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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Gagging / choking /coughing during feeds

5 replies

AngelDog · 26/11/2012 23:30

6 week old DS2 periodically gags/chokes/coughs during a feed. It seems like the milk goes down the wrong way and he has to cough it up again.

It doesn't happen at every feed, but maybe every other one.

I'm pretty sure I don't have oversupply or a very forceful letdown. I virtually never spray milk if a child comes off the breast during a feed. I don't leak at all and haven't even needed breastpads, which I definitely did with DS1. I'm feeding 2.11 y.o. DS1 as well and didn't even get engorged in the early days.

The coughing isn't after the initial letdown, but usually happens further through the feed. DS2 will also sometimes wail and writhe around whilst still latched on (though this is less frequent).

He did have a tongue tie which was revised a couple of weeks ago. It's made no difference to the coughing. I think he may have an upper lip tie though and his top lip doesn't seem to flange out properly, especially at the sides.

He doesn't seem to have reflux, is generally calm and happy (apart from when wailing and wriggling at the breast). He doesn't routinely 'posset', although every 3 days or so he'll throw up properly, with no sign of distress. He gets upset by needing to burp but manages to burp himself quite easily if he needs to.

Any ideas why he's doing this?

OP posts:
NeedlesCuties · 27/11/2012 17:16

No idea, but bumping for you as my 13 week old DC2 has done this since birth too.

mawbroon · 27/11/2012 19:45

It will be related to the tongue tie. He probably hasn't learned how to co-ordinate yet after the release. Who did the release? There's always the chance that it wasn't released enough.

Have you seen a lactation consultant? I believe that sometimes they do suck training exercises, but I don't know exactly what that entails I'm afraid!

AngelDog · 27/11/2012 21:14

I'm getting fed up of this TT malarkey. Wink

It was the maxillo-facial department at a local hospital which did the release - they have a clinic for revising newborn TTs.

I should really go and see the LC who diagnosed it [why didn't I think of that before?!] Can't do that till next week though.

I'm taking DS1 for assessment on Thurs so I'll ask the dentist about DS2 but I doubt he'd do a proper assessment, at least not without paying for a second consultation. Hmm.

Things definitely aren't right, though, as I'm struggling to get him to open wide enough too.

OP posts:
mawbroon · 27/11/2012 21:26

Did you get any cranial osteopathy? DS1 has come on leaps and bounds since our dentist did some bodywork on him, and even worked inside his mouth

AngelDog · 27/11/2012 22:03

No - I need to have another go at getting a recommendation for someone round here. I don't think the dentist here works with someone the way it works in Huddersfield.

We took DS1 to see someone locally but I didn't rate her. According to her, the reason he'd bf to sleep at night but not in the day was due to the quality of my milk, which would be completely sorted by me eating a bowl of porridge before bed. Hmm

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