Should you wind a breastfed baby?

[Littlestbee]

My baby is 16 days old and exclusively breastfed.

I've never winded him but recently I've noticed when he's redding he pulls his legs up like he might have wind?

I read bf babies shouldn't need winding but has anyone else had this?

He does fart quite a bit !

**feeding not redding!

If the baby needs it, then yes. Mine certainly did, but some don't.

I did with mine

Yes.

My ds was ebf for the first few weeks and then had the odd bottle after that, my midwife advised us to wind after every feed, whether breast or bottle. So we did and it definitely helped.

Yes! One of mine would puke it all up again, if I didn't.

I didn’t wind my baby. He’d often fall asleep sucking on the breast and I didn’t want to wake him. They don’t really swallow as much air when breastfeeding. In the early days if he wasn’t asleep I’d sometimes wind him but he rarely burped so i stopped because it seemed pointless.

I did. If baby has a bad latch he could be taking in a lot of air!

You definitely need to wind! I don't know who came up with the "breastfed babies don't need winding" thing, but they absolutely do! Admittedly they swallow less air than when they have a bottle, but they do swallow air. Two breastfed babies here and they both were in real discomfort if they weren't winded.

Sorry I mean yes you should wind them. It’s old fashioned advice that Bf babies don’t need winding because there is no air in a breast, they still swallow air because they have a nose with which to breathe whilst eating.

Yes i was told breastfed babies didn't need winding and didn't wind my first at all. He was a terrible sleeper. (although at 24 he's still a terrible sleeper)
With the next two I definitely winded them and they slept much better, seemed in less discomfort and generally happier.

The upshot is, I've no idea it could all just be coincidence 😁

god yes. Maybe some don't but mine certainly did. I used to love winding them when they were teeny-tiny, they looked so sweet.

YES they do need winding.

When I had my first DC I asked the midwife and she laughed and said no your boob has no air in it it’s not a bottle a week later my baby randomly started screaming and didn’t stop and I ran to the Gp thinking she was sick and they just said she has colic and asked if I was winding her which I said no the midwife said I didn’t need to and the dr said it’s complete bullshit and it’s about how the baby is drinking and you should always try and wind a baby and if wind don’t come up not to worry but you should always try.

My three all needed winding after feeds.

In my experience some need it, some don't. My two farted lots and didn't seem to need winding really. But from what you're describing sounds like it'd be worth a go. Trial and error.
Congratulations on your new baby!
My mother insisted mine needing winding and used to take them off me to hold over her arm. They looked so uncomfortable but didn't protest too much and I'd have a break. She was totally obsessed by wind. I think she wanted to be as important as the breastfeeder. Every ailment or sleepless night (there were many) she attributed to wind. She even said she could see a blue shadow around their lips when they had wind. I can still hear her triumphant cheers when they'd burp (They would have burped eventually anyway but she was having none of it.)

My doctor thinks winding (bf) is overrated! She brought it up (excuse the pun ) when I commented once that my baby never seemed to burp.

When he got older, 9 months or so, he needed winding though. I think his latch was sloppier or something??

Bicycle legs if you don’t do it already!

oh saw some other responses - if a baby fell asleep feeding I wouldn't wake him up to wind him but I did wind after all the other feeds.

I love that I am using the word "wind" like this - haven't used it for 17 years I think!

RetroPlay we might have the same mum 😂

RetroPlay we might have the same mum 😂

I think she had a side gig as my Dad.

nomorespaghetti and your collective mum is my mother-in-law

Yup they do require winding. It's like nipple confusion, I was told it was a big thing to be aware of when discussing ebf in prenatal classes.

Both "not needing to wind" and "not introducing a dummy or bottle" were debunked by neonatal nurses and by myself through personal experience.

I would take the experience of neonatal nurses over HV's any day.

Don’t doubt the blue shadow. My DM is a blue shadow whisperer and she is such a seasoned winder, she even can illicit a burp from inanimate objects like rocks and gruffalo teddy bears.

(Not really but the blue shadow is real!)

My three were breastfed and I rarely winded, only if they showed signs of being uncomfortable. They didn't seem to need it on a regular basis. If your baby seems uncomfy it's worth trying to see if there is any wind trapped or the tiger in the tree hold is also good for moving wind lower down.

Yes.
I used to wind them. And wind them a bit more.

IAmPickle my mum challenges your mum to a wind-off. She says she'll see your mum's gruffalo teddy bears and raise her. She's gonna show her how she can play a windy baby like they were BAGPIPES!

(I'll be having a cuppa, cheering non-commitally from the kitchen)