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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Tiktok, or any other expert bf's......

19 replies

littleboyblue · 03/01/2009 19:50

Hi. Just quickly, I spoke to a friend of a friend earlier who asked me some stuff about his 1 week old baby and feeding.
The new mum is bf, she isn't eating any spicy foods, she doesn't drink or smoke either but apparently the baby is bringing up every bf. They've also tried formula but baby is sick even worse on that. The dad thinks it may be a lactose intolerance, but surely not with breast milk?
My ds was sick due to reflux which is why this person asked me but I didn't bf so don't know what to tell them.
I told him to speak to hv/mw about it but he said they aren't helpful, so I said the hospital are still responsible for 28 days and it wouldn't hurt to get in touch with them and that they just need to bang on about it until someone listens and helps. He also said sick is projectile and the baby has lost a lot of weight. I told him that's normal for a bit of weight loss and in the end really didn't know what to say so told them to go to clinic or gp. Any ideas why baby sicks up bf?

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Original poster

littleboyblue · 03/01/2009 19:58

Just gonna give this one bump as think I'll tell them to get on a site thi this themselves for advice and support.

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StarlightWonderStarlightBright · 03/01/2009 20:02

Hi Littleboyblue,

I'm not an expert so am bumping, but what I do know is that both loosing weight (what is a lot?) and being sick with every feed is perfectly normal. However, as new parents they need to contact their hospital/mw if they are worried to get it checked out.

Also phone one or more of the breastfeeding helplines (do you need the numbers?)

It is extremely unlikely to be lactose intolerance and pretty unlikely to be reflux. Also lots of people 'think' that their baby's sick is projectile, but unless it comes out hose-pipe fashion and hits the opposite wall it really isn't.

Hope this helps and that others see this and post.

btw both my babies threw up loads, after and in between feeds but doubled their birth weights at around 10 weeks!

LackaDAISYcal · 03/01/2009 20:13

hi littleboyblue. no expert by any means, but will say that more information is needed about the weight loss and how he is feeding and pooing etc.

I would suggest that they give one of the breastfeeding charity support lines a call and talk the full picture through with one of the breastfeeding counsellors. They can then get in touch with a local counsellor for some one to one help.

The numbers are here on hunkermunker's blog

Would echo starlight though that weight loss in the first week is normal for a breastfed baby, up to 10% is normal, and provided that baby has regained their birthweight within a few weeks there isn't a problem. Possetting is also normal, and the amount and forcefulness varies immensely between babies. It could be gastric reflux that is causing the vomitting as well, especially if the baby seems to be in pain with the vomitting. Or, it could just be down to wind, and they can maybe try winding the baby halfway through a feed. Lactose intolerance does exist, but is usually due to the mum eating too much dairy. Intolerance to mum's breast milk is pretty rare.

But, this is all just guessing. They need to see/talk to someone; either their community midwife, Health visitor or a qualified breastfeeding counsellor.

and congratulations to them on the birth of their DC

bubbleymummy · 03/01/2009 20:14

What about nappies? If there are plenty of wet nappies then obviously something is getting in! That might reassure them a bit. I would advise them to see/speak to a breastfeeding counsellor - prob better to see someone in person.

bubbleymummy · 03/01/2009 20:16

I was also going to say to try holding the baby more upright for a feed - if DS got windy he vomitted more and the upright position seemed to help with that.

Original poster

littleboyblue · 03/01/2009 20:18

Thanks Star, my ds wasn't sick from the off (I don't think) but obviously know how worrying this is for them. Mine also didn't lose any of his birth weight at all.
I was told that it's normal for babies to be sick but not normal to do it after every feed to the extent that my ds was.
I don't know this baby, have never seen him, never met the mum and the dad is a bit flustered I think, today was the first time I've spoken to him in years tbh. He has been calling my friend quite alot since birth of baby.
I've told them to contact mw and hv and bf helplines etc, so hopefully they'll get the advice they need.

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nickymorris · 03/01/2009 20:19

Have they tried breaking off the feed to burp DC? One book I read (can't remember which - maybe Save Our Sleep) the author suggested breaking off the feed every 3 minutes max to burp baby then putting back on.

That way if they do burp up some milk it'll only be a bit each time. And burping for a good while too - patting low down on the back while DC is over shoulder works best for my DS who has a very clicky bf technique and takes on a lot of air.

