Breastmilk making baby vomit? Any suggestions?

[ABow]

Hi guys

My baby girl is almost 7 weeks old and there have now been two occasions when my breastmilk seems to make her vomit.

She is healthy, alert, feeding, and doesn't have a temperature. She does have a rash which I have been putting down to heatrash (I have been paranoid and carried out the glass test just in case). She does a dirty nappy every couple of days (not every day). When she does go it can make her cry a good bit beforehand, and is sometimes a bit frothy. She can be quite windy but I wouldn't describe her as having proper colic.

About 10 days ago she vomited up after I breastfed her. She was a little shocked by the process but was soon hungry again and kept a formula feed down. I expressed the next feed and threw it away just in case it was something I ate (and fed her formula again). Carried on b/f after that and since then everything was fine until yesterday. Three times yesterday and then once again this morning everytime she b/fed she was sick. But if she has formula she is OK.

I have found that orange juice and too much chocolate aggravate her windiness. Does anyone think that the vomiting could be caused by something I'm eating? If so, where do I start in altering my diet?

I don't think your milk would be making her vomit ...

Firstly, if she keeps vomiting tonight, I guess I'd take her to your GP to get her checked out - tonight if she shows other signs of illness, otherwise in the morning.

My DS2 vomited heaps after and during breastfeeds - he was just one of those babies and there wasn't anything wrong with him. Is your DD gaining weight okay and producing plenty of wet nappies - has she always done dirty nappies every couple of days or is that a recent change? Probably stating the obvious here but are you giving her time to bring her wind up - sometimes a big burp can bring up a whole feed.

I guess as long as she's gaining weight and producing wet/dirty nappies and bright/alert, then I'd just watch things. If she keeps vomiting, it would be worth talking to your HV or GP.

HTH and that she's okay ... and Congratulations!

Hi
What you eat definately can affect them. Certainly in relation to wind, and the vomiting could be due to a huge wind bubble perhaps? Maybe keep a food diary and see what triggers it. I'll never forget eating 3 brussels sprouts for dinner and then having my ds scream for 5 solid hours that night after a feed! I think citrus, grapes, wine, beans/pulses and garlic are known to possibly have some effects, a friend of mine noticed that melon wasn't good either. But it can be anything, it can be very personal I think.
good luck

Is it real vomit, ABow, or just sort of chucking up excess milk?

Can't think why breastmilk would actually make her vomit. Maybe ask your doc or your HV to check her out?

She does possit (spelling?) but this is proper total stomach contents up-chucking. I'll try winding her more after feeds and the food diary (good idea PPH)

Why would something so natural and so right for your baby make her vomit, don't blame it on your milk. My ds started vomiting at about 6 weeks. It happened as I was changing boobs and also after a feed and he was diagnosed with gastric reflux. This tends to develop at about 5/6/7 weeks. You are right in thinking that what you eat can affect your dd but only in terms of wind and poo. Tomatoes and anything spicy make my ds very windy and pooey. Talk to your hv about reflux, there is plenty of info in the mumsnet archives too.

At that age my son went through a vomiting stage - it was projectile and there was loads of it. It was all over the walls, the clean washing, going through his crib bars onto the carpet, all over me, all over dh.

But this type of vomiting soon stopped. Only lasted about a week.

He's 5 mths now he's still sick now, sometimes they're big sicks, but I don't see it as a problem. He's gaining weight nicely.

Though I know that he doesn't like strawberries as he seemed to be more sick than usual when I had them. Stopped having them and he stopped being sick so much.

sounds like reflux to me. dd had that but it was at least onc a day.

I don't think its reflux as the major vomiting sessions don't occur after a fornula feed. I've started a food diary and will let you if I figure out what it is

ABow, my ds3 used to do this and so did ds1 but I never gave formula afterwards, just fed again and they were always fine.

Formula is 'heavier' than breastmilk and so that is possibly why it stays down. It has thickening agents in it. Still sounds like reflux to me.

Ruthiebaby - I think strawberries may be aggravating the problem for us too. Had loads last night and dd sick again this morning.

Could be a number of difficult to define factors. My DD1 used to bring up her feeds when she got too hot and thirsty, always worse in hot weather. I think it was because she would gulp away and take so much that her little stomach just couldn?t keep it all down and promptly brought the lot back. Very frustrating, esp. when I was trying to express precious amounts only to see it brought back up everywhere - use to make me cry
One way I got around it (which is possibly going to be shouted down and told off for saying as usually not good practise) was to interrupt her feeding - just using my finger to unlatch her, give her face a little stroke and then latch her on again, just to give her about ten seconds to settle her tummy. Might be a bit crazy but am convinced it helped her - also think it helped her to "feel" full IYKWIM, rather than feeding and feeding and feeding in a frenzy, she would have a bit at a time and seem to be more relaxed. Might be worth a shot - just an opinion.

basketcase - my 8 week old can do that (bring up whole feed after gulping it down) and I try to do the same - ease her off and try to wind her more often. Does seem to help.

Sorry for dumb question but how can you tell the difference between vomit and bringing back milk in a young baby?

Thanks Tinker and basketcase. Will give that a go as she does guzzle when feeding. And as you say she can guzzle more when its hot.

Tinker - I don't know - maybe there isn't a difference between vomit and bringing back milk in a young baby. I called it vomit because she heaved rather than coughed, and it came out in lakes (though not projectile).

And despite all the vomiting she is putting on weight.

A friend's baby had really bad reflux, and she found a reflux support group really helped with tips about diet etc and how to know at what stage it could be worrying and what stage it is "normal". Try doing a search in your area for support groups (or do a websearch for info on reflux). Her problem only subsided after months, but they felt better having some support from a special reflux support group.

ABow - that is not vomiting.

Now I have read what it actually is, I don't think there is anything wrong with your baby at all! The instances of 'vomiting' are possetting only, and they have probably happened because she was getting rid of excess.

I would be very sceptical of 'pathologising' this, into some condition like reflux or allergy, to be honest.

But.....it would not be a bad idea to make sure of this and speak to the doctor or HV - bit don't tell them she is 'vomiting' 'cos that gives a different inpression.

Tiktok - you're probably right. It isn't continuous (ie doesn't happen with every feed or even every day) and now I'm starting to get less frightened by it. I will mention to hv though. And thanks kiwikate. If it does turn out to be reflux I'll bear that in mind.

HI everyone

Thanks again for all your comments. As suggested I mentioned to the hv. By that time had been doing the food diary for a few days and figured out that strawberries, tonic water as well as choclate and orange juice seem to make dd extra windy resulting in crying and fidgeting. But this didn't seem to influence posseting at all.

Hv suggested expressing a bit before feed, and that DOES seem to have stopped the posseting. So we've concluded that I have an overactive let down that is making baby glup, and that when bringing up that air she brings make the feed too. So happy again!