Nanny To The Rescue: How Can I Tell My Baby’s Spit up Is Normal Or Not?

Our in-house nanny answers your baby, toddler and preschooler questions…

Q: My 5-month-old baby spits up a whole lot during feeds compared to my first baby. How can I tell if this is normal or not?

Spitting up is common in babies and usually does not call for worry. Often times, all you need worry about is the soiled clothing or mess splattered on you. However, talk to your baby’s paediatrician if you notice:

– her spit up is discoloured (yellow, green)

– she spits up something that looks like coffee grounds,

-you suspect she’s not gaining weight appropriately,

– she forcefully expels spit-up type fluid (projectile vomiting) frequently,

-rejects feeds but still spits up large amounts,

– spits up constantly throughout each feed,

– spitting up seems to be causing her sharp pain (She may scream and cry immediately after spitting up on a regular basis).

Otherwise, spitting up rarely indicates there’s a problem. All the same, trust your mue same, trust your mummy instincts and talk to your baby’s paediatrician whenever in doubt.

Q: I’m a new mum. How can I minimize reflux while feeding him? Perhaps I’m not getting something right. It gets too messy must times.

These may help:

• Give him smaller portions and increase the frequency of feeds.
• Feed in an upright position.
• Try holding him uprightly for about 20 minutes to 30 minutes after every feed.
• If bottle-fed, burp every two or three minutes during feeds. Note that the hole in the bottle teat should not be too large to prevent milk from overflowing.