Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Three week old distressed during feeds, is this normal? Help

1 reply

ProudSeal · 25/04/2026 16:31

First time mum and I have no idea what is normal baby behaviour or what warrants a visit to the Dr - please help.

My 3 week old appears really distressed and in pain during some feeds (usually one or two a day), particularly in the afternoon. She will root for the breast and then scream at it until she goes bright red. She tries to latch but won’t, and breathes hysterically. I burp her and calm her down. We try again. Cue more screaming, writhing and pain. She latches for maybe 1-2 minutes and then screams again. This goes on for an hour. She usually spits up several times.

She has a good latch otherwise and I don’t experience any pain, etc. She had a tongue tie which we got separated a few days ago but this was an issue before then. Weirdly she’s not like this at every feed: it will usually be one or two a day. She’s gaining weight and filling nappies but a 10 minute feed takes us an hour and a half and I’m finding it so difficult. The HV isn’t concerned As she’s gaining weight, but is it meant to be this difficult 😔?

Does this sound like reflux/or colic, or just normal newborn baby behaviour?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page