Fussy in the Evening

I remember calling my mom crying that I had done everything but hang him out the window and he wouldn't stop crying but he would latch on then push away. He was 5 weeks old. The doctor told me to make a bottle of formula and when he pushed away to feed him that. The doctor said that if he drank more than 2 ounces then he was hungry and he drank all 4. I was disapointed that my breast feeding was cut short but you can hold them just as close with a bottle and others will be able to feed him as well. Sometimes we just don't make enough or we eat the wrong thing and they don't like how it tastes. But my beautiful little boy grew into an extraordinary man. He is 19 and a freshman in college. He calls almost every day, still hugs me and tells both his dad and I that he loves us even in front of his friends. Your mommy bonding goes way beyond breast milk or natural child birth (I had 2 c-sections). Just hold him, rock him and feed him what ever he takes the best.

Good luck
C.

Dear S., I've nursed 8 babies and found that when I nusred on demand they ate much better. It sounds like you are going into an increase stage. When your little one goes through a growth spurt he will want to eat but your milk needs to adjust. keep feeding him on demand, drink lots of healthy fluids, keep up your protien and keep down your stress. DO NOT supplement with water or anything else. Your milk will come in and baby will be content. So will you. Happy nursing. K. H

If you feel that it's low supply, perhaps drink a cup of mother's milk tea in the afternoon or something. tincture of fennel is supposed to be excellent! perhaps even drinking more fluid yourself would help..

just like the other response.. sounds like he is on a growth spurt.. and your milk supply needs to catch up.

you could also try to pump extra milk about an hour before -- to help increas your milk suppy. because if you supplement with your breast milk from the middle of the night (for example) you will be 'increasing' your milk supply in the middle of the night.

your body knows when your baby wants to eat.. so if he needs more in the evening - that's when you need to 'give' your body a little 'umph' with your pump - or have the baby just nussle if that's what you really prefer.

I also had this problem with my son, particularly, although to some extent both of my kids. My son was fussier, so he probably complained more. None of the advice given by lactation consultants or breastfeeding books ever solved the issue for me - I chalked it up to a combination of fussy time of day for the baby and low milk supply for me coinciding unfortunately at the same time - evening. I made it through by giving them a bottle of pumped milk when I couldn't take the on/off nurse/cry cycle anymore (I always had lots in the mornings to pump extra). It can be really stressful for mama and baby. The situation got a lot better once my kids started solids and had more in their tummies from that and relied less on breastfeeding. My son started solids at 4 months (I was more anxious to start with him, I think, because of his seeming unhappiness with nursing exclusively) and my daughter made it to 6 months just on breast milk. Both of them were healthy and always gaining weight well, in spite of their seeming frustration with those evening feedings.

Good luck! Breastfeeding definitely has its challenges, but it is so rewarding too.