Spit up Crazy!

Both my kids spit up quite a bit. With my daughter (now 8), she was gaining weight fine so we didn't do anything and she eventually out grew it. It seemed to help to hold her in an up right position for 20-30 minutes after she ate. With my son (now 5), the spitting up was more extreme and his weight gain slowed down at about 6 months. We had him tested and he had bad reflux. With some medicine, the problem was solved. And he only took the medicine for about 6 months or so. Hope this helps!
M.

The same thing happened to me and my son...he eventually grew out of it! The Pedi suggested not to let him continue to lie down after being breastfed, and to sit him up, or lie him on my chest up-right for a while until the milk was settled in his tummy...this seemed to help a lot!

As long as she's putting on weight, I don't think you have anything to worry about-- except all that extra laundry. My son was the same way when he was an infant, but he was quite healthy. One of the last times he spit up, he was about 5 or 6 months old. I had just told his grandma that he hardly ever spit up anymore, and handed him to her, whereupon he spat up on the fancy silk dress she was wearing to attend my cousin's wedding. We got through that too!

I know exactly what you are going through. During my stay in the hospital after my son was born, I noticed that when he ate he spit up alot. My son is tongue tied so he could not breast feed. The nurses had me switch him from milk based formula to soy based thinking it was a milk allergy. It didn't make a difference. When he started on cereal it helped some. When he started eating jar food, he'd spit up his food. I think he finally stopped spitting up around 7 or 8 months.

I asked his doctor at appointments - I was told to not move him around after he ate. To keep him sitting up more than lying down. None of that helped.

Hopefully your doctor gives you better advice.

I know this wasn't much help to you but, I just wanted to know that I went through the same thing.

J.,
My advice to you is to only offer 1 breast more frequently at one time. If you are offering both breasts, it may be more milk than her little tummy can handle and she has not realized yet when to stop. Instead of giving both breasts every 4 hours or so, offer 1 breast every 2 hours and see if this does help. You might just be making a ton of milk. I am a mother of 4, all nursed. I have 9 year old twins and nursed until 4 months, 6 year old nursed until 1, and a 1 year old nursed until 1 and I made so much milk also that I only offered 1 breast at a time and after they were done, pumped the other breast and froze that milk for when I went away from the home.
Hope this helps T.

Hi J.. I have 6 kids, five of which puked constantly. In fact when the last one came along (they are all adopted), my daughter and I wnet shopping for things for him. I told her to get burp rags and she picked up receiving blankets because that was what we had always used with all the kids! Keeping her in an upright position right after a feeding may help.

Many times what is going on is that the muscles over their tummies just aren't strong enough to keep everything down. As they grow and their muscles get stronger, then the problem resolves itself. Your pediatrician will probably tell you it will go away about the time she learns to walk. By that time they have developed enough core muscles to control it. In the meantime, plan on doing a lot of laundry and always pack a couple of extra outfits for outings. Oh, and as she gets older, don't lift her over your head! LOL

L.

Hi J.,

My daughter Charlotte (now 14 months)spit up until she was almost 8mos old. I was worried because she was never a big baby (6lbs 6oz at birth) and she spit up all the time. The Dr said that some babies just do that & it can be up until as late as 15mos. --(I know, I know, I didnt want to hear it either), but he did suggest to keep her upright after feedings & possibly even have her sleep in her carseat (which she wouldnt do). I guess it happens because some valve in their esophagus isnt completely formed & can take awhile to close. At at rate, I can tell you we just did small frequent feedings & kept lots of cloth diapers on hand. It may take awhile, but it goes by alot faster than you think. This may sound totally weird, but I kind of miss the smell because it reminds me of when she was so little.
Good luck & dont worry. She will be fine I'm sure.

~A.

J.,
My son had the same problem when I breastfed him. As silly as it sounds me being a cheese / dairy fanatic. I omitted dairy from my diet and he stop spitting up. But, everytime I slipped and ate cheese on a burger, etc. he would spit up everywhere. Look at your diet and try omitting things.

Good luck,

M.

