Unhappy Baby Boy

The same thing was happening to my sister-in-laws baby girl and the doctor finally came to the conclusiong that she has severe acid reflux and is now on medication for that and can finally keep her food down. It got So bad that she started loosing weight! Good Luck!

my daughter was real bad. For the first month I listened to the doctors and did as you did. She wasn't getting any better so I decided to take matters in my own hand. My mom said I was lactose intolerant as a baby. I tried the soy formula. She did better but was still having problems. I ended up putting her on goats milk and with a few days she was not crying all the time and was happy for the first time since she was born.
Goats milk is missing some vitamins so I had liquid drops to give her once a day. As she grew her tolerance to milk products grew as well. She is able to handle 2% milk and some milk products in moderation.
The doctors wanted me to continue with their plan saying she will be fine but I could not allow my baby to suffer any more.

I had the same problem with my daughter, now 4.5 months old. Try giving up the caffine. That always affects my baby. Even if I have a smal sip of coke, she is out of sorts. Try getting rid of the caffine, not the breastfeeding. You are doing a great job by asking for help.

The caffiene did that exact thing to both of my boys. I had to cut it out 100%.

R. - I would stop drinking caffeine all together. Also, when you say you quit milk, do you mean yougurt, cottage cheese, cheese, sour cream....or just milk? I bet the caffeine has a lot to do with it. If you smoke I would stop doing that too. I also found that when I breast fed my first son he was a lot less likely to spit-up than if I bottle fed him. Bottle nipples are much bigger than boob nipples, so your son will get a lot of formula quickly, so make sure he takes "burp breaks" or just cut the formula out all together if you can.
Good Luck, I know it's hard, I think we have all been there.
L.

I sound like a broken record- but he could have reflux- lots and lots of babies have it. You should keep track of his sleep patterns, how much he spits up etc. and then talk to your doctor. I have the web site for reflux or you can look it up on-line for reflux wedges, probiotics, meds, white noise and lots of other things that help. We didn't go with the thicken of formula/breastmilk because we believed their little tummies can't handle rice yet and our doctor didn't think it worked just and oldswivestale;-)
Most the time it isn't your milk.. You can cut out caff and dairy, just to rule it out. Also if you can wear your baby more during the day the day that also helps. Try feeding him upright and keeping him upright for 15-30 mins after he eats.
Just know you are not alone;-)
Hope this helps
Lynelle

My son was a spitter, too!

(Ah...you know when there's a name for it, that you're in trouble!)

So...the biggest thing that we did that helped was burping. Some of my friends have been able to get by with a couple minutes (or even just a few pats!)...but not us!

I'm talking 15-25 minutes.

A series of small burps would happen, followed EVENTUALLY by a series of long BIG ones. I highly recommend a comfortable rocking chair.

Even with that though, he would still spit up from time to time.

One reason many spitters spit up is that they're getting a LOT of milk. If you're curious how much your son is getting when he eats good lactation consultants have VERY sensitive scales. They weigh your baby before and after he eats. I was afraid my son wasn't getting enough (I would never get more then an ounce or two expressing or pumping...even with the big professional types at the hospital)...turns out he was getting an average of over 20 OUNCES PER FEEDING. No wonder he was spitting up. That's more then a bottle of soda! In that little tiny tummy!!! Even with long burpings, every time he'd bend too much, up it came!

There's other reasons for spitting up, too, but that was ours and our experience.

Z.

Oh, BTW...I couldn't look a glass of milk in the face anymore after I started nursing! And while many people have problems with caffeine while nursing, we weren't one of them. Everyone's physiology & metabolism is different.

I can relate! All 3 of my kids have allergies. Discovered source of "colic" was allergies -- cow's milk, soy, rice, almonds, artificial coloring. Actually, eliminating all milk products from my diet during the two years I nursed each of them took care of colic. I found out about the other allergies as they started eating solid foods.

Personally, I'd cut out the caffeine. If that is the culprit, it is so worth the sacrifice to have a happy baby! Then you can have all you want after he is weaned! :) There is life after nursing. I never enjoyed ice cream so much as after I gave it up for two years (3 times!). :)

FYI: each of my children respond to different allergens. So my first was okay with me eating "hidden" milk (cooked in foods, etc.), but my 2nd had to have all milk products eliminated from my diet (whey, casein, sodium caseinate, etc.). Of course I found all this out through "trial and error" and asking friends, MIL (hubby had allergies), and Dr.

