1 Month Old Spitting Up...Alot

Updated on November 04, 2008
B.R. asks from Atlanta, GA
31 answers

I feel like my newborn spits up too much. Not sure what's the problem. We go to the doctor next week for her one month check up. She's getting enough because she has wet and soiled diapers. Her color is normal and she's gaining weight (noticeably...good thing too). Could she have acid reflux? I'm breastfeeding but I have supplemented with the Similac Advance. I have also given her a small amount of cereal in hopes that she'd spit up less. But the amount is so small, I'm not sure it helps and I don't think its wise to give her much more.

Always appreciate the advice given here. Thanks in advance

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So What Happened?

I did stop the cereal. My mom jumped all over my case about it too. :)

My little princess is doing great. Took her to the doctor yesterday and she now weighs (at 5 weeks) 9.3lbs. The doctor said unless she was extremely fussy there was no need to change her formula or give her any medication. It is surely acid reflux but she will more than likely grow out of it within a few weeks or few months.

She still spits up a good bit but I've learned to sit her up during feedings and burp her after each ounce (if bottle fed) or after 5 minutes when breastfed. This seems to help.

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T.W.

answers from Augusta on

I have to say my toddler was just like that when she was infant and she was breastfed too. When I told her pediatrician about she told me as long as she was peeing and pooping okay and doesn't seem to be in any distress when spitting up then she was probably okay. My infant was just a spitty baby. Now she is 1 1/2 and is very healthy and strong. We didn't have any weight problems with her or anything. Like my pediatrician told me, "It is more of a laundry problem then anything else."

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S.W.

answers from Atlanta on

You should hold off on cereal, she's too young. Try Similac Isomil Advance, it's a soy-based formula with a bright pink label. Good luck.

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K.F.

answers from Savannah on

Try using the soy formula to supplement you baby's feeding. My son spit up way too much when he was first born was eating the milk-based formula. After he was switched to a soy-based formula, he spit up much less. Granted, he's still a spitter! But it's nothing like when he ate the milk-based. Similac makes Isomil Advance, which is the soy-based formula.

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V.A.

answers from Atlanta on

I know most of the other said this too, but please stop the cereal, her digestive tract is too young for it. If she is just spitting up a small amount and not seeming uncomfortable, crying , etc then just wait for the month check up and ask. you could try eliminating dairy from your diet.

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K.G.

answers from Macon on

Hey B.,
My son spit up constantly and had reflux/colic and didn't sleep much for the first 13 months. EVERY bottle was burped with more spit up than all my friends and I thought something was wrong with him. some babies just spit up more than others. I invested in prefold cloth diapers as we NEVER went anywhere without them! LOL
Every child is different and as long as she is gaining weight and growing both physically and matering skills, she should be fine. I can remember my son doing his once a day/never knew when "power puke". We carried a complete change of clothes everywhere we went, gallon zip locks for the soiled clothes and kept a change for us in the car. Never knew when we'd need it and more often than not, we used them within a couple of days. That same child is now 6'3"!!
I would still ask the Dr for reassurance, but I think you and your daughter will be fine....good luck

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C.E.

answers from Atlanta on

No cereal. My pediatrician would tell you that ALL babies spit up, poop a lot and cry. I doubt very much that she has acid reflux. You would know it if she did because feeding would be a very painful experience, and she would be resistant to doing so. Just so you know, my first son, spit up (literally) until he was nearly two years old (especially yogurt). My second son did have acid reflux, but he didn't spit up nearly as much as his brother did.

Please continue breastfeeding. I'd eliminate the "supplementary" formula. She is getting enough from your breast feeding if you're breastfeeding her enough.

Have lots of burp cloths on hand, and let the people who also care for her know that they will need one on their shoulder.

Your baby's body is still finishing up some of the things it didn't get to finish in the womb. Closing off the esophagus completely when eating is one of those things.

Good luck.

