Very hungry EBF baby

[justamum98]

Hi all, (long post sorry)

im 4 weeks into breastfeeding. In the early days I struggled to settle my baby with just breast milk so ended up giving a bottle of formula when desperate… after a few days the baby seemed happier so no longer needed to do that and exclusively breastfed since.

the past 3 days I’ve had to go back and give a bottle of formula… max 60ml and she spits up a lot of it anyways but I try so hard not to give formula. Hours and hours of trying everything to soothe her and nothing works. today she’s been on the boob from 10am non stop constantly switching from one boob to the other. It doesn’t bother me, I’ve chosen to breastfeed and I happily do whatever she needs me to and me giving her a bottle isn’t me being frustrated it’s me trying to help her because I can see she’s hungry and fighting for every drop from my breasts and whilst I know she may be cluster feeding I can’t but think maybe my milk supply has dropped? What are the signs?

she does about 6-8 wet/dirty nappies a day. Slept through the night since she was a week old (I have to wake her twice between midnight and 6am for a feed), she is gaining weight fine so in my head that can’t be the reason but what else could it be? Growth spurt? Or just simply cluster feeding? I mean cluster feeding is fine and but what do you do when they because very frustrated with your breasts and just cry constantly? She’s not colicky or anything I’ve tried all that.

my breasts used to be engorged and leak when I woke up in the morning even if I did a feed at night but the past couple of days they are vey soft. I assumed my supply has been established but maybe this is a sign that I’m not producing as much as I used to?

any advice would be great. Thanks

Join a BF Facebook group for support. Stop the bottles. Sorry, but when she’s feeding off you she’s sending the signal to make more Milk. Then when you give a bottle that’s a feed she’s missed, so your body makes less milk… and you’re in the trap. So stop. Let her fuss as it gets your supply up. Don’t worry too much about not leaking or being as engorged, that’s your body learning to make milk on demand it’s a river not a lake I think is the saying.

sometime BF babies just get fussy and need someone who doesn’t smell of milk to help calm them down- could daddy try a sling/wrap walk?

In short, keep on as you’re doing but ditch the formula- you don’t need it!!

My DS2 was a very large hungry ebf baby. He is now a large hungry nine year old but anyway! He was sucking from the minute he was born. We also did a small bottle of formula for the first couple of weeks once a day to supplement. My supply was still up and down til about 6/8 weeks. All sounds very typical and that you’re doing great!

Agree with @fourelementary- ditch the bottles and keep her on the boob all day if that’s where she’s happiest. It’s probably a growth spurt, and should settle after a few days. Your own supply settles down around 6-8 weeks and most women no longer get engorged then, but you still have plenty of milk. Her fussing today is just her ‘putting in her order’ for more milk, so you need to let her feed from you exclusively in order to match your supply to her demand.

I wish people were honest that for many people breastfeeding is relentless for the first few weeks. Then eases off for a bit - then ups a gear again at about 4 months. I speak as someone who BF x 3 and found it utterly intense to be so needed, so frequently. You assume it can’t possibly be right / normal.

If you think that your supply might be dwindling, you could also try pumping to boost it. I can’t advise on a type as I’m 15 years out-of-date, but I used an electric one back in the day.

I agree with @fourelementary100% ditch the bottles. It will confuse your milk supply if you keep missing a feed.
My son is 12 weeks old and EBF. Once my milk supply was established my boobs stopped feeling as full and have mainly stopped leaking at night too. Sometimes they leak if he cries but not as often as before.
between 4 and 8 weeks old he went through a faze of being REALLY fussy and crying all the time. Wriggling on my boob etc and I just stuck with it. He was gaining weight and having enough wet nappies so I just persevered. I promise it does get easier. It’s really hard work and you’re doing a wonderful job! Don’t give in and just persevere. You got this 💪🏻 ❤️

My daughter was super fussy on the breast and refused to feed due to silent reflux and food allergies. It got to the point I really struggled to feed her. So not all fussing is supply related.

There is a growth spurt usually around 4-5 weeks and I expect that you are in the grips of it at the moment.

Probably an old wives tale but oats are suppose to increase your supply. Have a day on the sofa with her feeding, drinking your choice of drink and eating hobnobs or flapjacks and watching TV or reading. BFing can be a full time job with some DC. It certainly was with my first but she did a good job of establishing my supply and I then seemed to generate masses of milk for DC2&DC3.