5 Month Old Still Spitting up Frequently...

Updated on May 23, 2013
E.Y. asks from Versailles, MO
58 answers

My 5 month old son, Jaxon, spits up constantly! We're not talking the average spit up. It's projectile happening multiple times during feedings and in-between feedings...EVEN if he has taken a super long nap. And it's massive amounts, not just a few tablespoons. He's spit up like this since birth. I breastfed for 6 weeks and he even spit up with that. I've tried: feeding him less (which doesn't work because he spits up so much, it's not too long and he's hungry again), I've mixed cereal in with his formula, I've tried burping him more often and the only thing that does is make him extremely mad, we use the Dr. Brown's bottles, we use lactose free formula now which helps a little but not really...but anything helps so I keep using it, he's had upper G.I. plus an ultrasound and he didn't have any blockages...he was normal, his pediatrician put him on 2 ml of Rantidine two times a day (generic Zantac) for acid reflux..he was on just 1 ml but it wasn't doing anything so his pediatrician upped his dosage, I even tried REALLY thickening up his bottles every once in a while by mixing formula, baby food and single grain oatmeal... which he absolutely LOVES but he even spits that up, he's not jossled around alot after feedings so it's not because he's moving around too much. And he doesn't associate food with pain, the boy loves to eat! He doesn't cry when he spits up...he'll just be sitting or lying there and BLA-A-AH...there it is. I worry about damage to his esophagus...because this spitting up can not be good for him. And every once in a while he spits up what seems to be stomach bile. Ugh. And I know he's teething so that's just making it worse lately...but I know that's not the problem, because he's always been this way. He doesn't have a problem with gaining weight...he's in the 75th percentile in wieght and 90th for height...so there's no problem there. I'm just worried about long term effects! I DON"T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!! HELP!

Oh, and I've also tried Soy...didn't work and he hated it.

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D.V.

answers from St. Louis on

I would go back to the pediatrician. Both of my kids had reflux when they were babies. Both were put on Zantac and it did not help. One took Prilosec, which worked well and the other took Previcid, which also worked well. both my kids stopped needing the medicine around the 6-7 month mark.

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A.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I have a 8 month old son that spit up, and has since he was born.. I like you was very worried.. I talked with his dr..and she told me to put a rice cereal in his bottle and this seems to help...I have discovered that you need buy stage 2 or 3 nipples. I use stage 3..Also do not lay him down after he eats..I keep my son's bed propted up at an angle..I hope this helps...
A. S

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C.R.

answers from St. Louis on

Pediatrician might want to switch medications. Sounds like Zantac isn't working for him. Another med may work better. We went through 3 different reflux medications before one did the trick. Also may consider a medication, can't think of the name, that will also help digest formula out of stomach quicker, so its not sitting in there so long. That also helped us. Pediatrician should know the name. I would really try something different than Zantac.

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M.B.

answers from Topeka on

Hi E., I went through the same problem with my last child who is now 5. He was a large baby 9 lbs. 13oz. and 22 1/2 inches, my largest!! And I'm a small person 5' 2"! Anyways, my son did the same thing and he was breastfed till 6 months old and he was in the high percentile for height and weight also, not fat just big all the way around. He stopped spitting up once we got him on the bottle and he was eating some cereal and fruit. The only thing the dr. could tell us was that since he was such a good eater, he was probably just overeating and since he was growing just fine he'd probably be ok. The only problems he has now is that once in a while if he eats a certain kind of dairy, like ice cream or ranch dressing, he gets a horrible stomach ache. I would assume that if your son has nothing obviously wrong that he will grow out of it and be fine. Your son probably just has a sens. stomach and throws up at the drop of a hat. Some people are just like that. Use your instincts, women's intuition is almost always right! Other than that I wouldn't worry and feed him what he will eat and keep lots of "burp cloths" on hand. Good Luck!!!
M. B.

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R.W.

answers from Wichita on

I feel like I just got finished reading an autobiography of last year with my daughter. We used the Dr. Brown bottles, lactose free formula...blah, blah, blah. All I can say is Tessa finally grew out of it at about 9-12 months. As long as your pediatrician is ok with everything, your son is gaining weight, they don't get too worried about it. It's a pain, yes. Stained clothes (yours and his), sheets, blankets, carpet, furniture, not to mention the extra baths and hair. It is frustrating to have that baby bath smell erased 5 minutes after the bath with the smell of spit up.

Good luck, you are doing all that you can. If it doesn't let up your pediatrician, I'm sure, will look more into it. Only time will tell.

