Where To Go From Here
As a new parent, its hard not to obsess about every little thing that happens with your little one. Luckily, in most cases, spitting up isnt something you need to worry about. That said, if you do think your babys spitting up is more than a messy nuisance, you should not hesitate to talk to your doctor.
Can Babies Choke On Their Own Spit Up
Its very unlikely for a baby to choke on their own spit up. Babies have a reflex that causes them to cough out or swallow any fluid they spit up or swallow, even while sleeping.
If you are worried or simply want to ease babys discomfort, you can prop up the end of the entire crib with blocks to elevate babys head.
First Things First Whats The Difference Between Spit Up And Vomit
Both spit up and vomit are messy and involve the contents of a babys stomach ending up on clothes, furniture, and whatever else may be nearby!! But what it basically comes down to is how this happens. Spitting up is the easy flow of a babys stomach contents through his or her mouth. This often happens when the baby burps. Vomiting occurs when the flow is forceful and shoots out inches rather than dribbling from the mouth. The act of spitting up typically looks effortless, doesnt cause pain, and isnt forcefully done. Babies usually dont seem to mind or notice spit up.
Recommended Reading: When Can I Give Newborn A Bath
Should You Give Your Baby Water To Help
When theyre spitting up lots of clear liquid you may think that your baby needs water to avoid dehydration. However, you shouldnt give water to babies under 6 months of age.
Drinking plenty of water every day may be good for you, but it definitely isnt good for your baby. Thats because babies have tiny tummies and their kidneys are still developing.
If you fill your babys tummy with water, their hunger mechanism is dulled, and they may not get the nutrients they need. In addition, if your babys water intake is too high, theres a risk of water intoxication.
Sounds far-fetched? Not really when you consider the size of that tiny tummy. Too much water will lower the concentration of electrolytes such as sodium in the blood. So hold the water until your baby is about 6 months old and stick to formula or breast milk.
What Is Normal For A Baby With Reflux
It is common for babies with GER to throw up after feeding. As long as they are gaining weight appropriately for their age, eating without excessive irritability, and reaching developmental milestones they will most likely grow out of GER.
It is normal for reflux to get worse around 5 months of age before it gets better, which is around 7- to 9-months old.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Baby Acne In Newborns
Does My Baby Have Gerd
GER isnt something to worry abouteven the healthiest babies have it. But for about 2 percent of full-term babies and a higher percentage of preemies, reflux causes pain and medical problems. In these cases, a doctor may diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease . Telltale signs include a lack of interest in eating, extreme fussiness during feeding, wheezing, coughing, hoarseness, and failure to gain weight.
GERD is reflux in the extreme: So much acid splashes back up from the stomach that it irritates the lining of your babys esophagus. Your baby might try to relieve the discomfort by coughing, arching their back, or pulling their legs up to their tummy. If your baby has these symptoms, contact their pediatrician The doctor may recommend smaller, more frequent meals or additional burping.
AdditionalAri Brown, M.D., Parents advisor and coauthor of Baby 411 Grzegorz Telega, M.D., pediatric gastroenterologist at Childrens Wisconsin, in Milwaukee.
Parents Magazine
Read Also: How Many Times Should Newborn Eat
Tips For Reducing Spit Up
If your baby seems to be spitting up too much, there are some things you can do that may help.
Hold the baby upright while feeding: There are numerous positions for breastfeeding and bottle feeding that keep the baby more upright and use gravity to help keep liquid in their tummy, such as seated positions, Dr. Feely said. This is especially important with bottle feeding since liquid flows much more quickly from a bottle than when breastfeeding. If you hold a bottle upside down, liquid will easily drip from it, but a baby has to work to get milk from a breast.
Dont overfeed: In the first month or so, babies will generally stop eating when theyre full, but they also suck to soothe themselves, Dr. Feely said. If you have a fussy baby, its sometimes hard to figure out if theyre hungry or if they just want to suck to soothe. Some parents automatically give them another bottle, which leads to overfeeding and can increase the likelihood of spitting up.
Consider different bottles or nipples: Bottle feeding can sometimes lead to swallowing too much air, which leads to more spit ups. To avoid this, use slow-flow nipples or bottles that are made to be air-free.
Burp the baby during and after meals: This can keep air from building up in a babys tummy.
Avoid play time for 30 minutes after meals: This includes things like bouncing, swinging, tummy time, etc.
Keep the baby upright after feeding: This will help keep food in the babys stomach.
Also Check: What Detergent Is Best For Newborns
How To Burp A Baby
Here are a few tried-and-true techniques. After a little experimentation youll find which ones work best for your child.
