3 Week Old , Spitting up Constantly Even an Hour After feeding...any Advice

I had the same problem with all my babies.
My youngest was diagnosed with a short esophogus (tube from throat to stomach) and milk allergy. When I drank milk or ate or drank any milk products it would make his spiiting up worse. So while I was breast feeding I could not have any milk products.... ice cream, cheese, milk. The doctor told me that this problem is more common than people realize. They could not use formula except the milk free formula's. The doctors were able to put him on a medication to speed up his digestion after he was fed. (regalan) The short espophogus is usually outgrown by the age of 6 months.
Try and see if what you are eating or drinking effects the baby. I noticed right away after the doctor asked me about milk products. As long as I avoided milk products the spitting up was much better. What you eat or drink while breast feeding does affect the baby.
It is normal for a baby to have a bowel movement (poop) after eating. Especially breast fed babies.
Good luck!

L.,
When my son was little he would spit up constantly. I tried adjusting my diet thinking that maybe I was eating something he didn't digest well. I found that dairy was the trick. Very hard for me, because I love cheese. It immediatly stopped his spiiting up. Every once in a while if I had a glass of milk or cheese he would spit up again iuntil it was out of my system. Hope that helps!

M.

The spitting up is completely ok and is something he will outgrow. It's because the little flap at the back of his throat that closes off the top of his airway is not strong enough to stay shut and keep food down, this happens to a lot of babies and eventually it does get strong enough.

Might I suggest the infant care class via Kaiser? You don't have to be a member and has lots of great information. I took it prior to the birth of both my daughters. I have an 'addiction' to parenting classes and it's really wonderful help address common issues and alleviate concerns.

Call this free advice line staffed by nurses.

(650) 498-KIDS ###-###-####)
(800 690-2282
Health and development advice from the Parent Information & Referral Center at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University.

Hi L.,

as an RN and Lactation Consultant I immediately think that your son may have reflux. This is very common in newborns. The valve at the top of the stomach is not well developed so they tend to have stomach contents come up instead of staying in and moving through.

If he is spitting up and not distressed by it then you have a laundry problem for the most part. Generally we advise keeping baby upright or mostly upright after feeds for at least 10-15 minutes though babies with reflux often need 20-30 minutes. If he is distressed and the normal comfort measures do not help then you may need to talk with his physicians about medication options. We try not to use meds as a first resort but sometimes they are necessary. Most grow out of this by 3-4 months of age. Some with more severe reflux have it last longer. Severe infant reflux is a risk factor for reflux later in life so remember when he is finally setting out on his own to discuss the issue. :)

If he is refluxing while nursing, or if he is gulping at the breast from a fast flow then modifying his nursing position so he is more upright may help. Often we use a modified "football" hold where the bottom goes down and he is sitting or semi-sitting at the breast.

Offering baby a clean finger to suck on can help him control the reflux as well. You will probably feel him suck aggressively in short bursts then stop sucking or just calmly comfort suck between. We do not usually recommend pacifiers in the first month of babies life though some families find them necessary if baby wants to suck 24/7.

Burping is not necessary if he is a quiet swallower and controlling flow well so that he is not swallowing much air. On the other hand if he has some burps still to come out that can be contributing to the spit up as a burp can carry milk with it. I usually recommend at least 2-3 minutes between latches and 5-10 minutes of active burping after a feed. More may be needed if you find that late wet burps are part of the problem.

Pooping during or soon after feeds is normal and healthy. The act of sucking and swallowing helps stimulate peristalsis (the smooth muscle action that pushes the bowel contents through). You will need to change the poopy diapers, though quickly if possible as laying flat on his back will not make your son happy if he has reflux. (You do still need to place him on his back if putting him down to sleep. The only exception to that guideline is when a physician tells you otherwise for a specific medical reason.) Pooping rhythms change as babies grow and develop. Right now he is doing what he should. :)

I hope this information helps. Feel free to contact me with more questions or concerns.