Good for you for asking! Keep up the good work!

R., It really sounds like he has acid reflux. Your doctor will prescribe medication which he will be on for months (it's not just a couple of doses and gone). My daughter had the same issue and I wasn't ready to put her on pharmaceuticals for a long period of time. I did some research and found out about craniosacral therapy. I took my daughter 3 times and she had improved within 2 weeks. It wasn't long at all until all reflux issues were gone. The therapy allowed/taught her body to heal itself. If you're interested in finding out more, check out:
www.kwanyinhealingarts.com (this is the clinic I took my daughter to)
or
http://www.carolgray.com/carolgray/Craniosacral_Therapy.html (she offers FREE clinics once a month for newborns)

Best of luck and I hope you get help for him very soon!

Hi R..

I definitely suggest looking at all of the things in your diet. Caffeine is really tough thing on a babies new little bodies, so I think you're on the right track there. Spicy foods and garlic are other common things that are tough on babies.

Another thought is that your baby may have reflux, which means that stomach acid may be coming back up to the throat from the stomach (especially after eating) when the baby is laying down flat, which is painful for the baby. I would definitley suggest talking to your pediatrician about it AND doing some research of your own online (since some pediatricians are a bit worthless - it depends on how much you trust yours). It's always good to do your own research anyway, even when talking to your pediatrician, because then you can have all the right questions to ask. For the meantime, the best thing is to not lay your baby down flat. Make sure she's at least slightly propped up while eating and sleeping. You can buy a crib wedge, which slightly elevates the baby in the crib. For a baby only 10 weeks old, I suggest getting the kind that has the side cushions so your baby can't roll over into a bad position. There are some more specific products out there for younger babies with reflux that need to sleep with their upper half elevated.

Also, since reading is nearly impossible with a new baby, I suggest renting or buying "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD and the "Dunstan Baby Language" DVD. Both can help you help your baby and help you understand what your baby is trying to tell you. Some people like one more than the other, but I found them both to be helpful. Netflix and Blockbuster have them for rent, or you may be able to get them from your local library too.

Good luck!

You might want to have a chat with your baby's doctor about acid reflux. My little one also spit up a lot and at our 8 week appointment the doctor heard him cry after eating/spitting up and she put him on medicine right away. It made a huge difference! All the crying had to do with the acid rolling up after eating and burning my little ones throat. When he wasn't heald upright the acid rolled up even more so that might be why your baby cries when put down. You might want to test this idea by trying to keep him upright for 20 minutes after eating and then try putting him down. Also, caffine is one of the things that can bother acid reflux. Chocolate is also a big irritant. Chat with your dr. because you might find he needs some medicine. My little one will now take 2 hour long naps and loves being on the floor. Everything cleared up within a week of being on the acid reflux med.

I'm sorry you are going through this! The only thing I can offer is that perhaps he is allergic to something else you are eating. If you've been off milk (and all dairy) for two weeks, then it is not likely to be dairy. Wheat is also a very common problem.

I have a son with a severe peanut allergy. I didn't have this type of reaction with him, but I know many others whose children responded similarly to their breast milk.

Of course, you should always consult your pediatrician - I'm sure you've done that.

Good luck!
C.

Hi Sweetie,

I know that you have a ton of advice and great ideas, but I just want to say first of all that you are doing a great job! It's tough having two little ones especially when you're dealing with what you are going through. Keep up the great work, mommies are amazing!!!

I just wanted to throw out there that sometimes what I have found to help moms with a cholicy baby or one who spits up quite a bit is a great sling or wrap carrier. You can even make one yourself out of stuff you have around the house if money is an issue. I would not suggest a snuggli or back pack carrier, but a sling, wrap carrier, mei tai, ergo, etc... The way that the baby sits in them is very different and will help promote a happy baby. It'll also give you a chance to get a couple of things done with out having to worry about him being upset at being put down. A couple of great websites to go to if you'd like to learn more about "wearing" your baby are: www.mamatoto.com and www.thebabywearer.com.
Also, here's a link to some useful info. from La Leche League regarding breastfeeding and a cholicky baby.
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBfussy.html
Try to take care of yourself, I know that it's difficult.

