Chronic congestion in BF baby

DS has been a noisy breather since birth. It's kind of always sounded like
he's got loose phlegm that he needs to cough up. Sometimes, it's sort of
like a rattle as he breathes. It gets worse at times and then seems to
disappear for a couple of days and then comes back. At his 4 month WBV, I
asked the doc about it and he said that big breastfed babies tend to have
that from drinking large amounts of milk quickly. He said it sticks to the
back of their throats and causes the congestion and that babies of Moms
who have stronger let down and lots of milk have it the most. Okay, so
that made sense. I have a strong let down and lots of milk and it seems
like a sensible answer. I hadn't really thought about it until a coworker
with a newer infant just asked me about her son having the same problem. I
did a quick Google search and I can't really find anything about chronic
congestion other than possible allergies. Did my doctor just make this up?
This one really seemed pretty BF knowledgeable - told me to wait on
solids, etc. - so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Manda

I just heard from a friend who is formula feeding that their baby who had a
persistant cough was diagnosed with reflux. Apparently, the formula was
coming back up and irritating her throat, and causing the cough.The baby
never really spit up the formula, like the more typical reflux.

Not saying your DS has reflux, just supplying a data point.

Suellen
wrote in message ...
DS has been a noisy breather since birth. It's kind of always sounded like
he's got loose phlegm that he needs to cough up. Sometimes, it's sort of
like a rattle as he breathes. It gets worse at times and then seems to
disappear for a couple of days and then comes back. At his 4 month WBV, I
asked the doc about it and he said that big breastfed babies tend to have
that from drinking large amounts of milk quickly. He said it sticks to the
back of their throats and causes the congestion and that babies of Moms
who have stronger let down and lots of milk have it the most. Okay, so
that made sense. I have a strong let down and lots of milk and it seems
like a sensible answer. I hadn't really thought about it until a coworker
with a newer infant just asked me about her son having the same problem. I
did a quick Google search and I can't really find anything about chronic
congestion other than possible allergies. Did my doctor just make this up?
This one really seemed pretty BF knowledgeable - told me to wait on
solids, etc. - so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Manda

In article , wrote:

DS has been a noisy breather since birth. It's kind of always sounded like
he's got loose phlegm that he needs to cough up. Sometimes, it's sort of
like a rattle as he breathes. It gets worse at times and then seems to
disappear for a couple of days and then comes back. At his 4 month WBV, I
asked the doc about it and he said that big breastfed babies tend to have
that from drinking large amounts of milk quickly.

Never heard that, but rattly breathing is fairly common in babies. If the
doctor doesn't think it's cause for alarm, it probably isn't.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing
creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one*
grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc

Chookie wrote:
In article , wrote:

DS has been a noisy breather since birth. It's kind of always sounded like
he's got loose phlegm that he needs to cough up. Sometimes, it's sort of
like a rattle as he breathes. It gets worse at times and then seems to
disappear for a couple of days and then comes back. At his 4 month WBV, I
asked the doc about it and he said that big breastfed babies tend to have
that from drinking large amounts of milk quickly.

Never heard that, but rattly breathing is fairly common in babies. If the
doctor doesn't think it's cause for alarm, it probably isn't.

Not particularly alarmed about. Just sort of wondering why. Thanks.

Manda

On 16 Jan 2004 14:45:44 -0600, wrote:

DS has been a noisy breather since birth. It's kind of always sounded like
he's got loose phlegm that he needs to cough up. Sometimes, it's sort of
like a rattle as he breathes. It gets worse at times and then seems to
disappear for a couple of days and then comes back. At his 4 month WBV, I
asked the doc about it and he said that big breastfed babies tend to have
that from drinking large amounts of milk quickly. He said it sticks to the
back of their throats and causes the congestion and that babies of Moms
who have stronger let down and lots of milk have it the most. Okay, so
that made sense. I have a strong let down and lots of milk and it seems
like a sensible answer. I hadn't really thought about it until a coworker
with a newer infant just asked me about her son having the same problem. I
did a quick Google search and I can't really find anything about chronic
congestion other than possible allergies. Did my doctor just make this up?
This one really seemed pretty BF knowledgeable - told me to wait on
solids, etc. - so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Well, whether he was making it up or not, it sounds just like
YoungBloke and me!
--
Linz
YB: 12 weeks, 14lbs 14oz

wrote in message ...
DS has been a noisy breather since birth. It's kind of always sounded like
he's got loose phlegm that he needs to cough up. Sometimes, it's sort of
like a rattle as he breathes. It gets worse at times and then seems to
disappear for a couple of days and then comes back. At his 4 month WBV, I
asked the doc about it and he said that big breastfed babies tend to have
that from drinking large amounts of milk quickly. He said it sticks to the
back of their throats and causes the congestion and that babies of Moms
who have stronger let down and lots of milk have it the most. Okay, so
that made sense. I have a strong let down and lots of milk and it seems
like a sensible answer. I hadn't really thought about it until a coworker
with a newer infant just asked me about her son having the same problem. I
did a quick Google search and I can't really find anything about chronic
congestion other than possible allergies. Did my doctor just make this up?
This one really seemed pretty BF knowledgeable - told me to wait on
solids, etc. - so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Manda

My son has had a similar problem since his first week. He has been
congested and a noisy breather, but the congestion is all up in his head.
It makes things difficult since he doesn't breathe through his mouth (but I
think that's the case for most if not all young infants). He is a larger
baby (10 lbs at birth, currently around 14 lbs at 10 wks)

All my doctor has said about it is that his sinuses are so small that any
mucus that is up in there causes more problems and is harder to get rid of
(or something to that effect). She prescribed decongestant drops at 4 weeks
as an experiment, but they didn't help any. We've been using saline drops
with some success a few times a day when he's stuffy. Like you, some days
its better or even disappears altogether and then reappears with no rhyme or
reason.

I've also worried about allergies since my husband has dust & plant
allergies, asthma, and several food allergies (I only have mild hayfever),
but my doctor reassured me that allergies supposedly don't show up until
children are toddlers. I think Ian has had at least one cold so far since
my husband and I have both been plagued with sinus infections since he was
born (we've both on our 2nd round of antibiotics since Ian was born 10 wks
ago). I can't be sure though because he hasn't run a fever yet. It's happy
to see Ian so healthy when my husband and I have been so sick (some days
we've barely felt able to take care of ourselves let alone him).

I can't say I have lots of milk since I'm trying to build up my supply in
order to stop formula supplementing, but I think I have developed a strong
letdown, just judging by how my milk comes out while pumping and since I've
had some problems with him pulling away. But unless he's inhaling the milk,
I doubt that's the problem for us, at least.

- Joanne
DS Ian, 11/6/03