baby beingy fussy question/feeding

[@llli*mrskimm]

My son is almost 3 weeks old and this past week he has been fussy and it seems like he is very uncomfortable. His stomach is constantly grumbling and at times is seems to be hurting him. He clenches up/grunts and can't seem to relax. Could he be sensitive to the dairy that I am eating? If I cut dairy out of my diet will how soon will I know if it is the dairy that is affecting him?

Also, he seems to be eating less this past week. He only eats about 5-7/sometimes 10 minutes on one breast and I can't get him to nurse on the other. I am extremely worried he is not getting enought to eat. He always has wet diapers and least 2 BM a day.

Any advice would be great! I am starting to not enjoy breastfeeding anymore because I can't tell how much he is getting to eat and I worry about him all the time!!!

[@llli*mommal]

While dairy sensitivity is quite common, it's very hard to say whether or not the behavior you're observing is related to dairy, or to anything else you're eating. Babies act fussy for so many reasons, including but not limited to such entirely innocent things as:
- being tired
- being overstimulated
- needing to poop or pass gas
- wanting to nurse
- needing a diaper change
- time of day
- wanting a slower flow of milk
- wanting a faster flow of milk

As long as baby is producing adequate wet and poopy diapers, and is gaining weight at a normal rate, you do not need to worry about him getting enough to eat. Good diaper output = good milk input. This is true even if baby feeds very quickly. Most babies eventually reach a point at which they can get an entire meal in just a few minutes at the breast. Some babies reach this point more quickly than others, particularly babies whose mothers have extremely large milk supplies. A big supply of milk could explain not only the fast feedings but also the fact that baby requires just one breast per feeding. I suggest checking out this link on oversupply and forceful letdown and seeing if anything looks familiar: http://kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

[@llli*mrskimm]

the symtoms of the forceful let down ring a bell..he pulls of right away and sometimes refuses to nurse. Could this be the reason his stomach is grumbling and seems uncomfortable at times? Sometimes during the day he grunts and squirms like his stomach is really bothering him.

[@llli*mommal]

Yes, forceful letdown could relate to the grumbling tummy. Forceful letdown usually stems from milk oversupply. When mom has an oversupply, the baby will ingest a lot of lactose (milk sugar), and excessive lactose intake can cause gassiness. Note that excesslactose intake is different from lactose intolerance, something which babies almost never suffer from! Another reason forceful letdown can cause gassiness is that sometimes a baby will gulp down a lot of air as he tries to chugs down his rapidly flowing meal.

What signs of oversupply/forceful letdown are you experiencing? The remedies for the situation differ depending on the level of oversupply. But the first thing you want to do is to adopt more reclined nursing positions. If you recline, you enlist gravity to slow down the flow of milk and that will make baby a lot more comfortable while he's feeding.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Always having wet diapers means your baby IS getting enough. You don't need to worry about that

[@llli*browncow]

Mommal has some great advice for you! I just wanted to chime in and say my 4 week old has never spent more than about 5 min at the breast and very very rarely takes the second side. As long as there are plenty of dirty diapers baby is getting plenty.

[@llli*still.here]

My guess is that it's just his tummy getting used to digesting and possibly a bit of overactive letdown/oversupply. If you feel your letdown is too forceful you could try letting the initial spray go into a cup/towel/burpcloth or nursing lying on your back with baby laying above you so it's flowing 'uphill.' I wouldn't do anything yet to try to 'fix' the oversupply, since it is so early and will most likely regulate itself. If the problem persists you might try some of the techniques to help adjust an oversupply, but at the moment I wouldn't worry too much.