Bf / reflux and getting no sleep :-(

[jellybeans]

Hi would be grateful for any help. My 5 week old exclusively bf DS is very unsettled and windy. He brings back his feeds (not always that much and he is putting on weight), sometimes up to 2 hours after, the main issue is he chokes on it when in comes back up and has struggled for breath several times, it is so stressful. He feeds every 1.5-2hrs day and night, at night he won't sleep till 4-5am and wakes up right away if i put him in his moses basket right next to me. I am getting 2-3 hours sleep and am soooo exhausted and can't go out or do anything and I have 4 other children to get to school etc. I sometimes feel it is my milk doing this to him and keep thinking should i try formula. The Dr gave him gaviscon but not sure if it working and makes his poo uncomfotable. Also I have a fast let down but take him off for the initial squirting bit!Any help very welcome, I am soooooo tired.

Jellybeans, I've just logged on about to post an almost identical message, very similar probs here with my 5 week old too. So can't help much but do really feel for you. I wonder whether we are feeding too frequently (I'm doing about the same as you) and this is causing the wind? Hope you are OK and getting some help with the other children.

Hi Bessmum, sorry to hear you are having simelar problems. I also wonder if I am feeding too much, the HV suggested to 'make him wait a good 2 to 3 hours' but I am not keen on leaving him hysterical. I had no sleep at all last night, feel so ill, luckily i can try sleep today, but I was hoping to go out as it is getting me down being in all the time. Poor thing was gulping on his refluxed milk for ages this am. He also keeps going red due to the Gaviscon/hard poos. I am tempted to have him in with me but too scared of squashing him and we have a breathing monitor which won't work in bed. We have a snugglenest but he slips down it when it is raised for his reflux. Anyway sorry to go on and hope things get better for you soon,

jellybeans, this sounds really difficult However, before thinking your baby has something wrong going on that needs treatment, perhaps you can think about whether you have an over-generous milk supply. You certainly tick all the boxes for this. It's easily dealt with - not by stretching the feeds out by making him wait, but by using one breast only for a period of 4-6 hours, putting the baby back to that one each time he feeds, and then switching to the other side for a similar period. You can find details if you search for 'block feeding' or 'block nursing' in the mumsnet archives.

Formula is not necessary of course in these situations, and nor is Gaviscon, which is, as you say, a cause of constipation.

Hope this helps.

Hope you get some rest today jellybeans. After reading what you put about a fast let down, I've just been doing a search on google and I am convinced that my problem is an overactive let down or over-generous milk supply just as tiktok has suggested. Everything DS does fits with this (eg coughing/choking with feeds, gaining more than 1lb per week) and it does sound as though it could be the same for you. I am going to try the block nursing tiktok suggests, other things I've just read are trying to feed lying down / against gravity so that the baby is higher than the breast (not sure how to do this though). Would love to hear from anyone who has had got through this successfully.

Thanks so much tiktok I am going to give block feeding a try, will do a search for more info. At the moment I use one breast per feed and change after 2 hours. DS only feeds for 5-10 mins. I think I do have an OALD as DS often chokes and spluters when I feed him. I feel quite guilty that I am causing this albeit unwillingly

Bessmum, hope it works for you, I also am going to try the advice. My DS also puts on loads of weight, The HV was shocked how much. Good luck, heres to some sleep!

Hi Jellybeans, it does sound as though we both have an over generous supply doesn't it? I've managed to read through some of the other posts on this and I feel really positive that the block feeding should help - thank you so much tiktok. I've tried this today and I am sure that DS has fed better and got less wind and settled better just now, fingers crossed. Try not to feel guilty Jellybeans, it sounds as though you are doing a fantastic job and with 4 other children too - wow hats off to you, I'm struggling with just 2. Hope you get some decent sleep tonight.

Thanks Bessmum, hope you get some sleep too! Can I ask whether you are doing 2,3 or 4 hour blocks? I am not sure which to do as I already more or less doing 2 hourly on each side. Just fed DS and feel awful as he was spluttering and choking after with it coming up his nose also Feel so responsible for his discomfort. I just wish I could enjoy these precious early weeks (and i do some of the time) but it is soooo stressful as you will know going through this. Am thinking maybe to try 3 hourly at first? Thanks.

Had a rough night, no sleep till 6am. Rang emergency doctor as DS very distressed and kept gagging and choking for hours after a feed. Spoke to 2 friends today and they said put him on a thickened formula. Not sure whether to try it for the sake of some sleep and chance of a happy baby. Have been feeding 3 hourly off each side for the OALD. Help!

Really sorry to hear this. I'm actually going for about 6 hours on one side before switching , mainly because I was already doing the 2 hourly thing too. It was a bit uncomfortable at first for me but seemed more comfortable for DS. We had a better evening when he did settle but a restless night - he was coughing/choking when I switched sides and then had bad wind. It sounds as though you are having a really tough time, what did the emergency doctor suggest? I have no experience of thickened formula so not sure if it would help. Perhaps tikok could advise if she is around? Also would it be worth trying to give a bottle of expressed breast milk to give you a break? It is so hard isn't it, try not to feel guilty though, you are doing everything in his best interests and it isn't your fault. Take care x

Sorry jellybeans, just seen that you've had good advice already from tiktok on the other thread. The 6 hour block feeding really does seem to be helping, so hope that things improve for you soon, best of luck

I too am going through the same thing. I'm leaking all over the shop, he's puking everywhere too. It's all getting a bit wet here. I'm going to try the 6 hour block. Problem is DS yanks the nipple a bit when he's doing his frequent feeding and grunts at the same time.

Bessmum/jellybeans - which other thread?

found it