Breast fed 12 day old vomiting - what am I doing wrong?

[Boobz]

All ideas welcome.

My DD2 is 12 days old and is generally a good feeder. She latches on well and feeds every 2-3 hours or so, and has already more or less worked out day and night (or seems to be feeding a lot less at night already).

The problem is, she is a voracious puker. It seems to have gotten worse over the last couple of days, with today being the worst. I feel like everything I have fed her as come up again not less than half an hour later, with what appears like pints of half digested breast milk getting more or less projectiled across her and me (and a poor photographer today who was taking her passport snaps).

The thing is, she does seem generally hungry, so I don't think I am over-feeding her - or am I? She's just puked again (a lot, and her 4th outfit change of the day) and yet now she is DH's arms crying again and trying to latch on to him... I want to give her a break before feeding again as it appears like she can't "take" it... but then I can't bear to hear her cry either!

I haven't been drinking, or eating particularly spicy food... could she be allergic to my milk?! She has been putting on weight (9oz in her first week)... so am not worried about that - I just hate the idea of all this wasted milk and am worried it's giving her rotten indigestion! (and I'm pretty annoyed about all the changes of clothes, for both of us!)

Or will this settle down? Am I worrying about nothing? Do some babies just puke and eat, eat and puke?

Sorry for long post - had none of this with DD1, so trying to figure out the best thing to do...

Thanks all.

Both of mine were pukers, DD in particular could be a bit projectile when newborn.

I wouldn't worry if it isn't making your DD unhappy, and if she is gaining weight. Then it's a laundry prob rather than a feeding one.

With mine the puking had slowed down by 4-6 months, and had pretty much gone by six months by the time they could sit up and eat solid food. Which is good, because solids make much more of a mess than milk

sounds just like my 2 DDs - they were both "bokey" babies. I just had to get used to having to check that I wasn't covered in sick before I left the house and the washing machine was in overdrive! Feeding every 2-3 hours at this stage is normal.

With DD2 the sickiness never really stopped til she was on solids (shes 8 months now)

Does she seem happy enough after a feed? Both DDs were "casual bokers!" - it didn't bother them in the least.

I feel your pain!

DS2 is a bit of a chucker, I think some of them just are.

He will have a nice feed, be all smiley, do an enormous vomit (preferably all over me) and then be all smiley again.

If she is well and looking good then it would just seem you are destined to walk around smelling of cheese for a bit.

My dd was hardly ever sick, but my ds was like you describe and I really feel for you. I found it so disheartening to get all my milk thrown up all over me, him and the floor. and then he would be hungry again too.

he was checked for a condition for pyloric stenosis but he didn't have and because he was putting on weight the doctors did not feel the need to investigate further. I was advised it would imrpove when he was weaned (which seemed an eternity away as he was onyl 3 weeks at the time!).

Anyway it did improve when he was weaned, although he was sick quite a lot for first couple of weeks (weaned at 6mo).

I'm afraid I didn't really find anything helped. I stopped feeding him laying down though as that was guaranteed to make him sick but was a real pain at night.

I hope things improve soon x

If it is really projectile (like firing it out, rather than just a normal vomit), then it is worth seeing your mw/GP and getting her checked over, just in case it is pyloric stenosis. Most babies who chuck just do it as they are sorting out how much milk they needed and how much they have drunk, but in a few babies it is this, and I'm sure it probably isn't, but best to get it looked at

some children just are like that. with ds I found that if I gave him the boob for no longer than 5 mins he was fine. 1 min longer and he would douse me in baby sick. he had slight reflux so maybe get that checked with the gp as well.

Reflux reflux reflux! It's treatable and goes by the time they're 6-ish months, I think. Horrible, though, and disheartening. Start with some infacol maybe...*

Is she gaining weight and what not?

*someone with better experience of reflux will be able to

infacol didn't work for us. A friend used infant gaviscon but you have to express and mix it so it is a complete faff (unless you're bottle feeding) she was never convinced it actually made a difference either.but it might be worth a try.

DS never actually seemed that bothered by it to be honest.

another thing you can try is feeding on one side only for a stretch of time (say 3 hours). MW also suggested to me expressing off foremilk so heavier hindmilk is more likely to stay down, but i was worried this would cause me to make even more milk which may have been the original cause.

dd1 was a vomiter too - her speciality was mid-bf, all down my front (mmm....lovely). She was quite a small baby, and I think she was simply overeating. The slightest cough would bring it all up. I made sure I stopped mid-feed to wind her, and kept her as upright as possible, and eventually it stopped. I wasn't worried, because she was alert and happy and gaining weight, so obviously wasn't malnourished.

It quietened down by the time she was 6 weeks old, or so, although she continued to be one of those possitting babies (little spit-ups all the time) until she started walking. Then it stopped, literally overnight (and I bought a new living room carpet!)

Thanks everyone - sounds like it's not something for me to worry about, as she is gaining weight and is a happy contented baby, albeit a pukey one. I will ask the MW about advice on pyloric stenosis and reflux. I think maybe I have been moving her around a bit too much as well.. I have been feeding her on the go a lot (in a sling, or just pincered in against me whilst sorting the washing / feeding DD1 one-handed etc) and perhaps just sitting still will make it a bit easier on her.

I have tried to feed her lying down as well, but this does seem to make it worse. Which is a royal pain as now I have to properly wake up to feed her at night - grrr. I was hoping to be a bit more glam this time around, given I know what I'm doing (or thought I did) as she is no.2, but it looks like I am destined to be dishevelled (and puke stained) this time around as well. Dammit.

Thanks again.

Try to wear white, the vomit blends in better.

I wouldn't give anything if she is happy with it, it is a PITA but not really a problem worth medicating for I would think.

Have you considered dairy allergy?

Both of my DDs were very sick on breastmilk - I cut all dairy products out of my diet and they pretty much stopped being sick within a few days.

It can take about three weeks total for all dairy to clear out of your system however.

I think very often reflux is undiagnosed dairy allergy. This page from Kellymom is quite informative on the subject.

Good luck!

i have bf 6 babies and only learned to really wind them-at number 4
i would say take a good five or ten minutes of back rubbing leaning gently forward
imo this can significantly lessen the amount of possetting

some babies are more gippy than others but i truly believe this helps

i used to find it so frustrating apart from anything else - when they chuck up all that nectar you have so lovingly prepared!

hth

Sounds like you're doing really well . My DS was also a big puker. Found it was worse if windy, if he has a blocked nose and if I ate tomato / onion / curry powder. He specialised in large ones at night necessitating hunting in dark for new PJs at 3am

Once we got the wind under better control (infacol, cranial osteopathy, diet changes, winding for longer post feeding) he was better. He still does large pukes from time to time (he's now 24 weeks) but weight gain and development has been fine. Have come to the conclusion this is just the way he is (my DH is a right wind bag so clearly it is genetic ).

I only wear old scruffy t-shirts as at least they are not ruining something you like

Also - layers, so if they puke on the outer layer, you can whip it off (to reveal milk-stained underlayer, usually)

Just be careful with the whole giving up dairy thing. I did this for DS1's eczema. Gave up dairy and wheat. Had to replace protein with nuts to whihc he's now allergic....

My dd was such a puker. V happy baby, gained weight no problem, no pain or anything. When I bfed she puked loads and when I ended up changing to formula she continued to puke loads. Had to change both our clothes 3 times a day! Good tip is to place a folded sheet or muslin over the sheet on the bed/cot/pram where the baby's head goes so you just have to replace that one when she chucks up. I also found holding her upright or sitting her v upright in her bouncy chair for half an hour after each feed helped. And winding for aaaages.