So our second child is a regurgitating fountain—food goes in, food comes out. It is a fairly simple process, very noncomplex. The complexity enters when discussing this problem with our pediatrician and his nurses, visiting various websites, and dealing with ideas from well meaning spectators.
What should be done with an extremely spitty baby?? So many options present themselves…we have yet to find one that actually works. Besides, of course, letting the baby be and hope he will give up spitting of his own free will.
I have had more mothers, children, strangers, fathers, etc say to me “your baby just spit up” to keep track. I would like to know what these people intend me to do about it. Unless he has just spewed forth a full ounce or more (which has been known to happen…frequently) I don’t really need to hear about it. Why? Because by the time I wipe him up he will spit again. He is covered in spit, I am covered in spit, our carpet, furniture, tile, car, blankets are covered in spit. We just are. I have no time to deal with miniscule amounts of spit up.
Does my son have acid reflux? Hard to tell. Maybe he just likes to puke, maybe he eats too much, maybe he eats too little, maybe he gets too excited, maybe he has a sinus infection. All I know is he is healthy, happy, and chubby…just a little damp.
My doctor has prescribed holding the baby up for 30 minutes after feeding…no luck. Prevacid in a 7.5mg dose, prevacid in a 15mg dose, and most recently bethanechol four times a day 30 minutes before a feeding. Now I would like to see the mother who can effectively break a 15mg solutab of Prevacid exactly in half and ask her four month old to hold it on his tongue while it dissolves because the tab is not effective if swallowed whole. And don’t forget that this must be done first thing before any other food is eaten. Well most infants I know wake up wanting breast milk/bottle instantaneously, not a little pink solutab. And make sure you don’t miss a dose because then it will take several weeks to build up again. In my mind—not an effective medication for a baby, but that’s just me. Also try tempting your baby with yummy liquid medicine (bethanechol) and then expecting him or her to wait 30 more minutes for a meal. Ha.
I have heard starting solid foods should stop spittiness…not with this kid. He will spit anything you throw at him. He is no respecter of states of matter; this kid can do it all. Also been told kids stop spitting once they learn to walk so I may have the youngest walker ever at a mere five months. Look for us in next year’s edition of Guinness Book of World Records…we’ll either make youngest walker or spittiest baby.
So most recently I have decided to try switching to soy…can’t make things worse (right?) and doesn’t involve giving a baby medication or teaching him to walk before he can sit up. More realistically though I have come to terms with the fact that most of my baby clothes will be permanently stained with formula, peas, bananas, and carrots. And my baby, my house, and I will smell a little, ok, a lot like sour milk for the next several months.
Below are links to some information I came across while searching out solutions. May one of these work for you and end your spitty days for good!! Cheers.
Parents’ discussion on spitting babies:
Baby Center
Berkeley Parents
Symptoms and treatments of acid reflux:
About Heartburn
Reflux
Health Central
Family Doctor
General information on spitting up:
Baby Center
Please feel free to add your own comments or give suggestions.
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