Newborn issues

[sparklekitty]

Hiya, I had my DD a week ago. Traumatic birth - she got stuck, had shoulder dystocia (sp) and I had a large episiotomy after 3 hours pushing. I had pethadine while in labour so she was very slow to start feeding properly. We've just about cracked it now, her latch can be a bit lazy sometimes but we're waking her every 3/4 hours so I figure she has a lazy latch when she's not that hungry. When she wants food she latches well.

The problem is she sounds really weepy/muccusy when she lies on her back sometimes and I think she's suffering from wind pretty bad (I'm not sure if I have a strong let down and sometimes she pulls off the nipple and I can also hear her gulping air during the start of the feed sometimes).

She is by no means horrendous atm but last night was pretty tough, we couldn't stop her screaming because of these things I think and it was heart breaking. I guess I'm just looking for a bit of advice on how to make her more comfortable and how to improve the feeding.

Have you tried infacol to help with the wind?

So sorry to hear of your traumatic bith and well done for getting to a week after such a rocky start . Have a look at the birth trauma association website, some of the information is really useful .

As for the feeding, give the MWs a call and say that you want to see them. They need to observe a full feed and they need to check for tongue tie.

In the meantime, if she needs feeding, try the biological nursing position.

Thanks guys. She's been checked by MW at hospital for tongue tie, she has a very slight one but they weren't too worried as she can latch fine, she just doesn't all the time. Can tongue tie effect her windy-ness?

I've been using the biological nursing, really helps with the stitches etc. I might ask the MW to observe a feed when I see them next. They also have a breastfeeding clinic that I might go along to.

We've just got hold of some infacol, going to try it at next feed, I hope it has some effect.

Congrats on your baby! I had a traumatic birth & an episiotomy. It does get better, keep taking the pain killers & look after your stitches.

Yes tongue tie can definitely affect windiness. DS was TT & I didn't have it cut until he was 6 weeks, as I was told it was fine too. Really wish I had done it sooner as it made a massive difference.

He was also mucousy & was diagnosed with a cows milk protein problem, so I cut out dairy & soya from my diet & it went

Please take a look:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/a1561538-Sign-in-here-if-you-were-told-your-baby-wasnt-tongue-tied-only-to-find-out-later-that-he-she-actually-was

I can't do links! sorry. dd also had uncomfortable/reflux feeds. Usually picked up week 2 onwards. had tt. these things are linked.

link

Hi,
Sorry your birth experience was so traumatic

Have you considered that your dd might have silent reflux? My ds showed signs from around day 3 or 4 - not wanting to lie flat (he spent weeks sleeping upright on me in bed); noisy gurgling tummy as he fed; lots of hiccups and sneezes; crying and discomfort and (later on) pulling away from the breast and arching his back. He would also comfort feed as the milk soothed the refluxing stomach acid so would feed most of the night

Might be worth looking into. Hang in there! I found a sling invaluable for carrying my grumpy baby and carrying on with everything else!

Hi sparkle congrats :)

I don't know much about tongue tie or reflux but if your let down is strong have you tried letting some milk 'drip' off first or expressing a wee bit so LO isn't having to gulp it down so much? The other thing is to lean back when feeding and not 'hang over' LO, going against gravity if you see what Iean. Also feeding lying down is good (as long as not reflux) as excess dribbles out of the side of their mouth.

GL :)

Tongue Tie can be very easily missed, I'd ask the MWs to check again. My DS had what appeared to be a good latch but really suffered with wind. Looking back (and looking in his mouth) he had tongue tie and upper lip tie.

I'd ask them to check again, the Bfing Clinic also sounds like a good idea.

Infacol did nothing for my DS though, think you are better treating the cause rather than the symptoms .

Happygirl - our LO has pretty much all of those symptoms. I've been keeping her on my chest pretty much the whole day as she doesn't want to go down on her back. I'm really sleep deprived and don't fancy the prospect of having her sleep like this at night, my DH works shifts so I can't take turns with him in sleeping and being up with her.

What did/have you been able to do about it?

what we did for reflux:
held upright for half hour after feeds: carrier (straight legged one- babybjorn) in day and hellish at night (got my mum in for a week); upright bouncer chair-potty one from mothercare or expensive baby bjorn one.

Slept on me when poss. in day (too scared at night). Used dummy two nights to drop a night feed and reduced the biggest one (she didn't notice as was asleep feeding). slept on tummy in day with me watching, sometimes on side at night.

Switched to cot from moses basket cos she squirmed and moved all night. catalogues under cot legs to raise head end. gaviscon. didn't use car seat anywhere near a feed. cried. dispaired. got through the worst of it by 4 months. Had tongue tie snipped and feeds much better.

i found really good winding and nappy changes before not after feeds reduced hiccups (feeding a short while seems to get rid of them too-just a few sucks). Cranial osteopathy worth a shot.

Oh dear - sorry to hear that
whenwill had a lot of good suggestions

We raised the head end of ds' Moses basket (and changing mat and everything else) and padded out his car seat so he was more upright (lying flat or being in a slumped position can trap the refluxing acid )

Tried to keep him upright for 20-30 mins after a feed - this inevitably meant I would fall asleep with him on my shoulder but it does save putting him down and being woken again 10 mins later!

Calm, quiet feeds are good (I used to love dreamfeeding as he would feed so well)

I got one of those motorised swings which was an absolute godsend, something about the rocking motion I guess? I then got another one after dc2 aged 3 sat in it and broke it

Some recommend a dummy as it can help neutralise the stomach acid

We got infant Gaviscon from the GP (then Ranitidine, Omeprazole, Domperidone ) - there are medicines out there which can make them more comfortable and your life less fraught!

The research suggests that up to 50% of babies with reflux or silent reflux also have a sensitivity / intolerance / allergy to dairy u ds does) so you might, at some stage, want to consider eliminating that from your diet for at least a fortnight and seeing if it makes a difference.

Sorry it's so tricky right now - it's hard when a newborn is so high-needs and you don't really get to enjoy them! It gets better...

DS has reflux too, hence the cutting dairy & soy out from my diet. Keeping them upright after a feed for 20-30 mins is really important. The cot on books helps too.

DS's reflux was diagnosed in A&E at 6 weeks. i had feed him then put him down, he choked on his own vomit & couldn't breathe Uncommon complication but one to be aware of.