Vomiting after formula

[roshi42]

I'm at my wits end with my 11 month old. For over a month she's been vomiting copiously after her bottle at night - and recently naps too.

She's been formula fed since day 5 - just standard cow milk formula. She's always been a bit vomity/refluxy but it got better as she got older.

This started over a month ago, oddly just before she was sick with everything going as she started nursery, which included a chest infection. She's pretty much over that now, thanks to antibiotics, but there is still clearly some congestion.

She has a bottle when she wakes in the morning (fine, no vomiting), one when she comes home at lunchtime from nursery before her nap, and one at bedtime. Then once or twice during the night. She has max. 200mls at a time, but often more like 120-150 mls.

After her bottle she falls asleep but coughs and coughs and coughs until eventually she vomits everywhere - fairly projectile. It's from the stomach, I can tell from the smell, consistency and colour This was just once at night but the last few days it's been the lunchtime bottle/nap too, and the bedtime one, and during the night.

I'm absolutely at my wits end! I can't keep changing and washing everything we're both wearing so many times a day! The whole house reeks of sick! It seems to be getting worse rather than better. She's so nearly 1 years old - I thought we'd be past reflux type issues by now.

Could it be an allergy onset despite not having one before? Is it just the congestion from her chest infection and I need to be patient and eventually it will stop? (It's been over a month). Has anyone had similar and recognises the symptoms?

I can't stop / reduce the bottles I'm offering her as she's demanding them and she refuses to drink anything at nursery (7.30-1) so I'm worried about dehydration anyway. She's eating solid food pretty well now, though obviously is losing a lot of what she eats and drinks by throwing it up so often!

Thanks so much and sorry for the long post!

To say, she does have some patches of eczema, and acne on her face. I don't drink cow's milk as I don't tolerate it that well (though am not actually allergic as far as I know).

I've never been able to put her down to sleep, partly due to vomiting, so she sleeps with me and I keep her upright as long as possible after feeding.

But she's had cow milk formula her whole life, so can it really be an allergy only now?

You haven’t switched to follow on milk have you, as in my experience that can cause violent vomiting. Best to stay on the newborn stuff. I think it might be something to do with the iron in it but can’t remember exactly what!

If you haven’t already maybe it’s time to progress to cows milk?

I have, but it was ages ago - around 6 months, because it's cheaper. And because until recently she's barely eaten solids so I thought the iron was a good thing. But she is eating now and nearly 1, so maybe a switch to milk soon... might be worth a try! Thanks

If the vomiting is projectile you could get checked for pyloric stenosis when the food is being blocked from emptying into the small intestine, but usually this would be after every feed? Could switch to a goat based milk too? X

Thank you - that's not something I'd heard of and perhaps it is worth checking with someone as she has previously had difficulty vomiting after seemingly not quite properly managing to swallow down solids too.

Hi, how is your little one now? My son is 10 months old and vomitted twice tonight after his bottle which he never does and keeps coughing / choking but nothing will come up. We are on follow on milk but like you have been on it since he was 6m. I don’t know if he’s got a sickness bug or if it’s his milk (smells fine and in date)

Hi! So my baby is 20 months now and hasn’t been sick like this since around the time I posted, thankfully. She was constantly sick, several times a day, for about 2 months and even lost weight. I was so worried. I think it was an intolerance to strawberries! That’s my best guess, anyway - I haven’t had it confirmed (have a referral for paediatric allergy but the non-urgent waiting list is years). I realised the sickness started after she started nursery where she refused to eat to begin with and when she did start eating one of the things she often had and would accept was strawberry yoghurt. Plus she had pouches and yoghurts with strawberry at home. My grandfather was allergic to strawberries and I hate them with a passion, and it suddenly occurred to me to try cutting them out entirely and almost the minute I did she stopped being sick! So either a massive coincidence or that’s what it was.

The other possibility is that it was the lingering congestion from the chest infection causing coughing til she was sick - I have since heard that is a symptom of whooping cough possibly? And it just happened to wear off finally about the same time I stopped strawberries. Could be either! I haven’t brought myself to test it. Just praying it never happens again!

I really hope your son is okay. Formula is incredibly rigorously tested so hopefully unlikely a problem with that? And you’d think if he’s been on formula and this type for ages it shouldn’t be a cow milk allergy… although allergies are weird, so who knows! Perhaps more likely a bug or a cough starting to cause it… it’s such a bad season for coughs and illnesses.

The thing to keep an eye on is dehydration - so wet nappies. Plus general seeming bright and alert and healthy in himself. If he’s hydrated and having nappies and consuming something then he’s likely okay for a one-off or short period of time. It’s if it keeps on you have to worry about nourishment. Or if it’s severe quite quickly and he keeps being sick constantly you’d want to get him checked out. Always follow your instincts I am learning as a mother!!!

Hope you’re both okay x