D. Rylander
A Blessed Birth Doula Services
###-###-####
____@____.com

My daughter was a big spitter too and a little colicky. We called the doc finally and got her on medicine for acid reflex. I also read the book the Happiest baby on the block and those things really helped her. We were able to get her on a good schedule and sleeping really well in her own crib by 4 months.

My 2nd son did this same thing, and it took until his 15 mo. check up to realize what it was. He is lactose intolerant!!! I wish we would have discovered this much, much sooner. He spit up constantly whether it was breast milk or formula, and using the Enfamil Gentlease (purple label) didn't help either. Our pedi (and I agreed) ruled out reflux from the beginning due to other symptoms he did not have. As soon as I switched him to lactaid milk, which WIC does cover, he quit spitting up -- and that was at 15 mos old, long past when he should have outgrown spitup. He also has mild eczema, which the dr and I are pretty sure is due to a milk protein allergy, but he does not have a problem digesting yogurt or cheese so I have continued giving him those for now. Hope this helps, and congratulations and good luck!

I doubt it's your milk. The best thing you can do is ask your pediatrician. I did have to give up caffiene for the most part (like only one cup a day) while nusring at the advice of our pediatrician because my daughter did the same thing.

Hi R.,
If you haven't done so already, bring him to the Dr. and have him checked for reflux. Good Luck.

Hi R.-

My little boy was like this as an infant. We actally switched him to soy formula and it helped. The Dr. didn't know what the problem was, but he spit up a lot less. We were afraid he wouldn't be able to drink milk at 1, but he was. He's fine now.

Hi R.,
My oldest girl would do the same thing. She would just chow down and overfill her little belly. I started to cut her off when I could tell she was full and burb her. If she would still act hungry after a few minutes I would nurse her again.
If you think it's something you are eating I would keep a food diary (I did this with both my girls). It really helps you figure out if it's something in you diet AND it will help you loose the baby weight. Who wants to write down 3 cookies for a snack??
Good luck!
MB

Unfortunately it is just something that happens with some babies. Just because a baby spits up doesn't mean they have acid reflux. But keeping him upright is a great idea. My first child spit up like crazy and I was so sure she wasn't getting anything, but she grew perfectly. She eventually grew out of it. My 2nd child spit up maybe 3 times, but he ended up with medical problems so it actually made me greatful for the spit up that child 1 and child 3 did. They stopped around 8 or 9 months and it does lessen with the amount of solids they eat, because they have less of a liquid diet.
Don't stop breastfeeding, unless you feel it's absolutely the right thing for you to do. Formula stinks much worse than breast milk. It is very gross and a pain to clean up, but just make sure that you have some good burp cloths and hold him in a way that you can be sure to catch most of the spit up.
As for the colic, try bundling him up in a cozy sleeper and keep his room kinda cool. This helps ease the coughing so he can get some sleep. Or if he's having an especially hard time wrap a nice warm blanket around him and take him outside or in the garage, where it will be nice and cold, and stay there for 5 minutes or so. Good luck!
Hang in there, you are doing great!!

Dear R.,
I'm sorry you're going through a tough time right now. I have a couple things to say about it. :-) First, I think you should get OFF the caffeine. I can't imagine that being good for your baby. Second, it sounds like he might be eating too much at one time. Try feeding him for a shorter amount of time. I hope this helps, and good luck!

Both of my grandchildren spit up alot. It helped to keep them upright for an hour or two after feeding them. The doctor recommended raising the head of the mattress but they both just slid to the bottom. We started putting them in their car seat which helped alot. They slept in their car seat and seemed to sleep much better too. We put the car seat inside their crib. At night they wore fleece footed slippers. When it was colder and they were small we wrapped them in a receiving blanket. Later we just tucked a blanket around them. They liked being wrapped tightly.

My grandson still spit up some and was very constipated. His doctor prescribed an ant-acid which seemed to help him feel better tho he still spit up. His mother tried several different medications for the constipation which didn't help. He just grew out of it. At 5 he has no longer had difficulty with GERD or constipation for a couple of years.

