Spitting up LOTS

[jennie marie]

Not sure if this is a breasfeeding only issue but didn't know where else to start??!!  MY boy is 8 1/2 months old and breastfed and on three meals a day and a snack in the pm.  we recently increased his food intake as he is very active and hadn;t put on any weight in the last 5 weeks and waking ALOT.  That has inrpoved amazingly as the waking was coupled with other issues which we sorted with a routine and PU/PD.  ANYWAY - he is spitting up heaps and always has. I just thought it was a normal baby thing but am getting a feeling he shouldn't be doing it by now?  It is not a projectile vomit but a sort of spill and once or twice is OK but he does it sort of every 10 mins after feeding for and hour or so (solids and breast)??  Sometimes it is food that he ate an hour ago and it is still quite 'whole'?  I have always wondered if he had silent reflux but I don't really know what that is.  He is a very happy baby and is not in distress with it but he looses half his feed and the carpet is in a bad state!!!!  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks

[RachelC]

My first thought is that he seems to be eating alot.  How many breastfeeds is he taking?  Can you outline his daily routine?

[jennie marie]

BF 6am (early riser!)
Bfast 7ish - porridge and fruit pureed - a big bowl full
Sleep @ 1 hr
BF 10am
Lunch 11.30-12ish big bowl of pureed meat/veges & sometimes some fruit too
Sleep @ 1-2 hrs
BF 2pm
Afternoon Tea 3.30 finger food-fruit/kumara and top up bottle 120ml
Dinner 5.30 - food the same as lunch
BF 6pm and bottle top up 150 mls
Bath/bed sleep by 7pm

I know it seems alot of food but he was born a very big boy 11.4lbs - 5.1kgs!!!!  and was HUNGRY from word go.  He is very very active - was crawling at 6 months and looks near to walking now so he burns off food fast.  He was very slow at gaining weight and I breastfed him 1-2 hourly for almost 5 months.  We had a traumatic birth and I don't think my breastmilk has ever been quite enough for him.  this is all before I knew anything about routines and snack feeding etc etc!!! Firsttime Mum and no idea, just thought I was doing the right thing by feeding him and determined to breastfeed.  Then of course I hit exhaustion and went in search of help.  To cut a long story short - I had to increase his food intake and top him up with a bottle - am still playing aorund with the amounts.  He is now much happier and gaining weight and sleeping 10 hours straight at night!!! HUGE improvement.  SO given that history I don't think it is too much food.  Was also advised that you can't overfeed a baby at this age?? - they will jsut refuse it and close their mouths - well his is always wide open and ready!!!
It seems to be especially worse after a breastfeed?

[daisymelan]

Ack!  That is a big boy.  LOL

I am new to the spitting up thing, but from what I have heard from other mom's, it sometimes ends when you introduce solids, or it may continue for the first year of their life.  I'm afraid I don't have much more to offer on this subject.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

My nephew was a big boy too and always had huge spit ups...it seemed constantly! It got better over time though and he didn't seem upset by it.  Liquids (BF) might just come up easier too...

As for overfeeding a baby at this age, you probably could, particularly with a bottle or solids, but they'll often spew it back up again. But it can also just be because they're active and got things moving.  Glad to hear he's not distressed by it.  As for the carpet....I have no suggestions...