Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 8/12/2008

Question
My son was a heathly 8lbs and 15oz when he was born,i have been breastfeeding him on demand since then, as a mother i feel i know when my child is hungry and when he just wants something to suck on, but lately he's been eating pretty much on schedule but spitting up 2-3 times after he eats.And that is happening everytime he nurses, is it him just overstuffing himself, or is he maybe drinking too fast?

Answer
Dear Bridgette,

First, congratulations for giving your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

Spitting up is rarely anything to worry about. Many healthy babies are just spitters. With my first baby I thought I would smell like spit-up for the rest of my life, but she finally stopped.

I'm attaching an excerpt from my book (see below) with some suggestions. I hope they help.

Regards,

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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The Spitter:  Fat and healthy, she spits up milk after practically every feeding. She may continue this until she’s almost a year old and you’re convinced that you, the baby, and your home will always smell like cheese. (The smell is a lot milder while she’s on breast milk alone.) If the spit-up milk shoots out forcibly in what is known as “projectile vomiting,” call your baby’s doctor. Otherwise, don’t worry. As one experienced family doctor has said, “In a healthy baby, spitting up is a laundry problem, not a medical problem.” For suggestions on how to cut down on spitting up, see the box.

BOX
Cutting Down on Spitting Up
• If your baby seems to be gulping down milk at a fast and furious rate, try feeding him more often instead of waiting until he’s desperately hungry.
• If you’re engorged, your baby may be swallowing air as she latches on. To relieve engorgement before a feeding, express a little milk and apply a warm or cold compress to your breasts. Of course, if you’re feeding your baby often enough, your breasts will not get the chance to become engorged.
• If your milk is coming too quickly at the beginning, express a little or let some flow into an absorbent cloth before nursing.
• If your baby seems to be eating more than he can handle, nurse on one breast only at each feeding.
• Prop your baby back at a 30-degree angle for twenty to thirty minutes after a nursing before you burp her. This helps the milk settle in her stomach and discourages it from coming up with the air bubble.
• When you do burp your baby, do it gently.
• Keep an ample supply of bibs and burping cloths at home and in your diaper bag, and stick to washable clothing yourself for the spit-up duration.  
END BOX