My oldest son (also breastfed) had the same problem ... he threw up, a lot, after almost every feeding. I used to just walk around with a receiving blanket draped over the entire front of me, so that I didn't have to do a complete wardrobe change every time he hit me. I even had one woman suggest he might be allergic to my milk & maybe I should switch to formula, but his Dr. said that as long as he was gaining weight & didn't seem to be in any distress (colic, etc.), not to worry about it. He outgrew it at about 6 or 7 months of age and he's never had any problems with dairy products (i.e., lactose intolerance) since then. I also found out that several people on my side of the family (both breast & formula fed) had the same condition & also outgrew it at about the same age & none of them have any problems with dairy, either. Definitely check it out with your Dr., just to be sure, but she's probably fine.

-S. M.

P.S. My son's 10 now & when we talk about what he & his brother & sister were like as babies, I tease him about being "The Pukenator", which makes him double over with laughter & "boy-gross-out" pride & glee at the thought of throwing up all over his mom. ;)

Do not worry!!! I had the same problem with my daughter, I tried alot of differant things. From trying to burp her every 15 - 20 mins, to holding her differant ways. Well the problem did not stop, it wasn't just a "little" spit-up, I mean massive amounts. She was gaining weight just fine, but the spitting up would not stop. When I took her in to the Dr.'s for her normal check up, I found out that she had a form of lactose intolerance to my breast milk!!! For some reason her little tummy could not keep it down all the time. Well her Dr. said that we should try giving her soy formula. Need less to say, we were running out of clothes to wear REALLY fast. When we made the switch, I would still mix in some of my milk to help with the transition, and it worked. The spit up went down drastically!!!! It might be worth the while to talk to the Dr. about this, I found out that this is more common than not. Best of luck to you and I hope everything works out!!

My son who is 6 now did the same thing. As long as they eat, sleep, and gain weight don't worry about it. They have something in their throat that just isn't developed and it will develop in time. My son spit up for many many months-10 months. He was always happy and gained weight. Just remember every stage seems like it takes forever but they really pass quickly. Just enjoy her beautiful smile and remember she won't be this little forever- enjoy every minute.

Make sure to consult your pediatrician but I am sure she will be fine in no time!

K. S

Buy the burp cloths and don't worry. My daughter did the same thing and three of her five children did it also! I tried everything with her and she likewise tried everything with her children - all to no avail. We are now on her number five and he spits up constantly! He gains weight, is happy and healthy in all other respects. The Pedi told me and her Pedi has told her that as long as they are gaining weight, they are getting what they need from the food and they'll just have to outgrow it. So, until then carry alot of burp rags and wear that new perfume proudly!!!!!

I had a little girl who did that, too. As you say, if she's gaining weight no need to worry about nourishment. Mine loved to nurse - I ended up deciding that she just wanted to nurse more than she actually needed. Plus I do think some was reflux and a generally weakness of that muscle in the throat as she still has some acid reflux today as a teenager.

My son also spit up very often and quite a lot until he was about 9 months old. Although he always gained weight, he was never a "chubby baby." My pediatrician said that it was an undeveloped reflex and he would outgrow it. My friends all made comments about it as I couldn't go anywhere without a burb cloth! All grown up now, healthy and strong, we laugh about that first year of constant spitting up. It will pass!!

I kinda went through the same thing when my son was a baby. I would breastfeed him and he would spit up tons!! Sometimes he would even spit up as I was feeding him. I felt like he might not be getting enough to eat cuzz it seemed like he just spit up everything I just fed him!! I talked to his Dr. and she said it could be acid reflux and to sit him up for about 20 mins. after he ate, instead of laying him down. So I would put him in his bouncer chair with a bib :) . I'm not sure if this helps you or not, but you could try it. Good luck! And just talk to your Dr. and see what they say.

Dear J.,
Since all else seems to be on track, get some larger burp cloths to put over your shoulder. Don't listen to every horror story you hear about infant SPIT UP. I was very young when my child was born (19 during Viet Nam--1967). My baby was 8 pounds at birth and ate like food was going out of style. On occasion after a bottle--he would burp up the whole thing--which is very scary....except, it didn't happen all the time and he just kept thriving.

J....For most women, becoming a mother is "INSTINCTIVE"! If your baby is thriving, you are doing fine. If you have any doubt, call the doctor's office, there will be someone there who will give you a rational answer and let you know if you need to come in. (The only exception to this is if you feel that the person you are speaking with is condescending or blowing you of. In that case, go to plan B and, YES, take you baby right into the doctor’s office or to emergency…But don’t give way to panic).

Blessings to you and your family.

