3.5week old ds2 is spitting up quite a lot...

[TheKitchenWitch]

and farting like a trouper, clearly in quite a bit of discomfort after feeding.
I just need a bit of reassurance really that this is normal and there is nothing I'm doing wrong because almost everyone I've mentioned it to has immediately tried to blame it on my breastmilk and started questioning what I eat etc and whether he wouldn't be better off on formula.

My dsis (who is notoriously anti-bf (so not at all biased )) straight away said "stick him on formula" and doesn't get why I'm "faffing around" with bf in the first place, there's bound to be something wrong with it.

So, anyway - ds2 is worse nights (esp. very early morning), days are a mix, sometimes he's fine after a feed, sometimes he's very unsettled, spits up a lot etc.
Lots of wet and pooey nappies, all looks normal.
Feeding on demand, so sometimes we go 3 hours between a feed, sometimes (esp at night) it's barely an hour.
He's putting on weight magnificently, though, doesn't fuss or seem in pain or discomfort the rest of the time.

He doesn't latch on as well as ds1 did, and I think that might be adding to the problem because he's probably taking in too much air. Will be trying the flipped nipple latch that was mentioned in another thread when he next feeds, to see if that helps. Nipples are fine though, not sore or cracked, though do feel a bit tender if he's been on them for most of the night. They bounce right back in the morning though (not literally. I do not have bouncy nipples :o)

But really, can someone just reassure me that I don't need to think about switching to formula?

[Velociraptor]

I would have thought switching to formula would make things worse rather than better. Surely there is more potential to take in air with a bottle than with breast? It sounds like he is doing really well, gaining weight etc, so I would just carry on doing what you are doing.

[PenguinPoser]

Watching with interest as dd is 8 weeks and similar issue. I'm going to see la leche league bf counsellor today to check latch etc. will let you know what she says re wind etc.
I do not think that this is a reason for you to switch to formula you're obviously doing a good job with breastfeeding and ignore any family members negative attitudes!

[pocketsized]

I have a windy breastfed baby, and most people have said to me that formula is harder to digest and bottles more likely to introduce air, so wouldn't help. We've found infacol has helped a bit, if you want to try that.

[Micah]

When you say a lot, how much? Large volumes, just a tiny bit? Does he spit up after a feed, before a feed, if you lie him down?

Babies do "posset", and bringing up small (even quite large) amounts after a feed is entirely normal.

When my gp asked at our 6 weeks check if I had any questions, I mentioned the throwing up. He reassured me it's normal, until she threw up on him 3 times in the 15 min appt!

If it's more than that, or it seems to be when you lie him down, consider reflux- where the muscle at the top of the stomach isn't tight enough to hold the milk in.

And yy, formula can make it worse, as it stays in the stomach longer so hangs around to be thrown up :). I had the same with people telling me it was my milk, so I did the research, and it's best to stick to bm if you can as it's more easily digested, so less chance of a stomach acid/milk mix coming up and damaging the oesophagus. Plus the frequency of feeding helps keep stomach acid diluted.

If you do suspect reflux, see your gp, and there's lots of advice on here :)

[tiktok]

Check out over-supply - easily corrected in most cases.

Makes no sense to think formula would make things better.

[TheKitchenWitch]

Thank you!
Everything I've read suggested bm was better in this case, but people seem to have very fixed ideas, even if it's something they know nothing about.

[WorrisomeHeart]

My DS2 sounds exactly the same as yours! He's now 10 weeks and although still farting a lot, the early morning discomfort has settled down heaps. I have a plentiful supply and he just seems to be able to handle it better now. I didn't bf my DS1 and he had exactly the same early morning wind issues on formula, so changing is unlikely to help. I'd say hang in there, check out the KellyMom advice on oversupply and see how he improves as he ages.

[PenguinPoser]

Just a thought - has your baby been checked for tongue tie? My mw, hv and GP didn't think my dd had one. But I did, plus she has shallow latch and slow weight gain. I went to see LLL lactation consultant today who agrees she has a tt and has referred to hospital clinic for next week. She thinks that could be the cause of some of the issues. So might be worth looking into if you haven't already.

[TheKitchenWitch]

Just a quick update:

have been working on latching on better, which has def. helped with spitting up, but also I suspect just time ie ds getting a bit older, has made a difference.
We've now entered The Great Farting Phase though, my god, sometimes it's like there's an earthquake! :o