Help please! Windy baby!

[mum29919]

My little boy is seven weeks old and has always struggled with wind but the last few days it's been so much worse. He's really straining all the time unless he's asleep on my chest, he won't go down at all. He's obviously very uncomfortable but he's not crying so hopefully not in pain but I'm exhausted and terrified of falling asleep with him on me. I've tried baby massage and putting gripe water in his milk (he spits it out on its own), I wind him during feeds and keep him upright for at least half an hour after feeding, does anyone have any suggestions to help him? Please!? Tia

Have you tried giving him just a bit (maybe a third or half of the feed) then winding, then doing the second half?

You might need to hold baby upright on your lap with your hand under his arms at the front and thumb and forefinger under his chin (easier in reality than to describe)so you are helping straightening the beach right up. I've always found babies like this position. You can back rub with the free hand sometimes you just get air which is trapped. Warm batch if its terribly painful.

Always feeding and winding in 2 goes helps most though

Hi

Congratulations on your baby and sorry to hear this Over the years I’ve supported many mums with feeding and a very common cause of this type f straining and discomfort has been a temporary CMPI (cow’s milk protein intolerance). Other reasons can more physical - feeding position - if boob, that means latch and positioning, if bottle it can mean teat flow and positioning.

The first thing is to know if you’re breast or bottle feeding really. It’s an easier fix for breast as you can simply go dairy free to check for any improvement in symptoms; in bottle feeding it warrants firmer diagnosis and potentially a change of formula to a hypoallergenic one.

Please don’t suffer through alone, ask your HV and / or GP about it either way

I'm bottle feeding (mostly expressed breast milk), I hold him upright and half full the teat when I'm feeding him to try slow him down, I will try winding half way through though. I haven't done up to now because sometimes he stops feeding then and doesn't get enough. Thanks for the advice, if it doesn't help, what would I do about an intolerance? Swap his formula?

My DS is 17wks and has suffered with wind since 5wks. I tried absolutely everything and nothing worked. I then read about probiotics for babies last week so we’re now trying them and they seem to be helping

Been there and I sympathise ... each feed I started with infracol it helped but first 3 months would still need wind for first 30 mins ... then continue hold up at an angle for a further 30 mins to help prevent reflux

Then half or more of the feeds would giggle up and down on my tummy while I sat up / possibly move on to cycling legs .. rolling him to fro and then I would administer gripe water

If formula fed can try different formulas, it was tough I will be honest and it horrible to see them so upset but it does get better ( unless it’s an allergy ) it started to get better at 4 months so the time it took to get the wind up and out became less and less I literally use infracol now no need 99% of the time for the rest of it ... I can’t put him down 10mins after feed ( if in night and fallen asleep ) obviously in the day he is crawling and playing so no need to worry about keeping him up.

It does get better I promise ... just accept any bit of help anyone is offering it’s hard work and an hour in the bath while someone else takes the strain will help you go to battle with the wind 💨 with gusto !

I've been reading about probiotics, I might give them a go. I'm wondering if it's more reflux than wind now, it doesn't matter how long I keep him upright (he's been in the sling all day!) as soon as I lay him down he dribbles a bit of sick out, sometimes it's just clear like dribble but he never dribbles when he's upright? Also considering seeing a chiropractor if anyone has any experience of that helping?

If its mainly breastmilk, could you try reducing or cutting out dairy and see whether it improves? My dd was full of wind and it all changed when I went dairy free. I then introduced yogurt and cheese as normal at weaning stage with no problems.

Sorry, too slow to post, my comment re. dairy does not apply to reflux, I have no experience of that.