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Breastfeeding Tips

Managing Spit Up After Breastfeeding: Why It Happens

Time to read: 1 min.

Has spit-up become an everyday wardrobe accessory? By understanding what causes spit-ups, you can learn how to stop them from happening too often.

A mom soothing her baby in the nursery.

​​​​​​​What causes babies to spit up breast milk

  • Spit-ups happen most frequently as your little one is getting the hang of feedings. As a baby begins breastfeeding, they commonly swallow air as they learn how to latch and establish an efficient sucking pattern.
  • Keep in mind that your baby’s digestive system is still developing, so spit-ups may happen even if he or she feeds without taking in a lot of air.
  • Sometimes babies may want to nurse more frequently than their little digestive system can handle, so they may spit-up excess milk.

Preventing Spit-ups

  • Hold baby as upright as possible while feeding.
  • Don’t wait until your baby is extremely hungry to feed. Frenzied feedings can cause baby to swallow more air while nursing.
  • Eliminate distractions. Frequent interruptions in a feeding may cause your baby to swallow more air and slip out of proper positioning.
  • Burp after every feeding. Give your baby a chance to release any air bubbles that were created during a feeding. Just make sure you have a cloth to drape over your shoulder, unless you’ve grown to appreciate the spit-up on your clothes!
  • Keep your baby calm and upright after feedings. Avoid moving from feeding to play time right away, as the activity could cause an unexpected spit-up.
  • Don’t overfeed. If you notice your little one consistently spits up a considerable amount after every feeding, he or she may be getting too much at a time. Try switching to shorter, more frequent sessions if this occurs.

Call your doctor immediately if you can answer yes to any of these questions:

  • Is your baby projectile vomiting?
  • Is there green bile in your baby’s spit-up?
  • Is your baby not gaining weight?
  • Is your baby crying with spitting?
  • Is your baby in pain?

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