Milk coming out very powerfully for baby - a couple of questions??

[flippyfloppy]

Hi there, DS is 4 weeks on Saturday and EBF. He was born 8lb 10ozs and is now 10lb 9ozs so feeding is going well. I have found he is a windy baby and is often unsettled and seems angry during a feed, this happens when he gulps when feeding, which happens in about three or four feeds a day. Health Visitor watched me feed today and his latch is fine but she suggested my milk is powerful and is hitting the top of hs palate and causing him to gulp and swallow air. If he pulls off the milk often continues to squirt out all over him so I feel that this makes sense. She suggested I experiement with positions, I just wondered if anyone had any positions I could try to slow down my milk when feeding and make feeding more comforatble and less windy for him.

Also sorry if this is a daft question but could a baby choke on milk, he often coughs and I pull him off and he is gasping, he did it today and it frightened me! it was as if he was choking...?

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Kellymom has some good advice on this. Gotta dash for school run, but search for oversupply and forceful letdown on their site and you should find it - includes block feeding and I think expressing a little milk off before you start a feed (just hand expressing should be enough).

[flippyfloppy]

Thanks for reply CSWS, will check it out now.

[lukewarmmama]

Hiya, I've had a lot of milk/fast let down with both of my DDs. DD1 used to gulp air then vomit everywhere. DD2 used to do the scary choking thing you describe.

A combination of trying the tips on the kellymom website to reduce your supply (eg block feeding), and trying different positions could help (try reclining, so the milk has to go up hill - works in theory, but only if you can still get the latch right and are comfy, I could never manage it).

I also had to use a nipple shield with dd1 for a while, just to slow down the flow - but my problem was quite extreme with her (I think due to lots of expressing when she was in SCBU to start with maybe?). DD2 had a tongue tie, which didn't help, but got that snipped at 6 weeks. Worth double checking for in case that is the choking related thing - I know what you mean, I had a few heart stopping moments where I thought if I hadn't noticed and moved her/prodded her, she might have just stopped breathing!

The best solution is time. Your supply calms down, and they get bigger and better at dealing with it. In a few more weeks it should be much less of a problem. (but try kellymom in the meantime!)

[lukewarmmama]

x posts. There should be a permanent link to kellymom on this site!

[flippyfloppy]

Thanks for the reply lukewarmmama. During the night last night I fed him in a reclining chair and he fed without any spluttering, think I will try that chair during the day as it obviously helped. I've just looked on Kellymom and there is some great tips and information on there too. I panicked and blew on his face when he was choking earlier, it was awful! I feel it's such a shame he's not always getting comfort when nursing and it is stressful for him. I'll try out some of the ideas and fingers crossed it calms down soonl. Thanks again.

[flippyfloppy]

A jug, wow you did have a powerfu letdown! Think I will try taking him off when he starts to gulp with the let down, and let it spurt out for a while. Ahh so pleased I posted, lots of good advice and I feel reassured that others have experienced this too.

[FlubbaBubba]

I had the same problem too, but my milk supply has either regulated itself, or as he's grown he's got better at it. At first when he pulled off (gasping for air!) I would squash my nipple down so the mil wouldn't squirt everywhere! :o

IME your DS will get used to it, and, as you have found out, different positions will suit him better.

Congratulations btw :)

[flippyfloppy]

Thank you flubbabubba!

[FlubbaBubba]

Ooops! I mean so the milk wouldn't squirt everywhere, not my MIL of course!! :o

[HarrietJones]

Dd3 liked to feed upright facing me for a while when she was tiny, it worked for her but not v easy to hold like that!

[VictoriaMc77]

My DS is 11 weeks and I have had this problem since the beginning. My let down is still pretty strong and I still get the squirting, however, he has now got used to this and deals with it a lot better than in the early days. It will get easier ... x

[japhrimel]

Feeding reclining helped us with this issue.

[flippyfloppy]

Thank you all for replies, I've only been feeding off one side and been trying to feed reclining, i think it seems a little better.

[FlubbaBubba]

Just be careful not to only feed on one side for too long (or express from the other) so that you don't get engorged on the other boob.

Good luck :)