My daughter is 5 1/2 months old the last few days she has occasionally been "spitting up" but it appears thinner and clearer. Could she actually be throwing up? How do you tell the difference. She has not been running a fever or acting lathargic. She's been her typical happy self- kicking, cooing and enjoying tummy time. Daycare reported she hasn't wanted her bottle as much but she has been nursing fine at home. Still plenty of wet and dirty diapers. Any thoughts?
C.
You will know when you see throw-up. What you have seen is probably spit up. Throw-up is much more projectile and more volume than just spitting up. I wondered that too when my girl was 5-6 months old until I witnessed the real vomiting.
It is probably spit up it comes in a variety of different ways, if your baby is throwing up, first it would be a ton of it,, and it would have that acid smell to it just like our throw up does! I know because when my daughter was three months she got really sick and was throwing up for like three days! And the bottle at the daycare, she probably prefers nursing so the bottle is just harder for her to adjust to. My daughter is 7 months old now almost 8 months and she still prefers to nurse, to get her to take the bottle is a fight! So just keep reintroducing the bottle she will finally take it!
I just asked my dr this on Saturday. My daughter is almost 4 months and having trouble with reflux. The dr asked if she was spitting up or throwing up. I asked what the difference was. She said if the baby is throwing up it would be forceful. Spitting up is just comes up, no force.
Hope that helps.
I have a little guy with reflux and the doc told us that spit up looks (and smells) like it did going down. Whereas vomit comes up super fast and smells sour, as it has already started digesting in the tummy. However, I can tell you that my son spits up regularly and there have been times where I've put him down for a diaper change and when I pick him back up the spit up goes shooting over my shoulder (what would appear as forceful). BUT- I know it's not vomit, it's just that I moved him a little too quickly after his bottle. Hope that helps!
I had the same question with my son - that is, until he actually threw up! It was practically projectile in nature, and very different than just spitting up. When your little girls vomits, you'll know it!! :)
She's teething. When babies teeth they have more saliva so that is why it looks thinner and clearer. Also she may not want to eat because her mouth hurts. Just keep offering it to her, try putting some ambusol (sp?) before giving her a bottle to help with the pain. If she's throwing up it would be a lot and she would be heaving, you would know.
I have a daughter with reflux and the other lady who commented is right. Vomit comes with more force. Spit-up may have the same quanity, but is just different. You'd know if she was actually vomitting.
Is she working on teeth? Swollen gums? Chewing? Drooling heavily? My son is 5 1/2 months old and has been a great baby. Very little spit up, sleeps great, no problems. He is now teething and is waking at night, drooling everywhere and chewing like a mad-man. His poor little gums are swollen and red. And he started the spitting up yesterday. It was the most recent feeding mixed with tons of drool. I would guess your daughter is probably doing the same thing that my son is doing - swallowing as much drool as they are allowing to run out of their mouths. So of course their poor little tummies are getting over full, not setting well, and then here comes the spit up. I may be complete off - if your daughter isn't teething, then look for a different answer. If she is, then I wouldn't worry too much unless it continues for too long. Good luck.
She could be teething. She could be spitting up saliva since during teething babies make alot of saliva. As far as nursing vs bottle. The bottle's nipple probably feels harder on her gums than your nipple does so maybe that is why she is not wanting the bottle as much.
HTH
S.
