling her close to the breast without trying to chase her mouth with your nipple - watch for the signs she really does want to feed before insisting that she must be hungry. See what happens. Keep feeds low key and sensitive and responsive - let her 'tell' you what she wants.

Of course there could be a physical problem like wind or reflux, but it's worth trying the above 'behavioural' response before assuming there's anything wrong.

What do you think?

Hi tiktok, it's a strange one because she'll do things like putting her hands in her mouth and gaping her mouth as if she's trying to latch, but then either cries when she feels the nipple or starts to suck for a short time and then cries. I had thought that maybe sometimes she just doesn't want to feed anymore but doesn't realise it! What I've been trying to do it end the feed after a few failed attempts of latching, calm her, then she usually has a little sleep and ends up wanting to eat again about an hour later. I do get frustrated sometimes (esp with the sore nipples saga!) which my husband rightly points out won't help but it's hard not to sometimes!

Shes also the last two nights started waking up bang on every 3 hours again, whereas she had been going for longer stretches before, so I wonder if she might be a little tired from that as well...

Mental you say "I had thought that maybe sometimes she just doesn't want to feed anymore but doesn't realise it!"

Yes, that's partly what I mean by 'disorganised' :)

The response you have discovered - trying to latch and then accepting when it's not going to work and letting her calm down and sleep, then trying later - is fine.

It really does not sound like anything physical at all.

Okay that's a relief, thanks :)

I've just posted a very similar post as my 8 week old is doing the same and I'm at a loss what to do as feeds becoming a constant battle during the daytimes :-(

If it's any consolation she did it for about a week and then stopped. Now she does it sometimes when she's very tired or upset, eg yesterday when she had her jabs. Now if she's getting like it I just stop trying to feed her and try again when she's calm. I also realised that at times she was choking on my letdown and this was upsetting her so if I hear her gulping now I take her off and put her back on again when she's caught her breath. Hope that helps X