Hello, I am really hoping someone can help me and offer advice, I want to give all the facts/background so apologies if a little long.
My DD is 5 month old and is exclusively breastfed, she has gone from sleeping through very early on to waking up to 6 times a night with terrible bottom wind and a rumbling tummy as soon as I feed - this started at 3 months.
Apart from the usual problems of sore nipples and learning to bf things seemed ok although she was often fussy at going on the breast and would moan whilst feeding for the first few minutes before settling. She was 8lb 9 at birth and has continued above the 75th percentile with her weight gain, so she's quite a big baby.
She wasfeeding every 2 tp 2.5 hours in the day and naturally cluster feeding in the evening, by 6 weeks she was sleeping through 7-9 hours a night and I was obviously very happy! this continued for 2 weeks until she got back to back colds.
With the cold she started what seemed to be a nursing strike, screaming, punching my breast - even though her nose was not particularly blocked up. We persevered with feeding standing up etc and I had to change her nursing position from rugby ball to more tradional across me. I think part of the reason was that she was naturally moving to longer between feeds and I was confusing her signals and trying to feed to frequently. We got over the worst but even now 3 months on she is still somewhat fussy at going on even when hungry.
I seem to have heaps of milk (breast went from 36F to 36K ) and there is no question of her emptying a breast.. I only ever feed from one side during a feed. Feeds look like this...
She sometimes refuses to go on and I have to stand up or use a dummy to get her into it then offer breast. She feeds ferociously for 5-8 mins and gulps alot, (if she comes off at the start my milk sprays all over, but only right at the start) She comes off with wind, I burp her and she refuses any more, but will want to feed again within 2.5 to 3 hours, which seems frequent for 5 months. although can go for 6-8 hours if she feeds at 4am she may not take any more until 12 noon.
In the evening before bed she can feed for up to an hour, if I try to wind her mid feed she screams for food... by the end she's asleep and won't wind.
I have tried drops, cutting out caffiene and dairy and various veg, bicycling her legs, infant gaviscon....
Her nappies are NOT green however, they are orange and once every 2-3 days so I ruled out a foremilk problem.
Any advice? she often has pain and cries hard until I can cycle her legs and rub her tummy enough to expell it. Last night she woke every 1 to 2 hours with bottom wind and her tummy rumbled away