6 week old & *a lot* of spit up recently

[Trillian42]

I should start by saying that my beautiful 6 week old daughter has been gaining weight well, and after a nerve-wracking start, BF was going well too.

In the last few days though, she has been spitting up a lot after feeds. She always often had little spit ups, but now it's more like vomiting amounts. I'm trying not to worry, because she's been very happy and smiley still, but it honestly doesn't seem to me like much can be staying down at the moment. The length of time she spends feeding has dropped from 25 mins to 10-15mins also, with some feeding times a lot less.

She was 3.75kg (8lbs 4oz) at birth, and was 5.05kg (11 lbs 2 ozs) last week, so the doc was very happy with her weight gain.

The extreme spitting up has coincided with her getting very agitated towards the end of a feed. She'll start thrashing her legs and arms and whacking herself on the head. Sometimes she'll cry too. My theory was that she needed to be burped so I've been trying to take her off when she gets like this and burp her, but then she doesn't go back on. Out of the last 3 nights as well, she's slept for 7-8 hours straight for 2 of those too (which I find partly thrilling and partly worrying as it's not her usual!).

My husband thinks we should just wait it out and see how she gets on over the next few days, but I'm wondering if a trip to the GP is in order? Like I said, she's very happy and active (already rolling over from her back to her tummy!) and doesn't have a temperature. She does get very antsy in the evenings, but don't most babies?

Sorry for the long post, I just need a little reassurance or advice.

Thanks,
Trillian aka a worried first time mum

I agree with your husband. My LO was very sicky and windy, but only time made any difference to it.

My daughter was exactly the same with the same timings etc. Took to doc who prescribed baby gaviscon to add to milk (if bottle fed) or seperately if brreast fed.
Got pregnant brain at the moment and can't remember what its called in babies but essentially twisted guts caused indigestion.
Gaviscon worked but you need to keep milk warm or it blocks up the teats as it basically thickens the feed.
I also took her to osteopath (find one that can do babies) which certainly eased it.
It settled down at about 3 months and could stop using it.
Its not that unusual and babies are particulary prone if delivered by c-section.
Good luck
Sarah

my daughter is 7 weeks and spitting up a lot, far more than my son did at that age. Am going to the doctors on Friday with her for something else, but plan to ask him about the spitting as well. Sometimes I feel she spits out just about all that she has drunk, have tried simeticon but am not sure it has any effect.

Hi there,
You seem to be doing a great job and your baby is clearly thriving - we want to see that babies double their birthweight by 6 months and as your little one is nearly there, she may just be bringing milk up because she is over full (clear milk) or that she has trapped wind, which brings milk up with it when it comes up (partly curdled milk). If she was weighed at 5050 last week (week 5) she is gaining an average of 260g each week (50g more than we hope for - which is brilliant - so you really shouldn't be concerned)

I do believe that mums know when something is not right, so please stick to your guns if you are not happy with your answers. (mother's amazing instinct)

Mrsseed makes a good point about seeing a cranial osteopath as sometimes the diaphragm is a little tight, which can also lead to a baby being more sicky than usual.

If you are still unsettled about her being sick, speak to your GP about pyloric stenosis - where the lower valve in her tummy is too tight and doesn't allow milk down into the intestine quick enough. This leads to her being more sick as her tummy feels overfull. Very unlikely but something to ask about.

Be assured that this is all very normal baby stuff and nothing that can't be resolved.
Hope this helps.