Sitting and sleeping in her car seat helped my granddaughter spit up much less, better than it worked for my grandson, tho it helped him some. The pediatrician tested her for allergies and found that she was noticeable allergic to milk and soy. By the way this is not glucose intolerance. My daughter used a non-dairy, non-soy formula. I can't remember it's name. It is expensive but worth it if you can afford it. If you're on the WIC program they will pay for it.

A side affect to sleeping in the car seat is that when visiting somewhere else they fell asleep easily even tho they were in unfamiliar surroundings.

I think it's definitely the caffeine. Babies are really sensitive to it. When I was nursing, my midwife told me DECAF ONLY! because caffeine makes babies restless and cranky. So, if you can handle it, try cutting out the caffeine for a few days and see what happens. Good luck!

I'd talk to your pediatrician regarding GERD. My son has that, and it has been difficult for him. He is now on Prevacid... and it has changed everything dramatically (for the better).

The first thing that I would try is to eliminate caffine for the fussiness. and second some babies spit up alot. I have two girls and they spit all the time and they are now 8 and 5 and are perfectly healthy well adjusted little kids.

P.S. I hear that soy can constipate babies. I dont know for sure (never used it) and it probably depends on the baby.

I have two words for you: ACID REFLUX! This condition is more common in boys and even more in premature boys. My son had a pretty bad case of AR and after trying zantac, prevacid and prilosec with no success we took him to Children's hospital where they confirmed the reflux when they took xrays after giving him barium. They fashioned a "wedge" out of foam for him and we used it whenever he slept. This is the reason your son is so uncomfortable when you lie him down- the reflux gets worse!! My son ended up on a newer medication called Prilosec Zegarid which worked the best, but still did not outgrow this condition until 11 months old. I'm so sorry your family has to endure this condition, but it does get better with time. Go to your ped and ask for a referral to a GI specialist because regular ped's don't know nearly as much about the condition and the treatments! Good luck!

wow, you have a lot of responses! So, for me I took out almost all the caffeine and milk...it has made some difference. I also started pumping and feeding him breastmilk in a bottle. the spitting REALLY decreased!!! He was much happier at meal time. The breastfeeding was a screaming match...so, maybe give that a try.

I would suspect acid reflux. My sister's baby had a really bad case of it. In the end, probiotics finally cured it. He had already been on medication, was sleeping with a special wedge, kept upright after feedings, etc. All of these things helped, but the probiotics pretty much made the symptoms disappear. There are probiotics made especially for infants. I don't know of the names, but I'm sure you could google it.

I recommend talking to your pediatrician b/c it could be a medical issue or a food intolerance. If it's a food intolerance (i.e. something you are eating), it could make him sicker over time and less likely to grow out of it.

There's alot of breastfeeding info out there on what is safe to eat and not eat. Both of my children had food intolerance issues so I ate a very clean diet while nursing (no caffeine, limited amount of sugar, lots of fruits, veges, meat and seafood). Since all of their nutrition comes from you and the doctor said it was the best for them, I decided it was worth it.

Each of my children had different issues. With my son, I had to drop all dairy (no milk, yogurt, cheese, butter) unless it was cooked into something like pancakes. With my daughter, I dropped things like chocolate, onions, broccoli, etc. Unfortunately I can't remember the list of foods that may cause tummy problems with kids. I'm sure you can look it up in a book or on the web. I remember that my breastpump book by Medela gave the most complete info on nursing. However I didn't search past that so maybe the breastfeeding clinic at your hospital may have other sources.

Before your appointment, you should make a list of what you eat and it's affect on your baby. (The pediatrician will want to know volume/timing of spit up too). FYI: I found the breastfeeding clinic to be a great resource so maybe you should try both places.

Good luck.

Hi there - so I am thinking that maybe he has reflux. And I say this only because I had two sons that went through this. My first son would cry after eating and went only 2 hours between feedings. We finally had to take him to Childrens to have a test done to see if he refluxed or not. He was on Prevacid until he was 18 months old. My second son, I was so prepared for the signs of reflux I put him on Prevacid at 3 months. So the things that I was looking at were arching his back while feeding, one of them spit up a lot, the other one did not spit up at all.
I would talk to your Pediatrician about this and if it may be a possibility of reflux. I put a wedge pillow in his crib as well to help with this too. You may want to try it to see if it helps. Dont quit breastfeeding though! It has nothing to do with that at all. Talk to your doc about it and maybe that is what is going on.