K. H.

My son has the same prolblem. He's now 5 months old and has been on baby zantac, for reflux which is just due to an immature esophagus, since he was about 6 weeks old. First of all I'd call the Dr to make sure your son isn't sick. The 1st time I called about my son having this problem they said for the amunt of times he threw up or spit up in one day and for his young age he needs to come in to see the Dr. They had him come in that day. for reflux my Dr advised to keep my son in an upright position for 45 minutes after he eats. That was hard in the middle of the night so I'd have him sleeping in the swing. Once he was too old for that I found a crib wedge to go under the sheet (Babies R Us). That'll keep his upper half elevated. I just recently was able to take the wedge out. With age babies outgrow the reflux but shouldn't be left untreated.
Call the Dr an make an appt is my main advice.

My daughter and grandson also spit up constantly - an hour even two after eating. The doctor said don't worry each time because both gained weight. They did outgrow it after a while. Back in those days, we put babies to sleep on their stomach so I didn't have to worry about them spitting up in their sleep but I've often wondered these days with the new advise that babies should sleep on their backs. I don't know what to tell you but maybe you could ask the pedi about your baby sleeping on his/her side as opposed to back?

Hi L.,

My son had this same problem with spitting up constatly and in huge quantities and he cried and screamed most of the day. It was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through in my life, but my husband and I both feel stronger for having made it through.

One thing that helped a lot was that my Lactation Consultant said I had an excess of milk and I needed to make sure he got to the "hind" milk, so instead of switching sides after 10 or 20 minutes, like they suggest to keep your supply up, I was told to use one breast exculsivley for 4 hours before switiching to the other. This helped with the spit-up as well as the screaming.

Another thng that helped my son was that I waited 2.5 hours between feedings. He was gaining weight at a healthy rate, so I felt ok with it. He had been consuming such a great deal of "fore" milk, it was like he was too full to keep it down.

The other "life saver" was the Dr. Harvey Karp video "Happiest Baby on the Block." His techniques for soothing your baby seem very odd at first, but when done all in combination, they can work wonders. Our son also slept in a very low swing for his first 6 months. This kept him elevated to keep the spit-up out of his throat, as well as keeping him moving which was very soothing for him.

Please be careful about the "buzz term" of "acid reflux." The only way to find out for sure if a baby has a serious issue with that problem is to do a long compicated test wich involves withholding food for 12 hours or more. I was not willing to put my son through that. A doctor told us it was refulx and prescribed a medication that immediatley made him ill. We found out later that she had accidently prescribed a double dose of the meds! Later, we tried a 2nd medication and it made no difference at all.

If you give your tiny, new baby medication, please make sure you have researched it first and are conviced that he actually needs it.

Good luck to you and hang in there, like most things as a parent, everything is temporary!

There is likely something that you are eating that is crossing over to him through your milk and he is intolerant of it. Dairy products are highly suspicious. Start yourself on a simple elimination program and keep a journal of what you eliminated and if he had any favorable response afterward.
By the way, I don't know about babies, but in many adults who are dairy sensitive they will get the poops while or almost immediately after ingesting dairy - depending on how sensitive they are to it. sensitivity to dairy can also cause pain and cramping in the belly.

Something in....something out... This is not uncommon. As far as the spitting up you might consider getting your baby checked by a chiropractor who regularly treats infants and children. I've had babies stop spitting up after 1 adjustment. Often times the birth process ( pulling the baby out and twisting it by it's head) can misalign vertebra and cause the body to not function at its best. If this is the reason, it is better to get to the cause of the problem and fix it for good.

It can also help with constipation, colic and bedwetting.

the pooping could be just that he's "making room" for the meal. the spitting up may be a milk allergy or reflux, but you would need to see your pediatrician to make sure.

My little one always pooped during feedling as though she was making room for the new stuff coming in. She also spit up quite a bit until I learned a better way to burp her. I got it from "Happiest Babies on the Block." You sit them up and have their arms over your arm leaning forward and patting their back. The compression of the stomach and sitting up helps get it out. It worked much better than putting her on my shoulder.

Does it smell like acidy (vomit) or just breastmilk? It could be number of things. I am not a nurse, I just have 3 kids. Who all spit up, at some point.

The first suggestion...
Don't lay the baby down flat after feeding. Keep him/her up right. Like maybe in a swing, or a vibrating chair.
Second...
Because of the instant pooping, I would cut dairy out of YOUR diet. Baby maybe be allergic to dairy. Which might be why its spitting up so much as well. Breast feed babies will poop a few times a day.. but every feeding is strange.
Third....if the spit up smells well.. pukey..kind of acidic, baby may have like a "reflux" problem. I have a friend who has a child with this, and if it doesn't go away you will have to give your child an acid reducer. so the stomach acid doesn't ruin potential teeth or eat up the asophogus.

