Fast eater? Oversupply?

[@llli*alo]

First time posting!

My DD will be 8 weeks in two days. At birth and for several weeks, she nursed for what seemed like forever...at least an hour. So long, that I worried she was not getting enough sleep in between feedings.

Then one week, I noticed that she was becoming very fussy at the breast and basically going on strike. I found some very helpful information on the LLLI website on oversupply and symptoms of both mom and baby. We were both Around the same time, I also assumed she had a dairy intolerance based on her allergy-like symptoms, gas, and the fact that I was the same as an infant.

I believe I created the oversupply issue by pumping too much trying to store milk to return to work. I have not pumped in 3 weeks. I block fed for 2-3 days and then moved to offering one breast per feeding in the past 3 weeks.

When she started to be fussy at breast (when I discovered oversupply), she was only eating for 4 to 6 minutes. I worried about dehydration, pediatrician said she looked healthy. She went from 8lbs. 1oz. at birth to 10lbs 1oz at one month. I weighed her at 7 weeks and she was at 11lbs.

With that being said, after 3 weeks of working on the oversupply. She no longer fusses and pulls off. Now she eats for 5mins exactly, pops off and catches her breath (sometimes falling asleep). Latches back on for 3mins, takes a minute to catch her breath. She may come back on for another minute but that is it.

I try to latch her back on because I feel like she should be eating more than just 8 to 10 minutes total at 7, almost 8 weeks. She clamps down and fusses when I try to latch her back on but no longer fussing while she has initiated latch (like previously).

Tonight I was worried she could not have had enough to eat, so I tried a bottle of expressed breast milk. She clamped down on the bottle nipple as well.

I am only offering one breast at feedings but have tried to offer the other just to make she wasn't popping off because I was empty on that side.

I think my supply has regulated better because I am no longer leaking like a faucet but am able to hand express at the end of a feeding.

Her tummy aches seem to be better. I have been giving gripe water or gas drops because I had a few meals at catered events with hidden dairy a week ago.

Her stools do not seem as watery or as green. She has not had blowouts up her back since I started offering one breast but has 2 to 3 minimum stools a day.

She sleeps 7 hours at night but has been waking around the 45 minute mark into her naps. Not sure if it is a transition, hunger, or overstimulation issue but I always offer breast when she wakes early. If it is a hunger issue, how do I get her to take a full feeding?

Please let me know if you need additional information or have any tips, advice, similar stories, et cetera.

Thank you so much!

[@llli*monika.h]

It's totally possible she's done after 10 minutes of feeding. If you offer and she's not hungry, that's OK. If it makes you feel any better, my DS was a fast eater too - 5 minutes and he was done. I also had oversupply and a fast let down. Never was one for lingering.

As for naps, does she wake up happy after 45 minutes? Sometimes short naps are just short naps. There's nothing inherently wrong with them.

Sounds like you're doing great!

[@llli*mommal]

My second kid fed in just 5-10 minutes from the very beginning. It was definitely a function of a high supply.

[@llli*alo]

Thank you monika.h for your reply! About how old was your LO when he was eating that fast? I have had friends tell me their babies ate much faster around 4m but had not heard of anyone that truly had a fast eater at 6 to 8 weeks.

She does wake up happy but I try to leave her to see if she will fall asleep again, that can turn into tears. Other times, she wakes up whimpering or crying. What do you think could be causing it? Do you have any nap suggestions?

Thank you mommal! Basically do you think because the milk supply is fast, they eat the same amount as another baby may in 20 to 30 minutes? They are full and getting the right amount of foremilk and hindmilk?

Anyone else have a fast eater? How old were they when you noticed and about how long for them to finish eating?

It has been hard for me to nurse her in public because I never know when she really is finished when she pops on and off towards the end of a feeding. But I guess I should be thankful that there is more time to play and learn when she isn't taking forever to eat I just want to make sure she is getting quality and quantity in milk.

Thank you again for your help and making me feel like I am not insane!

[@llli*mommal]

Yes, when a mom has a large supply and the milk comes out really fast, the baby gets full very quickly. Don't worry about foremilk and hindmilk. When a baby is growing well and not excessively gassy, you can trust her to regulate her own intake and get the right proportions of watery and creamy milk. Just FYI, there's really no such thing as foremilk and hindmilk. You only make milk; relatively watery and sugar-rich at the beginning of the feeding, becoming progressively enriched in fat as the breast empties. There's no abrupt switchover from one sort of milk to the other.

The napping thing sounds normal. She's just very young, which dans that her sleep cycles are short and she is easier to rouse from sleep. At 8 weeks, a 45 minute nap may be sufficient for your LO provided she takes a couple of them a day. Some babies are cat-nappers, getting all the sleep they need in 20-40 minute stretches taken throughout the day. You shouldn't expect an hours-long nap from a baby this young- actually, you shouldn't expect anything at all! The only constant thing about babies is that they change all the time.