My 12 week son has the same problem. I was between Dr visits as well so I called the advice nurse and she had me come in to see the Dr to make sure he wasn't throwing up. Well, he wasn't and is gaining weight perfectly too. The Dr prescribed Zantac for babies for his reflux. It's helped but he still has good and bad days. Like yestrday when he spitup all over Grandma's couch TWICE! His pediatrician said I need to keep my son upright for 30-45minutus after a feeing. I had him sleeping in his swing for a while until I bought a wedge to go under the sheet in his crib. I'd suggest you give your Pediatrician's office a call.

I have four girls- age 20 months to 20 years. There are lots of differences in babies. At least one of mine spit up a lot & especially during the day when she was moving around more. The pediatrician told me to try to keep her more still for 20-30 minutes after feeding during the day. It also helps to not put them on their stomach or pressure on the stomach right after feeding.

I am sorry to hear about your spit up predicament. My oldest daughter of 22 months used to spit up but not quite as much as you have indicated. I changed positions and that seemed to work. She always ate sitting up and then afterwards I had her still sitting up for about half an hour and then burped her. After that she seemed to spit up a little less. She eventually grew out of it, but I know how you feel. When you go to the doctor make sure you let them know your situation and they should give you some advice....sometimes advice you do not want to hear. My friend's daughter used to spit up like a waterfall. She had to change her formula and her daughter spit up less. Keep your head up.

Everything you said was exactly what I went through a little over a year ago with my son. He was also breastfed and had no difficulty gaining weight. In fact he was always at the top of the weight and height chart. His pediatrician finally diagnosed him with reflux, but we decided not to give himm medication because the reflux was not affecting his growth. He would also spit up such large amounts that we would be able to carry his burp rag over to the sink and dump all the excess down the drain. We were constantly washing sofa slipcovers, clothing etc... It wasn't until he started on solids that the spitting up stopped, but I was able to reduce the amount he spit up by tweaking our feeding routine and the way he played. I found that my son didn't have the same ability my daughter had to know when he was full. He would gorge himself at feedings. He was also a really efficient eater and I could tell from the times that I did pump that he was probably getting close to 8 oz a feeding. Way too much for an infant. I started pulling him off my breast after about 7 minutes. I also just breast fed from one breast at a feeding so that he would get the fore and hind milk since he was was at the breast for a shorter period. Our pediatrician told us that he would do better with smaller meals, more often. So he was fed every 3-4 hours throughout the day. She also recomended never using a cushy seat like the bumbo (sp?) because the way that positions a baby tends to make matters worse. The one day that I tried using one, my son spit up 13 times between feedings. We also started him on rice cereal at 4 months rather than 6 months. The rice cereal really helped weight the milk down in his tummy and prevent spit-up. He stopped spitting up completely at about 10 months. It was a frustrating stage and sometimes I felt so disgusted by all the spit up that landed on me that I dreaded holding him, but like with every phase it too did pass and he is a happy, healthy 16 month old now that I love cuddling with. Good Luck!

Hi J.,
Spitting up when burped is not unusual, but if lots is coming up, your baby might need to be burped more often. For some babies, burping a few times during feeding helps. That way, the air bubbles aren't underneath so much milk. For other babies, increased burping doesn't help. Does your daughter arch her back a lot? This is a classic sign of reflux, though she may have reflux and just not arch her back. Also, have you noticed if your diet affects how much she spits up? Spicy, gas producing foods (beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage), and other foods I don't recall can affect how babies digest breastmilk -- or at least that's my recollection. It's been awhile. However, if your child actually has reflux, your ped might suggest various meds. Our son had awful reflux, and we needed to put him on meds (both an acid blocker and something to improve motility, which I hated to do), and I actually had to switch from breastmilk to a formula formulated for sensitive guts when my son ws four months. Soy was no help, as an fyi. I'm not saying that you should stop breastfeeding, but just that there are options that can help if she does have reflux and other ideas (e.g., more burping) don't help. My son's reflux was pretty intense. Also, the doc can actually test for reflux. You might want to call the ped's office ahead of time so that they can administer this test when you visit in a few weeks. You might also want to see if you can get in earlier. I would also suggest propping up the side of her crib/bassinet where her head is to help reduce spitting up during naps and at night. It sounds like she does better then anyways, but if she does spit up while sleeping, she could inhale her spit up. I don't want to frighten you, but I would be remiss not to mention this remote possibility. My son inhaled his spit up when he was upright once, so I know it can happen (I used the method for helping a choking infant and he was fine). You can either put a pillow/foam wedge under her mattress (not on top -- suffocation hazard) and/or a few boards under the legs of the crib/bassinet. I feel really guilty writing something scary (like you need more anxiety as a new mom), but I would feel far worse if I didn't mention propping up the crib and this unlikely event happened. Propping up the crib is a pretty easy thing to do. Btw, head to toe cloth diapers are the way to go!
K.

