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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Windy breastfed DD

24 replies

OohShiny · 19/04/2013 20:51

My DD is nearly 4 weeks old and is breastfed.

From what I've read, breastfed babies tend to have less wind than bottle fed babies as they control the milk coming out etc. my DD seems to be the exception.

She seems to suffer from really painful trapped wind all the time. I'm winding her between boobs, after feeds etc but most times she falls asleep whilst feeding at night, which means I'm reluctant to wind her as it will wake her up after at least an hour feeding, and feeding again is the only way to get her to sleep.

She is grunting a lot at night and then waking up crying with trapped wind (I'm guessing) not long after being put down.

What am I doing wrong? Should I just resign myself to waking her after she's fallen asleep on my breast to wind her?

OP posts:

stargirl1701 · 19/04/2013 20:53

Could it be silent reflux rather than wind?

Bunbaker · 19/04/2013 20:58

DD suffered really badly from wind whenever I ate peppers. My MW said that she had an immature gut and whatever I ate would affect her and sadly she was right. I had to wait until DD was older before I could eat "windy" foods. So I would have a look at your diet and see if you can make any changes.

Original poster

OohShiny · 19/04/2013 20:59

Is that like stomach acid coming back up?

She spits up at least twice a day and generally gets hiccups quite a bit as well. Would that be symptoms of reflux as well?

How do you treat it (if you can?)

OP posts:

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/04/2013 21:01

Sounds exactly like my DS, he had this, worth checking out.

Original poster

OohShiny · 19/04/2013 21:02

I've already figured out she cannot tolerate spicy food! 8 hours of crying and continuous pooping and feeding showed me I cannot have Indian for a while!

I don't have much dairy apart from maybe one cup of tea a day if that and butter on toast for breakfast as I know sometimes they react to dairy, I can't think what else it might be diet wise though. stupid sleep deprived brain!

OP posts:

stargirl1701 · 19/04/2013 21:03

My DD was very 'hiccupy' and has silent reflux. It is treated with antacids. Have you talked to your HV or GP?

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/04/2013 21:05

I'd give one of the bfing helplines a call and talk it through with a BFC now

Original poster

OohShiny · 19/04/2013 21:14

Not spoken to anyone about it yet. Jilted, she does seem to have a few symptoms of tounge tie reading that article.

She has a sucking blister, fusses and gets frustrated feeding sometimes, grunts during some feeds and a few more.

How would she be checked for tounge tie, do I just take her to gp?

OP posts:

Angelik · 19/04/2013 21:19

Some babies just suffer with wind as their little tummies and intestines are still quite immature. Both my ds (3 years) and dd (3mnths) suffered. I went for infacol which worked a treat. It rarely lasts beyond 3 months when their tummies mature.

It could also be exacerbated by a fast let down ie. your milk coming out so fast that to keep up without your dd is really having to gulp thus taking down lots of air too. By fast I mean shooting out in a constant flow eg. mine can reach a couple of feet away but on one boob only! This was def the case with my dd. to combat this you might want to express the first bit of milk before offering your breast to your dd. this, too, will resolve as your baby gets older. Expressing the first bit will not affect your supply.

You can also raise the head end of the mattress in the Moses basket so that she isn't feeling uncomfy with a full tummy and it might help wind trapped in the tummy rise up and out.

If she is suffering with trapped wind in her gut and is struggling to fart/poo then look up baby massage on you tube. This works a treat too.

Good luck! It will pass soon.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/04/2013 21:37

Ring one of the helplines, they may be able to tell you how to get tt diagnosed. Milk matters also do an online diagnosis service.

I really do recommend you phone one of the helplines now though. Nobody can diagnose your baby on a thread. A BFC will have the training and experience you need

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/04/2013 21:39

Oh and pep lie often think they have fast letdown or the baby has reflux when it is in fact tt or even lip tie.

stargirl1701 · 19/04/2013 21:40

DD has both a tt and a lip tie as well as silent reflux. It's been fun...

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/04/2013 21:46

Feel for you star, its tough isn't it.

stargirl1701 · 19/04/2013 21:49

Hardest thing I've ever done. Ever. I had no idea. But, things are def better now at 7 months. Meds are working.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 19/04/2013 22:00

That's such good news. My DS didn't get diagnosed and I still feel really let down by my MWs and HVs. On the plus side me and DS have a fantastic relationship and at his last parents evening they said that they wished the school was full of children just lie him.

And at least there are MNers who know what you are going through

stargirl1701 · 19/04/2013 22:07

I think I would've had PND without Mumsnet. It is the only place I've 'met' people who have experienced the same issues and can give constructive advice. RL advice consisted of: leave her to cry

minipie · 20/04/2013 08:19

I was going to say get checked for tongue tie. not by GP, you need a trained BFing counsellor to have a look.

new babies do struggle with passing air through, but TT can hugely increase the amount of air going in in the first place.

stargirl, I am SO glad you are seeing improvement, have been thinking of you.

Ashinagai · 20/04/2013 19:45

I found gripe water really helps to 'release' the wind in my DS (11 weeks old). Worth a try while you are investigating other options?

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/04/2013 15:03

How are things now OP?

Original poster

OohShiny · 26/04/2013 16:30

I've gotten better at burping her especially after she's fallen asleep feeding, and massaging her tummy and bicycling her legs has helped a lot to get the wind up and she seems happier.

Last night was a bad night for the grunting etc but the first bad night for a few days which is good. I'm now thinking reflux might be a cause as its after the early morning feed that seems to be the most problematic time. I've raised the head of her cot to try out tonight to see if that makes a difference!

OP posts:

chickabilla · 26/04/2013 16:48

My DD had awful wind, especially from the bottom end, and woke crying in pain very often. I took her to the GP and asked the HV and they all said she was just windy especially as she was a bit early (4 weeks) so her digestive system was that bit less mature. We tried infacol but it didn't help but she is now 8 weeks and the burps are easier to get up and she seems much more comfortable. She is better at feeding and doesn't pull on and off so much which no doubt helps as well. I hope your DD carries on improving and just needs a bit of time.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 26/04/2013 16:59

Did you ever get her checked for tt? Just wondering as the symptoms can be the same as for reflux.

Original poster

OohShiny · 26/04/2013 17:06

No not yet. I'm going to have a word with my gp and the hv's when she has her 6 week check just to see what they advise.

Feedings not painful and she's turning into a right chunk so I know she's getting enough! and slowly her excess wind is easing off.

Never thought my babies digestive system would cause me so much interest

OP posts:

JiltedJohnsJulie · 26/04/2013 17:17

My nipples were fine and my DS was chunky. Still had tt and lip tie though. I really do recommend you get it checked as soon as, for both your sakes. Have you got a BFC near to you? Tt is notoriously easy to miss and your HV and GP might not have had any bfing training or ant experience of tt.

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