My son has been nursing for 5 hrs. straight - what do I do??

My son is 2 weeks and 4 days old and has been nursing for the last 5 hrs. with no break! he SCREAMS when I remove him from the boob .. and I feel like I'm going to pass out! I'm starving (I had dinner with him on the nipple! and I'm hungry again!)
he hasn't taken any naps and here it is midnite and he's still on my nipple eating and NOT sleeping!
Is this normal?
I know the milk is coming out adequetly because when he falls asleep the milk leaks out of his mouth.
Is he just getting a growth spurt????
Is this normal???
and also, why am I so hungry while he nurses?? Is it burning calories when he eats? or just when I'm making more milk?

How long do these growth spurts last that he's going to need to have my nipple in his mouth 24/7???
It's my first baby ...
thanks!

**also, he just got weighed on Monday and the doctor said he's gaining the right amount of weight.

I know he's getting enough food because he's having 5-6 bowel movements a day.
And the pacifier isn't working .. I know he's hungry because he keeps trying to eat his fists.
He usually takes naps during the day .. but he's not doing that anymore.
And I haven't had ANY caffeine at all since he's been born.
IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR???
(no naps and constantly eating??)

Definitely normal. If you look at one of my last questions I had the EXACT SAME problem last night. I couldn't stand it anymore and finally gave him from breastmilk in a bottle. It was literally 5 hours all night every 15 minutes he wanted to eat. I also ate dinner with him attached and my bedtime snack. By 10:00 he was still going. She I put 4 ounces of breast milk I had pumped and frozen in a bottle and he also ate almost all of it....even after 5 hours of nursing. I was told it's completely normal and that just means they are going through a growth spurt.
They said to give him a supplemental bottle of your breast milk to give you a break and also give your breasts some time to refill a little more.

AND YES....breastfeeding makes you hungry because it burns calories. Since I have diabetes, instead of just getting hungry when I breast feed him, I get low blood sugar because it takes a lot out of me. This happens mostly at night after he feeds forever and it happened yesterday too. Just always make sure you have a snack with you.

no no no^^^ (formula - no!! and Pedialyte is for 1 yr and older)


Yes, It's burning A LOT of calories!!!

He's found comfort in nursing (very common). he's probibly not even hungry, he's just comfort sucking.

Pick up a few paci's with different shaped nipples. It may be a 'process' but he'll eventually find that comfort in a paci, then only nurse to actually EAT.

*the fist eating doesnt mean he's hungry. almost all babies do that. AND, it could mean he's teething ..... ooo that makes sense!! breast milk (believe it or not) has natural pain relivers, he nurses all day to make his teeth feel better. ask the doc what you can give him for that .... the proper doseage of Tylonol.

Your baby shouldn't be feeding for 5 hours straight. His crying doesn't necessarily mean that he is hungry, there could be something else wrong. You should only be feeding him for about 15 minutes per breast per feeding, and about every 2 hours. Contact your pediatrician and a lactation consultant for assistance.

Chewing on his fists doesn't mean that he's hungry. Babies suck/chew their hands and fingers to sooth themselves.

Ok, so I remember a couple points in nursing when my son seemed to nurse "too long".. so.. I'd firstly like to congratulate you on your little one and good job on sticking to breast feeding (many quit in the first couple days cause it hurts)..

1. I don't think it's "normal". He should be eating every 2 hours, for about 45 minutes (maximum).
2. At 2 weeks, they do go through a growth spurt, so your little guy is probably growing!
3. You do burn calories while he nurses, because you are making more milk (all at the same time).. SO when you ate dinner, you were super multi-tasking by: feeding yourself, manufactuing milk, feeding your baby, etc.. lol

I agree with the first answerer, you should put a binki in his mouth, or supplement with formula because you can't drain yourself! My son would often want to nurse for a comfort thing, (having something in his mouth & sucking is comforting to him) so give him a binki because he doesn't need to be eating that much! Good luck on getting more sleep!

(If I were you, I'd much on some crackers or something while you breastfeed) =)

he's comfort nursing, first of all take a deep breath and relax. You know we's getting his nutrition and gaining weight. Try different pacifiers, swaddle him and rock him. Let him fuss a bit and hand him off while you shower. Come back and try different holds and make sure you switch sides. I wouldn't give bottles, put breast milk on the pacifier to get him to latch.

Your baby might just have Porphyric Hemophilia. It is a very rare and serious childhood condition. I dont know enough about it but i seriously suggest you look it up or see a doctor. He will probably be ok.

Pedialyte is not for kids over one. My son got ill when he was 4 months the dr. told me to give him all he would drink.

Dr. gave it to my daughter at 2 weeks.