But some loss of weight is v. normal. One of the babies in my NCT class lost 1lb and they only started out at 5lb 5 - he's much bigger these days!

If the mum is worried about lactose intolerance then she can cut it from her diet pretty easily. Goat's milk is pretty drinkable instead IMO. I think she should be able to assess whether it's the lactose intolerance after about 3 days.

Original poster

littleboyblue · 03/01/2009 20:20

X posted there. I am soooo slow.
Thanx for that ladies, will get a message to them with all of this advice.

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Original poster

littleboyblue · 03/01/2009 20:21

I don't really know any more than what I said in OP, I spoke to dad on the phone for about 10mins but was hard to get any sense out of him tbh!

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MaHumbug · 03/01/2009 20:23

sorry Daisycal the other link didn't work

Joolyjoolyjoo · 03/01/2009 20:23

I'm no expert, but what are the mw's/ doctors saying? Any chance the baby could have pyloric stenosis? (where the exit to the stomach is narrowed and makes it difficult for babies to keep down a feed??) I don't think it's uncommon, but needs an op to fix.

CantSleepWontSleep · 03/01/2009 20:28

Not likely to be lactose intolerance, but could be cows milk protein intolerance, which is reasonably common. To test this, the mum needs to go completely dairy free for 2 weeks (nicky is wrong about the 3 days - it takes 7-10 to clear). She shouldn't have goats or sheeps milk products either, as the proteins are very similar, and ideally she should go easy on soya substitutes, as around 30-40% of babies with a problem with dairy will also have a problem with soy.

Both of mine have been milk intolerant, but dd has outgrown it now, as most do.

nickymorris · 03/01/2009 20:40

ooops - sorry - was going by what my mum said about me (apparently I was cow's milk intollerant when I was born and stopped screaming 3 days after she swapped from cow's milk to goat's milk)

Original poster

littleboyblue · 03/01/2009 20:51

Ok. Thanx for that, have just FB'ed him with this info and recommended they have a look on this site themselves as we all know worry about dc's is never ending!!

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tiktok · 04/01/2009 10:36

Totally agree with the posts saying they need to see someone - the idea that people get third-hand support from a talkboard when a baby could be ill makes me shiver!!

This baby could well be just fine - initial weight loss, baby throwing up, could all be normal. On the other hand, continuing to lose weight and projectile vomiting are not normal and need a medical opinion now...how hard have they tried to speak to a midwife? You're quite right, littleboyblue, they need to insist someone listens and helps.

Original poster

littleboyblue · 04/01/2009 11:44

Hey tiktok The dad just said that baby had been signed off from hospital yesterday and he found that hv and mw were being a bit rude and unsupportive. I told him that sometimes first time parents aren't initially taken as seriously as they should be and he should just keep going on until someone thinks "ffs, lets just get him off my back" iyswim.
I told him that sick after every feed is not normal, and don't actually know that projectile means projectile or if it's a slight push on the truth as any ammount of sickness from your newborn is scary isn't it?
In the end I did say go to gp if no one else will listen but also thought that if I suggested coming somewhere like here and was told the same stuff as I told him, it might have more of an impact than little old me telling him what to do. Especially as I didn't bf.
Thanx again everyone for advice. I haven't heard anything back from my FB message I sent, so we'll see what happens.
Thanx again

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bubbleymummy · 04/01/2009 12:34

Hi littleboyblue,
Just to clarify, some babies may spit up after every feed - it obviously depends on how much as to its seriousness. If the baby has 5/6 wet nappies a day then it is obviously managing to keep enough milk down so that might reassure them while they're waiting to get help. It's prob one of the first questions they'll be asked when they see a GP/midwife anyway!

Original poster

littleboyblue · 04/01/2009 12:41

Hi bubble. Thanx for that, don't know what's happening with it tbh, am sure they'll get the help they need. It's just a shame when you don't get the support straight off isn't it?
I remember with ds's sickness, they never asked me about nappies but he was going often anyway but was treated for excessive reflux.
It's hard to know what to tell them as I haven't seen baby, but hopefully they'll take on board what I have said myself and what I have repeated from this thread and get themselves to clinic or doctors

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kathryn2804 · 04/01/2009 23:36

It definitely depends on how much, most babies posset after very feed, and sometimes it looks like quite a lot, but this is completely different to properly sicking up the whole feed!! They need to see HV/midwife if it's the latter!

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