One of my grandchildren had this problem and it was really bad. It went on for a few months. They do grow out of it and are still getting the nutrients needed. In the time being you may want to speak with the baby's doctor and get their advice. Could be the formula.

I Breastfeed my youngest n i think she'll out grow it, her stomic's still trying to tell it self when it is full, i dont think you have to much to worrie about, n if your friends dont put up w/ you in the what i would say mother n babby bonding beginnings, though the good n bad...then thier not realy your friends. I say just hang in there, she'll most likely go out of it or be able to figure out her limit, sooner or later...hope things get better..P.

Hi J.,

Spit up was my perfume for 5 years! My oldest three boys (especially my first) spit up all the time...projectile vomiting!!! It was common for me to soak through 5 burp rags or so every day... They all went through 3 or so outfits a day, too. They all outgrew it (they are 6 1/2, 5 & 3 1/2 now). They were all gaining weight just fine, so I just rode it out (I prefer not to use medications unless absolutely necessary). My oldest even did that clear up until a year, but he is fine now and has no problems. I have learned with my 4th (he is 6 months today), that what I eat really effects the spit up (wish I would have known that with the first three!). For my baby, chocolate and citrus seem to be the main culprits. If it does continue to really concern you, you can always call/email your dr. and get an appointment scheduled earlier. Congratulations on your new little one! Children are such a blessing and so much fun!
Kara

First of all congratulations. I can completely understand how you feel as I'm now dealing with baby number three who is 7 weeks old. Both of my boys spit up quite a bit, but my little girl is topping both of them. Everything I've read, as well as my dr. have told me that as long as the weight gain is good and there aren't any other problems then she's ok. It does seem like the whole meal comes up sometimes though doesn't it? One thing I have noticed though is that if I give her more breaks during feedings (every couple of minutes) to burp it isn't as bad. I don't know that I've really given any advice, but just know that you're not alone. Good luck, and don't lose heart, it does get easier, but not neccesarily cleaner.

Hello J.,

My son spit up so much that half his back would be completely drenched in spit up several times a day. I expressed concerns to the the pediatrician and was pretty much blown off. THEN, my son became extremely difficult to feed when he had not been before. Long story short, after 4 or so visits to the pediatrician we finally got a referral to GI and he was diagnosed with Reflux. The medication the GI doc prescribed made an incredible difference. Bottom line is that I don't think that amount of spit up is normal--talk to your doctor.
Good luck!
K.

I know a lady who had a baby girl and she had the same problem. She found out her baby had gastro problems. There is a safe medicine that a pediatrician can give to your baby. The baby is now 8 months old, and she only spits up off and on. It would be a good idea to ask the doctor. It happens to some babies and I have no idea why. It has something to do with her digestive system.

Dear J.,

So sorry to hear about your little one's spitting up. What an upsetting thing! I know that this can be a reaction to certain foods. In my experience, dairy and caffeine were the cause. I know it can seem overwhelming to think of making a change to your diet at this time, but if you can summon up the energy between breastfeeding and cleaning up, try to pay attention to what you're eating to see if it has any connection to your daughter's spitting up.

Sorry that it's all so messy right now. Hang in there.

All the best,
S.

Hello, I am a mother of a 2 month old boy and I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM with him!! But I am bottle feeding, wanted to breastfeed however I had found out I couldnt so I have been feeling a bit guilty that if I was breastfeeding him that this wouldnt be happening. So, even though its an issue for sure, it makes me feel a little better knowing someone else is having that same problem and is breastfeeding. I hope someone has some advice or answers soon, my laundry piles never seem to go away!!!

Congratulations J.! Believe me, I know first hand what that is like. My daughter is 3 and 1/2 and it dawned on me a few months ago that she has grown out of it. It could be an allergy, but it sounds like a strong gag reflex. It seems as though when the conversation comes up, everyone knows a child/baby with this concern. I would say smaller feedings and more frequent. My daughter did it as an infant initially and then unfortunately it continued (not as often) through her early toddler years. Like you say, it's the change in position that causes it to happen more often. My daughter would do it if she were sick and coughed too hard or was hurt and cried to hard. Always bring spare clothes! Good luck...

