Fast eater, windy baby

[EvenFlo]

My DS is 2 weeks and feeding (bf) is proving to be a bit tricky so asking for advice..

He feeds very very quickly (sometimes done in 10 minutes), guzzling and gulping it down. I think I have a fast letdown and have tried expressing before a feed but to no real benefit.
He is gaining weight like a trooper so the mv is happy he is getting what he needs in these feeds. BUT he then ends up full of wind that's nigh on impossible to get up (tried loads of positions) which results in long periods of crying and discomfort afterwards.

So I just wondered if anyone could suggest ways to make him slow down? I've tried different feeding positions (except the nurturing hold because he won't latch they way), have tried stopping through feeds for upright time. Nothing seems to help and I really feel this is contributing to the difficulties I'm having with settling him.

He accepts a bottle of expressed no probs and I did wonder whether bottle feeding may be the way forward as it could control the flow better - and I think he is a bit less windy when fed this way.

I have the same issue. My son gags and splutters and chokes really badly sometimes, poor little thing. Then can be up every hour with wind afterwards.

He is four weeks now. I had the same issue with my first son and the only thing that really improved it was age

I do try and move him about a lot after a feed - sit him up, over the shoulder, rub his tummy, rinse and repeat. Sometimes I lay him on his side in his bed which seems to help sometimes when laying him on his back results in a writhing farting bundle of discomfort.

Sorry not to be more helpful. Hang in there!

At an LLL session I went to I met a mum whose baby had the same problem - he was being checked for tongue tie as the leader thought that may have something to do with it. He did have a tie and since getting the TT revised the wind is improving. Just a thought - might be worth getting baby checked. There is a list of other symptoms I'll see if I can find it but the one this mum had noticed was clicky noises when feeding.

The LLL leader also demonstrated a winding method where baby was held upside down over the shoulder so legs are at your back and baby's head is at your chest. Then rub baby's back in that position to wind.

lady - he has had a TT snipped already do I don't think it's that.

That winding technique is one I've not tried, not sure I can visualise it though, sounds scary!

timeforgin - you say it improved with age? What sort of age?

It was at its worst around 5-8 weeks with #1 and then got slowly better but until he was a few months old feeding was always a bit of a performance.

On the clicking in the post above, some feeds (not all) mine have both done this. I can't see an obvious TT (but might get it checked) but I note Kellymom suggests that the clicking(which is the sound of the baby breaking the seal) can just be something the baby does to deal with the fast flow, assuming no other issues (baby gaining weight and so transferring milk etc).

My DS (3 weeks) is similar, and he had a tongue tie snipped yesterday. He was awake til 04.30 with awful wind and snacks frantically through the night. I find lying down to fees him on our sides is easiest, does that work for you?
The midwife who did the TT division also recommended cranial osteopathy as he still had problems opening his mouth and mobilising his tongue after the cut which she thought might be helped by some CO. Might be worth considering?
Hope it passes soon

There are a few suggestions for dealing with fast letdown here:

kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/

Hi Even, I posted on your other thread, really hope that your being at your mum's is helping a bit.

Don't know if your midwife has told you this but your supply settles down a good bit after 6 weeks. I had the fast letdown too and I used to get just as teary as dd when she roared from choking and spluttering on the milk and writhed with painful wind. After about 6 weeks I don't remember any more choking during a feed, and indeed after 3 months she got very indignant that the supply had settled down so much and she had to work harder to get it.

The lying down feeds do really help with this, but other things that are worth a try are:
-warm baths - the heat helps their tummy to soothe - do make it nice and warm

-carrying baby in a wrap sling for a lot of the time. Babies hate going into slings at first but it's so worth persevering because it stops that horrible crying which I think makes the wind even worse! When they are against your chest they are soothed by the warmth and heartbeat and it feels a lot less relentless than carrying them all the time. So if you have a sling persevere for as long as you can, jiggle him in it until he stops crying from being unceremoniously put into it - he will like it eventually and you will get a break.

Hi faddy, the 6 week change has been mentioned a few times so I am trying to cling to that hope - it does seem an awfully long way away though!

I do have a sling, he likes it sometimes but not others. The only problem is that the one I have means DS sits too close to my c section scar and I still feel a bit too battered from the op to maintain it for long times. But a friend is going to lend me a new sling this week which sits higher and has a bit more back support so fingers crossed that will be better.

It has been calmer at my mum's today - maybe a change of scenery has helped too.

Oh yes I know it's awful to think in terms of weeks or even days when you're trying to figure out how to get to the end of the day without going crazy. I really do sympathise. :(

Good news about getting a bit of relief at your mum's, I really hope you can rest up a bit.