4 week old not hungry

I have demand fed my four week old boy from birth, during the day he has practically fed all day, sometimes hourly or two hourly, and at night was giving me a 3 hour stretch, sometimes 4 hours... in hindsight during the day i think some of the times i fed him he was actually tired, but anyways i'm not too worried about that...

in the last 24 hours though he hasn't been as hungry, he went about 5 or 6 hours yesterday evening where he wouldn't feed properly, i kept trying to attach him but he kept crying and wasn't interested, when i gave up he wasn't distressed or seeming hungry, he seemed quite okay... then i managed to feed him one side at about 11pm, couldn't get him to take the other side, and he went until 4am and took the other side, then had another feed at 6am of one side, and now at 9am i tried to feed him but again he is fussing at the breast, taking a few mouthfuls then crying and hopping off, over and over... so its 10am now and its been 4 hours, and he doesn't seem hungry... after feeding every 1-2 hours i am not used to this and am worried something is wrong... do you think it sounds okay for a 4 week old? he has pee'd on me twice this morning and seems to have wet and dirty nappies etc... i'm just confused at why practically overnight he doesn't seem to want to suck on me every waking hour!?

His tummy is bigger now that it was at birth, he can most likely hold enough in it to keep him going for a bit longer. Keep feeding to his needs and you'll be doing the right thing :D

You are doing a really good job :)
Maybe hes getting enough form the feeds he is having.
If his nappies are wet and he is happy, alert etc (as much as a 4week old can be) then everythings probably fine.
If you are worried call your mchn or gp.
He may also just be having a fussy period. Its hard to tell.
Is he sleeping between the feeds?
My eldest child also started having longer gaps between feeds (5 hours at night from 1 week) which worried me. My younger child started just taking one side on a regular basis for abour 4 weeks which surprised/concerend me as well, but I just had a good supply and he was getting all he needed.

hmmmm, its 2pm and he still hasn't fed properly.... he has had a few 'sips' for a few minutes, but then hops off the breast and cries... he did seem to act like he had loads of wind this morning, crying etc and bringing his legs up, but now he is sort of quiet and not crying, a bit sleepy... i'm thinking maybe he has a sore tummy and needs to do a giant poo...

is it okay for me to keep offering 'sips' throughout the day, can he survive on just a little bit of milk quite frequently, until he feels better/gets his appetite back?

is it normal for them to lose their appetite if they aren't feeling well?

will my milk disappear? i really cannot be bothered with expressing, i don't have anything to express into, ie containers etc... and i hate having to wash and sterilise the pump after each time... sorry a bit of a whinge there...

do you think i need to take him to the doctor or anything.... he isn't unhappy, just not feeding well.

It may be that he's gotten a lot more efficient at feeding all of a sudden - his crying and fussing could be a reaction to you trying to get him to have more. I would definately watch his output and other signs to ensure he is getting enough - just in case.
If he's taking enough then your supply will be sufficient.

It could also be reflux (silent reflux even), wind or something like that. Or maybe you have a forecful letdown and he's having trouble with it. Personally, when in doubt I go and waste the time of my GP or CHN, just for reassurance. So far there's never really been anything wrong, but you never know.

:hug:

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is it okay for me to keep offering 'sips' throughout the day, can he survive on just a little bit of milk quite frequently, until he feels better/gets his appetite back?

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Thats what i would do, just keep an eye on how long it happens for
Is he just not seeming hungry or is he screaming?

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is it normal for them to lose their appetite if they aren't feeling well?

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Yes it can be especially if constipated but constipation is extrememly rare if you are exclusively breastfeeding

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will my milk disappear? i really cannot be bothered with expressing, i don't have anything to express into, ie containers etc... and i hate having to wash and sterilise the pump after each time... sorry a bit of a whinge there...

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Who told you that you needed to sterilise your breast pump parts between uses? Unless someone else is using it, you should just be rinsing them thoroughly between uses on the same day, and wash well in hot soapy water at the end of the day, rinse thoroughly and air dry

To answer the question it depends how long it goes on for. Probably not, but you may feel like it has becuase at about 4 weeks your supply will start to settle down anyway so you may feel less full.

As for the doctor - do you think you should take him? It cant hurt.

oh wow, i didn't realise i didn't have to wash and sterlise my breast pump!!!! THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!! i can express a little after each feed to build up a supply of stored breast milk... i never understood how people did it if they had to wash and sterlise after each usage... it just seemed like it was way too much work... i might go to the chemist and see if they have those storage bag thingies...

i've rung my doctor and waiting for a call back, so will ask her what she thinks...

no he isn't screaming, he is actually sleeping which is semi unusual, he is usually awake for quite a while during the day.... is it actually possible he would get a good feed from only a few minutes on the breast though? if i squeeze my nipple, the milk shoots out and squirts - does that indicate a forecful letdown? he hasn't had any trouble with it in the past.

hmmmm i feel guilty as i am loving that he is sleeping and not wanting to feed all the time, but at the same time i'm feeling guilty in case there is something wrong/he isn't getting what he needs.

if hes not well, that can also make him sleep more during the day, but then so can being hungry (well more so not having the energy to wake up)
what is his weight gain like? if that and everything else is fine up til now then id just sit tight and wait to hear back from your gp.
You might also get or health nurse to do a quick weigh if you wanted to, if your worried.

