Your friend invites you out and you politely decline, explaining that your newborn is spitting up.
“Throwing up? Is she sick?”
“No, spitting up.”
You may be able to see the difference, but understanding why it’s happening can help you
prevent it.
What’s the Difference?
When a baby vomits, their abdominal muscles and diaphragm have contracted while their
stomach is relaxed. When a baby spits up, known as reflux, it’s because they’ve swallowed air
while feeding. The air comes back up, as well as the milk. Babies also tend to eat until their
overfilled, which is why milk sometimes comes back up.
The obvious difference would be the appearance of whatever’s coming up. Vomiting comes in
greater and forceful quantities. Spitting up, on the other hand, doesn’t faze babies at all. Spitting
up is also more common in half of babies under 12 months.
How to Prevent Spit Up
Spit up is common. It’s your baby’s way of getting used to bottle or breastfeeding. There are
some ways to prevent it, though.
• Hold your baby up right during feeding.
• Try not to put off feeding until the last minute. The hungrier a baby is while feeding, the
more air they’ll frantically take in, leading to spit up.
• Burp your baby after and even during feedings. Some babies naturally pause while
feeding. Use that as an opportunity to try and burp your baby. Getting some of it out now
means less spit up later.
• Don’t overfeed your baby.
• Avoid tight clothes around the stomach of your baby.
• If your baby spits up at night, try elevating their head.
If You Bottle Feed…
Try changing the nipple. Bottle nipples correspond to ages. A big hole leads to too much intake,
while a small hole causes the baby to suck harder and take more air in. Another recommendation
is to try different formulas.
If You Breast Feed…
Try a new diet. Mothers have found cutting back on dairy reduces spit up.
If you believe your baby is spitting or throwing up abnormally, see a doctor. You can