Gasping for air - anyone else?

mwlove · July 2012

My DD is 6 weeks old (2 weeks adjusted). I am EBF. I have a strong let down and there are times when I'm nursing that she pulls off coughing, which the LC told me was normal. But my DD has started to do something else. It can be anytime throughout the day and happens when she is in any position except sitting up, she will start gasping for air and make a screeching sound because she can't breath then she will catch her breath and start coughing. These episodes last a few seconds but they are so scary. I've noticed in the past week she is producing a lot of saliva and is drooling a bunch, which is causing this to happen more often because she can't get it all down. She doesn't nurse for long, but she nurses every 2 - 3 hours and is gaining weight and having the appropriate amount of wet/dirty diapers, so I know she can obviously get milk down her throat.

My ped. Says this is normal and that a part of their throats are still developing. But to me, this is not normal and does not sound normal. Everyone I have asked has never heard of this or had their baby do this. It scares me that she may do it and not catch her breath or she will do it at night and I won't hear her. She sleeps right next to us in her rock n play but she still does it even though she is inclined.

Im calling the ped. This morning again but wanted to know if any of you are dealing with this or what you thought.

BuckeyeWife07 · July 2012

Yep! DD does this too. It's quite disconcerting. DD1 did it too but not as much as DD2 does it. It scares me too! I often blow in her face to force her take a breath.

bornmommy · July 2012

Connor does it all the time. It's gotten worse since he started producing salvia. He coughs, gasps, chokes... Pedi told me it was normal too. Every time he does it, I try to put him on his side or back and pat him to comfort him and encourage him to spit out the extra stuff. He almost never does...