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N.C.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi E., My daughter, who's now nine, used to do that until she was at least 6 months old. My doctor told me that as long as she was gaining weight, she was keeping enough down to get proper nutrition. She hasn't had any problems since, but like you, I used to worry a lot. I hope this makes you feel a little better about the situation.

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A.W.

answers from Springfield on

My girls both spit up lots. They took the drugs and it all stopped when they stopped having bottles. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage. My doc told me that there is a valve that isn't developed in babies until about a year (coinciding with stopping bottles) and some kids just have worse times with reflux. They are just fine now, but they slept in a swing or the car seat to keep them mostly upright when they slept. That helped, too. The spit-up did seem unrelated to eating sometimes because it was so long after they ate. But, apparently I did the same thing and I don't have any trouble either. The girls eat fine and have no problems with swallowing or reflux now. Even when they puke (not very often) it doesn't seem particularly (as in extra) painful for them. I can't tell you yours will be fine, but I was and mine are. Good luck.

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S.W.

answers from St. Louis on

My son, who is now almost 7, used to spit up a whole lot after he nursed. I nursed him until about 7 months. Everything he wore had stains, all bibs had stains, etc. He also gained weight well, and didn't seem to be in pain. Long term, he is fine! I have heard that it is the ones who spit up tiny amounts of bile that could have effects on their esophagus. The big spit up is fine. Lots of babies do it. My son did it until he was more firmly on solid foods.

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J.P.

answers from St. Louis on

E.,

I don't know if this will help but my son started to gag and throw things up around 9 months. I was so scared and frustrated. I thought he had some kind of blockage in his throut. By 11-12 months old he was only eating a few different foods over and over. Others would make him throw up as soon as they touched his tounge. At 18 months we started to notice some developmental delays with his speech which lead to discovering he had a sensory processing disorder and was also diagnosed with autism. We have him on track in all areas now but his eating. He still only eats 5 different foods and drinks only 2 things. He's 5 years old! No way am I suggesting any developmental problems with your baby AT ALL. I just wanted to share how I came to the conclusion of my son having sensory problems. He is seeing an Occupational Therapist now to try and overcome this problem. Just something to think about when he gets older if this continues. I hope this didn't frighten you. I just wanted to share my story with you.

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J.G.

answers from St. Louis on

I see you have loads of advie here... but I have to throw in my two cents.
My son did the same thing.... completely frustrating. I was always nervous when other people would hold him fearing he might spit up on them... and he did frequently.
We used the Enfamil AR formula... it's designed for acid reflux babies. The Zantax didn't really do anything for our son (whose name is also Jaxon). It did ease up a lot when he started crawling at 8 or 9 months and has nearly disappeared since he started walking.
So, hang in there. You're doing everything right.

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J.C.

answers from St. Louis on

It might have to do with another medical condition. You might want to take him to a Neurologist. He might have hydrosyphilus or his skull is fused together and need to be expanded to make room for his brain growth.

I don't know for certain if this is what is happening, but my 10 year old daughter has Crouzon's and had trouble gaining weight when she was a baby.

Sincerely,
J. C.

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C.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi E.,

I would maybe go to a specialist down at children's hospital. but sometimes kids just outgrow things. It's weird how kids change at the age of 1.
C.

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H.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I had this problem with my first. He spit up a lot until he was a year old. At least your baby is still gaining weight. Mine didn't gain weight well, he was always below the growth chart or at 5% and I kept telling the doctors and they just said it's normal but I knew it wasn't. They treated me like "your a first time Mom and don't know what's normal spit up and what's excessive." I have babysat babies since I was 10 years old and knew that was not normal. He also had problems with bronchiolitis and they were more concerned about that and maybe all his coughing caused him to spit up but he was like a guiser everytime he ate and in between meals too. Needless to say, it is hard to go through that as you wonder how healthy your baby will be but my son is now 15 and a very healthy boy although he is still small for his age but has grown in height a lot in the past year. He is now 5'6" and weighs 110 lbs.

The good thing was that he was a very happy baby and the spitting up didn't seem to bother him. I just had a lot of laundry to do as he would go through 10-15 sleepers a day, a lot of burp cloths, and change my clothes that he spit up on often. I used a lot of stain remover and resolve carpet cleaner that year.