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A.B.

answers from Atlanta on

My son (now 3) spit up from literally the day he was born until almost exactly his 2nd birthday. The formula that I found worked well is Enfamil A.R. Lipil (It's the bright reddish pink can). It is made for babies with acid reflux (hence the "A.R.") and has a little formula made into it which seemed to help my son tremendously. He still spit up (and gained weight, too!) but it got better with that formula. I fed him less, more often.

Good luck!

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S.P.

answers from Charleston on

You can get advice from your pedicatrician but I hve an alternative to the regular medication answer. You may want to try a good family chiropractor. Many newborn/childhood ailments can be avoided by regular chiro treatments. Both of my girls have been treated by a great family chiro in Summerville, Dr. Heather Wyannt. Her practice is called Atlantic Coast Family Chiropractic and it is located o Trolley Rd. You should look into it.

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J.G.

answers from Myrtle Beach on

I have four kids- two have been spit uppers and two not so much. It's normal. Invest in a lot of burp clothes. It'll decrease when they start sitting up independently- at 5-6 mo. Reflux and spitting up are not the same thing.

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M.J.

answers from Charleston on

Take her to a Chiropractor!!! It could be resolved right away with this care! PLEASE stop the cereal until 6 months, her body is NOT ready for that and it will lead to further complications now and later in life. If you need more info on chiopractic, please ask:) Good luck!

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T.P.

answers from Atlanta on

Could be acid reflux. But I think it is normal for babies to spit up. Maybe she is getting to much milk, and she is full. I would wait until the 1 month checkup before giving her more cereal, even though it may be suggested to add cereal to keep the spitting up down. Congrats and good luck.

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T.M.

answers from Savannah on

Unless your baby is crying and in pain during spitting up or it's an obseen amount and her diapers are too dry throughout the day you do not need to worry about acid reflux or anything else. MY 1st spit up almost the whole feeding every time I breastfed her for the 1st 6 mths of her life. I started giving her formula bottles with cereal in it at least once a day at 2 mths of age and it did help some...our pediatrician at the time said it's normal because your babies stomach is trying to get used to having more and more food in their stomachs. I used Similac Advance for my 1st daughter who is completely healthy/normal at 22 1/2 mths old and am currently using it for my 2nd daughter who is 6 1/2 mths and she spits up considerably less than her big sis. I think some babe's just spit up more than others. Like I said unless your baby is acting in pain or crying when it is happening I wouldn't worry about it. Good luck!

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K.B.

answers from Atlanta on

STOP GIVING CEREAL!!! A young digestive tract cannot handle this~!!!!! Spitting us is NORMAL.

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C.G.

answers from Atlanta on

You should call the nurse line at your pediatrician's and describe what is going on. My second had horrible reflux his whole first year. I started calling at 3 weeks old about it. When I told the nurse that he would spit up in the middle of breastfeeding, would spit up with out burping, milk would just flow back out of his mouth, and other things that were different, it started us on our way to diagnosing reflux, not just a spitty up baby.
In the meantime, keep the baby upright for 20-30 minutes after feeding. Hold her or set her in the swing, etc. I suggest you don't bounce her. When you nurse, try keeping her on only one breast at each feeding to make sure she's getting the thicker hind milk. That might help settle her tummy. Buy extra bibs and burp cloths. I know this stinks. Good luck.

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J.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Two things you might consider:
1) do not add cereal, she is too small and the danger of food allergies developing is high when giving food that she is not ready to digest. 6 months is usually the earliest to give cereal (although some babies do start earlier if they are hearty).
2) Some babies do not tolerate milk products well. Since you are breastfeeding (way to go, Mom!), stop your cows milk and drink rice milk or almond milk or soy. Cut out everything with milk except cheddar cheese. After 1-2 weeks, it may really limit the spitting.
3) Drink lots of water and get your supply up as much as possible so you don't have to supplement because of all the casein and other things that could cause a sensitive reaction.
Best of luck, J.

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I.T.

answers from Augusta on

My first daughter spit up all the time. I still walk around in my bra and put my shirt on at the last minute when getting ready to go out! And she is going to be a mom next month! I agree with others to just keep a lot of diapers around for burping and bibs to protect clothing.
Good luck!

