Let’s start by saying that having a baby who spits up, or even throws up from time to time, is not in and of itself a bad thing.
Babies stomachs are more horizontal than adults, they have a more immature digestive system, and their esophagus is shorter than an adult’s, and from time to time, milk will come back up.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The important thing to differentiate is between a “happy spitter” – a baby who is unphased by that spit up – and a baby who is displaying signs of discomfort and distress when they experience reflux. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you have a baby who regularly experiences reflux; is clearly showing signs of discomfort from the reflux; is feeding more frequently because of the spit up; fusses at the breast and/or arches their back and pushes away – this is reflux that needs to be addressed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sometimes using medications can be helpful in treating the reflux, but it’s also critically important to address why the reflux is happening in the first place. Some of the symptoms of reflux are also symptoms of other issues that should be addressed, and all of these symptoms together often interfere with sleep, which is when parents reach out to me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Is your baby is experiencing:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎”colic” (which is a symptom, not a diagnosis)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎frequent and uncomfortable spit up⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎 a need to be held upright at all times⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎discomfort lying flat on their back⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎mouth breathing⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎snoring⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎quick or frequent feeds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎You have been told you have low supply⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Your baby has difficulty latching⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎fussing at the breast or bottle⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎arching of the back⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you answered yes to any of the above, please reach out and we can work together to identify what may be going on with your baby, whether the reflux they are experiencing could be signs of another underlying issue, and which practitioners would be best able to help.
