Spitting up Only After Breastfeeding

I'm sorry to say that it may just be that he is getting more air in when he sucks and that may be upsetting his little tummy. But I would stick with breastfeeding because he will get better.. hopefully :)

Could it be that you are overproducing milk? It sounds like he's become very efficient at breastfeeding, which is great. It's terribly difficult to think about giving up breastfeeding. I too had this problem and I found that if I pumped for 5 minutes before feeding my son, he would spit up less. Talk to a local lactation consultant. I went to a weekly breastfeeding group which helped me immensely. Don't give up....

I don't know if it would help, but I just heard of a product called Colic Calm from www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com

The only other suggestion I have is that maybe you should breast-feed him in shorter time increments more frequently throughout the day. It may be inconvenient, but he may be overfilling his stomach when you breastfeed.

Several other people have mentioned let-down issues, and I think since your son doesn't have the same issues with your milk in a bottle, this is probably the case. You've gotten a lot of good suggestions already but I just wanted to add a couple more. You can try just nursing on one side for several hours at a time, and then switching to the other side for several hours, if one-sided nursing at each feeding isn't slowing things down enough. Go ahead and pump on the other side just enough to be comfortable and not get engorged. Also, you can try using feeding positions where your son is above your breast -- you can lie on your back with him on your tummy, or even just lean way back in your chair so his head is above your breast, and gravity helps to slow the flow down a little bit.
Hope this helps!

Maybe your little guy is getting too much at the breast. You could try to feed on just one side and then go for the other one at the next feeding time.

N.,

I am so sorry to hear what you & your son are going through! It can be so frustrating! I am the mother of 3 children--the youngest being 10 weeks old. My 1st son went through exactly what you're describing!!! He was also diagnosed with reflux but it seemed that the meds didn't help much either! It took me 5 wks. to figure out what was really going on----he was highly sesitive to the chocolate I was indulging in & had the same expisodes you speak of!! He too did fine with a bottle!
Once I removed chocolate from my diet---he was completely fine & by his 2 month check up we removed him from his meds! Sadly, reflux is the first thing pediatricians beleive it is! I would strongly recommend calling a lactation consultant for help with this!!! Bellin has the best lactation nurses!!! Ramona is the best! Also, my Best friend is a La Leche League leader & could also certainly help!!

My 2nd child had no sensitivities/allergies! However, now again my 3rd one had the same symptoms. She too was diagnosed with reflux---this time I didn't accept the meds & said I would figure it out....Well within 2-3 weeks I realized she too is sensitive to chocolate, caffeine, & dairy! But most importantly I found out that I had an "overabundant milk supply" which means she was receiving too much of the foremilk & not enough hind milk (this may sound foreign to you) I was nursing her on both sides & she was spitting up, very uncomfortable, gassy and had green stools. Once I limited her to one breast per feeding (up to 2 hours) her stools turned seedy yellow, she stopped spitting up completely, she was no longer gassy or fussy! I was thrilled---she became a completely new baby!!! I would also suggest the book The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins or any La Leche League book!!!!!! You can read about what foods can cause these same symtoms if your baby is allergic/sensitive to them & how to go about eliminating certain foods until you figure it out! I know that reflux is a condition but it really does have the same affects on a baby as the things I just mentioned! Good Luck!
T.

What have you been eating lately? If you've been eating something spicy, or acidic, or even something the baby may be allergic too, they can get it through your breast milk.

My oldest son had GERD too. I found out the hard way that I needed to stay away from spicy foods like Mexican, and acidic foods like tomato sauces found in most pasta dishes. With my second I discovered he had food allergies and I had to stay away from shellfish and MSG.

Another thing to consider is that the baby is ill. Check for a temperature just to be sure. Some mild flu-bugs and other viruses sometimes- not always- but sometimes symptoms are very mild or barely detectable in babies who are breastfed because they get immunity from your breast milk.