If it bothers you... call your doc. they are used to new moms calling with questions. and its ok. more than likely its the only thing that will ease your mind.

good luck..

I'm not sure about the spitting up, but I can speak to the crying. Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp saved my sanity. My daughter was colicky but by using the "5 S" techniques from the book, I was able to quiet her down so quickly. I almost wanted her to cry so I could practice my magic.

Good luck!
C.

L. - I have a 9 week old that was doing the same thing. It's better now but it was really bad for the first month. I was really concerned because she'd spit up in her bassinet 1-2 hours after we fed her. My husband and I would jump out of bed SO fast because it sounded like she was choking!! It was really scary! My pediatrician said she probably had some 'reflux'. We waited a couple of weeks before putting her on medicine to see if it would correct itself and it did as she got older. She's still spitting up out her nose about once a week but it's not like it was for the first month. We tried to keep her more upright after feedings (the swing, bouncey seat). She'd still spit up, even out her nose, but it wasn't as bad and she wasn't laying down so she had less chance of choking. It's hard to do that at night, but sometimes we even had her sleep in the swing at night. Otherwise, we just jumped out of bed and had her sit up real quick. My pediatrician said it was highly unlikely she'd really choke (and have something bad happen), even though she was laying on her back. It made me feel a little better, but not much! The baby may grow out of it but I'd definitely call your pediatrician - they may want to prescribe a medication if it's too bad. Like I said - we opted to wait and I'm glad we did. She's doing much better. Good luck!

Breast fed babies poop a lot, even while feeding. You might try a different position for nursing, like the football hold - or any one that keeps him more upright. Keep him upright as long as possible after eating. Make sure you burp him after he nurses on each side - about every 5 minutes, especially if he is a marathon nurser.

Your crying spells or his? He may be crying due to the spitting up, causing him a tummy ache. Really monitor him and check with the doctor to rule out acid reflux. Also make sure your diet is really bland - sorry - no spicy, citrus, sometimes even dairy products can upset him. Caffeine is also a culprit that can effect him through your milk.

Good luck!

My daughter spit up a lot for the 1st 6 months and usuallt an hour after the feed. I think it is usually due to a gas build up. We gave her Mylicon a lot and that helped a lot with the gas and discomfort and we always tried to burp her until she burped.

L.,

The crying spells and spitting up after feeding do sound like reflux. The advice that the nurse gave you here is wonderful and reflects what our pediatrician told us after our son was diagnosed with reflux. My son spit up so much that I changed his clothes up to 12 times a day, maybe more. He also had a lot of crying spells. He was prescribed Zantac, and while it didn't get rid of the problem completely, it was of enormous help. Zantac is very safe and has been on the market for a very long time. There are also other medications available as well. My son was off of Zantac by six months, although I've heard of some babies being on it until one year old.

"Oh all babies cry..." Contrary to what you may hear from well-meaning family members or friends, a baby crying for prolonged periods is not "normal." The term "colic" should be thrown out the window, as we now know that in most cases the baby is crying because of reflux or a milk protein sensitivity. Check out www.askdrsears.com.

In dealing with voluminous spit-ups...go buy a couple dozen more burp cloths and have several with you at all times. When you go out bring a change of clothes for you as well as several for your baby. You'll have to do laundry frequently. Be prepared that as the baby gets older the spit-ups can become projectile. If you have carpet, you may have to replace it eventually...

Hope that helps.

Spitting up is pretty normal but if he seems uncomfortable, talk to his pediatrician about the possibility of reflux. Reflux is acid indigestion (just like adults get) and can make a baby very uncomfortable and unhappy.
My son had reflux and he was put on medication and it worked like a charm. It doesn't cure the reflux but lessens the symptoms and discomfort. He eventually grew out of it, which is very common as they mature.

