Fussing and crying on the boob during a growth spurt - how do you cope

[Jellybabie3]

My DS is going through the 12 week growth spurt. He wants to feed on off every few minutes, sleeps alot during the day but only on me, wakes every two hours in the night.....but worse is the crying and fussing for the boob. He wants it, puts it in his mouth then 30 secs later cries, then back on......repeat repeat repeat. As of yet i am going with it but must admit this time its getting frustrating and i have been luckily at home this Christmas - i cant imagine trying to go shopping atm!! I also dont want to give in every time if it will make a rod for me later

How do you deal with it??

I've had a lot of this since we hit 4 months.

I've actually realised that he doesn't need as long on each breast as I think he does - previously it had been ten minutes per side now it's more like 5. He'll do 2-3 good minutes then start fussing exactly as you describe. I usually try to encourage him to get to five minutes, sometimes I can, sometimes I give up at 4 and swap sides. I usually find after 8-10 total minutes he's actually content if I take the boobs away. If he's got a nipple near his mouth he'll cry for it, suck for ten seconds then pull off. If the nipple's not there he's not bothered!

He's not then crying for a feed for another 2.5-3 hours so I feel like he's getting enough.

Bizarrely at night he's fab, goes on for at least ten minutes per side and falls asleep feeding. It's just day time that's a total pain, especially in public where I'm inclined to let him do his 2-3 minutes on each side and hope that's enough to keep him going as its hard juggling him and public nudity at the same time...

Exactly like mine then! Although ds now feeds for 6 mins but i find ds gets fussy again after about an hour. I try to make him feed longer but he literally holds my nipple for a few seconds and lets go. Hmmm. Maybe need to try something else. He defo doesnt last 2-3 hours.

3 hours is his usual and has been since he was tiny actually. Sometimes we get 4 but not often.

Your LO could just be wanting very small but frequent feeds right now. But I get you, the fussiness is so irritating. I'm
Always thinking "go on, feed and be done with it!!"

Once in a while he has wind or needs to pop and once that's released he settles to feed but most of the time there doesn't seem to be a reason. Hopefully it's just a phase though.

You are me two years ago. My dc did this every night between say 8pm and 2am. It was torture. I came very close to introducing some aptamil!

I ended up having to break the cycle of fussing and crying by doing what I could to get dc into a decent sleep for a bit. The car worked for us. When dc woke up after this they weren't quite as bad.

Mine also feeds very often (14wks, 11 adjusted), feeds have become much quicker and yes he goes through phases of mucking around instead of getting on with it

Some days he'll be constantly attached to me and feed on and off all day and then I'll have a few where he sleeps all day only waking for brief feeds.

Do you do any expressed bottle feeds? I was expressing so DH could give him a feed a day and I found this seemed to make him extra fussy when on the boob, I assume frustration at it being harder work than a bottle? Since I've stopped the bottles he's become more chilled most of the time though we still have days when he just messes around, often followed by a cheeky grin, little monster!

In terms of nursing in public I've managed to be much braver this time around than I anticipated though I find it much easier if I have someone with me for support. I try to angle myself into a corner to limit exposure, though I also find he's often less fussy in a strange environment and also seems to want to feed less when he's distracted by his surroundings.

I've not thought about timing his feedings but I'm curious now so will have to do that tomorrow!

Are you in any FB groups for your babies age? I joined a couple of September babies groups and find it really useful seeing everyone else's babies doing the same weird things that have been puzzling me about mine! This one came up a couple of weeks ago and everyone was posting videos of their little gremlins bobbing off the boob or bottle in the annoying way they do so it made me feel less like it was just us and more like it's one of those phases that will pass

I'm pleased i am not the only one. He's defo going through a spurt as hes sleeping so much!!. Going to have to brave shopping tomorrow so wish me luck!!
Do wish he would nap without me holding him!!

Do you have a sling jellybabie? That has been our saving grace for napping and me getting things done - especially shopping etc!

I'm not much help with the feeding, though I empathise, my little one is 12 weeks and also going through the growth spurt I think - the 2 hourly feeds plus at least another half hour settling each time in the night are killing me...

I used a sling. Not on my either, once I'd fed for say the first hour on and off I needed a break to stop myself going mad so my DH used a sling to settle the baby and then I could have a nap then we would start again.

I wouldn’t make a habit of it but stand up and breast feed, it makes a massive difference and might just get your baby to feed enough to sleep for slightly longer or just go longer between feeds. I was sceptical but do this for my 13 week olds last night feed and now he sleeps 7-7 with one 5 minute feed at 4!

I agree with AutumnalTed - standing up and maybe gently swaying makes them concentrate and drink. Possibly the swaying motion is calming (mimicks walking about in a sling, which would be even better) and standing up there is less to look at on the wall or at the furniture, or to reach for.

It was important for me to avoid constantly re-starting feedings that only ever take the watery first milk and never get to the creamy thick milk, for me this was increasing mastitis risk/ decreasing supply. I had to do this (standing up and feeding) but it never became a habit and after a while wasn't necessary anymore.

A good ring sling would have been better but I didn't have one till much later, when DD was too big for the cradle position

Another idea would be a big scarf draped gently over the two of you to create calm and darkness but depending on the child this may get kicked off

did feel like a total loon standing up and feeding but didn't care, it kept my baby healthy and growing. Was always super happy on the rare occasion that I saw another woman do this.

I'd never heard of standing up feeding being helpful, will have to try that! Thanks for the tip

Tried standing up there and didn't make a difference. Plus he's flipping heavy and it's hard to relatch him when I'm holding him up.

I sometimes find that patting his stomach or back works though. It also helps get him to sleep.