Preemies
Abnormal Spit-up
How do you know when spit up is too much spit up? Or when it's not spit up but vomit? It seems my daughter is spitting up a lot this week (she's 4 weeks now). I change her clothes so much at night I've just started leaving her in a diaper and wrapping her up in a blanket. She wakes up cold and wet and miserable. And it's had like curdles in it too. She doesn't burp much when she's nursing but I always try.
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Re: Abnormal Spit-up
If she is happy and gaining weight well, it's considered normal.
To try to minimize it, try burping more frequently.
Did you say you are breastfeeding? Is she gulping a lot of air? Maybe you have a fast letdown and she's gulping (?) - maybe ask your LC about that.
If you are bottle feeding, maybe try another bottle and/or a slower nipple so she isn't gulping? Be sure she isn't collapsing the nipple and sucking a lot of air.
I was always told that if they don't seem upset by it and it isn't coming out of their nose, it is ok. I was also told that spit up looks like more than it really is.
I know it is hard but I would suggest focussing on burping. Stop nursing often to get a burp out. It would sometimes take us 20-30 mins to get a good burp but it is worth it. Firm back rubbing, gentle pats, try leaning her into your hand as well as on your shoulder.
We had serious spit up issues for about the first 2.5 months. It drove me CRAZY that my pedi kept saying, "As long as she's gaining weight, there's no problem!" DD was projectile spitting up to 5 feet and would regularly erupt and soak whoever was feeding her, herself, and the couch. When my midwife finally saw it, she had me go to the hospital with DD to get an ultrasound to check for pyrolic stenosis, but it wasn't that. It was really stressful for me, and one of the major reasons my milk supply dried up and I decided to stop pumping. I had to change her clothes several times a day as well.
Unfortunately, I have no solution. Burping her more often helped a little, but really only a little. The only thing that really seemed to help was time. At about 2.5 months she started only doing those massive spit-ups once a day, at about 3 months even less frequently and never projectile, and by about 4 months she was spitting up an amount that I would consider normal.
I'm sorry you're going through this, really I am. I know how stressful it is.
BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w4d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence
My eldest DS is now 6yrs old was born at 35 weeks and STILL to this day vomits...ALL THE TIME...there isn't anything we can do about it either. He gets coughing and up it comes. He's done this since he was born. The doctors have said its anything from nothing to asthma to reflux but all the treatments dont work so I think its just HIM!!