Should I give up?

[Littlebump2018]

So about a week and half ago my DD (8 weeks old) had gastroenteritis which lasted about 5/6 days then she caught conjunctivitis. She's been under the weather bless her. For the past 2 weeks (from what I can remember) she had started crying a lot! She's normally really happy and doesn't fuss. She has started head butting my boob during feeding and tugging on the nipple and feeding almost every 2 hours and crying after she's off the boob.

Is this a sign she isn't getting enough milk? Am I just not producing enough? I've not had this problem up to now but after I tried her on formula she was happy as Larry. If I constantly chuck her from boob to boob for about an hour she tends to calm down or on the odd occasion she will seem satisfied. I'm so confused as to what I should do.

Has anyone had this, should I give up? Or are there any tips to make me produce more milk? I do have a pump but I seem to be messing up her feeding if I do as she obviously wants to drink but I've removed the milk about 30mins before she decides she hungry again!

I feel lost and almost like I might be torturing her. She's doing plenty of wet nappies but her poo has slowed down the last few days (this could be due to her being ill last week).

Thanks in advance for any support and advice you can offer x

You are not torturing her! It is really hard when they are very little and they cannot tell you what's wrong. If you have been breastfeeding her consistently and without gaps, I don't see why your milk will have dried up.. was she feeding while she was ill?

Perhaps it is a phase or growth spurt and she is hungrier than normal and wants to cluster feed? DS did that A LOT when he was a small baby and I remember for ever wondering whether my milk wasn't enough... but he was just a hungry baby and was growing as normal so that reassured me. I think there might be a growth spurt there at around 6/8 weeks

Or is it possible that she still feels a little unwell and it is making her grumpy?

You're doing well looking after a sick baby.
They often feed less if they're not feeling well so now she's playing catch up. Bouncing from boob to boob is building your supply which is just what she needs. Your body will catch up to the demand pretty quickl y it you let her carry on.

If your both happy with a bottle, nothing wrong with that. But it doesn't sound particularly needed to me, although it depends on how little she was feeding with illness etc.

When you say you chuck her from boob to boob, are you letting her come off before switching? Is she actively swallowing for a full hour?