Why does my 5 month old get fussy only 2 hours after nursing?

Question

I try to hold him off till 3 hours before I nurse him. I have started cereal and now recently fruit but I haven't seen any change in his eating and sleeping habits. He takes 3 to 4 naps a day about 30-45 minutes each. He doesn't keep a pacifier in his mouth but seems to like it as long as someone is holding it in.

Answer 1

It is now commonly accepted that infants, most especially breastfed infants, thrive best when allowed to feed as they indicate their needs. Breastfeeding is, after all, a dynamic process between every unique mother-baby dyad, for which man cannot possibly do a better job than God in designing how infant feeding should work.

This has not been the general consensus throughout the twentieth century, however. Even in the late nineteenth century, there were those, mostly male physicians, who began to believe that infant feeding should be regulated by the clock. As artificial baby milk became all the rage in the twentieth century, both formulations of this milk and schedules to feed babies came into popularity. These schedules often stretched feedings to 3 or 4 hour intervals, and though they apparently worked for bottle fed infants, they did not work so well for breastfed infants.

During the seventies and eighties, as breastfeeding again resurged through a grassroots movement first sparked by La Leche League, many mothers have returned to demand feeding, finding the most breastfeeding success when following baby's cues rather than the clock. The medical establishment lagged behind, and has followed suit only after its own research was undertaken to prove the wisdom of cue feeding---- for breastfed babies.

Answer 2

im thinking that your baby is not gettin enough to eat during her nursing which causes her to want to nurse more often or sooner than you would normally think. ,. i would check with your doctor if this continues, but babies will let you know when they are still hungry. also, be careful to over feed him he might be eating too much and is not sleeping comfortable. watch for signs of irritable crying and discomfort. after all he is a growing baby.

Answer 3

Sounds to me like he's still hungry but also at 5mo he could also be teething. When they start teething their gums can be sensitive even to the sucking process. Does he really act hungry when you offer more food or does he want to chew on something like a teething ring? He's still little, I'd just try different things to find out what will sooth him.

Answer 4

Is he drinking enough when he feeds? Babys love to be held

and cuddled but if he doesn't want the pacifier, get rid of it.

Talk to your baby doctor about this.  He/she might have some

good solutions.

Answer 5

hey i sympathise with you - my daughter who is now 3 1/2 was like that 24/7. she just didnt really need so much sleep, and she would only have small feeds, even after i put her on solids and formula it didnt make any difference. On the other hand my 3 month old baby is the opposite, sleeps well and feeds well. However, he still seems to only nap during the day - he will sometimes settle back down if i go give him his dummy and rock his cradle a bit.

3 hourly feeds does seem alot for a 5 month old boy. do you give him solids after he has nursed or before? and how often? If you let him fill up on breastmilk before you offer solids, that is usually the best way. The only other thing I could suggest is to supplement his breastfeeding with a bottle feed of formula. I have a friend who does one feed breast and one feed formula and that seems to work well for her.

Anyway - good luck with it. Hope i was able to help a little

Answer 6

he is probably going through a growth spurt...there were times my daughter would nurse every 45-60 minutes when she went through one...just let him eat when he is hungry and he will get over the spurt...

good luck :o)

Answer 7

How long is he sleeping at night?  Naps sound good if he's sleeping 7-8 or more hours at night.

He may still be hungry.  Even at 5 months, feeding the baby every 2 or 2.5 hours between nursing is just fine.  Don't withhold food.  If he's hungry, feed him.  Take your cues from him.  If he's smacking/l*****g his lips, that's a pretty good sign he's hungry.  Crying/Fussing are late signs of hunger.  

But if you think he's not hungry, then run a quick check on the other normal causes for fussing/crying.  

1. Burp

2. Wet or soiled diaper (I've gone through 15+ diapers in a day with my daughter)  Do you want to sit in a wet diaper, even if it's a little wet?

3. too hot/cold

4. tired

If all of these are taken care of, but still fussy, I'd certainly try nursing.  He won't over eat.  Babies have tiny tummies and need frequent feedings.  Breast milk does breakdown a little faster than formula so will require a little more frequent feeding.

I'm still nursing my 10-month-old.  She sleeps up to 12 hours at night, but can still nurse 2 hours apart, but sometimes goes up to 4 hours apart.  I let her tell me when she's hungry.   She usually eats 5 times a day.  She eats close together early in the morning (first morning then perhaps an hour or so before eating again) and further apart in the afternoon.  Babies get most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula for at least the first year - even while they're eating some solids.  Just think of the extra calories you get to eat to provided that breast milk. ;-)   And if he's eating extra a lot he may be in a growth spurt.

Answer 8

Because he is hungry  feed him

Answer 9

because a five month old stomach empties that often

cereal and solids have no effect on sleeping patterns, and are not a source of nutrition at this age

trying to schedule a breastfed baby is one of the fastest ways to run into problems, fee your baby on demand as much as he is comfortable eating