Just a thought - have you made any recent changes in your diet? He could maybe be reacting to a different flavour in your milk that he doesn't appreciate, or something that's making him gassier than usual?

He sounds like he might be either becoming more efficient or he may have the beginnings of a cold or a bug.

In any case, there's no harm in offering, don't stress if he doesn't take the bb and let him sleep once he's done. Have you tried carrying him around in a sling or carrier, to calm him?

I'd suggest calling the ABA helpline as well, 1800 mum 2 mum. Someone can probably go through it in more detail with you over the phone and ask all the right questions!

he still isn't feeding well... although overnight had a few reasonable feeds... but today there is more of the same, a few sucks then comes off crying.... i have offered him formula in a bottle but he isn't interested in that either.... so i have to tell myself he ISN'T hungry, even though he seems to be by sucking his hand and seeming a bit frantic.... he isn't crying too much besides when he has wind... and he seems reasonably happy.... my daughter has a cold and my partner has had an upste stomach, so maybe he is getting either of these?

when they are sick is it normal for them to go off their food? sorry i think i've asked that before.... it just seems so worrying to me that he isn't feeding... but he isn't screaming so i am assuming this is okay.

ahah!
maybe he has a sore throat or a bit of congestion...
Calling the ABA is a great idea too
Hope everyone is well again soon

My DD very quickly settled into 6 feeds a day and each feed took 15 to 20 minutes. I know that is a lot less than some babies. I just kept a close eye on her weight and since she always gained well I didn't worry.

Oh, and I second the not sterilising the breast pump. I was told it wasn't necessary because breasts are not sterile.

And I know that lots of babies go through big behaviour changes at about 3 or 4 weeks, so maybe that explains some of it? I think there is also a wonder week at 4 weeks?

hmmmm, well he really seems more interested in his dummy during the day... at night however he fed relatively well at 3 hour intervals... and slept in between, in the bed with me... he didn't feed for very long, maybe 15 - 20 minutes on one side, or 10 minutes etc.... but did manage some sort of feed at 9pm, 12pm, 3am and 6.30am..... now during the day he is refusing the breast again, even though i am offering it to him in the same manner, ie laying on the bed in his room, just like at night time.... he is generally happy and has wet nappies....

its strange that he is feeding more during the night, and during the day is stretching out feeds for hours on end..... he is awake during the day, so hasn't got his days and nights mixed up...

hmmmm baffling... i hope its not the dummy confusing him?

I found when I was getting a bit uptight about feeding early on I would have a nice warm bath with DD2 and just relax in there with her. Then if she wanted to feed, she could, for however long. It helps relax the both of you and takes the stress out of howlong/howmany...

At about 4 weeks our feeds went from about 30-40 mins down to 5-10 mins as well. Now she feeds from both sides in less than 10 mins. That might also be what is happening...

GL

Emma hun, that sounds like there is some progress.

How many wet and dirty nappies is he having in 24 hours?

i will have to count the nappies... he does have wet ones, and some dirty, not as many dirty as previously, but does seem to be having quite a few wet ones, but i will definitely have to count...

he has only had 1 proper feed today, at 1.30pm... the rest of the time he has had a few sucks then gotten angry and just wanted to get away from the breast... i rang the ABA and they said as long as he is having wet nappies and is settled and not super unsettled, then he should be okay.... he has slept a lot more than usual..... i am thinking perhaps tonight he will feed regularly again through the night, and then tomorrow he will barely feed.... maybe its some sort of pattern he is getting in.... i dunno.... i am so worried about it but everyone who has seen him says he is fine, thriving, content and happy..... i agree to a point but still the nervous mum in me wants him to feed!! i wish he could go this many hours through the night without feeding!! maybe i will get lucky and in a few days it will be reversed?

i will take him to get weighed etc on monday and to see the MCHN... i hate weekends in the country, so hard to see any health professionals unless you go to the hospital, which i don't think it is warranted as he seems quite happy.

just an update, it appears he is cluster feeding through the night every two hours or less, and refusing the breast during the day completely (i managed only one feed yesterday for the entire day)... he has many awake/alert periods during the day, and at night he feeds then is straight back to sleep, so i wouldn't say he has his days and nights mixed, just a preference to feeding through the night....

any tips on encouraging this feeding routine to change to feeding during the day, or will it just run its course and eventually sort itself out do you think?

thanks xx