**********DRIBBLE***************

[dinkyboysmum]

how do i stop ds dribbling and spitting his milk out when bottle feeding???

he has a numebr 1 teat on the bottle, and i've tried a few different brands, but he still spits and dribbles it all out. Its like he does swalloe enough. more like 'suck suck suck suck swallow'

[PrettyCandles]

Has he got a good latch on the teat? Mine tended to dribble like you describe when they were feeding sleepily and weren't properly latched on to the teat. If it's a wide teat (I used Avent) make sure his mouth is gaped right around the teat, with lips curled out, almost as if he was breatsfeeding. Most of the Avent teat used to disappear into the baby's mouth, as they got bigger their lip would sometimes even touch the ring! If they didn't take the teat properly inthe first place, I found it helped to spiral the teat into their mouth (sort of screwing it into place) while they sucked.

It may also just be the baby. Ds1 barely dribbled while he fed, but often didn't swallow the last mouthful and it would spill out of his mouth as he came off. Dd, OTOH, was a messsy feeder and a very drooly baby.

[dinkyboysmum]

i think he has good latch? he seems to dribble more when awake. we are using avent at the moment...i just worry he isnt getting enought, as he spills so much. he is only 6 weeks old (but was 6 weeks premature)

[PrettyCandles]

If his weight gain is good, with pletny of wet and pooey nappies, and he is meeting developmental milestones, then he is getting enough milk. The dribbles are an annoyance - not to mention a waste of formula.

I don't know much about premmies (all of mine were either over-cooked or BIG, or both), but I wonder whether his prematurity means he hasn't got his ability to suckle, swallow and breathe all quite co-ordinated yet, and it is something that will come with time. After all, he's only really just newly born, in terms of due date.