When Is Spitting up a Problem?

Well....my daughter spit up TERRIBLY for the first 6 months of her life. I, too, was worried that she wasn't keeping enough down, but her weight continued to increase at a good rate, so the dr. said it was OK. It was very frustrating to me, because I didn't pass her around too much for others to hold, always having to warn people that she was a spitter! But around 6 (long) months, it stopped. I invested in a LOT of cute bibs & always kept extra outfits with me!

my son use to do that, all the time. i talked to the doctor and we got his milk changed to "ISOMIL" maybe he is lactose. Also my son never really drank more than 7oz of milk. try talking to the pediactric. good luck

Three things to do/look for:

#1. Measure it. As gross as this sounds, try to 'scoop' it up and measure it. When the spit up comes out, it looks like a lot but in reality it really isn't that much. Take a look at the actual volume and if it seems like a lot (several teaspoons) there might be an issue.

#2. How is your baby's weight gain? Is he or she gaining weight, is the pediatrician satisfied with the weight gain, and is the baby following his or her growth curve? If so, then no need to worry.

#3. How does the baby react to the spit up? You have a problem if there is arching of the back, fussiness or crying, or if the baby appears to be in pain. If your baby is like mine and the spit up doesn't bother him, or he plays in it, then it is okay.

Go to www.wedmd.com and search 'happy spitter'. Our son was a happy spitter...for 9 months. It was freaking nasty. He wore a bib all the time, went through several bibs a day, we kept burp cloths handy, and I learned to wear only white or off-white shirts. Remember that in many babies the digestive system is immature and the valve covering the tube leading to the stomach is often weak. The valve flaps and flops and allows the contents to come back up sometimes.

So many people told me "oh your poor baby, he has reflux, get him on drugs, change your diet" blah blah blah, and I ignored them because he had all the classic signs of a happy spitter. As soon as my baby started eating more solid foods and spending more time sitting up and less time on his belly, it stopped.

go see the dr.i have a grandson that does that he has acid reflex disease childrens they have a name for it

This sounds like my son. He had reflux. Talk to your peditrician. They gave us some meds that really helped, instantly!

Hi. I had the same problem with my daughter when she was 2-3 weeks old. After talking to the Doctor and a Lactation Consultant, we determined that I have too much milk! And that was causing her to spit up so much, she was taking in too much, too fast. So to resolve the problem, I would pump before EVERY nursing 1 1/2 - 2 oz. Then just give her that breast - never switched her over to the other side until the next feeding.
It was inconvenient to take the time to pump (especially with a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old, too!) but it solved our problem.
Now, a month later, my milk supply is reducing, and I only now pump once in the morning.
Hope this helps!

Hi, K. –
My son frequently spit-up, too. It started at birth (he was two months preemie), but continued for several months. It was just reflux for him (not GERD). We were told to keep him upright for 30 minutes after each feeding, but like your son, he often spit up an hour or two eating anyway. Our neonatologist ended up recommending Enfamil A.R. Lipil when he was about two and a half months old. It has added rice in the formula. You really can’t see it (it’s not the same as just adding rice cereal to milk), but supposedly it expands when it reaches baby’s tummy, making it easier to stay there. It seemed to help my son quite a bit. Unfortunately, he continued occasionally spitting up quite a bit for several months… We just kept a bib on him at all times and a bottle of Resolve handy for the carpet. It wasn’t until we eventually introduced Cheerios several months later that he finally started keeping things down more regularly (but I would not recommend you trying that for quite some time!). He is now 21 months and still tends to spit-up a bit more than other toddlers his age, but it’s amazingly better. I just thought I’d recommend the Enfamil A.R. Lipil before starting any medications. Best of luck to you!
J.

All 3 of my kids spit up all the time, especially when they got to moving around more. Their clothes were always stained. Talk to your doctor if you think there is something abnormal about it.

Both of my boys did this. I found that receiving blankets made great burp cloths because they were so big, easy to just switch the side that clean and ready for cleanup. I think part of the problem with my boys was as the LC said, too greedy and getting too full. As a NICU nurse, you don't want to start your little one on meds unless you have to, it's causing him pain when he spits up, therefore is acid reflux. Remember, every med has side effects.
R.

He is probably eating too much at a time which will make them spit up. It actually sounds pretty normal for such a small child. Put a bib on him to protect his clothes those stains are hard to get out.

Both of my kids had this problem. This is normal for most babies. The only time that spitting up is a problem is if the baby is not gaining weight, there is blood in the spit up, or if the baby is crying when he is spitting up (which is a sign of acid reflux). The baby spits up because their esophagus is not fully developed. The spitting up should lessen after the baby is 6 months old. I would still bring it up to the pediatrician during your baby's next visit though just so he/she knows.

I have 7 girls and all of them have spit up. It is quite annoying more than anything but they do out grow it. I have addressed this with our doctor and he says as long as she is gaining and growing, it is fine. It truely looks more than it is. I also breastfeed and thought it wouldn't be this way but unfortunately it has to do with their valves and it does get better. Hang in there and keep those burp rags close! Hope this helps.

Unless he's 1) projectile puking everything he eats or 2) not gaining weight you don't need to worry. Just get towels instead of burp clothes.
You can also try taking milk out of your diet, it's usually the culprit. You can also check out Jack Newman's Elimination Diet (Google it) if you think it's allergies more than milk, but without bloody stool, it probably isn't allergies.
Reflux is like, the number one most over-diagnosed ailment in infants, so try diet changes and other things before you seek out a diagnosis.
Good Luck:)

Just thinking about it...also could be an over-active letdown. Try leaning back in a recliner or against your headboard and feeding him from on top of you. Gravity will pull the milk back in to your body so that it doesn't flow SO quickly.