Last but not least, check out the La Leche League website. They have breastfeeding/nurse experts on-line who can help too. Just go to www.lalecheleague.org. Also, www.askdrsears.com is another great source. Not to mention he has a slew of books on breastfeeding too.

Hi N.,
A similar thing happened with my 1st son. I eventually figured out that my milk was coming down so fast whe I was breastfeeding that he ended up gulping it and taking in so much, so fast that he would spit it back up. He didn't really seem to be bothered by so much milk coming fast, he seemed to "keep up", but then he would spit up so much. I found that if I pumped off a little bit first before feeding him (to relieve that gushing effect) that the milk came out at a more even pace and then he didn't spit up as much. It became similar to a bottle feed- slow, even drinks of milk. Don't know if this is what is happening with you, but it did help me.
Hope you come to a solution soon as I know it isn't fun to watch your tiny one spitting up so much :-)

I see some other posters mentioned let-down: that was also my first thought. Pumping or hand expressing to get the milk to let down first may help.

I am also a poster-child for visiting the chiropracter. When I was about 10 months old, my parents took me - it turned out that I had a pinched nerve (most likely from the birth itself). As soon as he "adjusted" me, I quick throwing up.

It has nothing to do with your baby being 'allergic' or sensitive to your milk. It is your letdown! I'll bet your letdown sprays out wildly, right? Mine did too, so try this, I promise your letdown will slow. Using this 'method' will allow your body to make the mlik it needs, but will signal it to slow down on the letdown since your baby won't be sucking DURING the letdown. It'll take a couple weeks, but I promise this will work. :) It did for me twice, and lots of my friends.

Let your baby latch on, and when you feel your milk letting down, unlatch him and catch the big spray in a towel, or cup if you want to save it. When it slows or stops spraying, relatch him. Only nurse from one breast, don't switch back and forth, one breast only per feeding. THis will allow him to get the fatty hind milk which will take care of his hunger. Let him nurse on that breast only until he is done. When his next feedign comes around, use the other breast, and again unlatch and let the spray/letdown into a towel, then relatch him.

A forceful letdown is kind of the equivilent of being sprayed in the mouth with a garden hose! He has to gulp to swallow so much milk and he not only swallows air but too much milk too fast, giving hima tummy ache and causing him to spit up. All the burping in the world won't help since this is something that needs to be taken care of before the feeding ends.

So, unlatch during letdown, relatch when ti stops spraying, and only nurse from one breast per feeding to ensure that he gets the fatty hindmilk he needs. :)

Also, he probably doesn't have reflux, breastmilk is a natural antacid, and I'll bet once you get your letdown under control, his 'reflux' will clear up as well.

Do you have a really strong let-down reflex at the start of your nursing session?

My mom told me that my sister always spit up after nursing and many years later she learned that it had been because she was getting too large a volume of milk too fast because my mom's let-down reflex was so strong, the milk would just spurt out too quickly.

The solution for that would be to pump until the let-down reflex passes and the milk flow lessens a bit, then put your baby to the breast.

I see from some of the other responses, that it could be a more serious problem, but I am hoping it is something simple and easy to deal with like a strong let-down reflex.

Ask your Ped about the possibility of a Hiatal Hernia rather than reflux - which is incredibly common. It's not as big a deal as to need surgery - a simple manipulation to the diaphram clears it up. A good Osteopath will help you to diagnose and treat a Hiatal Hernia - the pharmaceuticals may not be actually helping since reflux is probably not the problem.

Also, Google on "What's wrong with drugs for the treatment of Reflux" and you will be alarmed to find out what these drugs can do to your child long-term. While you are there, look around for common misconceptions about babies throwing up - Reflux is often diagnosed where other problems exist, including dairy allergies and others.