Out little one spit up what seemed to be a lot too, and we changed shirts constantly! It seems like she's doing fine though. Reflux seems to be the diagnosis of the day, but from what everything I read spitting up, even a lot, seems to be quite normal. I'm not a health professional though. I don't think they can really overeat at that age, can they?

My daughter, at the same age, did the exact same thing. It was like projectile vomit. After I nursed her I wouldn't move her except to lay on my chest to burp her VERY delicately. We woulnd't move her for 10-15 minutes just to make sure. It ended after a couple of months. It is very concerning, frustrating and gross when you are going through it but your daughter will grow out of it. My daughter now is three and is very healthy. Do talk to your doctor about it though so he is made aware of it incase it does go on for too long. Just to make you feel like you aren't alone, the projectile thing happened while we were at a friends house for dinner. I had taken her upstairs to nurse and then came back to sit in a accent chair to burp her. Well, surprise! I felt so bad because it was all over me and the chair. So gross! Our friend was really sympathetic and we cleaned the chair as best we could. I laugh about it now.

my boy did that too. I was feeding him too much, are you giving her both breasts? He still spits up a lot but less when i started only giving him one breast.

We did at least one load of laundry a day because of spitup and everyone was giving us their burp cloths because we'd run out constantly. DS2 was born big, a great nurser, and 20lbs by 6mos on breastmilk alone so the Pedi didn't want to prescribe anything if the reflux wasn't affecting his gaining weight. I carried him upright over my shoulder constantly burping him and he could still projectile vomit an hour after nursing... it was astounding! Around the 4th month we thought he was wheezing in his sleep and that's when the Rx for Zantac was given... the reflux was causing him to "gurgle" while he slept and it was heartbreaking to hear. At 8mos we weaned him off the Zantac with tragic results... the vomiting came back within 3dys and he began refusing all food or drink... even nursing. We got him back on the Zantac and within a day he was nursing again and by the 3rd day his eating was back to normal (good thing he was a huge baby and had the reserves). He's 16mos now and still taking Zantac... we hope to attempt another weaning at 18mos... wish us luck! There is a way to carry a swaddled baby over your shoulder using a sling and I'd be happy to send you a picture if you think it would give your arms some relief... it was a lifesaver for me to have him sleep this way during the day.

I was under the impression before my son came that breastfed babies didn't spit up. Needless to say i had a wake up call once my milk came in. Starting from about 3 days old up until he was walking at 10 1/2 months he spit up and it was never just a little. There were days i would change us both every time he soaked us both and days i threw my hands up and just said forget it he is just going to spit up on us both again. My son always weighed more than he should at his check ups so i was never concerned. I tried everything, changing positions, not holding him upright to burp and the only time he ever seemed to spit up less was at night when i nursed him laying down, we co-sleep but, i think that was only because he spent most of the night comfort nursing.

I agree with one of the previous posts about using the receiving blankets for burp clothes. My baby is due in May and the spit up is the only thing i'm not looking forward too but, i have a ton of cloth prefold diapers since i cloth diaper that will be too big to use at first but great for spit up!

Good luck!

I had that problem with my little girl, and noone wanted to hold her after she ate! I think that it sounds like she is getting plenty to eat, maybe you can strech the time between the feedings out a little to like 2 1/2 hours, so that her tummy is empty and ready to get filled up. Another thing that helped was giving her gas drops... Good luck!

Hi J.,

Congratulations!! Aren't baby girls wonderful?

So, my daughter (who is now 15 months) was a HUGE spitter upper. Starting around 8 weeks, she spit up constantly. I can't even remember how many bibs and burp clothes we went through a day but it was probably somewhere around 8-10 bibs and several burp clothes. In fact, I still make her wear a bib wherever we go because I still can't get over that she is not spitting up all the time anymore.

Anyhow, we did have her on medication for awhile for reflux and that sort of helped, and we also may have lifted her up a bit by putting a rolled up blanket under her bassinet pad (I can't remember)but ultimately, I think it was just a developmental thing that had to work itself out. They said it would get better when she started to sit up and it did, although, it did not go away until she was closer to a year.

To this day, I still can't get over that we can go a whole week without doing her laundry. :-)

Anyhow, nothing to worry about - some babies are just real spitters!!!!

