7 week old, gassy, OALD, clicking, etc

[@llli*faithjoy]

Hello!
I am new to the forum and have a 7 week old beautiful daughter, at first breastfeeding was going well(first 2 weeks) and at week 3 she started making a clicking noise while nursing. She would also pull off and milk would spray her in the face, so I would let it run into the nursing pad I had on, then latch her back on and she would still click. Her diapers still were yellow/seedy but she started to get terrible gas, very painful, we would bicyle her legs and she would pass gas, VERY loud and she would cry the whole time. I am thinking she was sucking air and the letdown was too forceful, getting too much foremilk and causing it to ferment and have gas, etc. To this day at 7 weeks she still clicks, pulls off, sucks air, has gas, her diapers are yellow but she has occasional frothy diaper, mucus diaper. So then because of the mucus I thought it could be dairy intolerance, so I am going to try that. I have tried reclining and she clicks, laying down sideways is her favorite position and she does best that way(no many clicks). She is gaining weight well, she was 9 lbs 5 oz at birth and now weighs 13 lbs at 7 weeks. I just want the painful gas GONE, so sad to watch and she is kinda fussy..you can hear her stomach churning inside. She seems to have spit up after every fed, not much, but then there has been some times of projectile. I burp after every feed as well. I am just getting tired and frustrated, oh and I have also block fed and still do this with not much avail to the letdown....
My midwife suggested infant probiotic...anyone tried this? I have for 2 days and she still had gas.
Thanks for any replies.

[@llli*mommal]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new baby!

I think the first thing to accept is that babies are gassy, fussy, spitty creatures even at the best of times. It makes sense when you realize that until just a few weeks ago they never had to use their digestive systems at all. Every toot, every poop, every burp, every gurgle- that's all new to them and a lot of babies just. don't. like. it! So while oversupply and fast letdowns are likely to make gas and spit-ups worse, it's not like your baby is in an uniquely miserable situation. Lots of other babies- even ones whose moms have average supply and slow letdowns- are in the same boat. And the lovely thing is that your baby is gaining weight so nicely- that means that nursing is going right on the most basic level.

Some questions for you:
- Are you still frequently feeling full or engorged?
- Still seeing milk spray when baby pulls off the breast?
- Are you pumping at all?
- Are you currently block feeding, and if so, how long are your blocks?
- Does the fussiness/gassiness seem to intensify at any particular time of day, perhaps in the evenings?

[@llli*faithjoy]

Thanks for your reply :-)
I know all babies can be fussy/gassy, with my firstborn she was very fussy and some gas, but not as bas as my second one(the one I am currently talking about). Maybe it is normal and I am just paranoid, lol, I tend to be that way when it comes to my children and just not wanting them in pain!

As for the questions:
-I will feel full(but not engorged) after 1 1/2 hours goes by and she hasn't nursed. Also I will have letdowns when she isn't nursing several times a day. My letdown comes quickly, sometimes all she has to do is put her mouth on the nipple and it lets down.

-Yes, milk will still spray when she pulls off at this point.

-I have pumped since her birth maybe 10 times to relieve engorgement in the beginning and to give to my 3 year old in a sippy cup(she isn't still nursing, she quite at 2 but I give her some in a sippy mixed with cow milk for immunity boost).

-Yes I am block feeding, 4 hours between

-The gassiness is worst in the evening, before bed and during the night.

[@llli*mommal]

Sorry if i came across as patronizing. For some reason I thought you must be a first-time mom, and a lot of FTMs seem to get really freaked out by normal infant fussiness/gassiness.

Anyway, since it sounds like you still have a considerable degree of high supply, that is probably exacerbating whatever fussy/gassy tendencies your LO has. It sounds like you're managing it the right way- you're block feeding and mostly avoiding the pump (pumping can worsen oversupply). In your shoes, I would be pretty strict about avoiding the pump for now and I would feed in the side-lying position as much as possible, since that seems to be the position that works best for you right now.

Fussy evenings (a.k.a "the witching hour(s)" or "evenings-only colic") are really common in babies this age. Even non-colicky babies tend to be most fussy around this point. Some tricks which can help lessen evening fussathons:
- Nurse, nurse, nurse, and nurse some more (if baby is willing)
- Cuddle baby close in a sling
- White noise (radio static, dryer sounds, the sound of your breathing or heartbeat, etc.)
- Calm house (lights, TV, and stereo turned down, or preferably off)
- Motion (swing, bounce on exercise ball, stroller ride, rock in rocking chair, etc.)
- Trip outside- fresh air and a change of scene are great distraction tools
- Warm bath- this is especially good for babies who might be having trouble passing gas or pooping, since warm water is a natural muscle relaxer and that can make it easier for baby to "let go"

Are you keeping baby upright after feedings? If one component of the fussiness is that she doesn't like the sensation of spitting up and the stomach acid burn that can accompany it, keeping her upright in a swing, carseat, or sling, and elevating the head of her mattress at night might all be helpful. Gravity is great for helping tummy contents stay down where they belong.

[@llli*babybean31913]

Mine has also had similar problems, she is 9 weeks today. We have some really great days with her and some pretty bad ones still. I do not have milk that sprays when she lets go and she doesn't do the clicking but she spits up sometimes a ton after certain meals and even cries about it a lot and has painful gas. she gets gas drops throughout the day that usually help a great deal along with a tummy massage I learned about. I guess we both get the same info, though we feel bad for them they are gaining weight and overall healthy so not much we can do but our best to comfort them through it. I have also tried all techniques for feeding, sitting after eating, tons of options for calming with sounds and walking and creams and massage etc etc. I have also been recommended to go to a doctor who specializes in osteopathe for babies and have heard a lot of good things about that. That is my next step and if that does nothing to help I guess I will be among the ones who are just trying to wait it out till she settles into her body and digestive system better.

[@llli*faithjoy]

Lol mommal no you didn't come off that way. It is ok!! Thanks for the tips, and no haven't been keeping her upright after feedings(I guess with a 3 year old around too I rush a lot and lay baby down after a fed to get 3 year old what she needs). I need to put her down in a bouncey seat or reclining position if going to sit her down after a fed. Good idea and thinking!

babybean I feel the same, just get through it and hope they outgrow the excessive gassiness/spit ups. What's the tummy massage you learned?

[@llli*babybean31913]

Hey, basically you run your hands down the stomach firmly from shoulder to belly using the palm of your hands (rotating hands), then bicycle the legs and bend them up (knees bent) towards the tummy, and lastly you use you fingers and firmly circle clockwise around the belly button. You can do this as long as the baby is farting along or enjoying it. I try to do this multiple times throughout the day (not after she eats though). You can use creams or oil as well if you like. We are going in an hour to the osteopath doctor.

[@llli*motherofsix]

My baby was so gassy for first 10 weeks it nearly drove me mad.screaming when trying to latch ,pulling off the breast all the time during feelings, burping, hiccuping ect the only thing that calmed her down was a bottle of formula.BUT I kept feeding her as often as I could and now at 15 weeks she is completely breastfeed so you can push through this time. I kept offering her the breast all the time and gradually gave her less bottles till she had none at all. You need to sit her upright and burp her during feeds as soon as she starts moaning or kicking the legs. I had to stop the feed 3 or 4 times to get burps up but it really worked. Also I would lie her on the bed and move her legs up and down and also rub her stomach and this seemed to help her.by 12 weeks you will notice a differenc that her guts will settle down I found just warm boiled water in a bottle soothed her as well. Keep goin it does get better.