How Do You Know If Its Reflux

Not all spit up is reflux. Is he fussy/crying? How are his feedings? How is his weight gain?

There are things that you can try before changing formula. Perhaps he is eating a little too much at each feeding and his little tummy is just over full. Placing him in that gentle incline for 20-30 after feedings may help. Not doing tummy time until it's almost time for the next feeding may help keep him from spitting up while on his tummy.

It could be the little muscle at the top of the tummy just needs a little more time to mature to keep his food in his tummy.

Every baby is different. Reflux can be serious but babies can be "spitters" without it being reflux. My fifth baby drenched me after every feeding. My doctor suggested trying smaller feedings. She was in the 95+ percentile for weight. Once we shortened her feedings she quit the spitting. If your son is healthy and his weight is Ok you try some coping techniques before changing formulas. The changing formula thing can be a long expensive road.

I wish you well,
S.

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hi A.,
at only ten weeks, your son probably just has an "immature" system...sometimes they just aren't as developed and it takes a while for them to stop spitting up. does he spit up after every meal? my second child did this, and we had testing done, etc...it was reflux, but there isn't much you can do...they will outgrow it as their system develops, but it may not really stop until they are sitting up on their own...i suggest trying one of the gentler formulas...we tried the super expensive ones, and then ended up with carnation good start...(he's 8 now, so i don't know what is available...)...but...the only other possibility i can think of is that he could be lactose intolerant...in which case a soy based formula should work. my older son, (11 now), had lots of gas pains after drinking his bottles, and we switched him to a soy based, i think it was an enfamil product, and that worked for him...trial and error...try a different formula...don't buy a lot at first, just a couple of days worth, and see if it makes a difference....good luck! the good news is, they do outgrow it eventually, but if you can make it easier until then, it will save you from all the spit up laundry you're probably doing..

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It sounds like he has a slight case of reflux or GERD. My son is 6 1/2 months old and has GERD. It can vary in severity. My son was about 1 1/2 months old and I was breastfeeding when he started getting really cranky and upset after he ate. He would burp and burp or just spit up. We tried gas drops thinking it was that, but it didn't help. He started not wanting to eat as much because while he ate he would throw up a little and then swallow it, I could tell he had bad heartburn. I took him to the doctor and she told us to burp him a lot and to keep him upright. I tried that it didn't work. I had to be persistent but she finally put him on Zantac. It was a miracle! He started sleeping longer and eats better and just overall a happier baby. I would talk to your doctor. Reflux doesn't always mean your baby has to be projectile vomiting. It can be a slight case. Good Luck!

Hey A.,
I have a 10 month old and she use to do that all of the time up until she was about 6 months old or so. She's breastfed but I couldn't immediately sit her up because she would spit up everywhere!! She too hated tummy time, she would cry and cry. As far as what I did about it, I just tried to feed her smaller amounts more often and that seemed to help a little, eventually though she just grew out of it but until then I always made sure I had burp cloth handy!! Good luck to you!

Hi A.,
Please consider taking your child to a Chiropractor before you switch formula and especially before you put him on any meds. I am a Chiropractor and I know this can be a very easy fix! Or technique is so gentle and effective! The birth process alone is enough trama to cause severe misalignment (regardless of method), especially in the upper cervical region. This is the area that would cause exactly what your discribing. If you have any questions that I can help with, please let me know. Congrats on your new baby!

If it were reflux he would spit up when more reclined not when sitting up in your lap. Your baby is probably just a "happy spitter", they just do that some times, keep a burp cloth with you at all times. :) If he is spitting when he does tummy time it is probably because he is not strong enough to hold himself up and the pressure is causing the spit up. The only way to make this better is to give him more tummy time. Proper tummy time only needs to occur for 5min. at a time if your child spits but make sure you do it 5-10 times a day. Get down on the floor with you baby, involve your 2 year old, they will both love it, I guarantee that it will get better and then you will be able to leave him to play for several minutes at a time. He just has to work up to it, just like us at the gym. Please don't give up the tummy time it is truly one of the most important things you can do for your baby's development.

Every baby is the same...I will walk not run to your doctor about this. It can be the furmula or it can be reflux With my son I went thru 4 or 5 formulas before we find the right fit for him Good luck

I agree that you would know if it was reflux. It's a totally different situation. You can try burping more frequently during the feeding (some just need that) or not feeding quite as much. Sometimes they get eating and don't pay attention. I've heard this happens more when they fall asleep eating. Anyway, their little stomach just can't quite hold it all, so they spit up a bit. You could also watch to see if he's backed up at all. If he is, it can cause him to spit up because there's not enough room in there for all the food when his bowls are full. I wouldn't be too concerned... he'll outgrow it. If he becomes overly fussy, or starts the projectile then I'd take him in to have him looked at.

Don't worry, you would know if it was reflux. (And so would your doctor) My son had reflux and not only did I carry around a change of clothes of him when we went out, but also for me. It is very messy, very projectile, and you think more comes out than went in. I used receiving blankets as burp clothes. Even though my son did have reflux, he also hated being on his tummy. Your son may just not like being on his stomach and getting upset about it brings on spitting up. My doctor assured me that tummy time was not as important as tummy time mat sellers want us to think it is. Every kids is just different, that's what makes them so special. We all have our likes and dislikes.

I think if it were reflux it is more the lying down after feeding, but regardless, wait 20-30 minutes for getting him up and playing after feeding. Sitting the rocker is ideal. Some babies just spit up, as long as he is acting fine and does not empty his whole stomach each time. You are probably going soon for his next shots to the md so ask him them. Switching formulas wouldn't hurt. but give each one a chance, not just one or two feedings.

I kept complaining to my daughter's ped that the puke smelled super sour and that she hated laying down and would squirm during the night. She put her on something like Zantac and it got much better. At 6 months we still had some problems and were switched to Prevacid.
I know a lot of people don't want to give meds to their babies (and I wasn't sure, either), but what a difference it made in our lives. She was so much happier, ate and slept better and I felt better knowing that her heartburn was gone.

It sounds like it could be a slight case. You could try switching formulas, it may help. My ds was the same way, but I mostly breast fed. He had a slight case, but the dr. didn't give him anything because it didn't seem to bother him. He outgrew it, but it took until he was walking. I always had to carry an extra shirt with me! Also, the car really bothered him and usually waited until 1hr after he was fed or he was miserable. To be safe, I would check with your dr.

My son has refulx and is now 9 months old. I unfortunately did not know any of the signs so it got really really bad before I took him to the doctor. Does your little one ever arch when eating, or right after? Or fuss while eating? Those are two signs as well. Does he have trouble sleeping on his back? When my son's reflux got really bad (or when I realized something was going on which was before he was 3 months old) was when he started getting up crying and crying almost every hour of the night. He also hated tummy time for a long time, until we started him on meds and he started feeling better. I would suggest writing down anything you are noticing during and after feeding, and call your doctor. It never hurts to discuss it with him/her and if he/she thinks it is, meds can do amazing things if your son needs them and can make your little one feel so much better. Good luck!