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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder if my newborns vomiting is normal?

24 replies

ClaritaBurrito · 01/03/2019 16:16

I’ll no doubt look back on this and laugh at my nativity before long but advice from real human beings would be appreciated:

5 day old dd is exclusively bf at the moment.
she’s sick after every feed and it seems to me like there can’t be much milk left in her stomach after these episodes.
the vomiting/spit ups continue a couple of times over the next 45 mins so it’s hard to work out when she’ll need to feed again
she really seems to drink a lot - does anyone break up their feeding sessions to allow it to ‘go down’ or is it inevitable that she will do this?

I’m not sleeping at all in between feeds because I know she may vomit 45 mins after and I don’t want her to be uncomfortable or lying in a wet sleep suit.

Can’t get over the challenge of bf’ing - the process itself Is fine but this vomiting malarkey is something else!

OP posts:

BeautyWasTheBeast · 01/03/2019 16:20

It sounds like reflux. Speak to your gp and they may give something to help stop it (we had a baby in nursery who had gaviscon every bottle due to reflux.)

capaciousbladder · 01/03/2019 16:22

Is she weeing and pooing ok? It is really tough with bfeeding to know how much they get. If there's stuff coming out, there's definitely stuff going in....

capaciousbladder · 01/03/2019 16:24

Congratulations by the way. 5 days old....what a huge adventure you all have ahead of you! Have a chat with your midwife when you see her. I hope you're getting some sleep too xx

Cornettoninja · 01/03/2019 16:26

Stuff coming out the top end = stuff going in the top end is a good mantra. I was advised to tip spoon fulls of water into nappies so I could gauge how wet they are. Those fancy indicators on the front can be reassuring too.

I second the suggestion to seek advice about reflux. This can be so easy to deal with and save you months of stress.

Otherwise you may just have a pukey pants baby. There’s a reason every mum loves muslins!

FizzyGreenWater · 01/03/2019 16:27

I would contact the GP at this much vomiting. NOT the health visitor, unless you already know you have a very good one.

Dontcarewhatimdoing · 01/03/2019 16:29

No I don't think that is normal. Mine was sick a lot, and it was reflux. Is she putting weight on OK?

EmeraldShamrock · 01/03/2019 16:29

Sounds like reflux. It would be worth going to the doctor, is your health visitor available to check weight loss.
My DS could hit the wall with the force of his reflux, he is 4 now happy and healthy.
Do not worry to much, see a GP for peace if mind.
Congratulations

EmeraldShamrock · 01/03/2019 16:30

Or an allergy, I still believe DS had a allergy not reflux, it took months to settle.

FaultInMyStars · 01/03/2019 16:32

Mine did this. Exclusively breast fed but unpredictably threw up huge volumes of milk - enough to drench whoever was unlucky enough to be holding her, entire feeds it seemed like! Looking back it was definitely reflux but my health visitor was not worried as baby was still gaining weight.
As PP has said, if you're bottlefeeding the GP will probably give you something to thicken the milk and make it sit better in the baby stomach.
If you're breastfeeding, as I was, I'm not sure that there is anything?
I found it helpful to

Keep a bowl or bucket nearby!
Keep baby in upright position for half an hour after a feed and
Perhaps stop for a few minutes in the middle of a feed. It did get better after a couple of months and she's now a strapping 14 year old! Do check with your midwife though.

Jimpix · 01/03/2019 16:33

Has she had her 5 day weight check?

My dd was like this and had lost 1lb when the midwife weighed her on day 5. We were sent to hospital where she was diagnosed with reflux. Infant gaviscon sorted he our quickly and easily 😊.

olderthanyouthink · 01/03/2019 17:17

My DD does/did this, it's less now at 3 months but it still happens a few times a week. When she threw up most feeds in a day I called a gp and they thought reflux but when I saw a different on he just said normal baby-ness and colic and to try gripe water, infacol, colief etc.

She never lost weight and keeps putting it on so it's hard to get anything done really. Ironically the vomiting is how I've become awake of just how much she drinks from breastfeeding because that's the only way I can see it.

I've cut out dairy because I thought it might be that but it's been 2 weeks so far and she's done huge vomits still so I'm not sure it's that.