Enjoy your little one!
Jen

My babe used to do the same thing, and is still kind of pukey at a year old. What helped when she was younger was to keep her upright after feedings for at least 20 minutes, and to never ever put her upright and then lay her down and then pick her up again directly after a feeding. That was a sure thing to make her spit up.

Even though it may look like she's losing her whole meal, she is not. I found that parents of babies that were not 'spitty' were always alarmed when my girl spit up, but I can assure you that for some babies this is totally normal.

I would hesitate to put the baby on acid reflux meds or anything like that unless she is clearly uncomfortable or unhappy because of her spitting up. Babies' bodies are just learning how to function, and it's no surprise that sometimes there are a few hiccups in the process.

And, if you haven't discovered this already, baby wipes work wonders for spit up stains. ;-)

Hi J. - my daughter also was this way, for over 1 year. Could shoot her meals over 2 feet! Turned out she had a hyernia (which we could see) that healed itself but also an under-developed part of the esophegus that made her unable to control reflux, gagging or anything. She outgrew it all, but is still known as "Barf Baby" to this day (she's 8 now). Still has poor gag reflex. Kept her propped up in a reclining bouncy type seat for the first few months instead of a bed. Stopped breast feeding just a few moments before I thought she was satisfied and that helped. Kept her upright for much longer times than my first baby after each feeding helped too. If she's gaining weight and thriving, she will most likely grow out of it. Good Luck!

I don't have any advice, but I wanted to say that my daughter was the same way. She spit up all the time! We just left a bib on her all the time, changed clothes (hers and ours) frequently, and kept towels/burp cloths lying all over the house. She's now a happy, healthy 2-1/2-year-old. We did sometimes give her Gripe Water, but that didn't really do anything for the spitting up. Just remember, it won't last forever :-)

Both of my kids spit up several times between breastfeeding. My second was the worst, we changed our clothes quite frequently. In my case the doctor wasn't worried because he was gaining weight and healthy. I would try to sit him up and keep him upright right after eating, this helped a little. We just made sure that everyone who held him knew they may get a surprise and made sure they were ready with a burp cloth. If you are really concerned call your doctor's office and let them know since you've got awhile until the next appointment and see what they say. For most babies this stops or slows once they are starting to eat solids, in my case both kids spit up a bit of breastmilk until they were a year old (Not to discourage you, you may only have to deal with it for a little longer!!)

Hi J.,

Congrats on your baby girl. I am a mother of 2 boys. My first never spit up. My second is a different story. He's now 4 months and we have almost the exact story...healthy and growing well but spits up a lot. When I burped him more often he spit up less, even burping him every 5 minutes. It has really helped.

I would mention it to her doctor at your next visit but as long as she is happy and gaining wait I wouldn't worry. It's caused by an immaturity in the sphincter muscle between the esophagus and stomach. I've read it usually gets better once they are sittin up.

Here's a link to a page that give some great info on it...

http://www.babycareadvice.com/babycare/general_help/artic...

Wish you all the best.

Maybe the sitting up to burp is crowding her tummy space, so the milk comes up with the burp. Have you tried burping on your shoulder so her body has more room to streatch out? Sounds like she may just drink more than her tummy can comfortably hold, so any movement or air brings up the excess. It's a normal baby thing. My firstborn did the same. He was definately just over eating, because I didn't know what else to do but change or feed him when he cried. I didn't know they cried from being tired, too.

Hey there J.!

I know how you feel! My daughter, who is now 4 1/2 months, went through and is still going through this! She also did this at your daughter's age. I, personally don't think it's anything to be worried about. It's bothersome because you have to re-feed her all over again, but she has gained weight beautifully! In fact my daughter is in the 108th percentile for weight! It's hard to believe after how much she's thrown up in the past. She's somewhat grown out of it, she doesn't do it so often anymore, maybe once every 3 days she'll throw up everything in her stomach. It's weird, I don't know why it happens. I wish I had an explanation for it, our doctor didn't seem to know either. But he said if she's gaining weight then there's really nothing to worry about. And she's a very happy baby, it's amazing. If that's the worse thing she could have, then I'll take it! We'll have to replace our couch one of these days though because of the funky smell!
Hang in there, it will get better! Until then, enjoy your little girl!
L.

