Updated November 25, 2014.
Q. My son is 1 month old and he has been feeding like crazy. My wife will breastfeed him for hour and we will supplement 4 ozs of formula, but he still acts hungry. i.e. sucking on his hands while crying. We have tried a pacifier, but he spits it out on contact. He has been putting on weight well (born 7lbs-4ozs, came home at 6lbs-8ozs, and now is over 9lbs).
He just never gets to sleep and it just seems he can get enough to eat and is never satisfied.

As a bonus side effect my wife is not getting any sleep and the baby never seems to be happy.

Any advice other then "that's a baby" or "I knew this one baby". Jim, Louisville, KY

A. If he has to supplement each feeding with 4 ounces of formula, then he likely isn't getting very much breastmilk. One place to start might be to talk with your Pediatrician and/or a lactation consultant to boost your wife's supply of breastmilk so that she can breastfeed more effectively.

You should also see your Pediatrician if you are concerned that he might have reflux, a formula intolerance, or some other reason to be so 'high maintenance.' You might also consider that you are misinterpreting your baby's signals about when he is really hungry. Just because he is crying or wanting to suck on his hands or fingers doesn't always mean that he is hungry, especially if he just had a full feeding.

And see our guide to colic and the breastfed baby for more information about why a baby might cry so much at this age.

Soothing a Crying Baby

What may be the most helpful for you is to learn better ways to soothe him when he is crying, especially if he seems healthy, is feeding well, and doesn't have a medical reason to be crying so much. The Happiest Baby on the Block is a helpful book that describes a 'New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer.'

Postpartum Depression

Although it is understandable that your wife is not getting any sleep if your baby is up so much, it will help if you give her a break and take over for some of those night time awakenings.
You should also be alert to signs of postpartum depression, which, according to The National Women's Health Information Center, might include:

• Feeling restless or irritable.
• Feeling sad, depressed or crying a lot.
• Having no energy.
• Having headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations (the heart being fast and feeling like it is skipping beats), numbness, or hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing).
• Not being able to sleep or being very tired, or both.
• Not being able to eat and weight loss.
• Overeating and weight gain.
• Trouble focusing, remembering, or making decisions.
• Being overly worried about the baby.
• Not having any interest in the baby.
• Feeling worthless and guilty.
• Being afraid of hurting the baby or yourself.
• No interest or pleasure in activities, including sex.