Babies: 0 - 3 Months

keeping baby upright for 30 minutes after eating?

My 2 week old son was spitting up a LOT, (I know babies spit up, but it seemed excessive.) My pediatrician wasn't worried but said I should keep him upright for 30 minutes after eating.  Anyone else do this?  At the time this can seem like a LONG 30 minutes, especially since he falls asleep so fast and I can't seem to keep him awake!  How long are you supposed to try to keep a newborn awake for "wake time"??  

So I was wondering...his umbilical cord fell off today, so I wanted to start trying tummy time.  Does this count as "wake time"....or would it be bad to put him on his stomach after eating? 

Re: keeping baby upright for 30 minutes after eating?

  • I did tummy time after eating the other day..it became puke time. :(
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  • DD has acid reflux and we were told to keep her sitting up for half hour after eating.  They don't need to be awake...just upright to help keep the food down.  I wouldn't put him on his stomach after he eats or 'try' to keep him awake.  If he wants to sleep, let him sleep...he will eventually stay awake longer on his own as he gets older. 
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  • I wouldn't lay him on his tummy.  That seems counter productive.  Like PP said, keeping him upright doesn't mean keeping him awake.  I let DS sleep against my chest at an incline or inclined in the crook of my arm.  That seems to help.  GL!
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  • imagemrsseguin:
    DD has acid reflux and we were told to keep her sitting up for half hour after eating.  They don't need to be awake...just upright to help keep the food down.  I wouldn't put him on his stomach after he eats or 'try' to keep him awake.  If he wants to sleep, let him sleep...he will eventually stay awake longer on his own as he gets older. 

     

    All of this exactly.  We keep DD upright after she eats (but she is older now so she has no trouble staying awake), but sleeping is fine.  Before bed, I hold her upright for 10 mins while she falls asleep then put her in her carseat where she sleeps all night - still a bit of an incline.  

  • imagebluberrylover:

    My 2 week old son was spitting up a LOT, (I know babies spit up, but it seemed excessive.) My pediatrician wasn't worried but said I should keep him upright for 30 minutes after eating.  Anyone else do this?  At the time this can seem like a LONG 30 minutes, especially since he falls asleep so fast and I can't seem to keep him awake!  How long are you supposed to try to keep a newborn awake for "wake time"?? 

    DD was the same way. You can hold LO upright without needing to be awake after feeding. You can also let LO sit upright in a car seat, swing, etc. to make it easier on your arm. Another trick is elevating one end of the mattress so LO's head is higher than his/her body.

    I don't believe in keeping a baby awake. If they want to sleep, let them sleep! A newborn should only be awake 45-70 minutes at a time... including feeding, diaper, etc.

    As for tummy time, do not torture your baby and put him/her on their tummy after eating, especially if LO is prone to spitting up... just makes things worse. Try tummy time when LO first wakes up from a nap when he/she is well rested and has digested.

    HTH

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  • DD doesnt have excessive spit- up , but if I dont keep her upright for a little bit after feeding she will spit up alot. I don't have to keep him straight up, I would put him in his bouncer if I had something to do.  I wouldn't recomend tunny time right after eating or you will have a mess to clean up.

    Concerning "wake time", my DD really didn't have any until she was about 6 weeks old (other than feeding). Honestly I didn't do tummy time until she had a longer wake time. Now that she is 8 weeks old, I do tummy time about 45 min-1 hour after eating just before she takes another nap.  With DS(now 5 years) I didn't do much tummy time at all because he HATED IT until he choked or puked. DS met every milestone without problems. Only tummy time he would tolerate was to place him on my chest and recline the chair.  I would just enjoy your sleeping baby- most new moms do not have your kind of luck.

  • Like pp's have said, upright doesn't have to mean awake.  DS has reflux & is on Zantac (not seeming to help though). If he's sleeping & I want to let him enjoy his "milk drunk", I prop up my legs and let him "lean back" with his head up by my knees and facing me.  This lets me control his position a bit - his bouncer & carseat have him reclined too much & the reflux is still an issue (but I've also heard these work fine for some - just not for him!)

    Mine's a bit older than yours too, but we've also found the Bjorn helpful - keeps him upright & keeps us mobile (and able to cook dinner!)  We pop him in after his big burp & he's usually too distracted by his surroundings to be bothered by the reflux...

    ...but keep a burp cloth really handy though if you try the Bjorn!!

  • Upright doesn't = awake.  I sit DS in his swing (not turned on) or let him lay on my chest while I am sitting up.  He is sleeping but it's ok, he's upright.
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