Excessive Spit Up

Generally if it is acid reflux there is crying and being fussy after each feeding. Some babies are just pukers. Mine certainly was! She didn't start until about 6 weeks, but she didn't cry or wasn't fussy after feedings. When she would throw up it was like a scene for the Excorsist, a full stream! One thing that helped us was to time how long she was eating, as I was nursing and so you can't really tell how much she was getting, so I would do 5 minutes on each side and if she wasn't done then I would repeat. Then we would keep her upright for the first half hour after she ate, that helped too. It didn't matter if it was breast milk or formula, she would hurl it all up. Hopefully this helps, but if it doesn't my sister switched her kinds to Soy Formula and that helped them. Check with your baby's doctor and see what they recommend, it could just be that he is just eating too much for his little tummy to hold. Good luck!

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Hi A.,
It sounds like he might be getting fed too much at one time. We had that problem with our son and I was stumped, so I asked the doctor what was wrong. As soon as we stopped feeding him so much at one time, he stopped spitting up! :-) Good luck!
J.

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Yes, I have experienced what you are going through. My son has Gastro. Reflux. Your son may have the same thing. It is a good idea to talk to your doctor about it. I can share my experience. I tried everything that you tried. Feeding small amounts at a time just feeding more frequently... that didn't work. I tried burping better... That didn't work... I tried putting rice in his formula.. that didn't work. Turned out he had a sensitivity to rice and could have been his body wasn't ready for the rice because when I started the rice my son would scream in horrible pain for 2 hours before he threw up. I noticed with him if he had too much activity, didn't get his naps or there was just too much stress around us his reflux would act up worse. To this day that holds true, he is almost 2 and if he doesn't sleep he will still get sick on me. For the most part he has grown out of it and it took almost a year before the daily throwing up stopped. I was a nervous wreck, I slept with him because once he threw up in his crib and could have chocked, another time he was lying on the floor under one of those toys for babies and he threw up and got some stuck in his throat, I had to call 911.. From that day forward I had him sitting upright in a bouncy seat a walker, an exerciser thing for babies anything that kept him upright while I was doing dishes or showering that way if he did throw up then he wouldn't chock or aspirate. It was a hard a year but we got through it. The most important thing is that your child is gaining weight even though he is throwing up. It is a good idea to keep your doctor informed. In some severe cases I think they do surgery to close the valve that lets food up but there are side effects, such has having a hard time burping after the surgery. Another issue I faced with him because of the reflux is when it came time to eat table food he just couldn't because of his reflux caused such a sensitive gag reflux that any time he tried to eat he would throw up. I had to start slow with foods that were really small, it was a trial and error to see what and how big he could eat, even mashed potatoes were hard for him to swallow I guess it was the texture. We have over come that now, but it took a long time working with him gradually making his foods bigger. For instance the crumbles (cheese) I had to start with breaking them even into smaller pieces for him and then he could eat it.
I wish you all the best luck with your son, have a lot of patients and keep a watchful eye on your baby boy.

N.

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If you are too worried, you could get him tested for acid reflux, but some babies just spit up a lot. My son, James did that...sometimes it seemed like it had to have been everything he ate, but he kept gaining weight. The spit up a lot of times is caused by excess gas getting into their tummies. When you are feeding him, try burping him 3 or 4 times during the feeding. You may see less spit up that way. Anything that gets put on top of the air in his stomache will likely come out as spit up (hence burping more often). I was told that by a lot of ppl when I was nursing.

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I have had that problem with my first child. My sister is having it with hers. It turns out the food allergies in my family are what has been creating havoc with baby feedings! Who would have thought? So cut out one food at a time, and see if it helps any (for about 4 days). You can start with dairy. That is usually the #1 top food allergy. Then you can try cutting out soy, then wheat, - the biggest allergens. See if baby has any difference in spitting up.

My sister cut out dairy and cut down on fats, and it helped her baby a LOT. He was diagnosed with reflux. These are some of the things you can try:

Grip Water (you can find it at Super Supplements). this has been a European Colic remedy for 100s of years!
Digestive enzymes mixed with a bit of water, put on the nipples so the baby gets some enzymes to help with digestion (these two things are food items anyway, not drugs).

Also, her naturopath prescribed a homeopathic remedy called "Chamomilla" which is helping her a LOT.

God bless you. I used to wonder how my son would survive! Even though at the time I didn't know anything and no doctor could help me, he still survived, but it would have been much better for him if I had known what I know now.