Hey L.,
My son now, 10 months, spit up ALL the time until about 8 months of age. There didn't seem to be anything that would help. He too would spit up an hour or 2 after eating and it at times came out his nose. He luckily rarely seemed to be bothered by it. I went through dozens of burp cloths a day and changed his clothes all the time. We did not start him on any meds because he was still gaining weight and my opinion as well as our pediatricians was that with the continued weight gain he was not nutritionally compromised and meds side effects then outweighed the benefits. He did get breast milk only until about 5 months at which time he was supplemented with formula. I quickly found Enfamil AR which seemed to help greatly. This helped but did not totally fix the problem only age and some solid foods did the trick. We also put him to sleep on an incline pillow that I got at Target to prevent instant spit-up. Good Luck bibs, burp cloths, and the washing machine saved me.

Hi L.
Congratulations on your baby! I am a first time mom to a four month old girl who has always spit up a lot, even through the nose. Try keeping him upright for as long as possible after feedings, that helps a little. Also, I would burp her every 5 minutes or so and that seemed to help a little. I too was worried about my baby spitting up while she slept but our Dr. said not to. As for crying, I rec'd the video/book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" which had a lot of good advice.
Good luck!
n

Hi L.,

I just wanted to put in a little info...my second son would spit up a lot when he was a baby. We went through different changes (breast to formula, diff bottles, diff formulas) because we thought he was allergic, then acid reflux, etc. His 'spit up' turned into projectile vomiting so we took him into the ER at Children's Hospital. We found out he had Pyloric Stenosis and needed surgery. I know you don't mention any vomiting in your request, but I just wanted to give you a heads up just in case. It never hurts to talk to your pediatrician about this. I wish we had known about this before putting my son through weeks of 'figuring it out'. About the pooping, my son used to do this too. I think it's just something that happens when they are content and relaxed.

Good luck,
N.

Talk to your doctor about Reflux. Son had reflux and was hospitalized three times when an infant. Had him on meds till almost three years old. They grow out of it at some point. Hope this helps.

L.
sounds like hes getting a lot of milk from you
try not to let him eat so much just nurse him till your breast feels comfy and he can stop I know some times moms breast swells and it hurts and the only way to relive the pain is to nurse and pooping while eating is fine don't worry about that
Congrats and good luck
Danielle mother of 4

You really do need to burp him. It is very important to get the air bubbles out of his stomach so they don't push the milk out. Try different positions, lay him across your lap and massage his back, while holding him against your chest rub his back in an upward direction to help work the air out. Sometimes it can take 20 or 30 minutes, but it will stop him from spitting up all the milk that he drank. The air bubbles are going to make him hurt also so this could be what is causing the crying. Most babies poop while they eat, that is very normal. After you have made sure his stomach doesn't have air bubbles, wrap him up with his arms and hands snug against his body in a thin cotton baby blanket so he isn't flinging his arms around and he will sleep much better and won't cry nearly so much. They feel much more secure like this and you will have a happier baby. Good Luck

Hi L.,

Is he still spitting up. It sounds like something is not agreeing with him. He may be alergic to something you are eating or drinking. He also may be lacking enzymes to help him digest what he is getting from you.

I started my granddaughter on wholefood supplements since she was 2 weeks old. I used to put barley in her bottle when her mother pumped her breast milk.

If you want more info check out www.nikken.com/ninamarie

Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend.

N. Marie

Just a though but your baby could have reflux. Our baby had to be on medication at about 4 weeks because of that. Also, my nephew had pyloric stenosis (not sure about the spelling), but it sounds like what your baby is going through. Basically he had to have surgery to fix a valve with was not closing properly. He was great after that. It is more prevalent in boys but does happen with girls also. My baby who is now 5 1.2 months just stopped taking her Zantac and is great. Best of luck and don't be afraid to push your doc. for more tests if you are not happy with how they are responding. We just have to go on our instincts..after all we are the mommy.

Hi L.,

I have an almost 7 month old and we've dealt with the spit up issue since the day he was born. Our doctor explained that the little flap at the opening of the stomach is not strong enough yet to help keep milk down, and that many babies will outgrow the spitting up around 6-12 months. I know, that's a long time. My son is almost 7 months and we're just starting to see an improvement.