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J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi! I can totally relate to what you are going through. My son who is now three had the same kind of issues. He also took Zantac along with Nexium (the purple pill) that adults take for heart burn. They helped a little but he was still spitting up all the time. He went through like five outfits a day and I think people were afraid to hold him in fear of getting soaked. =)
He was on every kind of formula known to man. The formula that ended up being a life saver was called Enfamil AR. It is thickened with a rice starch. He would still spit up but it was not nearly as bad or as often. It is worth a try for sure.
Best of luck to you and let me know if it works! =)
~J.~

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A.H.

answers from St. Louis on

My son Elisha did this for a long time, and we have him on alimentum formula. its eased off alot, maybe its an allergy thing?

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A.B.

answers from Springfield on

Sweetheart, I hate to tell ya, but I have 3 children ages 10,8, & 7 months & two of my 3 were like that. My 7 month old is still a little puker! He has been on Zantac & Prevacid & neither worked. They just have to grow out of it. Is your baby gaining weight? That's the important thing. The mess of throwing up all the time is a pain....believe me, I know. I didn't even like going anywhere with my son because it was such a hassle because of his throwing up. But you have to. I used hand towels instead of the cute burp rags. Now that my son is 7 months old, it has slowed down alot! So give it some time. My 10yr. old was the same way & she grew out of it. Hang in there mom! I promise it will get better :o)

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

E., My daughter who is almost 1 was the same way. I worried a lot, but her peditrician was unconcerned. My sister, who is a nurse, said that the child can sometimes sense that you are upset. Try to stay calm when feeding. She finally just grew out of it at about 6 months. Just be patient.

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T.B.

answers from Wichita on

I have a friend who's youngest one was this same way. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. Like you they did and tried everything and the Dr. told her that some babies are just that way and not to be concerned because he would out grow it. He finally did when he was 10 months old or so and he is perfectly healthy, chubby, 1 year old now.

Keep your head up and don't get frustrated with him, I think he will out grow it in time. God Bless and Best of Luck!

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G.W.

answers from Dallas on

Hi.
First, Here's a great book to read about reflux and the medicines available for infants, possible therapies, etc. "Colic Solved" It is written by a pediatric gastroenterologist

Second, I would say, whatever you try, do it for 2 weeks before deciding if it worked or not. Sometimes we (moms) try to change our baby's routine, and in the first few days we don't notice any change so we think that whatever we're doing isn't working. But really we need to give our babies time to adapt to a new change and (someitmes) get the old (bad) stuff out of their systems.

Hope that helped!

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C.G.

answers from Jackson on

My baby boy will be 5 months old next week and we are dealing with exactly the same thing. They keep telling me he will grow out of it! If I hear that one more time I am going to scream.

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A.B.

answers from Kansas City on

With my first child he sometimes spit up his forumla, and with my 2nd he spit up like your son. I really didn't know if anything was wrong or not. Then i just had my daughter in October, and while i was pg, the WIC nurse asked me what formula i would like to be on. and i told her about the problems my boys had, along with constipation. and she told me that they were probably allergic to it. So she recommended that i try Enfimil Gentlease. It's worked great with her. She doesn't spit up(except for the little bit after she burps), she hardly has any gas, and she's not constipated. If i had known this before with my middle child, i probably would've switched formulas. Good luck

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R.P.

answers from Wichita on

Im not sure if this will work you might wantt o talk to your doctor, but i was talking to this lady who has a 4 month old and she said that her baby was always spitting up and your story reminded me of that. what she is doing now with her baby is 4 oz of evaporated milk and 4 oz of water and because there is hardly enough vitamins she gives the baby liquid vitamins in the morning one a day she says that the baby is doing alot better on that talk to your doctor about that maybe it something that might work for you.

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S.B.

answers from Springfield on

I had 2 sons who had acid reflux. My first sounds like your son with all the spitting up. There are other medications that can help with that or a combination of a couple of ones. You have to be an advocate (it sounds like you have been )and tell the doctor you want to try more meds and possible see a pediatirc gastrointerologist. He eventually outgrew it but not until after his first birthday. My youngest never really spit up but didn't really bend (because he was in pain) and coughed quite a bit. He was having constant heartburn until he was placed on a couple of different meds to help (it did take a while to get the right combo). To this day he still takes Zantac and the doctors say he probably always will. He is 7 years and it is amazing that he has learned certain foods that trigger his heartburn and also at what times (more frequent at night). The good news is there is hope, but sometimes it takes a while to get where you want to be. Good luck and I will pray for you and your son.

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S.T.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter who is 14 months old now was known for her spitting up. It happened till she was around 11 months she still does it sometimes. We do have acid medicine for her but they gave me peppermint which is to hard on her tummy so we just go with it she's not in any pain. Make sure you let him just sit upright after his feedings and relax I would also elevate his mattress. S.

