Various

[moss]

I have a couple of little concerns about Jacob, but whenever I bring them up to the health visitor or anyone else, I get a blank stare and nod. I won't settle for that at the 8 week screening, but in the meantime, can anyone please let me know anything they know about these things?

I started out with a huge milk supply and sometimes still overproduce, so my flow is very fast and Jacob sometimes struggles to keep up. I don't know if this is related, but he has had a very congested throat since the beginning, and there is often milk caught in his throat. It seems to irritate him, and sometimes it really distresses him. When it is especially bad, he will cough and start to gargle it, and scream. He sounds terrified, and it really scares me! I have tried keeping him in the bathroom when Shaun or I shower for the steam, but nothing seems to be shifting it. Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

I think he has reflux. Has anyone experienced this with their babies and can they tell me what they did, and also how they confirmed it?

One last thing. Jacob often holds his breath, especially when he is sleeping. I guess this is normal, but sometimes when he starts breathing again he does it by gasping and squeaking, as if he is struggling to start again. I think this is probably also normal, but sometimes it really scares me! When does this stop?

Thanks!

 

[mum's the word]

Ricky was exactly the same and I didn't get many answers from professionals, all I have to offer is the benefit of hindsight.
I also produced masses of milk which Ricky struggled to gulp down and it often seemed like he was starving but when it came to feeding he'd fuss at the breast, gag,'choke'. cough etc. I decided it MUST be reflux after doing research and followed all the advice I could find, even got baby gavisgon from dotors, he had expensive cranial oesteopathy too (none of this worked).
Change only came when he got into a strict routine, feeds became regular 4 hourly, I never leaked so my supply regulated and each feed was a proper feed rather than a few hurried gulps here and there followed by crying and gagging. I was very anti-routine in the beggining and shunned my mum's suggestions that this was the problem, turns out i think it was a factor.
Block feeding helped, ensuring each breast was empty of fore and hind milk, as did feeding him lying down so it wasn't gushing out so fast.
I tiried so many things that some are only now coming back to me, I downed spirulina (seaweed extact) in orange juice, drank fennel tea, propped him up when he slept, the list is endless!
No suggestions for the breath-holding sorry, pm me if you want to chat about the feeding issues further-I totally sympathise with you.

 

[Clydesdaleclopper]

With your fast let down you could try expressing some milk off your boob first before you latch him on so that it isn't quite so fast. You could also try altering the position that you hold him in so that he is more upright and less likely to choke on it.

For the reflux I know a lot of people who swear by wearing your baby. If you wear him in a sling it keeps him upright and the warmth from your body helps to keep his tummy warm.

The breath holding is related to his age. Breathing is not properly developed in babys at this age - you have to wait for a development in their brain that takes over the functioning of the respiratory system. Again baby wearing helps as it is thought that the stimulation from being next to mum or dad helps to regulate their breathing.

 

[Sherlock]

FYI if you express a bit off before feeds remember that the first minute or two is the fore milk, the thirst quenching stuff so baby does need this. If you express it off and then just put baby to boob he's not getting his hydration.

TBH I'd think once your supply settles down (I recall mine took about 6-7 weeks and I used to swamp my son in milk when he fed) you won't have such a problem with it. Sounds to me atm you have a quick let down.

Can't comment on the reflux aspect as not had that problem with LO.

And yup, the irregular pausing and so on in normal for small babies.

 

[moss]

Thanks everyone. I feel so badly for Jacob sometimes. Often when he stops, he will get soaked because I will spray all over his face. Arrgh... He seems to love it, though! Sometimes it makes him smile! I have only fed in public once because of this, and that was an emergency. Other than that I can only go somewhere I know there will be a private place to feed him, just in case we get milk everywhere. I do keep him in a carrier and upright for a long time after feeds and he seems to be getting better, but sometimes he gets sick at a very unpredictable time and he screams in pain. If it is reflux, I hope they realise this and help us.