Our doctor did recommend that I feed him 15 minutes on each side (perhaps he was overeating), however, for us, that did not decrease the spit up and he stopped gaining weight. He has since been very, very low on the growth chart. He was also in pain when he spit up, so he was put on medication for acid refulx. Usually the doctors don't seem too concerned if the baby is not in pain and is following the growth curve, but I know how frustrating and worrisome it can be as a parent.

These are a few things you might try...
-Try propping his head up a bit when nursing so he isn't laying completely horizontal.
-Try burping him in a sitting up postion with one hand holding his chin and chest. A nurse suggested this postion to me, and sometimes it worked better than the over the shoulder position.
-Use a wedge in his bassinet so that he's sleeping on an incline (I was especially worried about the nighttime spit up).
-Some babies that spit up a lot have a milk and/or soy protein intolerance. Once I cut dairy out of my diet, my son's spit up decreased quite a bit.
-My son's spit up has improved the last few weeks. I'm not sure if it's just because he's past the 6 month mark or because of what we're doing. Since I went back to work and he's taking bottles (of breastmilk), we find that he rarely spits up after a bottle. I think he was overeating when nursing, so I've been "cutting him off" the breast. He's also eating more solids now (obviously this won't work for your son yet), I've been really good about keeping all dairy (even hidden dairy) out of my diet, (Dairy can stay in your milk for several days) and we started him on probiotics. He seems to have gained quite a bit of weight since the spit up has decreased.

I would also highly recommend taking a look at this website: www.infantreflux.org. There is a ton of information about dealing with reflux and there's a discussion forum (similar to this) where you can ask other moms for advice on dealing with reflux. I've asked a couple questions and got great responses.

I had a really, really hard time dealing with the spit-up. I was so worried and stressed out about it, especially since he's so tiny. (Dropped form the 15th to the 1st percentile). Definitely speak to your doctor and let them know your concerns. The spit up seems to improve with different babies at different times, but know that it will end!

A couple other good resources...for breastfeeding, check out www.kellymom.com and for newborn crying, read the book or watch the DVD The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Karp. Not only did my son have reflux, but he cried ALL DAY LONG. Dr. Karp saved my sanity...or most of it!

Feel free to contact me if you need more info. By the way...I grew up in Dublin! :)

Jennifer

hi L., my little one did the same thing. lots and lots of spitting up even hours after feeding (she was exclusively breastfed). my midwife really was not worried about it and as long as she put on wieght, did not think it was anything to worry about. ava (my kid) never seemed bothered by the spitup, so i tried to curb my anxiety about it and just prepared myself to change her and i pretty consistently throughout the day. she finally stopped spitting up around 4 months-5months. that said, i have had a close friend with a baby who had reflux. now this baby CRIED and was obviously in pain when she spit up...doc put her on some kind of mild antacid, but i hear there are other remedies..there is some kind of herb (i THINK it might be lavender and aniseed?!?!) possibly only for older kids though.

as far as the pooping thing while breastfeeding....TOTALLY normal. the suckling acutally triggers some kind of release for infants and initiates bowel movements!

oh, and one very valuable piece of advice i got regarding spit up and clothing changes: put a onesie on, then a dribble big, THEN another top over that!!! it really helps prevent the rash the spitup/drool can cause!

good luck with your very new little one..!!!

Hi L.,

My son did the same thing when I would feed him. He was constantly spitting up after I breastfed him and it was a lot. I spoke with my lactation consultant and told her that I was feeding him at least every 3 hours and waking him to feed him if he was sleeping. She told me that I was feeding him too much. She said that he could actually go 4-5 hours sometimes between feeding. I stopped waking him to feed and fed him when he gave me his hunger ques and the spit up stopped. His tummy was just too full. He also used to poop everytime that I fed him. Luckily this will eventually stop. Hang in there - you are doing a great job. Breastfeeding is tough and your hormones go through a lot, but it is all worth it. Please feel free to respond if you have any other breastfeeding questions. I'd be happy to share my knowledge. I'm a first time mom too and I know how wonderful and rough it can be. It is all worth it though as I know you will agree. Good luck!!

I too had a son that wouldspit up all the time. He ended up being diagnosed with acid reflux and needed medication. However, you could try burping him half way through a feeding. Sometimes that helps to release any bubbles the breastmilk/formula could be sitting on. If you are worried about him spitting up while sleeping, I recommend a incline wedge. My son would spit up ever time he was laid flat on his back. The wedge made a huge difference. But, if you are really concerned, I would recommend speaking with your Pediatrician.
As for pooping during feeding, my son would also poop while he was being breastfed. I don't think that is anything to be concerned of.

