Help, Extremely Gassy 7wo

[@llli*b.mccaskill]

Ok ladies,
My newborn is 7wo and I went back to work last week. Almost every day that he is with my grandmother he is extremely gassy and cries excessively then has explosive poops. He is gaining weight normally (7 to 10 lbs in first month) and has a normal number of wet diapers. He does not go through these episodes at night or over the weekends when I exclusively breastfeed, only during the day. So my thoughts are: either it is the milk or the bottle.

I am sort of block feeding because he went down to only eating off of one side for about 10-15 minutes at 4 weeks. I offered the other breast and he would be done. I still always offer the other side and sometimes he takes it and other times he doesn't. I am pumping both breasts two times at work. In one pump session I am getting about 5oz between both breasts, which is what he needs for one feeding. I combine them into one 5 oz bottle. I don't know if combining them is causing gas because he's only used to nursing on one side, or if this should not effect him.

I noticed that when my milk seperates it only has a small layer of fatty milk so, I question whether this is the problem? Or am I analyzing it to much and may be just the bottles. I am using the Tommee Tippee bottles. It's just extremely frustrating because of how awful his gas is during the day!!

[@llli*lllmeg]

Almost every day that he is with my grandmother he is extremely gassy and cries excessively then has explosive poops.

Do you mean he has the gas and poops while with grandma, or when with you AFTER a day with grandma?

If the former, maybe grandmother is more concerend about gas and explosive poops than need be. If the former, I would wonder if maybe: baby is being overfed with the bottle (very very typical) and/or being fed something else than your milk. (Not as typical but it happens.)

5 ounces would be on the high side for a feeding at this age.

why not give grandmother suggestions for paced bottle feedign to slow the feedings down, and try more frequent feedigns of, say, 2-3 ounces at a time? See this for the current thinking on how a baby ‘should’ be bottle fed http://www.llli.org/docs/00000000000...astfedbaby.pdf

You may need a different bottle as well. I have heard (but do not have personal experience) that the tommy tippes have to be turned almost upside down for milk to come out. This would put baby more flat on back for feeding which is not usually comfortable for babies and may be contributing to this problem. (Yes I know that is how all the pictures of bottle feeding baby is on back) but baby should instead be more upright as described in above linked tip sheet.

And try not to worry! Gas and explosive pooop may be temporarily upsetting for all involved, but they do not in any way represent a health problem that requires intervention.

[@llli*mommal]

with LLLMeg. I just want to add that not seeing much fat on top of your separated milk is normal. It's going to vary by day, by time of day, by how much you pump- but in general human milk is only about 3-5% fat. That does not look like much when it's floating on top of a bottle, especially when you remember that it's pretty difficult to separate out ALL of the fat in the bottle.

[@llli*b.mccaskill]

He has gas and poops with grandma; however, I know its not her being over concerned because I have been there in the afternoons when he has experienced this. I also know its not her feeding him somehting else because all she has is my pumped milk. I do wonder if it is overfeeding! It would make sense. He does not eat that long on me and only off of one breats. I know babies are more effecient and can get more milk than you think out of your breast, but if his demand was for 5 oz out off one side I would be getting something close to that when I pump correct? I mean I'm waiting longer than the time he wold normally have to feed at work because of my schedule so I should have extra when I pump, right? Also, sometimes I can tell that he is not sucking and drinking on me, sometimes he is just sucking like he does a pacifier for comfort. If he is doing that on the bottle then he would be getting extra milk. I am definately going to see if a smaller amount will fix this problem. What is an average feeding amount for a baby this age?

Do you mean he has the gas and poops while with grandma, or when with you AFTER a day with grandma?

If the former, maybe grandmother is more concerend about gas and explosive poops than need be. If the former, I would wonder if maybe: baby is being overfed with the bottle (very very typical) and/or being fed something else than your milk. (Not as typical but it happens.)

5 ounces would be on the high side for a feeding at this age.

why not give grandmother suggestions for paced bottle feedign to slow the feedings down, and try more frequent feedigns of, say, 2-3 ounces at a time? See this for the current thinking on how a baby ‘should’ be bottle fed http://www.llli.org/docs/00000000000...astfedbaby.pdf

You may need a different bottle as well. I have heard (but do not have personal experience) that the tommy tippes have to be turned almost upside down for milk to come out. This would put baby more flat on back for feeding which is not usually comfortable for babies and may be contributing to this problem. (Yes I know that is how all the pictures of bottle feeding baby is on back) but baby should instead be more upright as described in above linked tip sheet.

And try not to worry! Gas and explosive pooop may be temporarily upsetting for all involved, but they do not in any way represent a health problem that requires intervention.

[@llli*mommal]

An average feeding is often just 2-4 oz.

I know it seems logical that if you make 5 oz per breast, then your baby must be eating 5 oz per breast, right? But he's probably not eating that much. Your baby is still really new- just 7 weeks!!!- and most moms overproduce milk during the newborn stage. You're having absolutely no trouble pumping sufficient milk and your baby currently requires just one breast per feeding, so I think you're still in overproduction mode. When baby nurses, he takes what he needs, leaving some milk in the breast. When you pump, you take all the milk in the breast. Does that make sense?

[@llli*b.mccaskill]

Makes perfect sense. That helps alot because I was stressing that with him drinking all 5 oz during each feeding that I am barely making enough. Hope this solves the gas issue and we'll be in business. Thanks.

[@llli*lllmeg]

Let us know how it goes.