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I'd recommend 1st on practical clothing level to get Baby Chaleco bib clothing...a wonderful product/mom-owned biz (listed here on mamasource). #2, if he is still gaining weight I would not worry right now. Sometimes there is a phase like this when you do wonder, as you said, how they get the nutrition when spitting up so much. #3 If you are breast feeding you might look at whether you have been eating anything different or what he may be sensitive to. Or if formula, reconsider the type (I wouldn't do anything commercial and can give you a homemade recipe) #3, if it continues a long while after having worked with the above and weight becomes an issue, or other symptoms arise I'd be happy to help.
Be well,
Liz
Classical Homeopath

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You didn't say if you were breast feeding or bottle but I have found using the Dr. Brown bottles seems to help a lot with babies that sptting up a lot or just being fussy after eating. I have been dealing with children for over 29 years now.

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A.,

After your son eats, do you sit him up for about 15-20 minutes?

This may help you decide if he has reflux. Sitting up allows the child to process the food and settle the system.

We did this with our son...he still has recurrences every so often and he is 2 yrs old now...it does get easier.

Try the method (we used the car seat to set him up after a meal), and if it works you may want to talk to the doctor about reflux.

If you are not comfortable trying first, you may just want to talk to the doctor...also, he may have problems with regular milk products -- we had to switch to soy

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I went through something like this with my son. I never thought it was possible, but I was overfeeding him. He was spitting up what his body couldn't hold and digest. You could try giving him only what he seems to be able to hold.

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Hi A., excessive spit up can be related to reflux, when infants experience this it can come from different issues. It can be a nursing issue (gulping too fast). A lactation consultant can help with that.

Sometimes their little tummys get stressed and they can't digest very well, sometimes there is an actual twist in the tummy which will show up as early as a few days to as late as a couple of months, and sometimes they might have a compression of the crainal nerve that goes to the stomach. Crainosacral Therapy addresses each of these quite nicely, it is very gentle and very effective.

Check out www.ahealingapproach.com for more detailed information on CST and how it helps.

T.

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Our little man did the same thing, it turn out to be a full belly. As he got older it got better. Like they say, "what doesn't stay down will come up....LOL

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Hi A., have you considered that he may be eating too much. When a baby is too full they will spit up. Try not feeding him as much at a time. If he's bottle fed, it is easy to over feed a bottle fed baby. As many try to encourage them to finish a bottle when they don't need it.

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My questions is, how often are you feeding him? At 16 lb. he may be able to go 4 hours between feedings. Just a thought! My son went to 4 hours between feedings at 3 wks (born at 33 weeks!), and he not only ate better, but slept much better.

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I would highly recommend seeking information about Cranio Sacral Therapy. It was such a great way to get rid of her acid reflux and we didn't have to put her on medicine. Most pediatrician's recommend babies stay on reflux meds for 4-6 months. If you don't want your baby exposed to that I'd be more than happy to recommend a cranio sacral therapist to you. He is caring, knowlegeable, and quite affordable. It felt so great to get her treatment that allowed her body to heal itself rather than subjecting her to the pharmaceutical industry.

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My son is 22 months old now and I went throught the same thing from almost day one with my son. The doctor told me not to worry he was gaining weight. There are different catagories for "Spitter uppers". Finally at 9 months I had had it. I told the doctor to do something. My son was always throwing up, He was on the go and I didn't want anyone to hold him, because he would spit up. So we had a test ran, and found out my son had Acid reflex. He went on Two medications, one in the morning and one in the evening, for a bout 3 months. And then he grew out of the dosage of the medication. And we haven't had any problems with spit up since. YEAH!!!! Now anyone can hold my son with out any fears. Well, if my son allows to be held right now. LOL I tried everything that the doctors suggested. And nothing helped. Somtimes it is better to just run the tests and tell your doctor you aren't going to just set back a wait anymore. I wish I had spoken up earlier.

Good luck. Hope this gives you some hope and help.

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Hi A.,

My daughter's story sounds quite a bit like the others you've received. After a difficult start to nursing, she started spitting up seemingly large amounts of milk frequently around the two month mark. She gained weight just like she should, and it never seemed to bother her. I tried to find a pattern to it (something I ate, her eating too much, etc.) but there didn't seem to be a clear cause.

Our pediatrician told me that it was a mild reflux and didn't recommend medication since it didn't seem to be painful for my daughter. She did recommend trying to elevate the head end of the bassinet or staying upright after eating. She also suggested starting rice cereal at 4 months because the heavier solids might stay down better.

In the end, we just had a spitter. I invested in some thick cloth diapers to use as burp rags (flannel receiving blankets work well too if you're wearing really nice clothes:), and my daughter always wore a bib. I always handed my baby to others with a fresh burp rag and a pre-emptive apology. I did find that it was worse if she reclined fully while nursing, so I had to stop using nursing pillows and couldn't nurse while laying down at night. Things improved with solids, and by 7 or 8 months, she had pretty much grown out of it.