Sometimes breastfed babies who are "snackers" will spit up quite a bit more than those who get a full feeding at each session. Try making sure that each breast is emptied completely at each session, and then don't feed her again for another 2 or 2 1/2 hours, and see if that helps. Also, be sure she's sort of semi-upright when you're feeding her. Hope that helps!

My baby was the same way (breastfed, lots of spit-up, but healthy and gaining weight). As they say, it is a laundry issue, not a health issue. They do outgrow it. It sounds like you are using your intuition about how adjust the situation (burping, position, etc.). I had to stop nursing laying down altogether for a while and only do it sitting upright. It is not reflux unless the baby is visibly upset and in pain. Otherwise, it is just caused by an immature esophagus sphincter and when she burps up air, everything comes up by accident. It will pass and things will get better as she matures. Try to ignore the "abnormal" comments from other people and trust yourself and your doctor. Good luck!

Congratulations! I have one child, a son who is now 16 months old. I breast fed him until he was just over a year old. He used to spew like a geyser every day until I figured out that I was pressing on his little tummy too hard when I put him on my shoulder to burp. Maybe that could be part of your problem? I got some cloth diapers for the spit up, they are so thick and easy to wash! Good luck!

I have two children, my first one never spit up. I had no idea why many baby outfits came with bibs. My 2nd one came along 23 months later & suddenly I understood what the bibs on outfits were for!! I breast fed both for a year. I remember multiple times stating to my husband "he just spit up another meal". At 18 months he was diagnosed with multiple severe food allergies. Now I wonder if he was having reactions to my breast milk due to what I was eating. As an infant he also had many rashes and was given prescription lotion due to the severity (so there were other signs, not just spit up). Obviously, there are MANY reasons for spit up and my situation is not the norm, so please don't panic. Especially if you have food allergies in your family, I would mention it to the MD next visit.

Hi, I'm H.. I also have a spitting newborn. He is my second child, but my daughter (2 1/2 years old) never spit up, so it's all new to me too. We breastfeed exclusively, and I find if I feed him in short sessions instead of long ones with lots of burbing in between he spits up less. Also sitting up after feeding instead of lying down helps a little, although in our bed at night he doesn't spit up as much. I think it's because when he's sleepy he eats what needs and no more, then goes back to sleep. during the day he just eats and eats and throws up and then he's hungry again. The result is that my milk production is way up, and I'm frequently painfully engorged. Good luck.

This is not unusual. If your baby is happy and gaining weight she is what is termed a happy spitter == this can last up to one year. Ours finally stopped at 10 months. With our daughter they just said that the valve between her esophogas and stomach was not fully formed and we just had to wait for it to be-- which is somewhere between about 6 months and 1 year. We went through about 2 dozen burp clothes a day and 15 Carter's spit happy bibs a day. We often had to change clothes and after she finally stopped we had to get all carpets, rugs and the sofa cleaned -- once they start crawling and are still spitting it gets even more exciting. But believe it does not matter if it is breastmilk or formula or how you position the child -- it just happens.

So, the next few months you may not take vacations or eat out but once it stops it will be great. Our daughter is now 2 and doing great so there are no long term effects -- its just a living %$*& until it stops. :)

Now if your child cries after spitting or is unhappy, she might have reflux

Good luck.

My baby was a spitter, too. Now at 21 months he is very healthy. I remember a few instances where it seemed like he spit up his entire meal. He was also breastfed and I was working with a wonderful lactation consultant. It could be that she is getting too much milk too fast. You may want to try a different position while nursing in case you have a strong, fast milk ejection reflex. You can try laying on your back while nursing and have your daughter feeding on her tummy. Gravity will slow down the milk flow and she may take in less air while nursing. It couldn't hurt to try it for a few feeding sessions and see if that will help remedy the situation. Good luck!

That can be a little starling, I know. My 4-year-old was pretty minimal to average with her spit up, however, my little 15-month-old was a little barfy guy until just about 2-3 months ago. You can definitely try another formula but give her little tummy time to see if it works and don't switch around too much because that my little guy stayed in the upright position for at least 30 minutes after his feedings and we would burp him about 3 times during his feeding (when he would be patient enough and let us) :) My other suggestion is just what you said: good burp cloths!!! My tried and true faves that are SUPER absorbent are Gerber Flannel Burp Cloths. I think they come in a 4-pack for about $9, usually at Target or Babies R Us. They are SOOOOOOO worth it! Good Luck!