We've just got good are dealing with the clean up, dozens of muslins, disposable waterproof pads for night time and a laundry basket just for the gross stuff

To wonder if my newborns vomiting is normal?

mummymeister · 01/03/2019 17:22

one of my DC was like this and had / still has severe reflux. you are absolutely right to be concerned and well done you for picking up on it quickly as you should always trust your instincts.

make an appointment to see the doctor asap. keep a diary for the next day or so of when you feed how long it lasts when the vomiting starts and as disgusting as this sounds if you can estimate quantity that is always useful. we used a little plastic jug for this. for a couple of days and it helped me to show the GP that this wasn't just the "odd bit of vomit" but a real continuing issue. Unfortunately my DC got taken into hospital for failure to thrive at 6 weeks and it was only then that I really felt people believed me and how bad it was.

Most reflux does get better with treatment we were just unlucky that our DC's didn't. so please do take it seriously and go and see your GP. good luck - I have been in your shoes and its not nice.

Smoggle · 01/03/2019 17:22

I had one baby that never puked and 2 that did before, after, in between every feed!

If they are not in pain and gaining weight, then vomiting is just an issue for you and nothing that needs fixing.

If in pain or not gaining weight then see someone.

madcatladyforever · 01/03/2019 17:26

My sister had pyloric stenosis she's throw up after every feed. She needed a small operation.
i'd get it checked out.

Nuffaluff · 01/03/2019 17:32

Mine puked like a trooper and it was not reflux. I never got it investigated because I wasn’t worried. He was just a very greedy baby - loved his milk, took more than he needed and sicked the rest back up!
I went through about 15 muslins, 3 outfits for him and three tops a day for me.
My brother’s children had reflux. They were in obvious pain and brought up stomach acid.
My little boy only ever brought up milk and he wasn’t in pain.
There’s no harm in getting it checked out though is there?
I was really shocked when I had my second and one muslin lasted for a whole morning!

mummymeister · 01/03/2019 17:39

My Dc was never in obvious pain, not to start with anyway, and I don't remember thinking that there was stomach acid.

I do think that as parents there is a lot to be said for going with a gut instinct. the Op obviously has a feeling that this isn't "right" and the only person that can say what the problem is, is a medical person who can actually look at the baby and check things out. I hope it all turns out OK but honestly think going to the docs with some evidence is a really good plan.

BusySnipingOnCallOfDuty · 01/03/2019 17:44

My eldest was a projectile puker.

Was never told it was anything serious and I didn't know it could be reflux. Reading replies on here, it sounds like it might have been.

Some babies just do. It was sort of fascinating in a shock and horror sort of way, to watch it.

FrozenMargarita17 · 01/03/2019 17:53

Sounds like my dd and she was a reflux baby. I was never NOT covered in sick. Even the dog got it a few times.

Sparklingbrook · 01/03/2019 18:06

DS had pyloric stenosis, but he was 5 weeks when it came to light and he had an operation to right it.

His other symptoms were not v wet nappies, what looked like coffee grounds in the vomit ( blood) and his soft spot sunk. He would bring up every single feed.

Best to get some advice from the GP.

ChipsAreLife · 01/03/2019 18:12

Mine did this. Was reflux and diary allergy. Had to give up and dairy and soy too so it didn't transfer in my milk. I would def go so a GP.

Thisisthelaststraw · 01/03/2019 18:17

Get checked with GP to rule out pyloric stenosis. My brother had an op at 8days old to fix.

Sparklingbrook · 01/03/2019 18:20

www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-we-treat/pyloric-stenosis

Here's some more info.

Original poster

ClaritaBurrito · 02/03/2019 01:15

Thanks so much everyone. Really appreciate the advice. I must say I don’t think the severe reflux conditions are in play here but I know to keep an eye out now.

I have her hospital check up tomorrow and she had put on weight at her midwife appt today (having been a little under a few days ago) so I am comforted by the “stuff out means stuff going in” comments raised earlier. All common sense but amazed by how my logic has gone out of the window! (It is obvious she’s my first )

I’ll mention it to the doctor tomorrow though. Sorry to hear so many babies on this thread suffered so much, it’s a tough old game being a newborn.

OP posts:

Everydayimhuffling · 02/03/2019 05:16

Pretty new to this so may not be as much help as others, but my now 7 week old did this! It has calmed down a bit but she still a few times a week throws up whole feeds and always spits up a little bit after eating. I second PP about keeping them upright after a feed and leaving a burping gap before offering a second boob.

If she is not losing weight then your milk supply is keeping up. Just feed when she seems hungry because your body should compensate for the extra. Mine tends to get hungry again about an hour after eating if she's thrown it all up, so she definitely eats more often than other babies!
It sounds like mine: just eating too much too fast! Check latch and tongue tie though, as she has got better as her latch improved so she swallowed less air during a feed. My midwife said the sphincter that closes the throat takes a while to mature for some babies, though.
Anyway, just a small 'It gets better' from a tiny bit further on!

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