Baby Gulping and Gasping while BFing?

Manalyzer · July 2009

Has anyone else's baby done this? Addy has been gulping and doing this gasping breathing while nursing today. It makes me feel like she's not able to breathe enough, maybe sinus problems. It's definitely concerning me and I keep pulling my nipple out of her mouth so she can take a deeper breath. Of course, when I do this, she just fusses and roots around until she finds my nipple again and the whole thing starts all over.

Should I be concerned? Any advice would be awesome.

sunnyday016 · July 2009

Is she latched correctly?

Brandiebabe · July 2009

If I am understanding you right then, yes. DD would do this too and I talked to an LC about it and she said I had a fast let down and DD was choking. IS she choking/coughing or just having a hard time breathing while nursing?

Manalyzer · July 2009

sunnyday016:
Is she latched correctly?

Yes.

She's never done this before either.

JLS0320 · July 2009

might be your milk letting down, DS used to do this when milk gushed at him

Manalyzer · July 2009

Brandiebabe:
If I am understanding you right then, yes. DD would do this too and I talked to an LC about it and she said I had a fast let down and DD was choking. IS she choking/coughing or just having a hard time breathing while nursing?

I havent kept her on long enough at a time to see choking, but she did seem like she just wasnt getting air easily.

I think this may be it because that side "works" better than the other as Im missing a duct in the other. Shes on the side missing the duct now and not doing it.

What did you do about this?

freeburger16 · July 2009

I have oversupply and a forceful letdown, and DS does this a lot. If you can feel yor letdown, break suction and let the milk flow into a towel or burpcloth until the flow slows. Some people say to pump a little before nursing, but that messed with my supply.

He is now starting to be able to handle my letdown without choking.

kates1976 · July 2009

My DD started doing that this week too. I talked to an LC and we determined it was a fast let down. She said "think of taking a drink from a water fountain and someone turning it up full blast." She recommended a few tips:

1) try the football hold. If your LO is upright they have better control of the flow.

2) clamp down on your breast close to the areola... this will help slow the flow

3) pump or hand express some milk before you feed... this will get rid of some of the fast flowing foremilk and get to the softer flowing hind milk quicker.

The LC asked me if my DD was having green poops and I told her she was, and she said that's because she's getting too much foremilk and not enough hind milk... the lactose in the foremilk turns the poop green.

Also, the LC said that over time the baby will learn to control the flow. Mine did it in four days. We are all good now.

kmf143 · July 2009

Same as PP, also make sure your boob isnt covering his nostrils!

Manalyzer · July 2009

Awesome. Thanks so much guys. I'll try these techniques and hopefully this will help.

JennR · July 2009

yup, fast letdown. Try to let it flow into a burpcltoh if you can tell when it starts. That worked great with DD, but it doesn't work with ds. instead I try to recline, even lay flat, when i nuse him so that gravity works in his favor rather than against him. You can press your palm agains your nipple/breast for about 15 seconds before you nurse and that is supposed to slow letdown as well. i hear cold compresses right before you nurse works too, but ds nurses too often for me to try this one. Also, the lc told me to make sure that ds's body is lower than his head. DS would/does get horrible gas when he gulped to keep up with the letdown.

grinsandgiggles · July 2009

My LO does this and I FF. I think it's him trying to eat too fast...

krstokes · July 2009

DD did this. When we talked to the LC she said it was because of milk let down and could also be a bad latch causing her to inhale air!

MissPresleysMommy · July 2009

Maybe you have an overactive letdown. Try nursing stomach to stomach (her on top) to decrease the spray.

pb08 · July 2009

MissPresleysMommy:
Maybe you have an overactive letdown. Try nursing stomach to stomach (her on top) to decrease the spray.

?This works but be careful because doing it too often can lead to clogged ducts.?

Baby Gulping and Gasping while BFing?

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