Major fear: baby choking on vomit

[Pessimist]

My baby is 2 weeks old and rolls to her side whenever we put her down. We correct this as often as possible, but we can't keep an eye on it while we're asleep.

We're following a (temporary) strict formula feeding plan to supplement my breast milk and she often spits/vomits afterwards.

I'm terrified she'll choke in her sleep because she'll roll onto her side. Sometimes she'll sleep on her back with her head on one side, but she just prefers the foetal position and is often in this position when we wake her for feeds.

Is this a stupid fear? We keep her upright and burp her for about 20 mins afterwards but sometimes she's sick an hour afterwards.

Our cot doesn't tilt and I don't know how to get over this.

I would've thought it would be safer for her to sleep on her side, from a choking perspective?

Babies don't tend to spit up in their sleep in my experience. They wake because of the discomfort, before they would spit up. Has she actually been sick whilst asleep?

@CommissarySushi So we have put her down a couple of times and noticed dried spit-up/sick around her face and that's the first point we notice it. She may well have woken up to throw up and then gone back to sleep but everywhere online says that babies that sleep on their back are protected from choking and the risk increases for side sleepers ☹️

Just to reassure you - it’s quite difficult for babies to choke on vomit as they have a much stronger gag reflex than older children and adults. Have you ever noticed how a baby can complete hose the person holding them in sick with almost no effort? That’s because of their powerful gag reflex. That said, it is true it is safer for babies on their back as the reflex throws the vomit up and out whereas if they are on their side their airway can be more easily obstructed by it if it can’t get out. Does she vomit on just breast milk or only on combined feeding with formula? You can ring the postnatal midwives where you delivered or speak to your health visitor if you are concerned.

@FluffPiece So I think she only spits up on formula. We're doing paced feeding and try to burp her/give her lots of breaks while she takes the bottle in a bid to work out if she's full or not but it isn't very effective and she has a delayed spit up pretty much every time. We try to put her down when she's in a deep sleep so she's less likely to roll but she is very wriggly in her sleep and will usually be on her side when we go to wake her. ☹️

Can you do formula and contact naps in the day so she’s sleeping upright on you, and then breast milk at night when you’ll be lying her down in her cot?