Overactive letdown or reflux?

marijaa333 · July 2015

So, after a tongue-tie, pumping nearly exclusively, mastitis, and the rest of it, we finally got into a good nursing routine over the past two weeks. I'm sleeping more and we've been able to take car trips and generally have a semblance of a life.

HOWEVER... my 10 week old son has recently started freaking out at the breast, particularly in the evenings and mornings, and particularly when my breasts are very full. He never does it during the nighttime feeds, but it seems to be getting worse during the day and I'm afraid he's now not getting enough. He will start to nurse, but after a few minutes arch his back away from the breast, make an "OMG this is the most horrible feeling ever" face and then start to cry. I can usually calm him down by burping and rocking enough for him to take a few more sips but he seems to have lost the ability to peacefully nurse until he's full and then unlatch. It seems to be better when he latches on a very soft breast (e.g. after I've just pumped).

He doesn't vomit, spits up only occasionally and it doesn't seem to bother him, and he's fine sleeping on his back on a flat surface.

Does anyone have experience with overactive letdown, and if so, what are the symptoms? Or could this be reflux even though he's not spitting up a ton and vomiting?

niknak1208 · July 2015

To me that sounds like colic. Reflux usually is accompanied by spit up. In my experience. My oldest son had reflux and colic. He spit up ALL the time. Our littlest guy is colicky. Usually they say a colicky baby will fuss at specific times. They say the rule of 3's. Crying at least 3 A day. At least 3 days a week. For at least 3 weeks. But our little guy doesn't follow that exactly. He does it at night and mid day. It's super frustrating and I thought he wasn't getting enough too but he's gain in just fine and having plenty of wet diapers.

Gentle pressure on his tummy works for him. I usually hold him snug to my body and hold his leg so it's crunched up against his tummy. Like when your tummy hurts and you feel like pulling your legs in. I bounce him and make the shhhhh sound and he'll fall asleep for a bit. He always wakes up calmer.

marijaa333 · July 2015

Thanks @niknak1208! He does spit up, just not all the time (probably 1-2x a day, v. 6+ which I've heard is standard for reflux). We started him on Zantac last night and this morning and it seems to be helping some. I also picked up probiotics (SO expensive!) and perhaps that will help if it's colic (but then, what *is* colic?? just undiagnosed fussiness, no?).

niknak1208 · July 2015

Well personally I felt like reflux and colic had very similar symptoms. When I took our baby to the pedi this last time.. He said he thinks it's colic and that more recent research shows that colic is more of a behavior than a gastro issue. I'm not sure anyone knows for sure.

I'm literally dealing with it as I type this. Sam has been screaming for over an hour. I've tried feeding but he just screams and arches his back.

Hylands makes an all natural colic tablet. You dissolve them under their tongue. I've been using those. I mostly just use white noise and a tight snuggle to try to get him to feel comforted and settle down.

I'm currently rocking in a dark room with white noise blasting and he's still whimpering a bit.

It's hard because there's not a whole lot you can do.

And my 2 ur old is screaming in the other room. Fun times. Lol.

marijaa333 · July 2015

Thanks, @niknak1208 Hope both your LOs settle down!!

Designermomma · August 2015

DS1 had reflux and DS2 had colic. Very different. DS1 would projectile vomit almost an entire bottle and cry arching back (a tell tell sign) I had to hold him upright 30 min after feeding (no burping or else projectile. Just rub his back. No patting) He slept at an incline always (diagnosed at birth in the hospital). RX Zantac and AR thickened formula finally helped to help keep it down. It did make him more gassy though but we gave him gas drops too. When he started solids the problem went away. DS2 would cry for hours inconsolably at exactly 6pm every evening. (Things that helped were: walking around the house in the dark with soothing music and him in a baby carrier strapped to me and walking around the house with him in the stroller.) We started the probiotic Gerber Soothe drops ($25 per tiny bottle) but they were worth it! They really seemed to help. Along with Mylicon gas drops. Again, the problem seemed to go away by 6 mo. and we stopped the drops. At least these are both short term problems but they seem to last forever when your in it. Hope you find something that works for you.

marijaa333 · August 2015

Thanks @Designermomma Ours sounds like a milder version of your DS1. No projectile vomiting, but he does arch his back and cough/get liquid down the wrong way. And now Zantac seems to be helping, he finally slept 6 hours after his 3rd dose last night! (Although I notice he's more gassy this morning... sigh.) Our evening fussiness isn't inconsolable, but I've also started the Gerber Soothe drops ($28 here... it better be helping, LOL).

Great to know this will go away in a few months in all likelihood. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Overactive letdown or reflux?

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