Getting frustrated with breastfeeding - evening fussiness

[SparklingNarwhal]

Hey I have a 3 week old and im starting to doubt this whole breastfeeding thing.
My baby seems fine in the morning and most of the day but after noon through to the night if I breastfeed he'll take but after 40 mins he'll start to thrash around on the breast, make the latch shallower, pull at it or pull off and grimace/cry. After this the best way to get him to sleep is in a baby sling and a dummy.
Im worried hes not getting enough milk from me or im doing something wrong (despite the fact the hv abd midwives said latch and positions were fine)
I know it's early for a dummy but it gets him to sleep and he normal spits it out once hes dropped off.
I would try and comfort nurse more but hes spend hours on my breast before and made me sore and his thrashing irritates my nipples more so. I just can't figure out what he wants.
Its made me second guess breastfeeding him in the evening since it fills me with dread of it making him fussy again.
He has had a bottle of formula as a supplement in the past and he drops off to sleep fine, no fuss.

Are you really worried he's not getting enough milk OP? Are you getting 5 to 6 wet nappies a day? Is baby gaining weight and bright and alert at times?

When I went to breastfeeding support last week I was told if his latch gets shallow and he is just pulling to take him off. Do something else for 10 mins - have a drink/walk around house/ wind over shoulder if partner is around give him the baby then try again 10 mins later and see if he is still hungry.

I think the best measure of how much he is getting is wet nappies and weight gain.

The thrashing around could be collic??

Nearly all babies get the "evening fussies". No one knows for sure why but it's more likely to be related to overstimulation than milk. 3 weeks was when my babies really "woke up" and noticed the world around them, and immediately started to find it overwhelming.

If nappies and 10 day weight were fine, I doubt it's anything to do with your milk. DH spent a lot of time pacing the living room in circles with DH1 in a sling at that stage or going for evening walks. Bouncing baby on an exercise ball while watching TV works just as well and is easier to keep up. This is all normal. Hang in there!

Dc1! I still.only have one DH.

Totally normal for babies to be fussy in the evenings. Frustrating but normal. Cluster feeding is also frustrating but normal. It gets better!

Might be if flow slowing down? Could try gentle breast compression or swap to other side. Could be wind. Could be full. Could just be knackered and being a bit of a PITA! Just stand and walk around for a bit then try again.

This is very normal for this age - it seems eternal at the time but passes so quickly in hindsight. It can happen with formula as well as breastfeeding.
40 minutes isn't bad if he is gaining weight and otherwise feeling well, I'd stick with the dummy and sling, so long as you are only using the dummy after a feed at this early age.
Sometimes with mine it helps to anticipate the stressful time, and make sure that you aren't in the middle of cooking dinner or out of the house when it starts, and can feed or pop him in the sling immediately. Also make sure your baby is getting plenty of sleep and feeding early in the day and isn't too overstimulated, which can make colic worse - the sling can help with that too.
Good luck and do keep checking for help if you need it - this tricky stage does pass soon, but first time round I remember it felt like my life would be like this forever, cracked nipples and all!