Crying at breast-can anyone help?

[Sophie1106]

Hello

I have a 5 wk old that in the last couple of wks during the evening (usually at about 7pm)each night and beyond coincidentally that feeds fine all day and then decides that she won't feed even though she's giving off hunger signs- she tends to cry as soon as she sees the breats come out. I really can't seem to pinpoint the problem and I don't want to keep forcing her on. i've tried other cues perhaps cuddles or just not hungry or dummy but they don't work. Can anyone suggest anything?

I don't mean to be rude, but I am seriously sleep deprived and lacking in brain cells at the moment, but I don't really understand your post, I'm finding the way it is writted a bit too confusing.
She feeds fine all day?
Is due a feed at 7pm, giving signs etc?
Cries as soon as she sees breast?

What does she do if you don't offer breast breast?
Does she cry at 7pm every night no matter what you do?

*written!

Oh right i see- it's my sleep deprived brain not working prob either. I've just recently understood what 'cluster feeding' is so I know that she tends to do that from about 4pm onwards on and off until about 8.30/9pm.But it just so happens at about 7 on wards she starts to get really unsettled/fussy/wound up not sure what it is but when i offer the breast she attempts to latch but then cries as if there's something wrong and pulls off crying and she keep doing it. I know that sometimes I have a problem with hard breasts and have to express before feeds occasionally but it doesn't seem to be that in the evenings. Unfortunately it's starting to put me off feeding her evenings and I gave her a bottle of ebm tonight as it's easier than watching her cry when i try to feed her. if i don't feed her she cries with hunger and like I said i've tried other things(cuddles/dummy/just not hungry/wind)it's none of those.Hope this makes more sense..

is she sleeping much between 4 and 8:30/9?

she is a sleepy feeder -not at every feed but about half of them I would say she dozes off and I have to keep her interested. She tends to do this in the early evenings whilst she's clustering but she doesn't go down for a nap as such as she's more interested in feeding. It can be quite hard to wake her regardless of all the foot tickling and sometimes she doesn't wake up and drops off for 20 mins or so.

so doesnt cry when feed with bottle at this time?

bo- but really doesn't feed from a bottle that well-i introduced a bottle a few weeks ago which she seemed to take to initially but now doesn't seem to know what to do with the teat. i thought initially when this started that she might be confused but it only happens in the evenings mostly so have ruled that out. she takes ages to finish a 120ml bottle.

I think it sounds like she may be developing colic.

might be silent reflux. my LOs both had this. it is acid indigestion. it affected mine afternoon/evening. would struggle to eat, crying and refusing breast or bottle but crying with hungry. bedtime would cry/scream with both hunger & tiredness but still struggle to eat. would have short feeds and need winding in between, also drift in & out of sleep. with DD bedtime feed would take a couple of hours with lots of crying. had to rock to wind as the traditional bounce made acid worse. it was awful. wasnt diagnosed as reflux until 4/5 months then prescrbed infant gaviscon which meant she could take feed easier and suddenly bedtime was much better but had got used to all the rocking to sleep. DS showed same symptoms from about 3 weeks and gaviscon given straight away so has been much smoother. might be worth investigating.

My DD 10 wks old now and also started being cranky in evenings at about 5wks - seemed to be crying for milk but then would feed for just a few minutes and cry. I read somewhere that milk supply could be low in evenings so make sure you are well hydrated in afternoon and relax (if you can with 5wk old!) in early evening. I tried this and have also instigated an early evening nap (daddy now on rocking instead of playing duty when he gets back from work). She seems calmer now but have no idea if this because of our behaviour or just growing out of phase! Friends have found infacol and baby massage good for colic if LO has that (they have pain feeding and pull knees up to chest in pain). Also some swear by baby massage for evening relaxation/wind. Think NCT and SureStart do classes.

Good luck - I found it v distressing not being able to comfort my cranky baby so hope you can work out what your LO needs