Hiccups/spitting up with Breastfeeding

Congratulations! I echo a lot of other posters. Keep breastfeeding and see if it improves. If not, I would strongly suspect a food sensitivity (my son has several - he is 21 months and still breastfeeding a few times a day). Dairy is a usual suspect, although my son also has issues with corn. He used to cry at the breast and spit up a ton if I ate corn products. Once I eliminated dairy and corn, he stopped spitting up and fed quite happily.

good luck!!

Spitting up after feedings is totally normal. The amount should only be a spoonful or two (gross, I know) and should come dribbling out rather than coming out forcefully. Also, the spitting up should not upset him- that's how you know the difference between spitting up and vomiting. If he is not overly fussy, eats regularly, and is gaining weight I would not worry at all. Hiccups are also totally normal in babies. My son did the spit up and hiccup thing until he was about 6 or 7 months and is perfectly healthy (now 18 months). I asked my pediatrician about both, she told me they would stop, and they did :)
Congratulations on your new little man!!

once in awhile you might want to let off a little pressure of one breast before giving it to him (not all the time though as they need the foremilk, you might want to google Kelly moms and breastfeeding or read some books specifically on breastfeeding as they will deal with this issue in better detail for you). Sometimes if there is a lot of pressure with the milk coming out when they are so tiny, it could cause more of this (the nose thing, not the hiccups probably). YOu can pump some off or just get it to release in the shower or otherwise before feeding. No, it's not possible to overfeed a breast fed baby, but it is possible for it to be coming out with such force that its hard for them to swallow it all fast enough.

C.

It is very common for the first born son to have reflux. It also can causes hiccups. My son had all the same symptoms as yours. There also is a initiation period between you and your son as he gets used to nursing and your milk. It could be how fast your milk comes out as well if it is spraying down his throat. He also may be eating too fast and he will figure that out. I know it seems scary but as long as he is gaining weight and continuing to nurse he will be fine. At about 3 months you should see a complete difference. One thing you can do for hiccups is nurse him that usually takes them away. Sounds like your doing great though.

Hi J.,
I experienced the same thing with my newborn (born 4 wks early). Our Pediatrician was not concerned because our daughter was gaining weight. They claimed it was normal. Her feedings become very uncomfortable for her. She was grunting a lot and appeared to be gassy. After a couple of weeks, we took her to Phx Children's to see a GI Specialist. They did a few test and found that she has acid reflux and she aspirated (milk goes down the airway) when she swallows. I now have to pump and thicken her feeds which is another story in itself. My daughter is 9 wks now and we are finally on a plan that works for her.

I would suggest you talk to a lacation specialist.You can consult with one via phone for free or see one in person for around $35. I talked to Debbie and Mary at Babies, Mother's and More in Mesa/Gilbert.

Good luck & feel free to contact me if your son is diagnosed with acid reflux. I can tell you what has worked for us.

Best wishes,
M.

Hi J.,
This sounds like my first son. He had hiccups in the womb, and didn't stop once he came out! He'd get a hiccup fit at least once a day - always after feeding. I felt so bad for the poor little guy.

For spitting-up, what always worked best for me was a decent burp or two. You have to get the hang of it: I really think there's an "art" to it, or something. And often, one burp was not enough for mine. But, it didn't totally *stop* spitting-up, I think that just comes with the territory :)

Congratulations on the new baby!
t

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on the birth of your new baby boy! I just had my 4th boy in November and boys are AWESOME! Now...secondly, it is NOT possible to overfeed a breast-fed baby. They will stop when they're full.
Third, hiccups are TOTALLY normal for new babies. New babies always do a lot of sneezing and a lot of hiccuping...not to worry. Fourth, spitting up is also normal, especially at this age. Their little bodies are still developing and unless it's a HUGE amount of spit up, or projectile type vomiting where it spews out like a firehose, you have nothing to worry about. Spitting up a little bit and having it come out the nose is unfortunate, but also completely normal. You are wise to ask questions...it's the only way to find answers! Best of luck and lots of blessings for your new baby. Keep up the good work -- and enjoy every moment with your son. It will seem like the blink of an eye and he'll already be a big boy!

Happy mothering!
A. (SAHM of 4 boys ages 10,8,5 and 5 months)

My little one did the same thing. He had hiccups in the womb and still has them (just turned three months). I breastfed and he would spit up as well. Nothing major and I never worried until he started this gagging thing. At two months we found out he has acid reflux. Not sure what you can do about the spitting up part. If he is gaining weight and the spit up is not alot, like vomitting, you should be ok. Just keep an eye on him if he starts arching his back while eating, wants to eat all of the time (a sign his tummy is hurting and more food helps soothe) or begins vomitting. He might be protein sensitive in which you would have to stop all dairy if you wanted to continue breastfeeding.

No, it is not possible to over breastfeed your baby. The spitting up could be from a number of problems like acid reflux. You might want to ask your doctor about this one.

I think it's too soon to consider overfeeding. At two weeks, you're still working out "supply and demand" with your milk and you wouldn't want to mess that up. He could have a little acid reflux, but in general, he has an immature digestive system and these things take time. Some things you might try...take a look at your diet and possible delete dairy, brocolli, cauliflower or anything else that causes gas. I would consider a chiropractor who does cranial sacral therapy (CST) or a CSTherapist who has at least completed level two (CSTII). Go to upledger.com to find a therapist near you. CST is a very light touch therapy that can help with all sorts of things and I especially like it for the babies.
Good luck,
B.
P.S. My first son slept on a cloth diaper because he spit up so much! Wish I had known about CST then.

Hi J.,
My daughter had hiccups all the time in the womb, and just like your son, would spit up a lot. It seems perfectly normal. I talked to my pediatrician and he said that as long as it was not projectile spitting up it was fine. I would make sure to burp my daughter even after she had burped a few times. It seems to me that it was all due to taking in air. Like little air bubbles. Check with your pediatrician but it really does seem normal. Just think how new his little body is.
Do remember this, follow your instincts. If something just doesn't feel right talk to your pediatrician. Ask questions and get all the answers you need. Many blessing to the family.