I hope this helps!

OH Goodness, I've been through this...my now five year old spit up at a rediculous rate - so much so that the neighbor pediatrician was scared!!!!

First and most important, it is normal - don't worry. My Nick would get very very fussy when he spit up and he would spit up close to everything he took in following his feeding. At first I thought that this was a sign that I was feeding him too much but, following more than a few conversations with the pediatrician, it was concluded that it may be severe reflux (since the pediatrician was not with me every feeding he could only make an educated guess). At 3 months old we started to feed him no earlier than every two hours and I would hold him while he slept for about 15 minutes following each feeding and on feedings where he was too fussy our very conservative pediatrician told us to give him a small dose of Mylanta in a dropper. One pediatrician in the same practice also recommended giving a bottle in the car seat, on the floor, so that he'd be in an upright position and it would encourrage keeping the formula/milk down. Since I was going back to work when he was 4 months old we warned our new babysitter - a gal in her 60s who had given birth to two sets of twins a, a very confident care giver - and I have to tell you the spit up was enough to make her scared! She did some research and learned that formula made a little more dense was the answer

these are the two things that worked for us. Since I really liked holding my baby, it was really easy and fun for me to breast feed and hold onto him for 30 minutes or so after while he snored, since the sitter had otehr things to do she would drop a little formula into breast milk or would offer a bottle with only formula made heavier than it should be ...either way, the baby stopped spitting up a little sooner than he should have. The condition is VERY common and babies grow out of it.

I feel it very important to add that I have SEVERE food alergies (a very sensitive celiac sprue) and my son was tested when he was old enough to undergo the testing - he's got no food algeries. I think it important to start with assuming it is reflux. I additionally think it is important that, utilizing the knowledge and experience all of us other mommies have given, you consult with the pediatrician and advice nurse about what you've experienced for additional advice - that is what we pay them for!!

Best of luck to you!!

*K

Feed him while in the "upright" position. Burp baby frequently, and do not lay him down directly after feeding. Let him sleep in a "upright" position.

My daughter too would spit up after every feeding (they usually had to have both forms of milk involved due to lack of supply buildup)...after some trial and error formula samples we settled on one that is for sensative tummies and it made a HUGE difference. It's by Enfamil, label is purple but kind isn't coming to mind and I'm not having much luck finding it online.Wasn't too exspensive either which was nice too cuz WIC wouldn't pay for it without a reason from a dr and when I spoke with her pedi about it she couldn't find any reason for all the spitting up.Sooo instead I would continue to get her formula from WIC and my girl friend who could afford the special stuff would buy it for me and we would switch since her daughter could eat the regular stuff and mine couldn't.

Goats milk is a good idea but only if you cannot continue to breast feed.

Knock out the caffeine and see if that helps. With my son it was chocolate that did him in.

If you switch your diet to little or no wheat, corn and milk this would probably help. These are the main allergies.

Well mom, one thing for sure, I went through this with my second child, my mom would say over and over so much what you eat that baby eats,yea well then what should I do I would ask, she simply said for me to have a small bowl of oatmeal two -three times a day for a month the breast milk will get good nutrition for that baby,and she said also to burp him ever 2min, he will be a better baby who will sleep sounder for you. So its what i did she was so right, God bless her,wish she were still here she was a great mom, grandmother and dr. nurse all in one. GOOD HAPPY TIMES AHEAD.
S. Vanc. Wa

Hi..I had problems with my daughter spitting up...even projectile spitting up...mostly when she was bottle fed..I breastfeed as well...dr said it's from getting too much too fast..make him take breaks every 2-3 minutes..try to get him to burp...she is now 15 months and hasn't had issues since Halloween night! I switch from Similac to Enfamil & she's doing a heck of alot better.
Also you might consider he might have acid reflux...or if you giving him breastmilk & formula during the same feeding that could be an issue too...
You're not alone with this problem...I had 2 incidents with her where I had to just laugh it off and not get embarassed..
first time she spit up all over her room at the dr office & second time while I was waiting in a very busy line at the pharmacy....it will all pass soon!

