Baby won't settle from 4pm - 10pm

This is the fourth afternoon of this - DS who is 6 weeks old won't settle after his late afternoon feed (breast fed baby). If we put him down whether to play or sleep he cries. He wants to be held constantly during this time and also wants to go on and off the breast for this time - yes, on and off the breast for 5 hours - my nipples feel like they are going to fall off by the third hour - I burst into tears this afternoon as I was at my wits end - I couldn't take the pain but at the same time I didn't want to deny him his one comfort when he is so over tired. I know it has nothing to do with actually being hungry. His typical feeds are 20 minutes and I have plenty of milk and he is steadily gaining weight at a rapid pace from his 20 minute feeds - he also has plenty of wet nappies throughout the day.

He settles pretty easily in the morning and he typically falls asleep right after all feeds other than the first morning feed. He also settles OK during his night feeds other than if he ends up wanting a 5 or 6 am feed - then I have to take him into bed with me and he'll sleep (he'll also sleep if he lies on my husband). All other times, we can plop him in his cradle and all is OK.

Is this a normal phase for 6 weeks old (note, he was 4 weeks early so he's only 2.5 weeks past his due date)? Any advice as if this goes on and on, I'm going to have to consider giving him a dummy which I really don't want to do for a number of reasons.


PS - I don't think it is wind as I give him infacol which seems to bring up the burps pretty quickly
Thanks

i would say his going through a little phase or maybe even a growth spurt...
my dd was doing the exact thing at 6 weeks and it was driving me crazy, sometimes she still does it now and it will last a couple of days but it drives me crazy.. its like they put themselves in that routine..itms?
i found that sometimes it could be a little air bubble or even just that she was over tired and would tickle and massage her body as i found on her check up she had sprouted more than a few cm's so i put them down to growth spurts they have plenty around this time...
maybe give him a luke warm bath, and give him a massage then offer a feed and see how you go? hope that helps a little..

I was going to suggest a growth spurt too. Also, this time of day is commonly know as Arsenic Hour where bubs are know to be incredibly difficult to settle.

Do you have a sling or carrier at all you can pop bubs in whilst you get on with your day? That way he is still close to you and you have your hands free to do what you need.

And remember, this too shall pass :hug:

I would think maybe a growth spurt. I do remember very vividly my DS doing the same thing around the same age and also remember the tears that came with it so huge :hug:

My DS was a prem bub too and was told by my CHN that you go by actual age for growth spurts and feeding. If you dont already maybe try baby massage, dark room, quiet space. If its something you are happy to consider maybe try expressing some milk and giving him a bottle to give your nipples a break. My DS had bottles in the SCN and breastfeed well too, we never had any trouble with teet confusion. If you dont want to go down the path of bottles, grab yourself some nipple shields, they were a godsend for me.

other than that I'd suggest a sling, and for your partner to take him for 20min or so, and you go and have a bath to help keep you relaxed. He will pick up on mummy feeling frazzled, calmer you are, the better off you all will be. (Though I do know thats easier said then done).

HTH and GL :hug:

Yep, DS did this from 6 to 12 weeks, it was a tough phase and I thought it was neverending....slings are great, warm baths, cluster feeding....it is hard and feels like it will never end. x

Big hugs, yep it sounds like the arsenic hour!!! The PPs have made some great suggestions - just wanted to offer another hug :hug: and to say "this too shall pass".

Try and go with it! You are doing a great job!

As they others have said 6 weeks is a common growth spurt time but that many days in a row does suggest to me that there could be something else going on. Something to think about is some advice that a health nurse gave us when DS was a similar age and we were surprised that it really worked! She said that bubs get grizzely around 3-4 o'clock as they are too full! She said to try and only feed every 2 hours in the afternoon and to resist giving them lots of boob. She said if you are holding bub their head will be bobbing downwards looking for the boob (which sounds like what is happening as bub is feeding lots in the afternoon) but she said feeding will only make it worse and bub is really only looking for comfort kwim. At 1st I thought there is no way I could 'not' feed bub when he is looking for it but what she said makes sense and as long as bub was getting milk every 2 hours in the afternoon between 2-6pm I knew he wasn't starving anyway. She told us that bub will be most comfortable on their belly and if dad is about to let bub sleep on dads chest on their belly or you can hold bub belly down in your arms or if trying to get to sleep over your lap on their belly. Your body will serve as a hot water bottle for comfort if it does happen to be gas and it will also take the pressure off the belly if bub is too full. Anyway we did it and getting bub to sleep that time of day on dh's chest rather than me feeding all the time meant that the grizzly time of day no longer existed :D

Thanks everyone...some really good suggestions and it's good to know that this experience isn't unique to me and DS.

We do express - but not often - but have no issue switching between bottle and boob so I'm going to do it a bit more for the next few days (meaning once a day) to give me a break - DH is more than happy to do what he can to make it easier. In fact, right before logging on I expressed a bottle for this afternoon.

We have an ergo (with the heart to heart infant insert) but it's still in the box - I think we will bring it out this afternoon if/when DS gets fussy and at least I won't feel trapped on the couch for 5 hours.

Also have nipple shields that I haven't used and forgot about but that's a great suggestion to put them on to protect them from all the sucking.

Thanks again!

6 weeks + exttended arsenic hour = very tired, frazzled mummy :hug:
Definitely get that ergo out and use it - hopefully it will help you out.
I don't know if it's a growth spurt or what, but 6 weeks tends to be a doozy and it can last a week or so.

This is so common! My DD did the exact same thing from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. It's just a phase that many babies apparently go through and can be completely exhausting. The things I did at the time that seemed to help a bit was to have her in a "colic hold" belly down in the crook of my arm. And sometimes letting her suck on a dummy just for comfort at that time of day helped. I never gave her a dummy to sleep and didn't use it past this phase. In retrospect I think I fed her too much on those awful unsettled evenings. I don't think it made it worse but I don't think it helped either. At the end of the day there's not much you can do - so don't worry, you're doing a great job just being there for him!

Hugs hun it is exhausting. Bub is just getting your supply up for a growth spurt - all very normal & natural and as PPs said, 'this too shall pass'.

thanks everyone...he seems to be on the other side of this phase...for now/until the next one. A couple things helped - lying him across my knees, him being diagnosed with reflux and being put on zantac and the purchase of a swing which seems to almost always put him to sleep/relax him. He hated the Ergo but we tried it when he was already worked up so we need to re-try when he is calmer.

yay. past the 6 week hump!

That's great news.

With the ergo, go for a quick burn around the block. DD often grizzles when she's first in there, but she can't resist the heart to heart power and she always settles (unless, like today, Daddy takes her and is only wearing a singlet. Then she chokes on his chest hair.)