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K.L.

answers from Springfield on

I would ask your doctor about a formula called Alumentum(spelling?). I am not sure if it would help but I have known a few babies with severe reflux and allergies switch to this formula and do remarkably well. It is really expensive so I would check with your doctor first before buying. I hope you find a solution soon. Take care of little Jaxon, and yourself!

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L.E.

answers from Columbia on

My daughter had the same problem when she was a baby.She had projectile vomiting and had the upper gi test and all that done as well and found no blockages.The only thing I found with her was after I would feed her I would hold her up on my shoulder in burping position for approximately 20 minutes or so after she ate.As long as I did that she would usually keep everything down.It was frustrating and time consuming but it seemed to work.I couldn't even lay her down to change her diaper directly after a feeding or she would get sick.

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T.G.

answers from St. Louis on

I had a friend that had the same problem with her son when he was a baby. She ended up having to switch him to goats milk. Have you tried that? Also, when my son was that age maybe a little older he kind of did the same thing. The doctor told me that he had a delayed swollow. Which meant that the food would go down into his throat before he would swallow which was causing him to gag and the food would come back up. Hope this help a little. I would really try the goats milk!

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C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

The only thing that I can think of is switch doctors. Mothers seem to know what is wrong with their children. Be forceful with the doctor. Let them know that you won't stop until you get an answer.

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K.N.

answers from Wichita on

My boy was a chronic spitter-upper! I can totally relate! My dr. was not concerned, because he stayed consistent on the growth charts. He had no allergies or anything. Dr said he must just be underdeveloped--whatever the part is, I can't remember the name--the part between the esophagus and the stomach, and that he'd eventually outgrow it. And, he did, hooray! He spit up at least until 12 months. And then after that, he really didn't spit up much, but was very sensitive to vomiting. If he cried to hard, he'd vomit. Or if he drank too much milk before bed, EVERYTHING would come up, even dinner. That wasn't much fun. It happened at least once a week. I'm happy to say that now, he's three, and I don't remember that last time he threw up!

So, my guess is that you don't have to worry, he'll outgrow it. And he may be like our boy after that, and be sensitive to vomiting. He's obviously getting enough nutrition, being high up on the charts!

We fretted a lot, since he was our first. I wish we hadn't though, because he was fine, and there was nothing we could do except wait it out! :)

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S.C.

answers from Kansas City on

My brother was the same way when he was little. He was diagnosed with Acid Reflux. Doctors put him on really expensive meds that did not help at all. A friend told us about Colostrum (sp?)from the health food store. (it is what mother's milk produces at 1st to build a healthy digestive system) Mom started putting it in his bottles and he became a whole new baby! Never threw up after that!! And he cried a lot less!

We have recommended to others who have tried this and it helped them also.

Good Luck!

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C.B.

answers from St. Louis on

My now 6 year old daughter had reflux. The meds did nothing for her. She was also a big baby, always off the charts for her age. Unfortunately he has to outgrow it. Caroline did, around 9 or so months. The frequency would change with developmental milestones. We'd hit a plateau for a bit, then she'd start to sit up, it would increase. When she started to crawl, it increased a bit again. Not by tons, but enough I'd notice. It was right between 9 and 10 months she pretty much stopped. Now, she's nearly 7, healthy as can be. She doesn't have any digestion issues, no reflux or heart burn. She's also my best and most adventurous eater of my 3 kids. We did use Nutramigen, which helped slightly, but not really enough to offset the cost.

I hope this helped! It seems like forever when you're going through reflux. I felt like I was constantly feeding her, and I was! It will end.

C.
Mom to Lily (4/98) Caroline (4/01) and Samuel (7/04)

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N.P.

answers from St. Louis on

I have a 9 week old who also spits up a lot. We have also undergone the tests (negative for blockages), seen a pediatric gastrointerologist etc. and are told he's ok and most kids spit up, some more than others. Gee -- that helps! We've received a lot of advice, often conflicting. In the end, we took a little advice from a lot of sources based on what works for us, which I note below. Keep in mind these things help but don't eliminate the spit up.

We use Similac sensitive formula when not breastfeeding - he seems to like this (he really liked Alimentum but VERY expensive and smells funny). There is also sensitive RS (reduced spit up). Haven't tried it, but maybe that will work for you?

We keep him upright almost all the time (except mat time, tummy time, etc.). He sleeps in his carseat, a papasan chair, or his swing -- all which keep him upright. When laid down he throws up on himself much, much more.

We were told that if you lay him on his stomach after eating, he will burp himself and get a lot of the spit up out of the way -- this seems to be true. Put him down on a waterproof burp cloth or mat and let him work it out. My husband burps him every ounce when feeding via bottle and swears this works. I BF, so not sure.