Hi R.. My only advice would be to stick with the breastfeeding. A little caffeine won't hurt as much as a switch to formula. Formula always made my kids spit up, and it is much harder on a babies digestive tract. Your little guy is probably just adjusting to the world still, and needs more time to develop his eating and digestive habits. I know that it is a long a painful process right now, but this will pass. Best wishes to you and your family.

I'd give up the caffeine before I'd give up breastfeeding...or cut down anyway. Breast milk is natures best nutrition for the baby. I'd try to figure out what in my diet is causing the problems and I'd lay odds it's the caffeine. Not what you want to hear I'm sure, but what can I say. They also make some sort of drops that you can give the baby when they have problems with their tummy. Don't know the name of it though. maybe another mom with a wee one can tell you.

I haven't had this exact issue, but several gals in my newborn/mom group did. Here's what they tended to do:

1) First, meet with you pediatrician and have them look into whether it is acid reflux, lactose intolerance, or something like it. That is pretty common in babies since their digestion isn't as mature and it would have very little to do with what you are eating. There is medication they can give for acidic reflux that is supposed to really help.

2) I don't know that the caffiene would cause it, but it is still a good idea to limit caffiene to 1 beverage per day. Drip coffee has the most, so try to avoid that as it is also very acidic.

3) Don't go too crazy trying to analyze what you are eating - at least not JUST yet. Better to first rule out the actual medical conditions first, because it is really hard and very time consuming to determine if what specifically in your diet impacts your milk (this was also advice from my pediatrician when my daughter was gassy). And, if it really is lactose intolerance, quitting milk alone wouldn't be enough - you would have to quit everything dairy, so you really want to rule out the other stuff first.

4) Try taking feedings slow (if possible), hold him upright for awhile after he eats, and definitely burp, burp, and more burping. Burp even when he hasn't just eaten!

Good luck and hang in there! I know it is really hard! Just make sure your pediatrician takes you seriously and is a partner with you on figuring this out!!!

He probably has acid reflux. You should take him into the dr and have him checked out. When you lay him down, it probably hurts his tummy and crying is the only way they know to let us know something is wrong.

Also, I was told each time I nursed (3 kids), you shouldn't have any caffeine at all. Anything you eat or drink is in the breast milk you produce. That could be upsetting his tummy, as well as any gas producing foods, broccoli, etc.

Good luck.

R. M.:

First and foremost, you need to get off of the caffeine. That is probably causing bubbles in that little guys tummy and it hurts!!! Then, I would look at your diet. It may not be only the caffeine. Little tummy's are really sensitive as baby's and think about how we feel as adults when our tummy's hurt.

If you are eating lots of cheese or dairy, that could cause much gas. Try to eat less dairy. Fruits are good, beans and other sources of protein are good, and some vege's. I would stay away from broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, and anything that gives you gas. It too could send your little guy into pain.

I dealt with this with my daughter and had to deal with her screaming for the first 5 months of her life. Anything I ate sent her into pain. At one point, I called my sister and gave her to my sister over night. After that, I looked at my diet and also got Milicon gas drops and gripe water (which is in the baby section at Target or Wal-mart).

Keep your head up sister. We have all been through tough times. I know that I have a caffeine addiction too, but it will help both of you for you to lay off of the caffeine (or at least cut down to one a day or every other day) until his little tummy gets adjusted to life on the outside.

As for the spitting up, as long as he's gainging weight, it's good. I would get him checked for acid reflux though. Constant acid reflux could really hurt him, so please do it fast. My best friend has a baby that would do the same thing and they found out it was acid reflux. The poor baby wasn't gaining weight though.

And a little note on the side, if you can, find someone you trust to take the baby for a few hours every couple of days so you can get some rest and spend time with your daughter. It is a lot of work to handle a child who is colicky and a toddler. I know. I've been there and still working on balancing the two.

My best wishes to you and your family.

Kim B.

Sorry.. 10 to one it is the caffeine. Best option would be to get rid of the caffeine completely for awhile until the baby is better and then see if you can add back a little bit.

