HELP! Baby vomiting tons after feeds

[hamster wheel]

Hi everyone. Second time mom strongly considering giving up BFing because I feel like I'm doing more harm than good.

I BF'd my first for 11 months but I'm at a lost this time around. DD is just shy of four weeks and the past week or so she's been vomiting more and more. At first it was just once a day but today, it's been 4 times and she's had bouts of painful crying from what I am assuming is due to gas.

A bit about myself: I have a VERY forceful letdown and oversupply. I had the same issue with my first so this is nothing new but I don't recall this much vomiting. I recline while BFing and I also unlatch DD until the flow slows down but I can still hear her choking and coughing. I've expressed a little before feeds and as expected, the first 2oz looks like foremilk which I know makes baby gassy.

I don't know what to do. I feel like me breastfeeding is doing more harm than good. I've had so many family members tell me to just pump and bottle feed but I don't want to go through all that work and I know pumping will make things worst.

What am I doing wrong? My letdown seems to get worst each day and I'm strongly considering switching to formula because I am paranoid about poor DD getting hurt as she is vomiting while asleep.

Sorry for the rant, just panicked.

 

[Annahilditch]

Hi I'm sorry your struggling. I have similar issues switch forceful letdown and over supply. The health visitor told me to feed from
One breast only for up to 3 feeds to make sure she gets the hindmilk. No one tells you how hard EBF is. I almost regret ever starting. LO is 7 weeks now and In trying to introduce expressed bottles and show won't take them at all. Tried different brand. Different techniques. Nothing. All the midwives and health workers to on about is nipple confusion no one mentions how hard it will be to introduce a bottle when your leave it the recommend 6 weeks

 

[lozzy21]

Vomiting and crying could well be due to reflux, swapping to bottles will not help that. Keeping her upright for 30 mins after a feed helped my DD massively. Some doctors will prescribe medication to help but others won't unless its affecting weight gain.

 

[noon_child]

My initial thought was reflux with that much vomitting. I'm sure a good HV or a breastfeeding support group (if there are any left with all the cutbacks) could offer a lot of advice e.g upright during and after feeds etc.

If she's in pain with it though she may be feeding more than she needs to (as sucking eases the discomfort) thus adding to over supply. I don't normally like pacifiers but it can sometimes really help reflux babies. I would definitely get a professional opinion from an LC about whether it sounds like reflux.

 

[Housecat]

I would see a dr before changing any thing. You're doing the right thing about your forceful let down, but it sounds like it could be reflux and your dr can give you something to try. Maybe try some dentinox colic drops (which worked for us) or Infacol (which didn't, different for each baby though!) to help with wind. My DD1 was EBF and puked loads, all the time. Bottles didn't help, formula made it worse so I just had to put up her vomming loads! DD2 is mostly breastfeeding, but has a couple of bottles of formula to top her up per day and she's is windier and pukier after the bottles than the breast, even after trying different bottles. So when she has a bottle, I give her some reflux medication too. Try addressing wind and reflux first. Good luck! HTH X