I will try to try the routine feedings. To be honest he is pretty regular, but he's big and sometimes he wants to be fed within an hour of his last feed, so I hope I can manage it!

 

[CoreysMummy]

Does sound like reflux, DS used to hold his breath, and when feeding, his lips would go blue etc he was holding his breath.

Dr was poo. HV were poo. I took him to A&E one afternoon when he would not eat, and they diagnosed and prescribed two drugs for him. 4 weeks later these were trippled and then they started to work.

Could be a cows milk protine intollerance too? When you have a spare hour, go to A&E, and explain to them, exhadurate if you have to. If it is reflux then your baby is in pain, and no one wants that.

 

[Sherlock]

Thanks everyone. I feel so badly for Jacob sometimes. Often when he stops, he will get soaked because I will spray all over his face. Arrgh... He seems to love it, though! Sometimes it makes him smile! I have only fed in public once because of this, and that was an emergency. Other than that I can only go somewhere I know there will be a private place to feed him, just in case we get milk everywhere. I do keep him in a carrier and upright for a long time after feeds and he seems to be getting better, but sometimes he gets sick at a very unpredictable time and he screams in pain. If it is reflux, I hope they realise this and help us.

I will try to try the routine feedings. To be honest he is pretty regular, but he's big and sometimes he wants to be fed within an hour of his last feed, so I hope I can manage it!

TBH I'd stick with demand feeding at his age. He needs it. Galen was big at birth, on the 91st centile (and still is, weighs in over 19lb at 5 months ) and I have always gone with demand feeding. He would also be swamped with my milk and splutter and so on because of the quick let down and amount. But babies soon adapt and get used to it. Also my milk would and still does sometimes spray everywhere during the first part of a feed. It sounds perfectly normal to me moss. I'd not worry about your supply or the spraying. It will settle in the next few weeks.

Breastmilk is much more quickly digested than formula so needing feeding more often is normal. Also your LO sounds like he is going through a growth spurt and wanting and needing more milk, hence the hour only between feeds. Galen was exactly the same. No sooner was I done with one feed we were on to the next. Go with the flow and things will settle down. Also as your LO sleeps for so long at night he'll need to feed more in the day. So it makes sense he is hungry. Big boy needs lots of food. Making him wait longer and feeding to routine I don't think will help any. Go with the flow and let him guide you to get your supply settled. It really should happen in the next couple of weeks.

 

[moss]

So far I have been demand feeding and just haven't gone to anything that would have made him wait. I am going to look at what pumps are available here and give it a try... If I can't get much though, it will be just as bad as making him wait. I tried hand expressing a little once in the middle of the night when I was in pain because Jacob hadn't woken up in such a long time, but it didn't go very well. I'll try after a shower sometime, though. Thanks.

As far as the choking and gagging when feeding, well, I feel bad for him but know that's normal. It's the choking and gagging an hour or so after the feed that worries me. He'll suddenly start screaming and gargling and he gets very distressed. He has a permanent pool in the back of his throat that gets worse when he's sick and I just wish I could get it out for him.

 

[DebbieM]

Your milk flow will settle down eventually. I was exactly the same. Luke's head was always soaked from being sprayed

A fast let down can be scary for them so hand expressing a little off first might help, just so it is a little bit slower for him.

 

[mum's the word]

I didn't mean for the routine feeding to start immediately, sorry if there was confusion, I was still demand feeding at 5 months which was very difficult (and a bit silly)! Feeding in public gets easier once your supply settles and baby latches on and STAYS on, I often found that if I was slightly agitated it would make feeding even more difficult so it was a while before I fed confidently when out and about. None of your concerns are uncommon so I'm sure you'll get some support soon that helps. People used to say 'you're lucky you have so much milk', but that wasn't helpful at all! I really hope you can get through this phase and both of you start to fully enjoy feeding time, I gave up on my first at 6 weeks and never got to realise the pleasurable side til 8 years later when I had my 2nd. Once you get past the early problems it'll be plain sailing I'm sure.