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Question:My seven week old baby girl wants to nurse constantly from the hours of 5:00 pm until she goes to bed, which is normally around 11:00 pm. What is causing the constant eating? Is she getting enough from me to satisfy her? She wants to nurse again 45 minutes to an hour after she finishes eating. Please help!
Feeding Frenzy Online
My 8 week old son will, at least once or twice a day, act like he is hungry – crying fisting his mouth, licking his lips, etc. And it will be at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours past his last feeding. But when I put him to my breast, he will nurse for a minute or so and then scream like I am torturing him. Pregnancy checklist at 9 weeks pregnant. Start a daily ritual to connect with your baby. It's not too early to start bonding. Take some time each day to sit quietly: Focus on the miracle unfolding inside you, and plan for the kind of parent you want to be.
Answer: It is completely normal for a baby this age to still nurse frequently. Your baby will double her birth weight by the time she is five or six months old, and triple it by a year. That’s a lot of growing to do in these early months!
Breastfed babies do tend to nurse more often because human milk is more easily digested than formula, and empties from their stomachs faster. This means more frequent feedings, but less colic, illness, constipation, and allergies.
All babies will start going longer stretches between feedings as they get older, but the timetable is different for each baby. Is your baby gaining weight adequately? That’s really the most important thing at this point.
Babies will periodically go on “growth spurts” during the early months of nursing. This means that they are growing so quickly that your milk supply needs to increase to meet their demands. The most common time for growth spurts is around 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The best way to boost your milk production is by nursing more often for a few days (“Cluster Feeding”) until the supply catches up. She may be going through one of these growth spurts now.
It is also a very common pattern for babies to have their fussiest period of the day during the hours from dinnertime til bedtime. For some reason, they will fight sleep even when their eyelids are drooping and you KNOW they must be exhausted. This nightly period of cluster feeding and fighting sleep also coincides with the time of day when you are the most tired, your milk supply is lowest, and you are trying to cook dinner and spend some time with your partner. I know that is is a frustrating situation for you, but maybe knowing how common is it and that it won’t last forever will make you feel a little bit better. Eventually your baby will be on more of a predictable schedule, I promise.
Anne Smith, IBCLC
Breastfeeding Basics
Breastfeeding Basics
Most babies go through several growth spurts (also called frequency days) during the first 12 months.
What is a growth spurt?
During a growth spurt, breastfed babies nurse more often than usual (sometimes as often as every hour) and often act fussier than usual.
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The increase in baby’s milk intake during growth spurts is temporary. In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months. As solids are gradually introduced after six months, baby’s milk intake will gradually decrease.
Physical growth is not the only reason that babies may have a temporary need for increased nursing. Babies often exhibit the same type of behavior (increased nursing with or without increased fussiness) when they are working on developmental advances such as rolling over, crawling, walking or talking. Mom’s milk is for growing the brain as well as the body!
When do babies have growth spurts?
![9 Week Baby Feeding Frenzy 9 Week Baby Feeding Frenzy](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125519403/768662046.jpg)
9 Week Baby Ultrasound
Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). Babies don’t read calendars, however, so your baby may do things differently.
Growth spurts don’t stop after the first year – most moms notice growth spurts every few months during the toddler years and periodically thereafter on through the teenage years.
How long do growth spurts last?
Growth spurts usually last 2-3 days, but sometimes last a week or so.
What is the best way to handle a growth spurt?
Follow your child’s lead. Baby will automatically get more milk by nursing more frequently, and your milk supply will increase due to the increased nursing. It is not necessary (or advised) to supplement your baby with formula or expressed milk during a growth spurt. Supplementing (and/or scheduling feeds) interferes with the natural supply and demand of milk production and will prevent your body from getting the message to make more milk during the growth spurt.
Some nursing moms feel more hungry or thirsty when baby is going through a growth spurt. Listen to your body — you may need to eat or drink more during the time that baby is nursing more often.
See My baby is fussy! Is something wrong? for tips on comforting a fussy baby.
Additional Resources @ KellyMom
Additional Resources at other websites
- Growth Spurts by Cheryl Taylor White, BA, MME
- Why does my baby suddenly want to nurse constantly? FAQ from LLL
- Fussy periods and wonder weeks from the Australian Breastfeeding Association