Possetting - normal or too much?

[Echocave]

My dd is 4 weeks old. She's always been quite windy but in the last day or so has had two episodes of quite large possets. This morning she posseted every time I winded her and I felt like she'd brought up most of her feed (although I know people say it always looks more than it is).

Whilst I can't really explain the amounts, does this sound like mild reflux or just normal developing system?

Dd is breast fed and top ups (usually expressed breast milk) are offered although she often has little of this.

I am concerned I'm over feeding with the top ups but equally dd really guzzles when she first gets on the breast. One of my boobs also sprays milk and she sometimes seems to choke when feeding on this side.

I'm finding it hard to know what to do for the best!

It's hard to say whether it's reflux - does she seem to be in pain after a feed, or very unsettled? Some large vomits like you describe isn't particularly unusual and probably is just due to an immature stomach sphincter.

If she doesn't take much top up then it would be a lot easier for you just to feed her directly. Keep offering alternate sides until she is satisfied. It would mean that you don't have to bother expressing etc. Just a thought.

Yes good point. We had a bit of a weight loss issue at first and were told to top up. When we started dropping the top ups her weight gain was poor and she was very unsettled.
I don't really trust myself to just breast feed.

agree with cutting out the top ups. she will let you know if she is hungry and you can just feed her again!

i wouldn't be concerned with possetting, or occasional larger amounts at all if she is happy, healthy and gainign weight

DD possetted loads and I was concerned. But lovely reassuring phone chat with great GP made me realise that reflux symptoms indicate at least some distress during / after feeds, and lying down (high pitched cry, thrashing, starting and stopping feeds). Do you get the sense that this is the case?

Please do trust yourself to BF, if you want to, and especially if concerned - assuming no intolerances your BM is the easiest thing for her tiny system to cope with. It sounds like you have great supply! It will settle down, especially if you cut out top ups.

She does wriggle, go red in the face and splutter during feeds. Then I take her off and there's usually some wind. She often falls asleep during a feed and I have to wake her to ensure she's getting enough food.
She doesn't scream during feeds or cry but she can seem uncomfortable immediately afterwards. I don't think there's enough milk coming back up for it to be reflux but she's colicky in the evenings (like now - DH trying to settle her).

Rooty has described the symptoms of reflux exactly so if she does show any of these then visit a GP as it usually starts around 4/6 weeks. And don't let anyone tell you that babies gaining weight can't have reflux because my last two both had it and gained weight.

Hopefully she is just possetting, I agree with cutting out the top ups to see how she is.

Ok thank you. Do you think what I've described sounds bad enough to be reflux?
I will take her to the dr I think just to discuss it.

I don't know any more about reflux - DD didn't have it - but I do know that it took me bloody months to realise how thoroughly she needed o be winded

From what you have said it sounds more like oversupply and forceful letdown than reflux. Kellymom might be a good place to look for info but going to a bf support group is possibly your best bet .

Well a lactation counsellor has just diagnosed tongue and lip tie which may be contributing to the possetting (although might not, we'll have to see). She advised getting the tie snipped as soon as possible which I will do.

They specifically checked for this in hospital as I was worried after dc 1 had tt. I know they look for visual appearance and function too but it seems that on both it is fairly obvious that there is a tt (to someone who knows). I'm not very pleased with the so called breastfeeding specialist midwife at the hospital I must say.
Lip tie seems more difficult to sort out. I'm also quite depressed that despite going on about dd1 having lip tie nobody took me seriously and she is now going to have to wait for an orthodontist to deal with it later on.
After an afternoon if being made to breastfeed and being exhausted, hungry and crying, dd posseted about 10 times in half an hour and was really distressed. As was I.
I hope having the tt released will help, otherwise it's looking like reflux isn't it?