{"id":15255,"date":"2023-01-12T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=15255"},"modified":"2024-01-12T15:41:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T21:41:36","slug":"how-much-baby-spit-up-is-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/how-much-baby-spit-up-is-too-much\/","title":{"rendered":"How much baby spit up is too much?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A baby with a full tummy is usually a happy baby, which probably explains why infants doze off after most feedings.\u00a0And when their tummy is full of breast milk or formula, it\u2019s perfectly normal for a baby to spit up a little bit of it.<\/p>\n

Why it happens<\/h2>\n

\u201cBabies are made to spit up,\u201d said Melinda Feely, MD<\/a>, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare. \u201cThe muscle between their stomach and esophagus isn\u2019t fully developed at birth. So whenever there\u2019s a little air bubble in their stomach after feeding, it will sometimes move through that opening and bring some of that liquid with it.”<\/p>\n

Normal newborn spit up can look curdled, non-curdled, white, yellow, clear or even mucus-like.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s different than vomiting<\/h2>\n

\u201cVomiting is a more forceful or shooting event, like projectile vomiting, as opposed to the easy flow, low-force event of spitting up. It\u2019s usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever or diarrhea,\u201d Dr. Feely said. \u201cVomiting also presents more of a risk for dehydration than spitting up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Concerned about your baby’s spit up?<\/p>\n

Talk to a pediatrician<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A decrease in the number of wet diapers a day is a sign your baby is dehydrated. The number of wet diapers should be equal to the number of days the baby is. This will increase over the first week to at least four wet diapers per day.<\/p>\n

How much spit up is normal?<\/h3>\n

Babies spit up a lot. It\u2019s nothing to be concerned about unless your baby is losing weight.<\/p>\n

Normally it\u2019s just a mouthful at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to call them \u2018happy spitters.\u2019 The baby is just sitting there, happy and cooing, when all of a sudden \u2013 blip! A little spit up happens. However, some babies hold on to every drop and don\u2019t spit up at all, so there\u2019s a wide range of what\u2019s considered normal,\u201d Dr. Feely said.<\/p>\n

The difference in spit up for breastfed and bottle-fed babies<\/h2>\n

Breastfed and formula-fed babies both spit up a lot. There\u2019s no one way of feeding that makes a baby spit up more or less.<\/p>\n

Whether your baby spits up formula or your baby spits up breast milk, it usually looks the same.<\/p>\n

If your baby is throwing up formula, you may want to try a different type of formula<\/a>. Some infant formulas are made specifically for babies with sensitive tummies.<\/p>\n

If your baby is breastfed and is spitting up a lot, it may be a sign that something in the mom\u2019s diet is upsetting the baby\u2019s tummy.<\/p>\n

Tips for reducing spit up<\/h2>\n

If your baby seems to be spitting up too much, there are some things you can do that may help, all backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hold your baby in an upright position during and after feeding<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere are numerous positions for breastfeeding and bottle feeding that keep the baby more upright and use gravity to help keep liquid in their tummy, such as seated positions,\u201d Dr. Feely said. \u201cThis is especially important with bottle feeding since liquid flows much more quickly from a bottle than when breastfeeding. If you hold a bottle upside down, liquid will easily drip from it, but a baby has to work to get milk from a breast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t feed your baby too much<\/h3>\n

\u201cIn the first month or so, babies will generally stop eating when they\u2019re full, but they also suck to soothe themselves,\u201d Dr. Feely said. \u201cIf you have a fussy baby, it\u2019s sometimes hard to figure out if they\u2019re hungry or if they just want to suck to soothe. Some parents automatically give them another bottle, which leads to overfeeding and can increase the likelihood of spitting up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Consider different bottles or nipples<\/h3>\n

Bottle feeding can sometimes lead to swallowing too much air, which leads to more spit ups. To avoid this, use slow-flow nipples or bottles that are made to be air-free.<\/p>\n

Burp the baby during and after meals<\/h3>\n

This can keep air from building up in a baby\u2019s tummy.<\/p>\n

Avoid play time for 30 minutes after meals<\/h3>\n

This includes things like bouncing, swinging, tummy time, etc.<\/p>\n

Try a different formula or adjust the mom’s diet<\/h3>\n

\u201cSome babies have sensitivities, and changing their formula or the mother\u2019s diet<\/a> can solve the problem,\u201d Dr. Feely said. \u201cRegarding the mother\u2019s diet, dairy is one of the main issues that comes up, but caffeine can also be a problem. It\u2019s also important to remember that it takes about two weeks for the proteins from dairy or formula to completely work their way out of the baby and mother\u2019s bodies. So, parents need to give diet changes time to work even though it\u2019s hard because the baby is unhappy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always place the baby on their back to sleep<\/h3>\n

\u201cParents should be doing this anyway to help prevent SIDS \u2013 sudden infant death syndrome,\u201d Dr. Feely said. \u201cIt\u2019s also important when putting a baby to bed<\/a> after feeding because it will avoid putting pressure on their tummy, which can cause them to spit up. While it may seem like it\u2019d be easier for a baby to choke on food they\u2019ve spit up while laying on their backs, our bodies have a flap just above the larynx called the epiglottis that prevents stomach contents from going down the airway. This cap is larger in newborns to protect them.\u201d<\/p>\n

When to see a doctor<\/h2>\n

There are a number of signs in a baby\u2019s spit up that should lead to a visit to their pediatrician.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want to see spit up that\u2019s dark green, neon green, neon yellow, red or something that looks like coffee grounds,\u201d Dr. Feely said. \u201cThese can be signs of something wrong in the liver, stomach or elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they change from being a happy spitter to forceful spitting or spitting a larger volume than before, that could be a sign of a bigger problem. Also, if the baby is crying a lot more than usual, that irritability can be a sign of a belly ache or gastroesophageal reflux disease that\u2019s burning their esophagus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other signs include:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Not gaining weight<\/li>\n
  • Not wanting to feed<\/li>\n
  • Fewer wet diapers than usual<\/li>\n
  • Frequent vomiting after feeding<\/li>\n
  • Stool changes, such as blood in their stool<\/li>\n
  • Starting to spit up more at 6 months old or later, which is when the baby should be sitting up and holding food down better<\/li>\n
  • Difficulty breathing: This can happen if a baby breathes in something they\u2019ve spit up. While the epiglottis usually keeps this from occurring, it occasionally can happen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    By 12 months of age your baby shouldn\u2019t be spitting up anymore.<\/p>\n

    But, if they are, it\u2019s not cause for much concern if it\u2019s just a little bit of occasional spit up. Babies are known for keeping parents on their toes. Some babies\u2019 tummies may just take a little bit longer to adjust.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A baby with a full tummy is usually a happy baby, which probably explains why infants doze off after most feedings.\u00a0And when their tummy is full of breast milk or formula, it\u2019s perfectly normal for a baby to spit up a little bit of it. Why it happens \u201cBabies are made to spit up,\u201d said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":15290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[118,116],"tags":[421,754,371],"coauthors":[1051],"class_list":["post-15255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birthing-center","category-pediatrics","tag-infants","tag-parenting","tag-pediatrics"],"yoast_head":"\nHow much baby spit up is too much?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When a baby's tummy is full of breast milk or formula, it\u2019s perfectly normal for them to spit up a little bit of it. 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