Help! Feeding problems!

Ok my son is 5wks and I am having trouble feeding him. He seems to loose suction and i hear lots of gurggleing and clicking. In addition he seems to cough while feeding or burping and get the hiccups and gas often. I was using a bottle with a nipple more like a breast but I just got the soothie nipples and he is doing the same thing. He uses his soothie pacifiers all the time. I tried to breast feed but it was so hard I quit after a week. I am beginning to think he has a problem eating right. Does anyone know nething about this?

Have you contacted your son's pediatrician about his feeding issues?

There are several types of bottles out there and sometimes you have to go through a few to find the one that works perfectly for your baby.

Is the hole in the nipple too small or large?  He could either not be receiving enough milk or receiving too much at once. 

Ultimately, contact your child's pediatrician and make an appointment if possible.  He could have some digestive issues or acid reflux that could be preventing him from eating properly. 

Our son had acid reflux as a baby and had similar issues as your son and couldn't keep any formula down.  We had to switch from an average formula to an hypoallergenic formula.  We also had the choice between giving him a prescription or giving him a small amount of Mylanta before each feeding to help keep the formula down and not get sick afterwards.  We chose the latter and it worked rather well.

I would contact your son's doctor first.  There are some children that need help learning how to eat.  I believe it is called Feeding Therapy.  Usually a trained speech therapist will perform the therapy.  I had some concerns with my son, but when we went to the gastro doctor, it was reflux.  The biggest question, is he gaining weight?  If not, then you need to find some help for your little one.  If you need more info, lmk, and I can call my friend to find out specific info as to where you find this kind of help in your area.  hth

My baby when I went from breast feeding to formula had some problems also. Even after we switched him to soy formula he still wasn't getting enough formula in him because he kept puking it up. Finally we switched doctors and he told me to switch him to Good Start soy formula and that solved almost all of the feeding problems. To help when my baby had lots of gas on his stomach I gave him some Mlycon (I think that's what it's called) about 2 times a day until about 5 months ( after starting solid food) and that helped make his gas pass easier.

When I switched my daughter from breast to formula, she ended up going to the hospital twice because while she was on Similac, it jammed up her digestive system to the point that it showed up on an x-ray. The doctor told me that sometimes it could just mean that you need to delute the formula a little more than what the instructions on the can tell you too. Mylacon drops work really well with gas/fussiness, too.

I am a speech pathologist and a mother of two, and while I did not deal with feeding problems professionally, we did learn some things about them in our schooling.  I would definitely talk to your pediatrician about this, someone who can actually see what is happening.  It sounds like it may just be the nipple letting too much formula into his mouth - I had that problem when I used the same nipples with my second as I did with the first.  And a newborn isn't a pro at eating yet, they do sometimes lose suction, or swallow wrong and have to cough.  The clicks are just probably his tongue hitting the top of his mouth as he swallows.  You want the nipple to have a tiny little hole, not a slit, and when you turn it upside down, you want it to drip, not stream.  If you have a baby store nearby, the sales clerks will probably be able to point you toward a newborn type nipple.  The hiccups and gas may just be caused by his efforts to gulp down so much formula.   Be sure that he is sitting up a little when you feed him.

And don't panic.  He is probably getting enough to eat and gaining weight, or your pediatrician would have said something during your first visits.  Call the pediatrician's office today, ask if you can get an appointment tomorrow around his feeding time, and have her watch him eat.  If she is concerned, she can refer you to a feeding specialist.  Probably, though, she will have some suggestions for you, and be able to reassure you that there is nothing wrong.  In two months, you'll watch your chubby three-month old down a bottle in no time and you won't hardly remember how hard it was for him at first.

Please feel free to send me a message if you have any other questions.  It is hard for a new parent not to panic.

HI, my son is 18 months old now. But for the first year we had feeding issues. He had acid reflux and also would gulp his bottles. One thing I found that helped with gulping was even at such a small age to add cereal. I would talk to your pediatrician about it and ask if colic could be a reason for so much gas. We had to also put my son on a lactose free milk based formula. We tried many different ones. I would start with contacting the doctor and asking about different reasons your kid might be doing these things. Discuss formula, colic, and other feeding issues.

Your son sounds like mine when he was just born (he's 1 now).  He had a problem latching on, he would feed for 10 minutes at a time and then fall asleep.  Having to feed him 2-3 times in an hour.  Acid reflux, you name it.  My daughter was nothing like that.

I consulted a lactation consultant and she quelled my fears there and helped me remember the techniques for feeding

Reflux:  take a look at what your eating.  That will cause reflux, diarhea, you name it.  Your diet at this time is his diet.  Also, you can try gas drops, or gripe water.  I like the latter personally.  He might be too small as of yet, so check the box for dose instructions.

Also, I hate to say this, but keep him away from the pacifier as much as possible.  I love them, but right now at 5wks he needs to learn about the breast.

My son also had a hard time adjusting to formula.  All the major brand were too harsh even the soy forumla.  He had to go on Nutramigen, which is very expensive and specially formulated for little ones.  Keep trying the breast or do both breast and bottle for as long as possible.  Its not easy but in the long run and they never tell us how hard it is, but just try a little longer, he's small.

As my son got bigger I did get a little fustrated and moved from breast to pumped milk.  That make him happier and he got huge.  I was pumping 3 times a day and also nursing him a couple of times a day, but it worked.  You just have to find your Rhythm with him.

Its alot of work, but its all worth it.  If you still have problems and he's not gaining enough, or fussy, or just not himself you should consult your ped.  Always keep the ped informed of what you do so that your both on the same page, but remember he/she is there only as a guide.  Go with your gut but remember there is plenty of information to help you make informative decisions.

PS...also look for milk enhancing foods.  You can find it online.  I also saw another person post some links on a different topic.  If I find it I will email it to you or post it here.

Good Luck

Sianoah

You know I feel stupid now.  The original post was dated in 2008.  So much for my advice, DUH!