My daughter was doing the same thing. We mentioned this to our pediatrician at 6 weeks and turns out it is acid reflex. We've had her on medicine for 4 weeks and things are MUCH better.
Good luck.

Hi L.,
My first advice is to go see your pediatrician about the spiting up, your baby may have acid reflux. On the topic of pooping when feeding my son, who is now 11 weeks old used to do that a lot. I figured it was because his body would seem to relax while he was feeding. It finally stopped, although he still often wets his diaper while feeding. Also please note that if you are exclusivly breastfeeding your baby that around 8 weeks he may stop pooping regularly and even miss a few days of pooping. This is completely normal. I freaked out but my doctor and other moms said it happens and its ok.
Good luck.

Hi L., Spitting up an hour after feeding and through the nose? Hmm. Is he eating too fast or too much? Are you burping him during feeding? Does he get jostled around during or after feeding? Was he a premature baby? Does he have a sinsitive gag reflex? Are you eating something that causes him to react to your breastmilk ? Some questions to ponder. I would say that if he is not thriving and is on the small side you really need to go see his doctor or speak to a pedi advice nurse. Good Luck.

First, congratulations for breastfeeding! Newborns poop every time you feed them - perfectly normal! Some babies spit up, some don't...I would try lying your son on his side when sleeping if you are nervous. I have had quite a few babies in our practice that have responded really well to gentle chiropractic care. Check out what one mommy said on our yelp review page-its the second review-http://www.yelp.com/biz/R.-family-chiropractic-san-jose
I would be happy to help!
-J. R., D.C. www.rozenhartchiro.com ###-###-####

I had a little one that spit up also. She is now 5 years old...but at 2 weeks old, she spit up all the time...I was afraid she was getting NO nutrition. So my doctor put her on a belly medicine (sorry I can't remember the name, but it is very well known RX to stop projectile vomiting!) and the spitting up ended. She had to stay on the RX for about a year.
Good luck!PS...my sisters little on poops everytime she nurses him...and they say as long as he is gaining weight, don't worry!

L.,

I have to make this quick b/c my precious is screaming right now. Call your advise nurse or doctor. Your baby might have GERD. I think if a red light goes on in your head, it is good enough reason to call an advise nurse. Better safe, right? Re; pooping & eating: totally normal. Babies are pooping machines.

Have you spoken to to your doctor about your concerns? Is your baby fussy and crying alot? I ask because my 2nd daughter had reflux really bad as an infant, which ended up being the cause of her excessive spit ups and colic like behavior. I don't mean to scare you, but when she was just a few weeks old she had a few episodes where she stopped breathing after I had laid her down after breastfeeding. I would speak to your doctor to rule out reflux (there are medicines for it), and make sure to keep your baby inclined after feeding for a little bit. I know having a new baby can be stressful, and learning who your baby is and what works for him can make you anxious, but some of the best advice I got(although it was hard for me to take) was to really try and relax. Trust yourself. It takes time.

As for the pooping, I think that is pretty normal. Both my babies pooped during feeding.

If he is gaining weight let your concern lessen. I had one that would full on projectile. It was crazy, but he was gaining a ton of weight. With the crying, try to keep yourself and your husband calm. Just talk to your baby and sing and let him know everything is ok. If he had an exceptionaly difficult birth or c section I highly recomend a chiropractor or chranio sacro theripist. I have seen both work wonders.