Caffiene transfers from you to the baby through the breastmilk and it takes a lot longer for the baby to process it out of their system. When my oldest was born, my home nurse told me that the baby might take as long as 7-9 hours to process it out at that age.

Best of luck to you...

Breast milk is better than anything you can find to substitute. Don't give it up. If he is gaining weight you are doing fine with breast milk. Ask your pediatrician about the spitting up. All babies spit up some with burping. It might be just normal. The caffeine might be too much for him. Check the chocolate, and the cabbage family vegetables that you are eating. Those are the ones that did my kids in. But every child is different.

It sounds like acid reflux. Ask your doctor abou it is NOT your milk. Although I would recommen you cut out your caffeine.
My daughter would also spit up after every feeding. So much so, that I started nursing her on the kitchen floor. :) The zantac (medicine) made a HUGE difference. She stopped spitting completely and could sleep through the night. Every 3 weeks or so I would think maybe the acid flex is gone and then I would stop giving her the medicine (because it is kind of nasty) but then within 2 days she was spitting up all over me again.
Both my children were able to be taken off he Zantac at about 6 months.

I'd have him checked for acid refulx and keep him upright after eating for at least an hour and if possible at night while sleeping (in a bouncy chair, car seat or get a wedge). Hope this passes soon.

It could be reflux. The caffeine does not help him. And a gentle chiropractor that works on babies will help with the colic. When babies make the trip through the birth canal, it can cause them to be out of allignment. A simple touch will put them back in place and all the discomfort will go away.

Sounds like how both my kids acted when they had reflux. The dr can give you a script for Zantac. Don't stop breastfeeding whatever you do. Google "infant reflux" and learn about it. You have the right idea about your diet too. My kids could not tolerate me eating any dairy the first 9 months of breastfeeding. They were different babies when I looked at my diet and got them on Zantac.
Good Luck

Good Morning!My daughter (now 16 years old)did the same thing. I bottle fed only and used only the best formulas. I switched her to soy milk and didn't work. The doctors did an upper GI on her. It was determined she had GER (gastroesophageal reflus). They told me to make sure when feeding her to make sure she was in a "sitting position". After burping still keep her in an upright position for 5 minutes.They also had me get a sepcial type of foam rubber wedge. When put to bed she was attached to it with a "sling" (similar to what you would wear if you parachute) on her back, with her head higher then the rest of her body. They can be covered with no problem.

All most immediately her spitting up and projectile vomiting stopped!! Very lucky only had to do the wedge for 3 months.

Now keep in mind I am not a doctor just letting you know what I went thru.

Good Luck!!
T.

I would really consider quitting the caffeine while you are breastfeeding. As long as he is growing and gaining no need to panic, just experiment with what you eat and see if you can find a balance. Some kids just spit up alot!

It sounds like he is colicky, which sounds like a death sentence but isn't. My daughter was the same way and we jsut had to hold her upright for anywhere from half an hour to an hour upright. Don't quit breastfeeding. This is probably where he is getting the bulk of his nutrition. The switch from breast milk from formula could also be part of it. Mine got gassy and very uncomfortable when we started switching from breastmilk to formula or any change to their feedings.

You can try Gripe Water which you can buy at Target in the pharmacy or at New Seasons and Whole Foods. Fred Meyers also carries it in the natural foods section. Hylands makes a colic tablet that dissolves in the mouth in like 10 seconds that works well.

As for the crying and wanting to be held, do you have a baby carrier? I put mine in that when they reused to be put down and continued doing my house hold chores. I also found that this let them sleep better. If you don't, go to Milagros in NE Portland they will help you pick out a style of carrier that works well for you and your little man.

Good Luck

S.

I also breastfeed and have a baby who spits up a lot. I take her to a chiropractor and that helps. I also burp her more often during feedings and try to get more than one burp out. Sometimes she burps 2 or 3 times if I keep trying. Hope you two feel better.

My son was like this. To help make sure you burp after every ounce, or every few minutes if breast feeding. Also, for those times when air is an issue use "little Tummies", it is non medicated so it can be used at every feed and it works great! My son out grew the excessive spitting at about 8 months. (if yours is like mine it will turn to projectile vomiting when you start solids, so try to keep your sense of humor about it all!) :)
Best of luck.