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R.D.

answers from Spartanburg on

I'd certainly ask about reflux, but in the meantime, I'd stop the cereal. One month is really too early for it, and sometimes it can cause problems, because a baby's digestive system really isn't ready for it. I had this problem with my son, and it turned out to not be reflux, but I did have to elevate one end of his crib and be very careful to keep him upright for quite a while (at least 10 minutes) after a feeding before I put him down. Good luck!

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M.A.

answers from Charleston on

Dear B.,
To me, it sounds like your baby is normal. She's gaining weight and has wet diapers (a sure indication of good feeding!). She may even be getting too much food, with the formula and cereal. I'd of course talk to the doctor, but my recommendation is hold off on any cereal until 4 months and stop the formula, too, unless it's a breastmilk meal substitute. In other words, less may be what she needs. All babies spit up, and if she's gaining weight, I'd just keep a lot of burpie towels handy!
M.

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A.M.

answers from Atlanta on

For me, I found out that what I ate greatly affected how much the baby spit up and how fussy they were. I kept a food journal, and I was quickly able to see what the baby did and didn't like. For my son, it was dairy, cooked tomatoes (very acidic), caffeine, nuts, chocolate. For my daughter, it was eggs, spicy food, nuts, onions, caffeine, chocolate, peppers. The good news was that with my son, I lost weight quickly because there weren't very many desserts I could eat.

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J.L.

answers from Florence on

My son did the same thing when he was little like that. He was exclusively formula-fed, and I switched him to Enfamil AR Lipil when he was 3 weeks old. The doctor said he didn't have acid reflux, but it still helped us. It's got a little cereal mixed in to help your baby keep it down (it's ground up fine enough to be safe for little tummies). The AR helped LOTS but we still struggled with spit-up for months.

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A.M.

answers from Atlanta on

hi B.,
if she is spitting up after every meal, or between every two meals, it probably is reflux...and there usually isn't much you can do until they outgrow it...except really weigh down the formula, (sometimes it's hard to get it out of the nipple because it's so thick), or try a gentler one...their esophogus may not be developed enough, and really you might only be able to make it a little better until they outgrow it...but if your baby is growing, and healthy..you may just have to deal with the inconvenience for awhile...(that's what my doctor told me...) there are sometimes some medications that will help, but if the baby is healthy otherwise, they would hesitate to put them on it...and you might just as well not want it, either...i know this probably isn't much help, but i know how frustrating it was when my son was happily spitting up on anyone and everyone...by the way, a hint for you...wipe the spit up with a baby wipe to take away the smell until you wash it...good luck!

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T.B.

answers from Atlanta on

It is reflux. Some kids have it worse than others--some a lot worse. My kids all had it bad. With my daughter, sometimes it was projectile. Formula or breastmilk didn't matter. They just did it. The doctor won't be too concerned if the baby is gaining weight. They will grow out of it; although, it seems like an eternity. I think about the time they were crawling, it was significantly better and practically gone by 12 months. You can discuss with your doctor. If the baby is uncomfortable, the doctor can prescribe Zantac. My boys were on that as well as Reglan (another prescription to help reflux). You should also set her up and keep her still after feeding and give her a pacifier. That will help some. Nothing seems to make it go away though.

Once she is weaned, you can try Enfamil AR. It has the same nutrition, but with added rice starch to make it a little thicker. That seemed to help my daughter a little.

Good luck! I know how bad this is!

T.

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D.H.

answers from Atlanta on

My children (#4 and 5) that I breasfed exclusively did not spit up. My babies (my first two) that I used formula or supplemented spit up a lot. That's probably the connection perhaps or did she spit up even before the supplemental formula?

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R.W.

answers from Atlanta on

My son had the same issues (he will be 1 on Sunday) and grew out of it. I, too, breastfeed and was concerned that he might have reflux. Turns out he did not, he just was what my dr called "a spitter." It really was more of an annoying laundry problem than a health problem. He would be totally fine and happy and then all of a sudden spit up would roll out of his mouth while he continued smiling and being happy. He eventually outgrew it, but he probably spent every waking hour with a bib on! Not great for pictures but kept the clothes dry.