That sounds like pretty severe reflux. Please be sure to consult his pediatrician. I'm not sure if there are other gastro-instestinal issues that cause the same type of thing. My son had pretty severe reflux that would sometimes happen up to an hour after feeding him, though it never came out of his nose. I agtee with the poster who suggested giving a litte less breastmilk at each feeding. Also, and I apologize for sounding like an alarmist, make sure to familiarize yourself, your husband, and any/all caregivers with the procedure for helping a choking infant. I actually kept a printout in our kitchen. My son spat up once while I was holding him upright a half-hour after feeding, and some of his spit-up went into his airway (called aspirating when this happens, I believe). He wasn't breathing or even coughing. Luckily, I had seen the hospital video on infant CPR and choking about a bazillion times (son was born early, and during nursing shift changes at the NICU I was often in the room where parents taking babies home watched the video first), and I followed the procedures for helping a choking child less than 1 year old. I also called the paramedics, but by the time they arrived I had gotten him to cough up the spit-up. This sitution only happened once, but I was so thankful that I knew what to do. You will probably never need to actually use the procedure, but please familiarize yourself (and others) with it, just in case. We also had our son sleep (at night and for naps) strapped into his infant seat (and placed on his floor) to keep him more upright. He seemed more comfortable, and I was far less worried about his spitting up and aspirating.
K.

L.,

The pooping when feeding is normal. Mine always did this. His digestion system is learning how to work.

As far as the spitting up goes, I would do try 2 things. One feed less more often. Maybe he's eating too much and his little tummy can't take all that in. So try feeding for less time, more often during the day. Keep him upright after feedings and always try and burp.

The other thing I would do if this doesn't help is to take him to his pedi because he could have GERD which is gastro esphageal reflux disease. Just means the sphincter at the end of his esphagus doesn't completely close which could just be his whole digestion system is still learning to work and they can put him on liquid pepcid or another med for
GERD.

Any more questions let me know
T.

Might be concerned about the spit up out his nose... some others might have something to say as regards reflux. As for pooping while feeding, my first did that all the time, not something to worry about. I think for some babies, eating triggers the pooping to clear the way for more food. Also, my 2mo old tends to spit up more when she needs to poop - for example will spit up prior to a poopy diaper regardless of how long since shen ate. Good luck with your new little one... I would recommend finding a playgroup with other moms of new babies. You'll find that a lot of people are going thru the same problems at the same time, and while it may not "fix" the problems, it is always nice to know that some things are normal developmental things and get other mom's solutions - even if you don't use them.

My son is 7 weeks old and he spits up constantly, sometimes even projectile...but according to my doctor he's fine. Babies spit up, some a lot others not as much. As far as pooping while breastfeeding, I've read in several places that that is normal. I'm not sure why they do it, they just do I guess. Congrats, and yes it gets easier and they do start sleeping a little longer each week as they get older!

Hi L.,
This is VERY normal, please don't be concerned. It is a natural response, since newborns don't know when their stomachs are full they tend to over-eat a little. Gas is also a culprit, again totally normal.
I know how scary everything can be being a new mom, just try and relax and know that you are giving your baby an amazing gift when breastfeeding. Keep it up!!
Love,
V.
Mother of 2 and 1 on the way:)

Hi L.. I'm a mom of 6 kids, 5 of which had reflux so I've BTDT. First of all, talk with your pediatrician and then I would also talk with a lactation specialist. La Leche League would be wonderful. All of my kids were bottle fed so we had the ability to reduce their feeds a little easier since we knew exactly how much they were getting. One of my little ones could only take a teaspoon every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day. Oh boy was that tiring!

There is a medicine your doctor can prescribe called Reglan. This helps with tightening the top part of the stomach so it decreases how much they throw up. My almost 4 y.o. is still on it. Someone mentioned Zantac and it works well and so does Prevacid. Find out from your doctor which would be better and how much to give.

On a good note, most kids out grow reflux about the time they start walking. So you have about a year of this is all which sounds like a long time now, but in the grand scheme of things it is a short time in your little one's life.

It could be something as simple as what you are eating. Have you tried giving the baby formula? My friends kids are lactose intolerant and she had to give him a special soy formula. I think its normal for babies to spit up, but if you are still concerned, maybe you should ask your pediatrician.

Hello

My suggestion is to discuss your concerns with your pediatrician or a breast feeding consultant. I am breastfeeding my son also. My son did the same thing and the nurse at our pediatricians office said that sometimes they get air bubbles in their tummy. Also she said that if my milk is spraying out of my breast I need to first squeeze some of the milk out and then begin to breastfeed. She said that this could cause air bubbles in my son's tummy because he is not working for the milk....instead he is letting it spray in his mouth.

As for the crying spells I always sing or put soothing lullaby music on the cd player. Routines are also important. When are the crying spells happening?

Best if luck!

