this is normal right? (a growth spurt maybe)

[{{{Angela}}}]

For the past two evenings, DD (2 weeks old) has been really fussy in the evenings, starting around 4-5ish and going until 8 to 9ish.  She wants to be held and walked, but really wants to breastfeed continuously the ENTIRE time.  I read that this is normal.  She feeds for a few minutes, drifts off to sleep and then wakes up 5 minutes later, demanding to be fed again.

This morning she wanted to be fed from 10am until now (1:30pm) - she's still crying now and I'll put her back on the breast.   She drifts off but when she seems to be in a deep sleep and I put her down, she'll wake up and cry again.  Is this indicative of a growth spurt or something else?

Edited to add:
I'm also confused...sometimes I read that we should try to get them on an EASY routine, and not to let them snack, but I was reading the FAQ and it said that in the first few weeks, to allow snacking and time on the breast whenever they want (which I'm not against) and to let them fall asleep when they've had a good feed.  Sooo....I'm not sure what to do...

[VickyB20]

Hiya!  I remember the same with Ella.  She grew out of it on her own after a couple of weeks.  If you're ok with it, I would try to go with the slow but just be aware of working towards EASY ultimately.
The other possibility is that she really does just want to go to sleep.  What happens if you put her down to sleep?
Good luck!
Vicky
x

[Samuel's mum]

I've been giving this link a lot recently but I think it's very helpful.

She's bang on target to start the fussy evenings thing:
 http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

[{{{Angela}}}]

Vicky - if I put her down to sleep she'll just wake up and be wide awake for a while, then fuss and start to cry.  I've been wearing her to sleep, or walking around. 

She's a little less fussy this evening, only fed once every hour 3 times, then went to sleep.

I've heard that oatmeal helps to increase milk supply - is that true? 

[Samuel's mum]

I've heard the oatmeal thing too but it's not backed up by any evidence that I've found. But it does seem to work for some people:
 http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/oatmeal.html
What does seem to be more reliable is to drink plenty of fluids (like 2 litres a day) and consider fenugreek capsules preferably in combination with a herb called blessed thistle.
In the early weeks you are laying the foundations of EASY by encouraging a baby not to sleep on the boob if it's possible and you are learning your baby's individual cues. For some people EASY comes earlier than for others. It depends on things like how much sleepy hormone is in your milk and how straightfoward your baby is at showing cues.
At the end of the day though you've got to get that milk supply built up by responding to feeding cues (which you might sometimes get wrong) rather than worry about the clock. As if you don't get milk supply established then the next few weeks and months might be affected in the longer-term. So at this point it's better to make a 'mistake' and misread a cue and feed unnecessarily than the other way round e.g. determinedly ignore a cue you are not sure about.

You know the 2 week growth spurt is a BIGGY don't you. The first few weeks can really seem like one long growth spurt but it's about your long-term supply - building up those prolactin receptors which then operate for as long as you breastfeed. That opportunity never comes again.

[*Nicola*]

Hiya Callie is the same in the evenings.  During the day she feeds 2.5 - 3 hourly depending on her cues.  Then she usually feeds at 3pm then again at 5pm and then constantly wants to be on the breast until about 615 when she has her bath.  As soon as she is out she wants fed again, which is her bedtime feed, but is pretty fussy on the breast then and will often spend most of the time suckling rather than feeding. 

We then put her down at about 7pm and she sleeps until 1130/12.  She then wakes again about 3pm and the rest of the night  is anybodies guess still   

I definitely find that letting her fuss/feed/nap as she wishes in those hours before and after bath help her to take a nice long stretch of sleep.

As for sleeping on breast .. it's so hard in the first couple of weeks ... I've posted on here about it too.  Until she was about 2 weeks old Callie would fall asleep during every feed and couldn't be woken up!  Now she is 3 weeks old she seems to have 'woken up' a bit and is much more alert during the day.  We do a feed, have some short A time and then I put her for a nap.  If she is drowsy I swaddle her and pat/shh her then into cot to soothe to sleep.  If she is reluctant to go to sleep I give her another wee feed then do the swaddle.  Although we are associating feed and sleep we make sure to put the swaddle, pat/shh bit in there so that it reduces the feed/sleep association.

Maybe trying something like this will help stop the crying when you feed her to sleep then put her down.  She will get used to going into her bed for a sleep and will be more comfortable there when she wakes up rather than wondering where she got moved to.