Hi -

First of all, some babies just like to be held. Have you tried carrying
her in a sling? Doing that will give your baby the comfort of being
close to a parent, but leave that parent with two free hands.

If you think the problem is a fussy tummy, some things to consider a

-- not enough burping. (Believe me, it's *hard* to burp a baby all the
way. My husband was always responsible for burping the baby in our
family ...)
-- Too much foremilk, not enough hindmilk. Conquer this by nursing on
just one side for a full nursing session or two before switching to
the other side.
-- Cow's milk protein in mom's diet. If it's just a fussy tummy, you
can test this by having mom ruthlessly eliminate all cow's milk
products, including those found in processed foods, for 2-3 days. If
your baby starts sleeping longer stretches during the day then you've
got a likely suspect. Caffeine and iron supplements may also trigger
fussy tummies in babies. Other things in mom's diet CAN, but are so
rare that it's not worth listing them. BUt if you think mom's diet
might be a problem, keep a comprehensive food diary (everything mom
ingests, including vitamins and medicines) for a week, along with
baby's fussy periods, and see what you can come up with. (By the
way, even cow's milk protein affects less than a third of breastfed
babies.)
-- Hunger. Are you nursing on demand? At just 5 weeks, some babies
seem to want to be latched on constantly. It should start to taper
off in a week or two, though.

And then there are the non-tummy issues that can keep a baby fussy
during the day. Being too hot or too cold, not being swaddled, having a
loose thread in the jammies ... all these can make a baby fussy.

I hope these thoughts help,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.