Expert: ruth kraft - 10/7/2009

Question
Hello,
My DD just turned 4 months old at the end of September.  She is a pretty good breastfeeder with the occasional bought of fussiness thrown in just to keep me on my toes :-)  However, recently she has started eating so erratically.  Example:  this morning at her 7am feeding she drained one breast fully (she only usually eats off one beast at each feeding normally) at her 10am feeding she barely ate anything off my left breast and was so fussy when I tried to get her to eat more.  Same thing at her 2pm feeding.  She is normal between feedings ie not fussy or sucking her hands but she has not slept very well today.  
Is this normal?  She will not take a bottle and we are currently in India and I am not comfortable giving her formula here.  Should I just trust her and let her eat the way she is?  I have been trying to get her to eat more but she screams like I'm pulling her arms off or something.  
Any advice would be great :-)

Answer
Hey :) it sounds like she is fine. She is likely just enjoying being more social in the middle of the day and maybe be trying to change her nap schedule a little but they don't sound related. The first morning feeding is always the most plentiful. Most babies become social, eat well in the am and at night and then it tends to fade during the day. You would need to start worrying only if developmentlaly they are not where they need to be and are not having wet diapers every day , there are usually many symptoms that come along with it too, like fussiness, fever, not eating at all for 24 hours when not seeming sick, things like that.. other than that, just let her nurse when she wants. its the best for her and she will get enough. If you force her, she will eat less as she will start to associate food with bad reactions. She will eat when she is hungry :)

Good luck! and good job avoiding formula! whether in india or in the us... Breastmilk is best :)