I have a pretty fussy 6 week old and I want to make sure I am doing whatever I can if she is uncomfortable. I am breastfeeding and she is spitting up a lot. She is in the 50th percentile for weight so she seems to be getting enough and she has lots of poops and pees. Just trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong that seems to be making her so unhappy most of the time. I cut dairy out of my diet and am eating pretty bland things but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Any advice?????
My son was diagnosed with GERD at 2 or 3 days of age. I'd see if you can find out if that is the problem. Hope you find a solution that works!
While I think nursing is such an amazing experience, my daughter was allergic to my milk. You may want to have the doctor look into that. I know it's becoming more and more common these days because of all the processing our foods have. Good luck though! Fussy babies can really get the best of us!
Has your pediatrician talked about the idea of reflux. My first baby was like this-spitting up a lot and always fussy. At 2 months, we put him on some reflux medication and he was much better.
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Many babies are just frequent spitters. As long as they are gaining well, they are fine. Do you nurse on both sides per feeding? If so you could try nursing on one side per feeding, putting baby back on the same side after burping. This will cut back on the fast letdown she may be getting from each side. Also nursing in a recliner or keeping babies head above the breast can help gravity to reduce the streght of the flow. Also giving a baby that age formula or rice cereal is not recomended by the AAP as is can lead to allergies and leave them more susceptible to illness. Also, cereal in a bottle is a choking hazard. As long as she seems content and is gaining well it is probably just a matter of her getting used to a fast letdown.
J. --
I'm a pediatric Occupational Therapist and have some knowledge on a variety of feeding issues. First of all, is your little one latched on good with little to no leakage? If you have leakage or she's not on "tight", you may need to look at a breast shield. 2ndly, how is her suck, swallow, breath pattern (aka SSB)? Is she taking quick shallow sucks (which cause increased air in her belly) or long nutritive sucks? She needs to be taking long drawn out sucks to be the most nutricious. 3rdly would be positioning while feeding. You might try sitting her so that her mouth is 90 degrees or perpendicular to your breast. This will also help decrease the air in her belly AND help her improve her SSB.
If these suggestions don't help...I would suggest trying the La Leche support group...you can google them and find out the time/place of the local group.
Hope this helps!
Don't despair over which percentile your little one is in. My daughter was in the 10th percentile for the first 6 months of her life and never made it above the 20th. She was exclusively breastfed, & is now a healthy, average sized kid. I kind of wish doctors didn't push the percentile thing, i remember it making me feel like i was doing something wrong with her's being so low. But the truth is (in my opinion) that all babies, like people, are different sizes. 50th percentile is pretty good I think!
As far as the spitting up goes, I would reccomend calling or looking online at La Leche League or talking to your doc. AND don't give up Breastfeeding!!!! :) good luck
I nursed my second child the longest and he was such a little pig that he would over eat. Especially when he was getting ready for a growth spurt. This often caused him to spit up the excess.
I'm not sure if cutting out the dairy will help, because you both need the vitamin D and Calcium. If you aren't taking a replacement supplement I would talk to your pediatrician or maybe a local la leche league representative could provide you with some good advice.
Don't be hard on yourself, I don't think you're doing anything wrong. You're being concerned, like a good mom should be. I think you should ask your pediatrician if you haven't already. Maybe reflux? Maybe colic? If it's colic, she'll just have to grow out of it. It is normal for babies to spit up often at that age... but if she seems uncomfortable and unhappy when it happens then it's probably something other than just spitting up.
How often u nurse her? How long you nursing at each time? Does she seem content and full after her nursings. You can always try giving her water in between feedings. You can always supplement with formula if you choose. Mixing the formula with breastmilk. You can give her a little rice cereal mixed with breastmilk but make it a little thick but somewhat watery.