So, see what your ped says at your next well visit. But you're not alone having an urpy baby!

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Sounds like reflux. Both my children had it. Try keeping him upright for 20-30 minutes after each feeding so the food has time to digest before laying them down.

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My youngest (who is now two) was a projectile vomiter when he was a little guy. It was reflux. Fortunately, he was a "happy puker." It never bothered him a bit but oh my gosh did I think he was trying to turn himself inside out with the amount he vomitted. He was happy, healthy and gained weight right on schedule. Our pediatrician told us that this meant he was getting enough to eat. Nothing helped. We tried everything from burping regularly throughout a feeding to holding him upright after a feeding. We eventually took our cue from our happy little guy and just resigned ourselves to doing a whole lot of laundry (and having everyone my son came into contact with getting showered in baby barf!). It didn't start getting better until he was able to sit up by himself. Once he hit the cruising stage, the constant puking ended.

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A couple of ideas. Are you nursing or bottle feeding your Boy? Sometimes something you're eating may not be agreeing with him (if you're nursing) or if a bottle he may be having trouble with the formula. You can experiment with your diet or try switching formula's, i.e. milk based to soy based, etc. I had one of my adopted sons that we went through about 8 formula's before we found one that worked for him. Also, it sounds like this boy could be a reflux kid. Some babies have a weakness in the esophageal sphincter muscle just above their stomachs. You might want to check with your son's pediatrician at the next visit. I've had boys with each issue (I have 7)and it can be challenging. Sometimes smaller feedings more often will help with a reflux issue. Good luck. L.

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My son had pretty severe reflux which started at 2 weeks and lasted until he was about 6 months old. I don't know how you feel about medication but we gave him zantac (we had it compounded to not have any flavor since the mint was way too much for him). This doesn't stop the reflux but it does protect the esophogus which is really important. I too think it would be worth ruling out any food sensitivities but in the meantime it is important to protect their insides. By the way - get used to packing around multiple changes for both of you - I used to change my shirt 3 times a day and always carried around a stack of burp rags (we used old dish towels, and sometimes even coordinated them :). Good luck.

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My son started spitting up a lot when he was 5 weeks old and then it just kept getting worse and worse. He was gaining wait so we thought it was infant reflux. Finally, our doctor sent us to Children's Hospital for an ultrasound just to rule out Pyloric Stenosis. He was diagnosed and scheduled for surgery that afternoon. They said that first born sons from the ages of 4 weeks and 12 weeks are at higher risk. After laparascopic surgery he is all better. You might ask your doctor for an ultrasound just to rule it out. The ultrasound is painless and it is so much better to catch it early on before it gets to the point that he is no longer gaining weight.

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My son was/is the same way and his pediatrician diagnosed him with reflux, or GER. Friends and family would tell me, oh babies just spit up, but I too felt like it was excessive. My son also was a big boy, so at least I wasn't worrying about him getting calories.

My ped suggested we elevate one side of the bed when he slept, but that didn't seem to work, so we got a wedge, the AR Pillow. We still use the wedge when he is sleeping so he doesn't spit up at over himself. It really worked! Also, after I fed him during the day, and I nursed, but I'm sure it works for formula, I would place him in his chair or swing (but not moving) for 20 minutes or so. I believe this helped him digest what he ate and keep his stomach calm. I was vigilant about the 20 minutes with others and would ask them to basically ignore him during that time. If he got happy he would spit up (or get the hiccups, another symptom of GER).

The 20 minute rule and wedge made a huge difference. Also think about how much he is eating - he may be eating too much and his little body can't process it. It was an issue with nursing because my son could keep nursing for the sucking and get too much milk.

I hope it helps. Trust your instincts - there's spitting up and there's reflux. There are some great websites, google infant GER.

Good luck!

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Great job Mom, you should be proud of that darling baby.

The spitting up is simply following a fabulous feast!
Blessed is the baby who is a "happy spitter". (This comes from a mom whose 3 month old weighed 23 pounds!!)
Just for reference take an ounce of fluid and pour it onto a plate to see how far it spreads.
The weight gain speaks to a well nourished baby. You probably don't need to "burp" more often, he is going to mange all the gas release on his own. As long as he is eating, pooping and sleeping well tell yourself what a great job you are doing.

Take care,
D.

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My little guy use to spit up every feeding,(I was breast feeding), then doctor switched us to Similac Sensitive. There is one for fussiness and gas which was our problem, he had way too many gas bubbles, and then there is one directly for spitup.

Also as said, the sitting upright for about 20 min also helped big time.

Hope you get the help you need!
AS

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Congratulations!

My biggest concern is that there is an issue with his tummy or valves.

Breastfeeding or bottle...