As long as she is gaining weight, then she is fine. You will have a pukey baby.

You might want to mention it to the dr. My friends kids had reflux. One of her children had to be put on prevacid to make her vomit not so acidic. They were worried that it would, eventually, cause issues with her asophagus.

I went through the same thing with my son, around the same time (he's now 17 months). They diagnosed him with reflux, but luckily he was still gaining weight, even though he was CONSTANTLY vomiting. Breastfed too, but it seems that was all we were doing! They put him on Zantac, and Reglan, and they actually did help. It was completely frustrating, and got to the point where I avoided going out because it was so bad, and he was constantly in bibs! I would definitely get it checked out though, because the acid reflux is not good on the esophagus, and it's usually caused by the sphincter not closing sufficiently. I didn't believe he ever would, but he did grow out of it, probably around 10-11 months. Not on medication anymore either :) Once they do start on solids, that does help, like cereals because it has more weight to keep it down! Baby foods had to be thickened with rice cereal for us, otherwise that would come back up, yuck! Good luck!!

If she's happy, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Though here's my experience with that: I have twins who were exclusively breast fed. One of my daughters spit up a "normal amount" and the other spit up a lot more frequently with a lot more volume. She was also mildly less happy after eating. I talked to the doctor and she suggested I feed the spitter less (no more than 10 minute nursings) and make sure to keep her upright for a while afterwards. That really did the trick for us. The one who spit up a lot just had a much more effective suck and must have been gobbling milk down, plus she just loves to suck for comfort (she still does at 15 months) so she wouldn't pull off when she was full. But that was advice for us based on our growth curves, so I wouldn't presume to suggest limiting feedings without a professionals input!

I wouldn't worry about it. My son did the same thing. I think he just had a very sensitive gag reflex. My husband and I never went any where without a burp cloth. We put beach towels on the back of the sofa as he sometimes was projectile! And we had that lovely baby smell. He outgrew it eventually. He is mow 16 and doing great. My 2nd child did this too, only not quite as much. My third not at all! They're all different. As long as she is gaining weight, don't worry.

first off congrats!! i also have a 6 week old girl (exactly 6 wks today!) i also have a 27 month old boy and a hubby who is sometimes the third child ;)

does she seem irritated, in pain or upset when she spits up? Cause if not, i know it may look like a HUGE amount, but it can be totally normal. if she seem in pain or uncomfortable, she very well could have some reflux issues.
i have fast let-down and overproduction with breastfeeding, so my little ones both had the experience of getting too much milk too fast and still wanting to suck (so they'd end up overeating at some mealtimes) so that's also a possibility for you (that maybe your milk just comes out fast and she fills up quickly but keep eating).
if she doesn't seem in pain i think it's totally okay to wait for your next check up...if she IS though, i'd definitely call and go in sooner. reflux can be so painful to the little ones. (i used to care for preemie twins who had it and were on 2 diff meds for it...helped SO much!)

Good luck and enjoy every single minute. it seriously goes by way too fast!!!
~K.

don't worry, as long as she is putting on weight she will be ok. My son spit up all the time in massive amounts. I always smelled like spit up, but he was the fatest little baby ever. Sometimes the valve that keeps the food in the stomach is just not really mature and somtimes they just have had enough. Best of luck.

My second child spit up like crazy. We finally decided it was because I had a fast let- down and the milk came so fast that she couldn't swallow without getting lots of bubbles. She gained weight just fine and did not ever have projectile vomiting. If that should happen please call your pediatrician immediately.

I remember going to buy small hand towels for burp rags because she spit us such a large volume of milk.

Once your milk supply is more regulated to her demand it shouldn't be so bad.

I'm sure other mothers will have some suggestions--La Leche League ladies are very knowledgeable about breast feeding so you may want to call them for advise as well.

Blessings to you and your baby girl!

C.

Boy do I remember those days. My son spit up so much (both frequency and quantity) that I was afraid to let anyone hold him without giving them a towel first. Everything constantly smelled like sour milk. He was breastfed, also, although I don't know if that had anything to do with it. He also gained weight, so our pedi wasn't concerned. Just hang in there and keep lots of burp cloths (I used cloth diapers) handy in every room and a change of clothes (for both of you) when you go out. We also had a huge collection of bibs, and he was never without one unless he was sleeping. For my son this stopped by 5 months. That may seem like an eternity now, but trust me, it will go by so fast!
Good luck!
T.