Need advice and/or encouragement please!!

[Turkpea]

Ok...here's my situation. I have a almost 3 week old son. I've been nursing him since day 1 and he's been a GREAT nurser!!! Latched on like a champ from the get go!! No problems with my nipples hurting or anything!! I have another 4 1/2 year old who I nursed until 2 months shy of his 3rd birthday so you'd think I'd be a pro by now!!

My new son was FINE for about 2 weeks. NO spitting up, no fussiness, no problems!! It was SO great!! My first son spit up ALL the time from the moment he came out of my belly and he was fussy ALL the time from the start. So....with this son I thought I had lucked out.


All of a sudden though he has started getting cranky and spitting up. I've tried Mylicon drops which definitely makes him toot and burp better. I kinda knew to stay away from milk from previous experience so I've only had very small amounts in cereal and that's it. I don't eat anything spicy and I've stayed away from dairy.

My question I guess is am I doing the right thing by continuing to nurse him?? I would be devastated if I had to switch to formula but I don't want to make the poor thing miserable...ya know??? He is gaining weight nicely and wetting lot's of diapers and pooping like a champ!! I'm just SO confused and any advice on what I can try to help him feel better or support that maybe yes...I AM doing the right thing by continuing to nurse would be greatly appreciated. It doesn't help that I am TOTALLY sleep deprived at this point!! It makes everything seem SO much worse than it probably is!!!


He's not cranky ALL the time.....and generally he's only cranky for very short periods of time. It's not like he's crying for hours and hours. It only lasts a few minutes if even that. But something has definitely changed in the past few days so I thought you ladies may have some good advice or experiences to share!!

Thanx SO much!!
Brooke

[KatieLou]

Yes, you are doing the right thing by nursing him!

Maybe, he is just starting to sleep less, and grow into his personality a little more.

Have you noticed any other symptoms that may lead you to believe he is having a issue with the diary in your diet?
IF (note I put if) you suspect a dairy sensitivity or allergy, you would have to cut out ALL dairy. Even the little bit in your morning cereal could bother him. Dairy can also be a reflux trigger.

Here is a little linky that might be helpful.
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

[pumpkinhead7]

What you are describing is normal newborn behaviour regardless of what they are fed :). You are absolutely doing the right thing by continuing to nurse him! Most babies spit up and most babies are fussy from time to time.

You could try a complete dairy elimination to see if this helps, but chances are he's just being a normal baby. They tend to get fussier around the 3 week mark and this tends to last until they hit 6-8 weeks and then subsides somewhat. You could also have him evaluated for reflux if you're concerned, but again, what you are describing does not sound concerning to me personally.

Congratulations on your new baby!

[SingingMom]

Switching to formula would introduce more allergens than it eliminates. Keep nursing, momma.

You could also see if perhaps your supply has outpaced your baby's belly. This happened to me; my DS started spitting up A LOT. Turned out that I make milk like a fountain of mommy goodness. I don't get engorged, mind you. I just make a lot of milk very fast, and DS was getting rid of the extra.

If this might be you, try block nursing. Nurse from only one side at a session (or maybe even the same side for two or three sessions.) See if it makes a difference in the fussiness. An overfull baby isn't happy, and can be extra gassy.

[Nipple_nectar]

It is perfectly normal newborn behavior to have fussy periods and most of the time, not related to anything in particular. I recommend that you read The happiest baby on the block by Dr. Harvey Karp. In it, he describes infant communication very well.

www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussybaby.html

[madelsmama]

Could you read this and see if it sounds familiar?
https://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/oversupply.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

Sometimes moms have a forceful let-down/oversupply/foremilk-hindmilk imbalance that can make for a fussy baby, along with spraying, sometimes green stools, gassiness and spitting up. And it usually starts at around three weeks post-partum.

If this sounds like it could be the case with you, let us know. Many of us have overcome the same issues!!

[Turkpea]

Cheryl- without reading the article *yet* he did have one poopie yesterday that had some green in it....so it sounds like that may be the problem?? I'm definitely going to read the article when time permits......especially if there's any advice on how to make my pumpkin feel better!! Thanx SO much for all the replies and words of advice!!