Never satisfied with feedings?

[DanielleBrown]

Hi, my son is 1 month and 10 days old and it seems that he is never satisfied after a feeding. He keeps wanting more and more even if he has been eating constantly for 30 minutes. I know it's constant because I can hear him swallowing. I think there has only been one feeding that he actually pulled himself off and was done eating. All of the other times I have to pull him off so that he doesn't eat too much and spit up, or he falls asleep while eating. What do I need to do? Some people tell me he may be ready for cereal to satisfy him more. Also, he wants to eat about every hour and a half and doesn't sleep more than 2 and a half hours at night. When does he start sleeping more through the night? And would cereal help him sleep better at night?

[Assunta_Osterholt]

At his age, I would not recommend cereal. Table foods are better started at about six months. Some babies may be ready a little sooner and some babies may be ready a little later. If there are severe food allergies in your family, I would wait until later rather than sooner.
Assuming that his wt. is fine:
Try to make sure that your baby finishes the first breast first. Keep him active on that first side and do some breast compressions towards the end of the feeding to ensure that he gets to the hind milk. Getting more of the hindmilk may be all he needs.

[DanielleBrown]

His weight is great. What is the hind milk? And if he's not getting the hind milk could that be the cause of him spitting up after every feeding? I was never told about that. So, he should drain the first breast?

[Assunta_Osterholt]

The hindmilk is the rich creamy milk that comes towards the end of the feeding. If a baby is switched over to the other breast before finishing the first breast, he only gets foremilk and misses out on the hindmilk. Hindmilk satisfies them more. The spitting up could be attributed to this, but it could just be that he needs extra burping.

[DanielleBrown]

I pull him off about every 5 minutes or so, depending on how much he is swallowing, to burp him. And after the feeding I usually burp him for at least 45 minutes. How long should be a good amount of time to feed him on the first breast to make sure he is getting the hind milk?

[Assunta_Osterholt]

Have him decide when to come off the first breast. When he slows down, stimulate him to keep him active.
The burping after 3-5 minutes of feeding is a good idea if the spitting up and fast flow is a real problem, then burp him after he is done.

[DanielleBrown]

He is also having green stools. Is this b/c he may not be getting the hind milk?

[Assunta_Osterholt]

This is one of the signs. A green stool here or there is normal. How many do you see?

[DanielleBrown]

Maybe once a day it will be mostly green and maybe another that is just a little streak of green in the regular stool. Is there something specific I can look for in the stool that will tell me if he is getting the hind milk?

[DanielleBrown]

Sorry to post another problem so soon but I don't know what to do with his spitting up. I just got done feeding him and burped him for about 30 minutes afterwards. He was just sitting here talking to me and smiling and it just started running out of his mouth and now he's upset and crying. I will be making a 12 hour trip next week with him by myself and I can't have him spitting up and choking on it in the car seat. What all can I do to figure out why he is doing it and to help it? We had about 5 days or so straight to where he wasn't spitting up at all or if he did it was like a little dribble out the corner of his mouth, but now we're back to it just pouring out of his mouth.

[Assunta_Osterholt]

Just fewer green stools.