Sorry if this is a repeat...no time to read all 18 replies. From what I've seen, you have some good info...one more item I would try is to remove gluten from your diet. that really helped w/my ds. we now know that he is gluten intolerant.

If you are breastfeeding, I wouldn't be drinking any caffine, as others have already said. But, it sounds like your son has reflux. My son had it and after getting on medication for it, he was a totally different baby. I would bring him to the Drs and see what they have to say.

I went through something similar when my son was an infant. He was constantly spitting up after every feeding, when I had been breastfeeding and formula feeding. I took him to the doctor and the doctor and I realized he was over eating. I ended up having to cut my son off after so much. Not sure if that helped. *hug* Good luck.

wow that sure sounds like my son, he was lactose intolerant. his stomach couldn't handle the milk..and I drank alot of milk when I was breastfeeding, have you tried lactose free formula? Id try it, I first just bought 1 can and I saw a difference right away.. and If that's not it i would look into acid reflux problem.. I hope this helps.. good luck God bless

Don't stop breast feeding. He is just getting his fill. It is totally normal for babies to spit up and spit up frequently. Mine spit up until he was about 6 mo old. He gained a ton of weight and was a total chunker. As for the crying I don't know, maybe check to see if he has reflux. There are medications for that.

consider chiropractic--might be a back-pain problem or a neck-pain problem

food concerns: apples, pears, probably others can cause gas (in grownups--and also in nursing babies) ... citrus can cause too much acidity (you'd usually see that in diaper rash before it would cause major tummy upset, though)

major food concerns: watch the big allergens ...
my kids all were barfers for mangoes/cashews/pistachios (all in the same family as poison oak and poison ivy, who knew?!?) as young infants (we cut those items for several years, but they seem fine now),
peanuts (directly or through nursing) were another barf problem, again, we cut them out, again, they seem to be tolerating it as they hit five or six (YAY!!!!) ...
never had to cut eggs, thank goodness ... there was one other ...
oh, strawberries, one June we ate millions of strawberries and my family's vague sensitivity turned into hives and barfing ... again, no strawberries for a couple of years, and despite allergists everywhere wanting to shoot me for saying it--they can tolerate the food again now ...
but other high-allergen foods are shellfish, celery, this sort of thing ... melons I recently read are related to either ragweed or pine pollen, I can't remember which, but one of my 'hayfever' alleriges, which explains why they make my throat itch ...

Oh, and I hope celiac concerns are not the problem, but the whole wheat/gluten thing,if it is a problem, affects absorption of nutrients, comfort of digestion, all sorts of badness

caffeine would make him sleep less well (my mom was so funny, I was like 16 and she was regaling someone with stories of all the Dr. Pepper she used to drink in college and when I was a baby ... and then the lightbulb went on: Oh, that probably was a big part of the reason I didn't sleep well ;)! )

Quit breastfeeding is like the last thing I'd recommend ... you can adjust your diet and experiment, but formulas almost universally cause stomach upset (one normal culprit is non-bio-available iron, which they add to up their "nutrition" numbers but really messes with tummies ... this happens with most prenatal pills as well, like we need any help feeling nauseated in early pregnancy, doh!!)

I hope you get lots of advice for things to try ... diet stuff is always tricky to pin down--I mean, who would suspect that my eating a few cashews would cause major infant tummy upset? But it did, and I was Very Glad when I figured each of these things out!!

Good luck and God bless!

R. M,

Worth a visit to the doc. One of mine apparently disliked tomatoes - I'm Sicilian, that was a definite crushing blow ;-).

It could be any number of things, trivial to more serious; better to be safe than sorry. My guess is the caffeine isn't the greatest thing - but lesser sins have been committed and happily so is also my guess.

You might also want to contact the La Leche League - I did a show in Redmond at their conference event and my bet is, any one of them would be willing to hop on the phone or perhaps dawn a belly-sling-as-cape and fly over to your aid! They're knowledgeable and passionate about helping moms at stressful stages / feeding issues. http://www.lalecheleague.org is their URL, I do believe...

I wish you luck, patience, endurance and fierce folicles, too - resist that urge!!! :-)
WR,
T. B.