Baby Spitting Up: Causes & Solutions
You’ve heard of the age-old adage, ‘Don’t cry over spilt milk’, right? Well, it’s about time you listened to a similar one:
‘Don’t cry over ‘Spilt’ Milk.’
Being a new mommy can be quite the intimidating experience, with new parenting challenges coming your way every now and then. One of these is seeing your baby spit out curdled milk, on numerous occasions.
If your baby is vomiting curdled milk, you can rest assured that it is perfectly natural during these early stages of their life. In this article you will not only learn about why it happens, but the steps you can take to reduce it, too.
At the outset, let’s take a closer look at why babies spit milk in the first place.
Why Baby Spit Milk
Most babies spit curdled milk occasionally, without any apparent cause. Excessive spitting of milk, though, can be on account of any of the following reasons.
Acid Reflux
This is one of the most common causes of baby spitting up curdled milk. It happens when the stomach contents come up through the oesophagus and reach the mouth, on account of an immature gastroesophageal sphincter.
An Immature Digestive System
A digestive system that is immature, can be one of the causes of baby spitting up curdled milk. Over time, their digestive systems get better, and they stop spitting up curdled milk.
Pyloric Stenosis
This is when your baby’s stomach is narrow, thus making it more difficult for food to travel to the intestines. Usually, surgical intervention is required to treat this condition.
How to avoid Baby Vomiting after Feeding
Is your baby vomiting curdled milk too often? Here are some of the best ways to manage that vomiting, and prevent the undue discomfort it brings them.
Control how you feed them
If you feed your baby too fast or too much, you’re asking for trouble.
To do: Instead of feeding them too much and too many times, you might want to increase the number of feedings, and feed a little less each time. Note: Keep an eye out for the signs of fullness, like slowed sucking or getting distracted.
Manage the Milk Flow
When looking at how to avoid Baby Vomiting after feeding, you might want to keep a check on that flow of milk.
To do: If your breasts are too full, express some milk to help manage the milk flow. In case your baby is bottle-fed, you need to check the nipple-hole to ensure the milk flow is not too much for the baby to handle.
Burp that Baby
One of the best ways to prevent baby spitting up curdled milk is by burping them after feeding.
To do: Burp baby frequently, after and even during feeding time, by holding them up and patting them on the back. Tip: If you are bottle-feeding, burp them after every 30 ml of milk. Note: If you’ve fed the baby too much, burping them can lead to more spit up!
Experiment with your own Diet
This one’s for all the mommies out there. Have you ever considered tweaking your own diet, as a possible Spitting Prevention Measure?
To do: If you’re a breastfeeding mother, you might see significant results when you exclude gas-inducing foods or even dairy, from your diet. You are what you eat, they say. In this case, your child is, too!
Check their sleeping position
In what position do you put the baby to sleep?
To do: Put your baby to sleep on their back. This not only reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), but also the pressure on the tummy, and therefore, the chances of throwing up, too.
Feed them in the right position
The way you feed your baby can significantly impact how they retain their food.
To do: You want to feed them when they are sitting upright. Feeding them in a curled or slouched position, can make them throw up.
Reduce the pressure on their tummy
While placing them on their backs works wonders in relieving tummy pressure, you also want to spare a thought to the clothes you dress baby in.
To do: Avoid anything tight at the waist. For instance, pants with tight elastic bands. The idea is to make them feel comfortable, no matter what they are wearing.
Treat Feeding Sessions like Meditation
When babies get distracted, they might ingest more air. This could make them spit up.
To do: You want to make sure that those feeding sessions are as calm and quiet as can possibly be.
Switch your Baby Formula Brand
Ever wondered about switching your brand of Baby Formula?
To do: You might want to switch over to a formula that has a low lactose content, or even one that is hypoallergenic. Note: Make sure you always consult your paediatrician, before changing your baby’s brand of formula.
After feeding, don’t let them get too active
After eating, you give your own stomach some time to settle, right?
To do: You want to make sure you wait at least 30 minutes after feeding, before you do tummy time or anything else that is energetic.
Keep Baby’s Head Elevated
Keeping the baby’s head elevated is a great way to prevent that acid reflux.
To do: Roll up a blanket and place it under the baby’s crib mattress. This will ensure that the baby’s head is elevated, without hurting their posture.
See a Lactation Consultant
Yes, there are specialists for every possible job in the world!
To do: You might want to see a good lactation consultant. They will help ensure your baby’s mouth is in the correct position for a good latch. This will help prevent your baby from swallowing air, and subsequently, from spitting that curdled milk, too.
We EuroKids hold the opinion that spitting up is normal and completely harmless for most infants. You can rest assured, that as long as your baby is not experiencing any discomfort and is making the appropriate weight gain, he or she is a perfectly normal infant.