In Major Need of Advice...

mcgeeva · August 2014

So DS is BF but I work full time. I went back to work about 2 months ago and he is still taking BM in a bottle at daycare. He has been in the 90% since I had him. He has always spit up all day no matter what we do just like my first did. Since I went back to work he stopped gaining weight and now I am having to go back to the doctor in another week for a weight check. Since our last apt I was asked to add rice cereal to each bottle to see if that will help with the amount he is spitting up. I have also switched bottles since he seemed to be gagging a ton on the one we started out using. Since we switched he seems to be doing fine when taking the bottle but now when I BFd him he is spitting up his whole entire meal each time. I am at a loss at what to do??? I never lay him on his stomach after he eats but it just doesn't matter. Last night I fed him in the middle of the night and he woke up gagging. He had spit up all his milk again, head was completely soaked as well as his sheets, he had milk out his nose and was coughing. I don't know how this happened but I feel he can't take my milk directly from me anymore. I have a very fast letdown and have always fed in about 5 minutes. But now im thinking its the letdown and having no rice cereal so he can't keep it down. I'm super nervous he is going to drop weight. What should I do??? Pump from here on out only and feed with a bottle with rice cereal in it??

Thanks everyone..I'm just really upset things are going this way and I just want to fix it. Laying down feeding isn't helping either.

TheBorg7of9 · August 2014

I'm sorry you are going through this. It might help to buy a scale, so you can weigh your baby once a week to make sure he is gaining weight.

Spitting up is totally normal. Even if it is a whole lot of spit up. It looks like a lot more than what it is. Both my sons spit up a ton! I have found both of them swimming in a pool of spitup in the bed. I have to change their clothes at least twice during the day and have tried bibs too, which helps. Anyway, if they are happy spitters, there is really nothing you can do about it, besides a lot of laundry. Both my kids spit up a ton, one is fat and one is thin. So, I really don't think it affects weight.

Don't add rice cereal to his bottles. First, it is a choking hazard in the bottle. Second, it won't make him gain weight. It might even make him lose weight because you will be replacing high-fat, high-nutrition milk with crap that is low-fat and low-nutrition.

Perhaps your breastmilk is coming out too fast at first. You could let it spray into a towel until it slows down.

I totally know what you mean about the amount of spit up being worrying, but as long as the baby is happy, sleeping, pooping and peeing, (and hopefully gaining weight), then you are doing fine!

mcgeeva · August 2014

My first spit up a ton due to the stomach flap of his stomach not fulling developing. So I am use to the spitting up, But this is even more at this point. The reason they are concerned is because he is no longer gaining. They said to do the rice cereal to help with what they think could be reflux. We are going to address it at his weigh in in a week in case we need to then add a reflux medicine. I've done the towel thing and expressing first months ago but didn't seem to make a difference. I was starting to think he was just no longer use to breastfeeding anymore now that I work all day or it's a newer issues.

TheBorg7of9 · August 2014

casey78 said:

Oh, mama. I'm sorry you are dealing with that. I don't have personal experience with a LO, but DH had a condition as a baby where his stomach couldn't empty and he would projectile spit up huge amounts. They treated through a minor surgery.mNot saying that's what's happening with your LO, but I definitely think this is a conversation to have with the doctor. Your LO might be old enough to have a bit of rice cereal before a nurse as well.

Hoping others here might have better advice for managing feeds in the meantime.

My brother had that problem too. It's called pyloric stenosis. But I don't think it is the problem here, since he doesn't always spit up.

https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year-pyloric-stenosis-in-babies.aspx

OP, try keeping him upright for 20-30 minutes after a feeding. I also would put a burp rag under my baby's head when I first put him down, then removing it after he spit up. (Don't forget to remove it though!) thick cloth diapers work really well as burp rags. Better than those tiny and thin things they sell as burp rags.

mcgeeva · August 2014

Yes my first had this. But it didn't require surgery since he gained weight even with this issue. They said they only will fix it if they are loosing weight.

I definitely will try the burp rags. Do you think im better off pumping and putting in a bottle?

TheBorg7of9 · August 2014

mcgeeva said:

Yes my first had this. But it didn't require surgery since he gained weight even with this issue. They said they only will fix it if they are loosing weight.

I definitely will try the burp rags. Do you think im better off pumping and putting in a bottle?

I personally wouldn't start down that road because you might not be able to get it back to breastfeeding...

But good luck. Try not to worry too much...

mcgeeva · August 2014

N0702 I was feeding longer in the beginning and the pedi told me to cut back in case the spitting up was from over feedings. I did that and still the same problem so I just let him finish when he wants. I don't want to feed by bottle I just hate seeing how he keeps loosing all his milk and hungry soon after. I am going to try feeding more upright after expressing first. Did you use the Zantac because you felt your baby was uncomfortable or due to excessive spitting up? Because mine never cried due to discomfort unless he is gassy. The spitting up doesn't bother him but like I said he is super hungry not too long after he spits up a huge amount.

mcgeeva · August 2014

THank you!!

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