possetting newborn

[Xmasbaby11]

My DD is 10 days' old and has suddenly started possetting after pretty much every feed, in the last 24 hours.

We were in hospital for the first week, as she lost too much weight (sleepy due to antibiotics, jaundice, mucus) and had to use formula as I couldn't supply enugh milk breastfeeding. So now I am doing mixed feeding - breastfeeding first, then topping up with expressed breast milk and formula (majority), as advised by my midwife. She is a bit of a guzzler who drinks fast and swallows lots of air so needs a lot of winding - and then possets either during winding or while asleep.

This may well be normal but it seems like a lot to be throwing back up, and she has trouble settling after feeds. I don't know if I can slow her down, wind her more effectively or just accept it?

Please help - I am so low on confidence after being in hospital for a whole week.

Xmasbaby, sounds like you hit the nail on the head about your confidence - you have had a really difficult start :(

No one on a talkboard would be able to tell if this is normal or not. It's normal, of course, for babies to possett, and some perfectly healthy babies do this a lot and bring up huge amounts. Can you ask the midwife to assess whether this is a problem for your baby or not?

You are feeding your baby in such a difficult way - breast, expressed, formula - with all the faff and preparation and constant decision-making this entails (has he had enough? how much can I express? does he need more formula? should I use that bit of expressed? Is he settled or not......and you have this at every feed :( :() Perhaps the midwife might be able to help you here - going back to full bf which is what you had planned is certainly possible and would be a lot easier. You would need to work on this, though - you cant just drop the formula and the expressing.

Maybe the midwife can help you with feeding technique, with a suggestion for different teats - whatever. In any case, with a baby who's been poorly, it's perfectly justifiable to ask for a medical/midwifery opinion on the throwing up.

I hope things get better for you soon.

My LO was the same - she drank so fast milk would come out of her nose! It sounds normal to me. If you are bottle feeding she'll need more winding than when you breastfeed, she will probably carry on posseting for next 3 months.

The midwife didn't think it was a problem - we actually saw a doctor as well and she said DD was probably getting too much milk now that my milk supply was increasing. So now we are trying to reduce formula gradually and to get her to get more of her need from bf. We'll see!

Xmasbaby, I am in exactly the same position as you. A difficult birth lead to poor feeding and high weight loss. I am also breast feeding, expressing and formula top up. We've also had quite a lot of posseting after feeds. No real advice but wanted you to know you are not alone.

Good news is we are back at birth weight today. Our DD is now 23 days old. Hang in there you can do it xxx