Hi L., I'm going through my own hell with 4 week old, crying all night! I posted for help here and found the answers I was looking for. I can tell you that the lactation consultant told me that everytime something goes in, something should come out. Farting an pooping all through feeding was pretty amusing to us!That will slow down in the 4th and 5th week when their digestion system matures. Mine never spit up, but is he latching on correctly? Mine was only using the nipple for the first 2 days and was getting too much air. Just a thought. I never knew there was a correct way to suck the boobie! Good luck and know that by asking for help shows that you are already a great mother who wants the best for her baby......

It is very normal for them to pee and poop while eating. (Their poop will be looser with breastfeeding than with a formula.) It will get less and less as they get older and will happen after they eat. Many poops a day are good.

As far as spitting up after eating, it is expected that they do spit up a larger amount when they've eaten something that upsets their tummy and it can and is best corrected if possible. (Although, spitting up a little is very ok.) What upsets their tummy is usually coming directly from what you eat. So keep up with what you eat and start eliminating things to see what is upsetting him. The first thing to eliminate is what has already been researched and found in many books such as: What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff and Your Baby's First Year by Steven P. Shelov. Both these list these foods as possible reasons why your baby is spitting up (their stomaches are still sensitive to them (or have an allergy) and their sphincter is still immature): caffeine (including cokes, chocolate, cocoa, teas); cabbage; onions; garlic; broccoli; turnips; cow's milk and other dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, ice cream , and cottage cheese; (pg 121 and 122 of Your Baby's First Years.)

Hope this helps. I recommend you find a book on a baby's first year in life. It really helps on many issues. They have helped me to see many possible reasons for this or that problem and figure out what is going on. Ask your doctor too.

blessings,

K.

You can sit your baby upright for nursing and burp during the feeding not just after. This will help too. Also, offer a pacifier (if you want this)--the sucking helps with the reflux.

Breastmilk stimulates the digestive system so it is very common (almost like clockwork for awhile) for your baby to have a bowel movement when you nurse. Find the humor in it..they can be pretty loud for awhile. As for the spitting up, doctors worry about reflux if your child isn't gaining weight and the spit-up seems painful. If it is painful they cry and often arch their head back. My daughter was a frequent "spitter" for months. If it isn't causing discomfort and they are gaining weight then it is just a laundry issue I'm afraid. We had to have a bib on my daughter at all times. Try to keep your son upright after feedings for about an hour. You can't always prevent it though...The car seat doesn't really work because when the slough down it compresses the stomach. My daughter would spit up at tummy time and frequently after feedings.

Don't be concerned if you can't always get a burp after nursing. Try but if he isn't uncomfortable he may not have gas. When they breastfeed they get a very good vacuum around the breast and generally swallow less air (if any) compared to when they are on a bottle. Again, try to burb (they sometimes just like to patting of the back for soothing anyway) but know the "urgency" may people convey about burping comes from the increase in formula fed babies and the amount of air they swallow from a bottle. You will "work" more for a burb when you introduce a bottle in the next couple weeks. If your son is latching well you want to offer a bottle soon a couple of times so that he will take one later when you need him to use a bottle instead of nursing (have your husband offer the bottle with you out of the room...you can pump during that feeding...).
Sorry about the spit up. Just remember spit up cloths and lots of bibs. My daughter was a spit up kid from about 3 wks to 6 mths. As their body mutures they grow out of it...just watch for discomfort to rule out reflux problems. It can look like a lot of fluid I know, as long as they are gaining weight don't worry about the volume. And don't worry if he is vomiting, the first time he vomits you will know the difference. You see the abdomen working. That was also my concern...

If he hasn't yet I wouldn't worry about him spitting up at night. My daught never spit up in her sleep. I also found she didn't spit-up when I fed her on my side in bed. This can take a few tries to find the side position that works for you and gets much easier as they get better control of their head.

Congrats on your son and enjoy him when he is little!

L.-
My son was a spitter too, even hours after eating (both the bottle and breast. I got used to it and always had a spit up towel handy, he eventually outgrew it.

As for the pooping/eating deal, its normal, especially when breast feeding. Some kids just gotta fill and empty at the same time.

M.

Drink babies magic tea and also give your baby as it is natural and safe for newborns. He'll stop doing such things.