more gas, burps, and spit-up with breast vs bottle...why?

3litttlebirds

DS gets mostly bottles of BM and we are in the process of transitioning to BF'ing. His bottles are Dr. Brown's with a preemie nipple. He does have gas and spit-up after bottle feeding, but rarely burps. However, as I've tried to BF more lately, he is fussy afterwards with lots of gas, loud burps, and more spit-up in volume. Why would this be? I thought it was the other way around...more of these things with bottle-feeding. He does pop on and off the breast a few times during feeding, and I hear him swallowing very rapidly in the beginning. I BF in a reclined position, otherwise he coughs/chokes. I want to BF and am trying to do so much more, but feel bad if it is going to make DS so uncomfortable for sometimes up to an hour or more after feeding. Any ideas why this would be?

I should add that I am thinking I have an oversupply and forceful letdown, although this has not been formally dx by a professional....just what I am thinking. So maybe those are the reasons for the gas, burps, and spit-up. I am seeing an LC soon. 

 

matthew_elizabeth

I'm no expert, but it Sounds like a forceful let down. If you can feel your letdown, take LO off for a minute and let your milk go into a towel. When the baby swallows too much too fast it causes air to get trapped (which leads to burps, gas and spit up). Hopefully someone who knows more can chime in

linzeek44

Yep, sounds like overactive letdown and oversupply. I've been working with LCs on both of these things. They recommend reclining, letting down into a towel when it's too strong for LO, frequent burping, and now I'm block feeding (feeding from only one side every three hours. If he wants more in the three hours, he goes back onto the same breast) to try to regulate the oversupply. Massaging the breast and block feeding can help get more hindmilk, and letting down into a towel can "get rid of" some of the foremilk. 

krissi813

Definitely a forceful letdown and as a PP says, your son is not used to the fast flow because of the preemie nipples. You do not have to be formally diagnosed with a fast letdown.