December 31, 2017 By Claudia C
A major part of parenting an infant is feeding and cleaning up after them. So, its quite common to see new parents maintaining a healthy stock of wipes with them at all times. And quite a lot of these wipes come in handy when the baby spits up, especially after feeding. Some babies spit up less than the others, but all parents at some point of time find themselves wondering why do babies spit up?
S For Reducing Baby Spit
If your baby is spitting up frequently, and you would like to try to reduce how much they are spitting up, there are a few things that you can try to see if they help:
- You can feed your baby in an upright or semi-upright position.
- You can try to feed your baby smaller amounts of milk in each feeding.
- If your baby is formula-fed, you may want to try a different formula to see if that helps
- If you are breastfeeding, you can try to experiment with your own diet to see if that helps. Some mothers find that eliminating dairy from their diet can reduce spit-up.
Though burping after feeding is frequently recommended to new parents, one study in 2015 found that burping increased the risk of spit-up in infants up to three months old.
Avoid following advice that directs you to place your baby on their stomach while they sleep to prevent spitting up. It is important to place your baby to sleep on their back, as this reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, also known as SIDS.
You May Like: How To Help A Newborn Fall Asleep
What Is Baby Spit Up
First things first: In most cases, spitting up is very common.
This is more of a laundry problem than a medical problem and seldom bothers baby. Dr. Sears
Some experts estimate that nearly 40% of normal, healthy babies spit up after feedings. If baby spits up right away, it may look just like milk if baby spits up once he/she has begun to digest it might look curdled and smell slightly sour.
If youre worried about the quantity of baby spit up, youre not alone. Many parents see what looks like a lot of spit up and wonder if their baby is getting enough to eat. You might take comfort in knowing that baby spit up is made up mostly of saliva and gastric juicestheres usually only a small amount of milk in spit up.
Although that puddle can still be off-putting, Dr. Sears estimates that most baby spit up is only about a teaspoon of liquid. To put your mind at ease, he suggests trying this simple experiment: Pour a tablespoon of milk on the countertop and compare the resulting puddle to the stain on your clothes from your babys spit up. Youll likely notice that the puddle on the counter is much larger.
Baby spit up usually dribbles or spurts out of their mouth. Occasionally babys spit up looks forceful, like projectile vomiting. Without other signs of illness, more forceful baby spit up may be a sign of reflux, possibly as a result of food sensitivities or an anatomical issue.
Are You Producing Too Much Milk
Especially in the early months, moms tend to produce more breastmilk than their baby needs. If that milk flows out very quickly and abundantly, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms like gassiness and spitting-up. If you think you may have an oversupply of milk, you can try offering your baby one breast at a time, allowing them to finish the first breast before offering the other, and trying to lean back a little while you nurse so that the flow isnt quite as forceful.
You May Like: Why Does My Newborn Breathe So Hard
What Is The Difference Between Spitting Up And Vomiting
Spit-up can be misinterpreted as vomiting especially if a baby spit-up so much. While spit-up can be taken lightly, vomiting should always be taken seriously because it usually indicates an issue that needs urgent action for your baby. Spit-up is an easy flow of babys milk, while vomit is a more forceful flow, usually shooting inches from the mouth and not just dropping slowly.
Is My Baby Eating Enough
Even if your baby spits up after every feeding, theyre probably taking in enough. Your pediatrician will evaluate your infants weight gain at their well-baby checkups. If everythings on track, theyre getting the calories they need. It may seem like their whole meal is coming back up, but its likely less than a tablespoon, says Dr. Byrne. So dont top off your baby with more milk if they spit up after eating. In fact, overfeeding can lead to even more reflux.
Recommended Reading: How To Regulate Newborn Sleep Schedule
Spit Up Vs Vomit: Whats The Difference
Although the terms spit up and vomit are often used interchangeably, there is a big difference between them from a medical perspective:
- Spit up is effortless and occurs in smaller amounts.
- Vomiting requires force and occurs in large amounts.
While vomiting can be caused by a number of problems depending on your childs age, its most concerning in newborns and young infants under 3 months of age. Your pediatrician may want to rule out hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, a condition that affects one out of every 500 babies and occurs when the pylorusa muscular valve at the bottom of the stomachbecomes too thick for breastmilk or formula to get through to the small intestines. The result: excessive, projectile vomiting that needs special treatment.
Other reasons to call your pediatrician about infant vomiting:
- Your baby is noticeably uncomfortable or crying after or during vomiting.
- Vomiting is a new symptom that started today or yesterday.
- Vomit contains bile .
- Diarrhea is also present.
Whats The Difference Between Spitting Up And Vomiting
Vomiting is a forceful projection of stomach fluids. Spitting up is a more gentle “flow” of fluids that come up. Babies dont usually react to spitting up, but a vomiting baby will usually look upset or cry.