Something you are eating maybe? Or maybe he has developed an issue with the formula.

You could try a couple changes there.

If he is upset prior to eating (crying/flailing) he may be ingesting air at that time. If you can schedule earlier feeding, maybe he won't end having air sitting there when feeding starts. Maybe you could burp him before feeding if you can calm him.

Sounds like you are keeping good track of his habits and trying good things.

My son did that and eventually started losing weight. Then it was a nasty spiral downwards.

Eventually it was discovered that he had an ear infection. Hurt to suck, so he would only eat til the hunger pain went away. Then he got weaker, couldn't eat, gor weaker etc, etc.

I eventualy had to force-feed him until his weight ad energy came back. It was terrifying.

Just keep in touch with your doctor and keep up with following through on your ideas.

A.

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My son had this problem, until he was about 8 months old. With formula we had to burb after each once, and once we started solids we just took each feeding nice and slow, but talk about a lot of mess! He continued to grow fine, and then one day just our grew the vomiting issue. I don't know if this will be the same for you, but if he is gaining weight and growing well he should be fine, regardless of the amount of spit. Best of luck to you, I know I got real tired of the smell being on me all the time! :)

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I'm sure you've had plenty of responses to this concern, but here's another one.;) My Mom dealt with this when I was a baby. I forget what she called it, but there's a flap in the esophagus, and, in my case, it wasn't fully formed when I was a baby, therefore, the food that went down would just come back up, since the flap wasn't big enough to close the opening. Wow, that was a huge run-on sentence.:( Anyway, talk to your pediatrician about it. It's a fairly common condition. I hope this helps.:)

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Your the only one who knows if it is really spit up or much, much more. If you really think it is everything he is eating beware that although he has gained wait thus far he could stop gaining and loosing weight quickly. My daughter was 8 weeks old when she suddenly started puking up everything that she ate. She was born very healthy, happy and gaining weight great. Doctors tried to tell me that some babies spit up alot and tried Acid Reflux medicine. My first daughter spit up heavily and I new this was different. Doctors didn't believe me and really take action until she started loosing weight. Like another responder they did an ultrasound and discovered she had Pyloric Stenosis in which the muscle between the stomach and intestines hardens and thickens not letting food pass. After a short laproscopic surgery she was much better and thriving again. All I can say is to stick with your gut feeling and if it doesn't seem right keep going back to the doctor and research and go in to the doctors armed with what you think it could be!

L.

Hi,

My recommendation is to look at what your baby is eating before seeking treatment for something like reflux (communicate with your pediatrician of course, I just wouldn't jump into a treatment). My baby spit up a lot and around 7 weeks of age I learned that certain foods I ate affected our little one (my baby nurses). Foods that affected our child if I ate it was, peanuts, rice, onions, and some others. If you are feeding your child formula I heard from another mother that she had to move her child to Similac Alimentum. Good luck! I know how hard it is to watch a baby go through spit ups :o(

My son had the same problem. He was a happy spitter who usually spit up 5 or 6 rimes per feeding (huge amounts!). He grew out of it by 9 months (though that 9 months can be trying). I hadn't heard of these at that time but you might be interested in looking into your little one wearing a hazelwood necklace.
My friend's son had BAD reflux and was on meds for it (as a newborn). Her mom told her about these necklaces so she gave it a try. She says it basically took away his painful reflux. She was able to take him off meds after 2 weeks of him wearing it.
Anyway, she told me about them because my daughter has had eczema since she was 3 months and nothing was really helping (these necklaces help with a variety of issues from teething pain, to eczema, to reflux). Since she has been wearing it (about 6 months now) she hardly has any breakouts at all. Supposedly they work by absorbing excess acid in the body (the wood has that natural property).
Anyway, you can find them at www.hazelaid.com
They're really cute too & safe for babies to wear because the clasp is made special.
Hope it helps.

Sounds like he might have GERD, gastroesophogealreflux disease. This means that his food is coming back up into the esophogus and then out his mouth. My grandson had that. We had him rest and sleep in his car seat which we placed in his crib. Another suggestion is to have him sleep on a wedge so that his head is higher than his feet. My grandson's pediatrician also prescribed an antacid.(I think but I'm not sure.)

The important thing is to keep him as upright as possible after he feeds.

It would be a good idea to check with his pediatrician. He may have different or more ideas for you to control the spitting up.

Hi A.,

Is your little guy nursing, or do you buy infant milk formulas?

Jenifer

Dear A.,
I recently just got over the same problem with my daughter. It is probably Colic, also known as, Stomach Gas.
What really helps is the infant "Gas X" that you can find at your local Walmart or Target, the store brand works justs as well. Put that in a bottle with some breastmilk or formula about 4 times a day. It helps slow down all the spitting up!!