Unsettled feed

[Sadie10753]

Hi everyone, I'm new to netmums. Hoping I can find some support and advice as times are very tough at the moment.

Partner had to go back to work after 6 days of being back home, he's a restaurant manager so I'm on my own for very long periods of time, it's been difficult. The support is always there from friends but in so exhausted I don't feel like having company.

The first week my LO fed perfectly, exclusively breastfeeding on demand, perfect latch, no issues. But the past two weeks she's been so unsettled during a feed. Coming off every 5 minutes (the first couple of times also bringing up small amounts of milks be coughing) with head butting my boob and shaking her head around. My nipple will pop back into her mouth but then she'll shrug it off and start head butting and shaking again with her mouth open and screaming. From start to finish it takes around 1hour 30 to complete her feed. 70% of the time she won't sleep after a feed either, as when I put her down she'll be wheezing and squealing. Is this normal?? As you can imagine around the clock this is very tiring.

Not sure if it's related but she's got awful wind, I wind her between feeding and after but never manage to get any burps up. Been using infacol for over a week, doesn't seem to be helping the wind but prevents her from screaming from when a feed finishes to the next one beginning.

This is all a vicious circle and I don't know what to do. Does anyone else have these issues??

Thanks in advance for any advice

[Onsera3]

Yes she could definitely be behaving like that because of wind. Their tummy hurts so they think they'll have some more milk but they can't suck properly when need to burp, fart, poo.

It wouldn't have been an issue in the first days because your milk would have just been coming in.

Make sure when you burp there's adequate pressure on the tummy- don't just pat the back. Try over shoulder, sitting them up leaning over palm of hand. Plenty of jigging to help get gas out. I find jogging in sling helps as combo of movement and pressure on tummy. Or moving baby from lying to sitting position. Dr Sears gives good tips on burping.

Also make sure no farts by putting lying down and massaging/rubbing tummy, moving legs, putting goes to nose.

Also think why baby is getting air in. Bad latch? ie no seal? Or maybe it's coming out too fast? Make sure you're not getting engorged. If it's at beginning of feed it might be overactive let down so you can take baby off once let down starts and catch the spraying milk in a muslin til it calms down.

Positions where baby's throat is not lower than your nipple can help. So 'laid back' 'biological nuturing' style is good.

Stop and burp mid feed if you need to.

She definitely won't want to lie down after a feed if she has wind. That's normal. Sometimes when they are so little they need to be upright for a good half hour after feeding. On your chest is good so you can pat the burps out.

If baby is bringing up too much milk and in terrible pain it could be reflux. Or silent reflux they don't actually bring the milk up. Also colic can set in after a couple of weeks.

My daughter had a tongue and lip tie which caused her bad latch and excessive gas. She still gets gassy now it is fixed and has had the dreaded colic but we are starting to come out the other side.

They deal with the gas a lot better when they are able to control their bodies better and move to get the gas out.

It can be such a difficult time. You should try and get to a local breastfeeding clinic where you can get advice or just hear that others are going through the same thing.

Hang in there but do seek help if nothing gets better.

[Onsera3]

• toes to nose

[daluze]

Can you get to a breastfeeding group? It willbe helpful if someone experienced could observe the feed. Your HV should have a list of local breastfeeding support groups.