# How is he sucking in so much air???



## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

I need some help!

My 2 1/2 week old baby sucks in a ton of air while nursing. He is my third nursling and this never happened with the other two - in fact I almost never burped them. With this little guy I have to stop the feeding and burp him about every three minutes - he just seems to fill up with air while nursing. What am I doing wrong?

When he first latches on and my milk lets down it is kind of forceful and I hear him gulp big mouthfulls of air - so I pop him off the breast and burp him. Then I put him back on the same breast and even though the flow of milk is normal he still gulps in air. After nursing for a few minutes he'll get fussy and pull off. Then I'll pat his back and sure enough he burps about three times and then he goes back to nursing. This goes on: nurse, burp, nurse, burp. . .for about an hour until he's full.

Has anyone else had this problem?


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## IslandMamma (Jun 12, 2003)

We have the same problem, although he fills up after several 2-3 minute "stints" at the breast. I've become a vigilant burper, and sometimes I'll use mylicon drops before feedings to help the gas pass.

I also keep DS vertical for at least 15 minutes after feedings... this is due to severe reflux, but it also gives time for extra bubbles to make their way up and out. My letdown is also really heavy-- when I feel it, I take the babe off for a minute and literally shoot spraying milk into a dipe. Seems to help the initial gulping, anyhoo........


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

Thanks! At least I know I'm not alone.

I think I may start popping him off during the initial let down - that's a good idea.


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## Irishmommy (Nov 19, 2001)

Did I miss a birth announcement? Congratulations!!!!


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

Thanks Irishmommy! You can read my birth story over here:

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...threadid=68188


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## BoobyJuice (Jun 25, 2003)

Congratulations! Just







new babies . . .

My first never needed to be burped at all. My second had a terrible tummy. Very gassy. Lots of screaming, they think was reflux. Very sensitive to lots of foods I ate. At 8 months (8 months today







) he still has a very sensitive stomach. The good new is that atmy 1 months visit my pediatrition recommended gripe water. It's not very common in the US, but luckily all the peds in the practice are foreign born and a little more liberal. I guess gripe water is common all over Europe, Asia and South America. It's basically herbal mylicon. I've had amazing luck with it. It's pretty expensive, but as my mother put it, "Can you really put a price on something that ends his misery?" There are several companies that make it, if you look online for gripe water you should find some. I've only tried colic ease. It really seems to work for my son. If nothing else remember that they do tend to outgrow these things.

Hope you find something that helps.


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## PB's Mom (Nov 20, 2001)

Same story here. I had no problems with DS#1, but with DS#2 I've had the problem of too much milk/forcefull letdown. I have to burp him frequently. Our problem turned into severe colic at about 2-1/2 weeks. He would scream for hours every evening. Actually I think at first he just screamed all day when he was awake.

So if you find your baby turning into a colic situation, let me tell you how to make things better fast!!!! The first thing I did was to start nursing lying down. This lets the extra milk spill out of the mouth and the baby can control the flow better. Next thing I did was to try to fix the foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. Once I got him lying down to nurse, he started nursing longer. Then I kept him nursing on one side for 3-4 hours at a time. This way he got more of the hindmilk, since the foremilk didn't have much of a chance to build back up. I also hand expressed a little milk before each feeding (this was really important!!) I'm not sure if this simply helps to get rid of some of the foremilk or if it encourages the hindmilk to come faster. Anyway, if the baby gets too much foremilk, then that makes for a gassy/colicky baby. I also took dairy out of my diet.

Hopefully you won't have these problems!!! Congrats and good luck!!


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

Oh boy I hope this doesn't turn into colic!

He does like to nurse lying down, but it doesn't seem to prevent me from having to burp him every few minutes. I don't mind so much during the day - but at night time it makes feeding him a real issue. I have to stay awake for an hour and a half to two hours to feed him and get him back to sleep. Last night we did the nurse, burp, nurse, burp game from 2am - 6:30 when I finally gave up and just got up for the day.

Is there anyway to teach him to nurse without gulping air? Do you think I can get him to latch on differently? Or is it just the size of his little mouth vs the size of my huge boob is making him latch on in a certain way and get air in?

<sigh> and I thought after two kids I'd having this whole nursing thing down pat!


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

You may want to be evaluated by a LLL Leader or LC. Perhaps he has a latch problem, such a tongue tie, which is breaking suction and allowing air in? Does he "click" when he swallows?

"Colic" is a catch-all term. If a child needs to release emotions at the end of a hard day by having a "good cry," it doesn't last more than a couple hours. Hopefully not full out screaming the whole time, but fussiness. (Read Dr Sears' The Fussy Baby Book for tips.)If it is a feeding/digestive problem, it can be corrected. Short frenulums can be clipped. Other latch problems can be id'ed and corrected. If he is sensitive to something in your diet, dairy being the most common allergen, you can cut it out and see if he is less gassy.

Go see someone. This problem sounds very annoying! You need your sleep.


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

thanks DaryLLL - I have a LLL meeting coming up in two weeks or so I'll ask one of the leaders there to check out our latch.

I'm not sure what you mean by a clicking sound. I do hear him gulp air particularly when my milk first lets down.


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

Why not call your Leader today for a one on one visit? Do you really want to wait 2 more weeks, and put yourself and the baby thru this, when she could set you straight right away? She can do more for you one on one than at a busy mtg. She doesn't mind this, it is in her job description!

Clicking is a little intake of air when the latch/suction is broken. I guess you have more than a click. You have a gulp. All 3 of mine were tongue tied and my ds esp. He clicked for 3 mos. But didn't gulp or swallow much air. I would have to hold my breast in place when he broke suction. I did not have overactive letdown tho, like you, quite the opposite. I 2nd the idea to give one breast only for 3-4 hours, to reduce supply and encourage hindmilk intake.


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

DaryLLL - well i'll be darned he does make a clicking sound when he nurses! I never noticed it before - I'm not sure if he doesn't always make that sound or it's just always really loud in my house and I don't usually notice it (I have two other boys running and playing around the house all day long!). But today my Mom was watching the big kids and I was nursing the little guy and each time he sucked in he did make a bit of a clicking sound.

Can I do something to prevent him from continually breaking the suction?


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

He is doing the clicking for one (or more) of several reasons:

1)Trouble handling the letdown. Follow guidelines for overactive letdown

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/colic...ml#fastletdown

2)Tongue tie. Have him evaluated by a LC and maybe have the frenulum clipped if necc.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...n-nursing.html

3) Pain, caused by thrush or something, but this is doubtful.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...resources.html

(go see your Leader, hint, hint...)


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## dotcommama (Dec 30, 2001)

Thank you! I read those links - from what I can guess I think it's overactive letdown. I have a crazy - huge - milk supply and I know when he pops off my milk will shoot clear across the room.

I have a question about offering only one breast for several feedings - won't that make me engorged on the opposite side making the problem worse when I do go to feed him from that side? If I express to keep from being engorged on the other side won't that increase my milk supply and continue to make things worse?

I know I should call my LLL leader - I'm just very shy and so it's hard for me to call someone I don't know that well and bug them about a problem I'm having. I know, I know that's what they are there for!


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