Try some mylacon drops before feeding.

You have nothing to worry about. My son started spitting up at one or two months as well and the spitting up peaked at 4-5 months. He was spitting up at LEAST 3 times per feedings (not always right after). I asked my pediatrician about it multiple times and she said that they could prescribe him with zantex (I think), but that would more so be for the convenience of him not spitting up. The actual spitting up wasn't hurting him at all and if he continued to gain weight we had nothing to worry about. Another thing that was comforting to me was her explaining that when they throw up it may seem like a lot to us, but it's actually just a few teaspoons or tablespoons. She said if you were to drop a tablespoon of water on the counter it would seem like a lot, but realistically it's not that much. Anyways, I've been there and my advice is just to keep a ton of burp rags handy! :) I know with my little boy it slowed down after 7 months, but he still occasionally spit up until around a year old. Oh, and maybe stash away a change of clothes for yourself in the car for it he gets you bad :)

My baby had a similar problem at that age and my pediatrician told me that as long as it is spitting up and not vomitting, or projectile, as long as they are wetting a sufficient (6-8) diapers a day, are gaining wieght at a normal rate, and are not emptying their stomachs when they spit up they are most likely fine. If your son starts crying during feedings or right after, arching his back or seems to be in any kind of pain then definately call your doctor. I have heard too that sometimes nursing moms should not eat alot of dairy as some babies are sensitive to that in moms breastmilk. But of course keep a close on eye on this and if something changes or you just feel like somethings not right call your doctor! Thats what they are there for. But I'm sure he's fine!

It sounds pretty normal to me. As the Dr. Sears book says, this is more of a laundry problem than a health problem. But if the baby is having digestive problems, you could try chamomille or ginger tea, watered down, and given by small spoonful. And I love the Hyland's Kids Kit too, for homeopathic healing. You can find it here:

http://www.hylands.com/products/kidskit.php

It includes most of what you'll need through childhood, and good advice.

But really, to me, it sounds normal. If you're concerned, check with your pediatrician. And keep up the good work of breastfeeding! It's much easier to digest than formula, from what I understand. :)

Hi K.:

I'm a lactation consultant...when I have mom's with your situation I ask lots of questions to see what is going on. First, do you nurse on only one breast at a feeding time, then switch to the other a few hours later. Sometimes that is good, as your son might be getting his tummy too full. If you could find a support group that has a digital scale, you could weigh him before and after the feed to see how much he takes. Perhaps staying on only one breast would be good. I think Riverside might have a group for breastfeeding mothers.

Sometimes moms let-down fast and the baby has to gulp a lot and takes in lots of air that sits below the milk. When the bubble comes up, so does the milk. There is a good article about the overactive let down and one-sided feedings at www.thebreastfeedingcenter.com Click on favorite links and the first one is Jack Newman. He has an article called Colic in the Breastfed Infant, and even if your son doesn't have colic, it is a good article for moms with spitters or over supply.

Regardless, if you have a happy baby and he is gaining well, it is not a problem, more of a laundry issue. If he cry's a lot (like he is in pain) and you are only giving one feeding, perhaps it is reflux and your doctor could prescribe something to decrease his pain.

Hope this helps!

Sounds like your son has the reflux problem my oldest one had. She spit up constantly from one feeding to the next. I couldn't even lay her on her back for 5 months! So, as long as your son is gaining and seems happy, keep nursing him exclusively, try to keep him upright as much as possible and invest in lots of cloth diapers (they make the best burp cloths!). He'll stop spitting up so much when the valve that closes his stomach matures, around 5 or 6 months. In the meantime, enjoy your new baby! Many adventures await you!

Is the spit up projectile, like on the Exorcist? That could be a sign of gerd. I would call your doctor and look in to it,just to be safe, Good Luck.

Hi K.,
I have nursed all of my kids (3 boys and 1 girl) and have always had the same problem. My first boy was what I called a projectile (sp?) vomiter. You had no idea it was coming but when it did it would splatter everywhere. Even the dog was not safe. The doctor always told me that as long as they acted happy and were either gaining weight or were on their % track then they were good to go. My kids were all on the "petite" side also so I had that to worry about. I know it is scarey to see what seems like all of their food has come right back up but they seem to do well anyway. If he was hungry he would not be a happy baby!
Best of luck to you,
Kim

My 7 month old still spits up and yes sometimes up to an hour after eating. My doctor says its normal and most kids out grow this by the time they are 1. She says if its not bothering her then its fine. (Like if he is crying when he does it or looks like hes in pain) Hope this helps

Hi K.,
My son spit up horribly for the first 8-9 months. Like your son he would spit up an hour or more after his feeding. Basically he spit up all day long at various times. It was so bad that I took a sheet with me wherever I went so he wasn't spitting up all over people's houses!! I also breastfed, but I don't think that has anything to do with it. It never bothered him and so the doctor said it wasn't anything to worry about. If he is crying and seems uncomfortable then I think they would try Zantac or something. But otherwise, it's completely normal. My daughter spit up too, but not quite as bad and not for as long. We just did a lot of laundry and now have stained clothes and 100's of burp clothes!!
Good luck, eventually he'll grow out of it.

babies spit up. it's ok as long as it's not vomiting--like the entire contents of the stomach being wrenched out painfully.... just a little is fine and totally normal. just keep a rag in your pocket ;)