Post natal anxiety help please - newborn gagging

[BelleSauvage9]

Hi, just looking for some reassurance please!

Ds is 10 days old (dc3). I'm absolutely struggling with post natal anxiety and will be talking to the health visitor about this on Friday.

He keeps gagging like he's going to be sick. For the most part it's silent, though a couple of the gags have had a bit of gagging sound. No milk is coming up when he does this. It's really frightening me :( I mentioned it to the midwife on Saturday and she didn't think it was anything to worry about, but she didn't see it..

I think if he brought anything up I wouldn't feel so worried. He was being sick quite a bit and that seems to have mostly stopped, but this gagging has started. I'm trying to keep myself calm and rationalise but I'm really really struggling to (I just feel utter panic when it happens and am scared something is actually wrong) and I didn't experience anything like this with my other 2 dc! Has anyone had experience of this with their newborn?? Thank you so much for any responses x

Yes my baby did this in the first few weeks, she's quite refluxy I think it's milk coming back up that she swallows down tbh. If he's not choking and struggling to breathe it should be fine. Could you try to record it to show to the HV though? Of course still try to get it checked out.

Yes my DS did this, I was terrified - it was reflux. Holding him upright after feeds helped a lot but ask your midwife if you're still worried

Thank you so much for responding! Yes I had considered reflux as a likely cause, it just looks really scary when it's happening!! I had thought to try and get a video of him doing it 👍 though I wonder if I'll be able to make myself get my phone and video it while I feel such panic..

@Ftmommy I was kind of thinking to myself that I don't know how to tell whether it's gagging or choking though! I feel like it's gagging but I'm not sure how much he can breathe while it's happening iyswim? Like his airways surely are blocked off while the stomach 'side' is open if somethings trying to come up it..

Is he struggling to breathe afterwards or gasping for breathes. Ikwym I used to sit DS up furiously patting her back thinking she was choking but it only lasted a second or so. I did mention it to my GP at her 6 week check, who just kind of nodded (wasn't really listening to me) and checked her breathing but ofc she wasn't doing it then - just said she was fine. I think it's quite a common newborn thing my midwife said "yes they like to make all kinds of scary noises to worry you".

Yes I was worried he was choking but it really was gagging and it was the reflux because as soon as that resolved he never did it again! Newborn breathing is a bit weird but there are some signs of a problem that you can familiarise yourself with e.g. blue lips, sucking in under ribs/throat,.rapid panting etc that if you see you can seek immediate help. It used to help me (v anxious FTM!) to check for these things when he was doing the gagging thing but honestly every time it happened it was over quickly and he was fine, and it only lasted a couple/ maybe 4 weeks

@BelleSauvage9 I know this is really old now but did it eventually settle in the end? Myne is exactly the same 🙁

@Supertrooper101 yes it did 😊 I can't remember how long it lasted I'm afraid, but I don't think it was more than a few weeks. He's 16 months now and fine, eats and drinks well, never gags or sick 👍

@BelleSauvage9 thanks for replying 🙂 can you remember if you had any medication or change milk, or did you just wait it out? I was on omeprazole during pregnancy so wondering if thats played a part 🤦‍♀️ lol