N.,
I feel your pain. I too am a first time mom of twin girls, who also have reflux. I am breastfeeding them as well and they spit up a lot. I don't give them a bottle very often, hardly ever, so I'm not sure if they spit up less with the bottle or not. I know you said you have tried different positiions...have you tried the football hold, that is how I feed both of my girls together. Their heads seem to be a little more elevated. What kind of medication is your little one on? Is your pediatrician helpful? Is your little boy really fussy at feeding time and at other times as well. My girls were diagnosed with reflux before even leaving the hospital, which I wasn't sure they truly had reflux but now I'm almost certain. They are fussy all the time, they fuss during feedings and spit up a lot. They are still on the same dose of Zantac as when they were first born. My pediatrician keeps telling me it's colic and it will go away at 3 months...they are now 4 months old (well they will be in a few days) Yesterday I finally asked if she could up their dose of zantac but this is only after several phone calls to her office. I'm feeling very frustrated because I too think this is hard on the little ones and is definitley affecteding our connection/bonding time together. Let me know if the football hold works any better for you. I would love to know what your pediatrician is doing for your little guy.

Hi N.,

I wonder if your son is getting more milk when nursing (vs. when you pump) and that is making the difference. When nursing, sometimes the milk comes too fast at first and babies can take more than they intend to, which can lead to reflux. You might want to consider pumping for a few minutes before feeding him. See if that makes a difference. Just a thought...

You might want to consider seeing a lactation consultant, who could weigh your son before and after feeding to know how much he is getting during a nursing session. She may also have other ideas. Consider the Le Leche League...they are a great resource and are in most communities.

PS I have 3 kids of my own and work with babies and their moms on feeding.

Sounds like my daughter. She's 4 years old now, but as a baby she constantly spit up (okay, projectile vomited, pretty messy). I discovered that burping her actually made it worse, so I quit burping. I also think she was just getting too much and her little tummy got too full. As long as he doesn't lose weight, he's fine. My daughter never had any issues with weight (always above the 90%ile) in spite of vomiting at least twice a day. Don't give up breastfeeding! And don't give him formula! You're doing the right thing...he will grow out of it (my daughter did at about 6 mos). Just carry a change of clothes for all involved and keep nursing!

My kids did not have reflux, but they spit up A LOT when I was breastfeeding them. People often wondered how the grew because it seemed they spit up everything they had just eaten. It sounds to me like he is just getting too much air in his belly when he nurses. Do you notice a significant difference in how fast he drinks out of the breast as compared to the bottle or how much more air he gets while doing one or the other. Although you don't want to miss the bonding time while nursing, you can still get it while giving the bottle so if that is what works best for you at this time, please do not beat yourself up about it.

N.,
How's his latch? Sometimes if babies are latching a little off, it can affect his spitting up etc. My son also had reflux and we took him to Ginger Dunivan at Acorn Chiropractic in St. Paul. She "pulled his stomach down" and his reflux went away and we could take him off his meds. Not sure if this same issue is happening with your son since this doesn't happen after bottle feeding, but it's worth checking out so you don't lose your nursing relationship. You could also check out your local La Leche League and give one of the leaders a call. They are super nice and helpful.
Good luck. PM me if you need more info or have questions.
S.

The only thing I can think, is that possibly you have been eating something different than you were when you made the milk for the bottle? Have you been using stored milk? Sometimes things that you eat can upset your little ones\'s stomach. Things that are main tunny upsetters are milk products, chocolate, spicy foods, Lettuce, onions, broccoli. That is all I can think of for now. If you think this maybe what is happening, cut the food you think causes this, and see if it gets better in a few days. If you don't know which then cut all of these, wait a week, then start slowly introducing the foods one at a time, until you find the culpret. Another thing that might be happening, is that during your let down, when the milk comes in fast, does your baby gulp a lot at that time? He may be gulping too much air in, this fast incoming milk problem wouldn't happen with a bottle. One thing you could try if you think this is the problem, is pump to get your milk to let down, pump the milk while it is letting down to store and use later, and then put the baby to your breast. I breat fed all of my four children until they were almost 3 years old. I wouldn't have missed a minute of it for anything. Try all you can before giving up. It is the most special thing in the world. I have a friend who has told me that she has never seen children bonded to their mother the way mine are to me. It builds complete trust and a very special love. Good luck.