Call your dr. The baby needs to be seen..........

Congrats on breastfeeding,but basically they don't need to feed for that long!
At 2 weeks he should take 10-30 mins to drain each boob.
He is only using it to pacify.
I know it sounds bad but maybe you need to let him cry a little(10 mins at a time)
even if he was hungry he would feed then go back for more within 1-2 hours not constantly be on there.
Definitely try a dummy and nurse him,pat him,walk around with him,but take him off the boob!
sounds like you are doing a great job though!
you definitely will get hungry your self,i always keep a bottle of water every time I fed my boys a breastfeeding is hard work,it makes you thirsty and exhausted.

Although it seems very early...Pablum! Speak to your doc for further details. Mine stared at one month old 2 days ago on pablum.....Some as early as 1 week! Just 3 to 5 little spoons and then the rest of the bottle or breast! He or she needs a heavier consistency in stomach.
Good luck!

this happened with my son too...exactly when he was 2 weeks old...he couldn't sleep and all he wanted was to be nursed all the time...he would fall asleep nursing and the moment i removed my nipples from his mouth he would wake up and cry for being fed....this went on for 3 days and 3 nights at a stretch....yess...dont panic!!!...i dont know the weather condition there but my ped said that he was feeling hot and thats what made him cranky and he found comfort in feeding...

You are getting alot of mixed information. You have everything your baby needs, breastmilk.

Try taking him off the breast, burping, and then laying him on your naked belly instead of on the book, this way he is warm, having skin-to-skin contact, feels your heart, smells you and is comforted. He might doze off or at least stop crying for a minute.

Try feeding him in a sling, he might doze off and then you can put your boobs away (you're doing awesome btw).

You can also try to nurse laying in bed, this way you can nap and he can suckle and will most likely fall asleep.

He can sense it if you are irritated or worried and this might cause him to continue to eat.

Your milk is going to have a hard time understanding when it is needed, put your supply should be fine. So, if he needs an extended feeding don't worry.

Try nursing in the tub, this might soothe him to sleep.

Never give a baby cereal, or pedolyte or even a pacifier when breastfeeding. This is just silly misinformed information. You are doing everything CORRECTLY and shouldn't worry. He will work it all out soon. Make sure you are burping well. Get your husband to bring you food, and always grab lots of water and healthy snacks before starting a feeding, as you WILL get hungry too!

Awesome job momma

He needs to sleep during the day, please log on to the Baby whisperer website as they have schedules for babies that age.
He would be on a 3 hour schedule which means Eat, Activity, Sleep all within 3 hours. Growth spurs only last 2 days usually.
He does not need to be on the breast for 5 hours, and once his sleep becomes more routine, I would say no more than 45 minutes.
You are doing a great job and enjoy!!!!

Keep trying with the pacifier or give him a supplemental bottle of formula with cereal in it.

Chances are he just wants to suck and isn't really hungry.

Most babies go through a growth spurt at 2 weeks. It will probably only last a few days (2-4, if I remember correctly.) Here's what I would do. First, make sure that there's nothing bothering him. Check his diaper, do bicycle motions with his legs to relieve any gas that he might have, and check to make sure that nothing is pinching him. Then make yourself some food and get yourself a big glass of water. If your partner is around, get him to do this! :) Eat and drink. Then go lie down in bed on your side. Put your baby on his side with your tummies together and latch him on to either the top or bottom breast, whatever seems like it will work best for you. Use a pillow behind your back to support you if you end up having to bend funny. Nurse and get some rest. Make sure that there are no blankets or pillows near your baby that could be a suffocation hazard. Get some sleep! Your baby should be done with the constant eating in a few days. It really is exhausting, so lie down with him as often as you can.

Just take him off the boob and give him a pacifier or a bottle with formula or Pedialyte. It may sound wrong, but you have to take care of yourself before your baby (that's not to say be selfish and neglect your baby, but your basic needs must be met).

UPDATE:
In response to the following answerers comments:
1) Pedialyte was recommended as a substitute for breast milk by my son's pediatrician when he was 3 months old. The drug facts state that it "has been tested in children and, in effective doses, appears to be safe and effective in children. This medicine has not been tested in premature infants." Not anywhere does it say for children 12+ months.
2) There is nothing wrong with giving a little formula to a baby who is already used to breastfeeding, nor is there anything wrong with exclusively bottle-feeding a baby from birth (though there is greater benefit to breast milk), but you act like I said to feed him cyanide! I feel my suggestions were perfectly reasonable and I stand by them 100%.

Also, for the record, I'm not recommending replacing breastmilk with formula or pedialyte, except as a way to pacify the baby for a short duration.