Spitting up
2nd month, 2nd week
Babies this age often spit up shortly after feeding. Some children spit
up after every meal, while others only occasionally.
In any case, most children outgrow it by the time they reach their first
birthday. Spitting up with great fussiness or spitting up in a child who is not
growing well may indicate a more serious medical problem.
You can reduce regurgitation in the following ways:
- Not letting your baby be very hungry before feeding.
- Avoid overfeeding. If he is bottle fed, give him less.
- Making sure the nipple size is correct. Too big and they will drink too fast; too small, they swallow air.
- Loosening their diapers so as not to put pressure on their small tummies.
- Holding your baby upright while he suckles and burp every time he pauses.
Your baby's development this week
Spending the day in a haze of neonatal sleepiness is now a thing of the
past for your baby. They have become much more social. Expect them to spend
most of their day on the lookout, watching and listening to what's going on
around them.
People are now a source of entertainment. They love it when you smile at
them and they love that now they can smile back at you.
At this age, your baby:
- Soon they will find that they can "talk" to you just by moving their lips.
- Learn that smiling gives them a different way to express their needs than crying.
- Understand that their ability to smile allows them some control over what happens to them.
Month 2, week 2 tips
- Keep feeding times in a quiet place with minimal distractions to reduce regurgitation.
- Babies who spit up are not at increased risk of choking when they are lying on their back. But don't put the baby on your stomach. Until your child learns to roll over on his own, sleeping in a position other than the supine position increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
- If you are afraid of spitting up during sleep, you can raise your baby's head off the mattress or crib a few inches so that his head is higher than his stomach.
- After each feeding, hold the baby upright for 20-30 minutes.
- A child with a full stomach is forced to burp if he bounces. Let some time pass after feeding before playing.
- If your baby's spitting up is streaked with blood or causes choking or vomiting, it's time to see a doctor.
- If the sputum turns into severe vomiting, contact your pediatrician immediately.