Does he spit up during the breastfeeding or after the feed? It may be that you have a strong ejection reflex with feeding. This is correctable. It does not make sense that it is anything in the milk that triggers it.

I am a mom of 13 month old, breastfeeding still, and a pediatrician

Hi N.,
I have a 5mo old and he spits up consistently from the end of his feeding until the beginning of the next. He is breast fed and bottle fed breast milk. I have just gotten used to changing his outfit, my outfit, and many bibs and burp rags. He is slowely spitting up less. I would stick with it. It's worth it. :)

My son is now 7 months but did the same thing until about 4.5 months. We tried Zantac and nothing seemed to help. We were constantly changing his clothes, our clothes and wiping everything up. Our MD reassured us that once he spent more time in an upright position this would help him. She also reminded us that as they mature their abdominal muscles are constantly contracting as the child tries to sit up, suck their toes, etc. This puts pressure on the stomach and causes spit up. I can say that bottle feeding worked best for us too but I was reluctant to go that route. He has slowly outgrown the spitting--hang in there!

I wouldn't get too upset about the spitting up after breastfeeding. One of my sons never spit up and the other one spit up significantly like yours until he was about 4 1/2 months old. I would have been worried, but all three of my brothers were big spitters and everything I have read says that they are still getting all of the nutrition they need even when they are spitting up. With my second son I started to avoid anything that could upset his tummy like caffiene or spicy foods and I would only feed him on one side at a time. He is now a little over 5 months and the spitting up has decreased a lot and I can feed him on both sides now. I don't know if he is just more sensitive than my older son or what, but I would encourage you to continue breastfeeding as long as possible. Oh, I also found that dressing him in once piece outfits helped also by taking the pressure off of his stomach. Still, the thing that helped the most was cutting back on foods that could upset his stomach.

Hope that helps!
A. H.

My son spit up a lot & it slowed down by the time he was 6 months old. I am sure it will just improve with time & changing to bottlefeeding is not going to help anything. Some kids just spit up a lot.
Brekka

Hi N.! Both of my kids spit up after breastfeeding until we took them to the chiropractor. It was a night and day difference. My daughter had reflux too and took Zantac but also needed the chiropractic treatments.
I, too, was reluctant to give up breastfeeding so this was a wonderful help. There are lots of chiros out there who are specifically trained for infants and children. They are very gentle and can help with so many things.
Another option is a crainiosacral therapist.
I hope you find something that works for you!

I had the same problem when my daughter was first born. What is happeneing is when you bottle feed him the nipple doesn't release a lot of milk at a time but when you breast feed you produce even more so he is probably just getting too much milk at a time with breast feeding. So what you should try is taking more breaks to burp him while breastfeeding. That should help a little bit. If it doesn't then I would try talking to your pedi. because there could be something wrong with the way he is breastfeeding. Good luck and I hope my advice helps.

Hi N....

I had the same thing with my now 4 year old. My let down was just too fast for her to take and we ended up pumping/bottle feeding her to help with her reflux/discomfort. The only suggestion I may have is that maybe you pump a little before you feed so she doesn't get too much/too fast. That is a lot of extra work though. I like the previous posters ideas on going to a chiropractor though. I never did it with my daughter, but wish I had given it a try. Anyway...mostly wanted to say "good luck" because I have been in your shoes and it is hard ;)

I had the same problem with my daughter at that age. She is now 12 months. I found out that she was allergic to dairy. She had the same symtoms. They said she had acid reflux and put her on medications too. I did cut all dairy out of my diet (very hard) but it worked. I was not going to give up on breastfeeding. She did not spit up often like she used to and I did not have to give her gas drops as often either. Her doctor said this is common for infants nursing. I did then re introduced dairy when she was 6-7 months old (A little at a time) and now she has no problems with it. Drinks whole milk now. I nursed until she was 9 months. I hope this might help you. I know it is hard to see them go through this especially when your a first time mom. I also took her to a chirpractor once a week and that helped tremendously too.