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Breastfeeding/throwing up a lot after feedings

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Expert: - 1/5/2006


Question
I have talked to my pediatrion but he isn't concerned b/c my almost three month old little girl is gaining weight, but I am. She vomits on me all the time. After all of her feedings and sometimes it is more. You just let her rest on her tummy or her back and she will still do it. Even after burping. It has been perjectile and I know that it isn't just spit up. There is so much of it and it comes out of her nose and every where. Is she allergic to my milk? I often think that she is just because I am allergic to milk. Should I stop breastfeeding and put her on formula? She has been doing this since about 1 month old. but like i said she is gaining weight wonderfully.

Answer
Dear Victoria,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

I am wondering whether your pediatrician ruled out pyloric stenosis, which sometimes causes projectile vomiting. If not, you can ask him about this.

I can reassure you that your baby is not allergic to your milk, because no baby is allergic to his or her mother's milk. You mention that you yourself are allergic to milk; if you have been eating or drinking any cow's milk products, this could be causing a problem. So if you have, I suggest removing them from your diet and seeing if the vomiting stops.

Another possibility might be a very active let-down reflex on your part, which gets more milk into your baby's mouth than she can easily handle. It might be a good idea for you to consult a lactation consultant who can observe your baby's nursing technique.

To find a lactation consultant in your area, you can contact the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) at 919-787-5181 or by email: ilca@erols.com.

Good luck!

Sally

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.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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