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J.L.

answers from Atlanta on

My 2 year old had bad acid reflux - was finally put on Zantac after a little while to help. My daughter is 6 weeks old and has been spitting up a little too. At her last appt (3 weeks ago) the doc changed her formula and told me to put 2 tsp of cereal in her bottle. The cereal does help. Do you notice that she spits up more with the formula than the breastmilk? If so, you may need to change formula and then add the cereal! Also, keep the baby sitting up some during and after the feeding. It helps the food go down and stay down! Good luck. Be sure to mention it to the doctor though

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S.J.

answers from Atlanta on

I had the same problem with my last babay (now 3). It turns out she has an allergy to milk proteins found in the milk based formula (I had a reduction mamaplasty before I was pregnant with her so I had limited milk supply) coupled with reflux. We stopped the formulas and she was fed breastmilk exsclusively from a milk bank. After her feedings she had to sit up for an hour in a carrier making sure her head was higher than her chest and legs. Please don't feed a baby younger than one cereal that predisposes them to allergies. So does starting them on soilds because of their not fully developed digestive tracts.

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K.R.

answers from Savannah on

Both my children had reflux. Here is the difference in spitting up and reflux. Spitting up happens right after a baby eats and is very normal and your baby could just have simply bad gag reflexes and then reflux usually happens an hour or more after a baby eats. Try not give him cereal this young unless it is reflux because he is too young to digest it. Both of my children had to have cereal and it helped for the reflux but it irritated their bowels. Also, try propping him on a bop pillow, bouncy or hold him upright for half an hour after he eats. That helps alot with the spitting up and reflux. Hope this helps.

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H.R.

answers from Myrtle Beach on

She's only 4 weeks old. I would stop the cereal. Let her nurse, nurse, nurse. She may not like the formula. Also make sure you are getting good nutrition in your diet. This will help her. I haven't dealt with acid reflux with my kids, but it has taken me 3 kids to figure out that nursing is the best. Hope she gets better. You must be a VERY strong person to be doing this alone! Congrats on you new one!

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B.S.

answers from Atlanta on

It could be reflux, but it really sounds like she get TOO much food. Her little tummy is only the size of a walnut. So if there is too much food, there is only one place for it to go - out! I also supplemented with formula because my milk was delayed, but be sure to not to do full servings of breast and formula. Also, her tiny tummy is NOT ready for cereal! That is probably another cause for the spitting up. Her system just isn't ready to handle cereal yet. She's got another 5 months until she'll be ready for cereal. I would say to track how much she is eating (times and amounts of feedings) and then take that with you to the dr. I think it would be fine to ask about the reflux, but you may find that cutting back on feeding amounts may do the trick...especially if she is growing!

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D.T.

answers from Spartanburg on

Could be reflux, but it could also be what you are eating. My daughter breastfed and I supplemented with Similac when needed, and as long as I did not eat cabbage (raw or cooked) she did not spit up as much. You may want to look at what you are eating and see if there is a correlation between your diet and when your baby spits up the most. Maybe it will be as simple as eliminating certain foods from your diet as long as you are breastfeeding. I love cabbage, but not so much that I couldn't live without it while I breastfed my baby. Other things you may consider are the formula itself and whether you are burping your child enough. Even though you hear that breastfeeding eliminates most of the need to burp a child, I found that my daughter and son would sometimes still swallow air prior to latching onto the breast completely and still needed to be burped (between breasts).

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T.H.

answers from Spartanburg on

Since you're supplementing with the formula, I would question the doctor about whether that's causing the problem. Perhaps a change in formula brands is necessary? Once when my baby was about 8 months old, we ended up buying a bad case of formula. He spit up for a while before I finally realized all the formula was from the same "lot". Once I exchanged that formula, he was fine.

Another possibility is that the cereal is upsetting her delicate digestive system. Be sure to mention that to the doctor as well.

Good luck!

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