If you’re concerned that your baby is vomiting, call your doctor. In rare cases, there may be an allergy, digestive problem, or other problem that needs medical care. It helps to keep track of how often and how much your baby is vomiting or spitting up.
Read Also: How Often Do Newborns Fail Hearing Test
When Your Child Is On Artificial Feeding
If your baby spits up after eating, the reasons for it may be the same as for children that are on natural feeding.
- The primary reason is overeating. When the child is on artificial feeding, it is much easier to regulate the amount of consumed food. The amount of the infant food in the bottle must strictly correspond to the age of the child.
- Check the hole in the teat as well. It should not be too large. During the process of feeding it is important to exclude air swallowing, that is why, the teat should be constantly filled with a mixture.
- The baby can regurgitate the mixture, because it does not tolerate it. Try to choose another infant food together with your pediatrician. Now special milk mixtures are produced that can prevent it from flowing out of the stomach .
- The stomach should be checked on the same principle as with natural feeding.
How To Decrease Spitting Up
As long as your baby is a happy spitter, you can leave things be. But if you want to decrease the spitting up episodes, a few simple remedies can help:
-
Feed your baby in an upright position rather than a cradle or lying down position
-
Rely on shorter, more frequent feeding sessions if breastfeeding, let your baby fully drain one breast before offering the other
-
Burp your baby after feeding, and hold them upright for a few minutes to allow the milk to go down the hatch
Also Check: What Do I Really Need For My Newborn
Why Does My Baby Spit Up So Much
Your baby is probably just getting the hang of feeding. Almost half of young babies spit up regularly. The peak age for spitting up also known as reflux is 4 months.
When your baby swallows air along with breast milk or formula, the air gets trapped in with the liquid. The air has to come up, and when it does, some of the liquid comes up too, through your baby’s mouth or nose.
Babies take in a lot of nourishment in relation to their size, and some of them really like to eat, so sometimes they become overfilled and, well, overflow.
A newborn’s digestive system isn’t fully developed, either. The muscles at the bottom of your baby’s esophagus, which control whether food is coming or going, may still be getting up to speed. It’s no wonder your little one creates so much laundry.
My Baby Bites During Breastfeeding What Can I Do
Babies will often play with their mothers’ nipples with their gums, not meaning to cause any harm. But once they start teething, a baby might bite down, not knowing this is hurting mom.
Sometimes you can tell when your baby’s about ready to bite down usually when satisfied and starting to pull away from the breast. When you sense that your baby is finished feeding and may be bored or feeling playful, end the feeding. Break the suction by slipping your finger into the corner of your babys mouth.
If your baby is already biting down, pull your baby closer to you to make it more difficult to pull off easily. Then, break the suction. React calmly without raising your voice.
Here are more ways to make baby less likely to bite:
- Before a feed, give your baby something to chew on. Make sure it’s big enough that it can’t be swallowed or choked on and that it can’t break into small pieces. A wet washcloth placed in the freezer for 30 minutes makes a handy teething toy. Be sure to take it out of the freezer before it becomes rock hard you don’t want to bruise those already swollen gums. Wash after each use.
- Say, “Mommy is not for biting. You can bite this.” Then, offer your little one a teething toy or ring.
- Praise your baby with a hug, kiss, or cuddle whenever they nurse without biting or trying to bite.
Usually this is enough to stop the biting, but if your baby continues, talk to your doctor or lactation consultant for advice.
Recommended Reading: Does Costco Sell Newborn Diapers
Whats Going On With Newborn Spit Up
Whether breastfed or bottle-fed, the first few days after birth babies will often be spitting up amniotic fluid along with their meal. Because newborns stomachs are still quite small, an influx of liquid can be a lot to handle. As their stomach is expanding they will gradually be able to hold more milk. Technically, spit up is also referred to as reflux. No medication is needed to control this, and its not an allergic reaction, its totally normal.
Babies With Gerd Can Spit Up A Lot
What is GERD? GERD stands for Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease and a small percentage of babies will have this. Usually babies with GERD have a family history of GERD. Also premies and babies with other health problems may have GERD as well. Babies with GERD spit up or vomit frequently and experience discomfort when spitting up. Baby may be gagging, choking, burping or hiccuping frequently. The baby may also have bad breath. Baby may be fussy and have trouble sleeping because of the discomfort.
Lets review the 4 reasons why your breastfed baby is spitting up!
1) baby has a very small stomach
2) baby is getting too much milk too fast
3) baby is sensitive to cows milk
4) baby may have reflex
For me, stopping the cows milk seemed to do the trick! I hope this post was helpful to you, momma! =)
You May Like: What Is A Heart Murmur In Newborns