Do you have a baby that spits up after laying down? The truth is, all babies have spitting up episodes in their life. It is part of their development – the growth and maturity of their gastrointestinal tract. Baby spit up is the regurgitation of milk or formula ingested by the baby because of incomplete development of the valve that leads from the gullet into the stomach. This valve called the sphincter holds our food in place so it doesn’t come back up to our throats. In babies, this valve is not fully developed, and that’s why they spit-up.
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Baby spit up at age zero to eight months, after which they seem to outgrow it. Below are the reasons your baby spits up after laying down.
Reasons Your Baby Spits Up After Laying Down
Babies don’t just spit up when laid down flat, there are reasons why they do so. Below are some of them.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is a medical condition where a baby’s spitting becomes profuse, like vomiting or throwing up. It includes other problems like fever, breathing issues, weight loss, and feeding issues. So, if your baby spits up every time you lay him down, report immediately to a doctor.
Overfeeding your baby
The second reason why a baby throws up when laid down is overfeeding. Some parents make the mistake of thinking if they ensure that their baby is super full then he won’t wake up for a night feed. By doing this, you will just be setting yourself up for failure since your baby will wake up because of discomfort. When babies overfeed, excess food will always come back up. Just accept your baby’s night routine because they are not permanent, do not use feeding to disrupt it because you may cause him an eating disorder.
Feeding too quickly before bed
Your baby swallows air when he feeds quickly. These form an air bubble within him that gets pushed down as he continues to rush down his food. Afterward, this air rises and, in the process, push out food that comes out as spit-up.
Excessive milk letdown
Another reason why for baby throws up when laying flat is excessive milk letdown. A heavy letdown may be too much for your baby to handle. It will force him to take his mouth off your breast, to take a breath which will lead to swallowing down the air that then leads to spitting up while laying down. If you experience heavy letdown and you’re worried that it may overwhelm your baby then pump out the milk into a bottle; that way you can control the flow. However, ensure that the nipple on the bottle is not too wide nor too small.
Burping a little too quickly
Burping is very important in feeding your child. It needs to be done to get out excess gas from your baby and ensure that they are comfortable after each feeding. After feeding, it is advised that you hold your baby and rub his back until he burps. However, don’t do it too quickly to prevent your baby from throwing up when laid down.
Food sensitivity and allergy
Food sensitivity and allergy is another reason baby spits up when laid down flat. A breastfeeding mother’s food sensitivity and allergies can affect your baby. It has been proven that allergens can be transferred through breast milk.
What to do to help Baby to stop Spitting Up
Have reasonable feeding time
The first thing to do to stop newborn spits up when laid down is to not allow your baby to stay hungry for too long. Have well measured and reasonable feeding time to ensure that your baby never gets too hungry. This ensures that whenever your baby comes to feed, he takes it slow and doesn’t feel the need to go fast to quench a burning hunger. Therefore, he doesn’t overfeed and retains most of what he eats and spits out only a little.
Don’t bend when feeding the baby
Ensure that you stay upright when breastfeeding your baby. It allows a smooth flow of the food through the gastrointestinal tract and reduces air consumption. Also, maintain an upright position which helps to keep the food down.
Relax and calm down while feeding
Avoid any distractions and sounds that may surprise the baby and make him swallow air. Make sure you are relaxed and happy during the process, and also that the baby doesn’t get fussy and if he does address the problem. Check if the baby needs a diaper change or if he’s hot or cold.
Avoid Overfeeding your baby
We all get a lot of discomforts when we’ve eaten too much, how much more a small baby? Overfeeding should never be an option, it should never be something you do under any circumstance. Give your baby only what he needs at the moment, never use feeding to placate the baby, get him quiet, or make him fall asleep to avoid spiting up while laying down.
Burp the baby
Burping means removing air that could have been trapped during feeding to help settle your baby. Burping reduces pressure from the babies’ tummies and also gives room for the baby to feed more. It helps to reduce the amount of space occupied by food in your baby’s stomach and therefore reduces a tendency for the food to flow back.
Avoid any quick movements after feeding
Don’t move your baby immediately after feeding or take him straight to bed. This may cause not just spit up but regurgitation. Keep the baby still after feeding and allow gravity to assist him in keeping his food down.
Keep things loose
Don’t let your baby wear tight clothes to bed. Having tight diapers on put pressure on your baby’s tummy which then leads to the food getting pushed out as spit-up. Ensure that what your baby wears as pajamas are comfy, smooth, and breezy to reduce any external pressure on the stomach.
Take care of allergies
If your baby still has heavy spit-ups and it’s not GERD, then an allergic reaction may be the cause. It could be something you take that the baby is allergic to or you are allergic to. See a doctor figure out what the allergens are and precautions you can take because of it.
Above are tangible reasons baby spits up after laying down and what you can do to solve the problem. Spit ups will naturally go away when your baby’s sphincter fully develops, therefore, in the meantime, all you can do is manage it. These tips guide you on what to do that and help you have moments to connect with your baby.