We don't let him get too worked up crying if we can help it because he'll swallow more air and spit up more.

I believe the Zantac minimizes the acid so that the damage to the esophagus etc. is lessened.

Carters makes some cloth waterproof bibs - a great investment for the vomit-y kid...helps reduce the number of outfit changes.

Our son is in the 90th percentile for weight (14 pounds at 9 weeks), growing rapidly and gaining strength too -- so it seems he's a lot less bothered by the spit up than we are. I've heard that kids often grow out of it by 6 months -- here's hoping!

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J.J.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

My daughter had the same problem. I was to the point where I quit wearing nice clothes because I knew she was going to throw up all over them. After a lot of prodding, visits with two different GI doctors, and month on Zantac, her pediatrician put her on 15 mg of Prevacid. It comes in the gelcaps and you just pull them open and sprinkle it in their baby food. After she got old enough I just put it in some juice and she sucked it up with a straw. It was the only thing that calmed it. However she still did have "trigger" foods. She couldn't eat bananas or bell pepper without spitting them up. Good luck to you.

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M.K.

answers from Kansas City on

I had the same problem with my baby so at one week old we took him to Children's Mercy to have an upper GI and everything came back fine so the dr put him on the same med as your little guy and a formula called Nutramegen (sp?). It did not help at all she was still spitting up a lot projectile and all. So then they put him on Prevacid, and yes that did not work either. At 6 weeks old he went back to Children's and had x-rays and an ultrasound and we found out that the muscle below his stomach was too big and not letting any food through, called piloric stenosis, he had to have a very minor surgery. My doctor said that a lot of parents worry about this condition when it is not the case, so I don't know how often it happens. But since his surgery he still spits up, a lot, but its not projectile anymore and it does not seem like nearly the whole bottle and he is now 11 months old. He is still on the Prevacid, but he does much better with food than with formula. It does get a lot better! Hang in there.

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S.M.

answers from St. Louis on

E.,
Hello, I completly understand what you are going through! my son is 16 months now and had the same problem till he was about 8 or 9 months! Spitting up all the time! my doctor told me to give him Mylanta I dont remeber how much I think about 1 ml. (not very much at all) before feedings! It helped alot! he does not spit up anymore now! There is hope! good luck with your little guy! :)
S.

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M.T.

answers from Kansas City on

I'm in the same boat as you are, but my son DEFINITELY associates food with pain, so he doesn't eat. Have you tried either Neocate or Elecare. Those are the 2 formulas that are completely broken down so it's easier for him to digest. They are milk and soy free. Keep him elevated during feeds and for 1/2 hr after feeds. You may just have to keep feeding him smaller amounts more frequently. Try to pace him while he's eating, as well. You might want to try a combo of meds. My son is on Zantac and Prevacid. Other than that, there's really nothing more you can do w/o surgical intervention. Honestly, if he is eating and is doing well with growth, I wouldn't worry about it. Most likely he will grow out of it by 2 yrs of age. It's when their growth or eating suffers that the doc may want to do a fundoplication. But, if he is doing this well, I wouldn't recommend doing that surgery.

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A.J.

answers from St. Louis on

You are not alone. My 5 month old daughter has the same issue but she's breastfed. I tried all the same things you have (meds, sitting upright, rice cereal, burping, bottles) with no positive results. My kid & I go through multiple outfits everyday & our furniture looks like it's been hit by bird droppings. She wakes up every morning with soaking wet hair, barf running down her face, into her ears, neck & sheets. She "spits-up" (barfs) all day long. Sometimes it's runny, sometimes it's thick (half-digested). I feel like I need to wear a rain coat & put down plastic tarps all over my house whenever we hold her. I've actually gotten in the habit of burping her over our hardwood floors since it's easier to clean up. She smells like stomach acid all the time b/c just as soon as I clean her up, she barfs on herself again. It's so much everytime, that I have to change her head to toe. I estimate that at least 1/3 cup or more comes out EACH time- it literally makes puddles that need a bath TOWEL to absorb. I have no idea how she's gotten so chubby with so much coming back out! It's so gross- much worse than a dirty diaper. She doesn't seem upset about it & she's growing normaly, but things like belly time is extra difficult b/c of the puddles! Needless to say, my dogs have the shiniest coats. I'll be watching other postings for some help as well. I'm out of ideas. Honestly, all I can think of is that she's overeating, but since she's breastfed, how can I change that? Bottle? Forget it. Some problem, but the barf lands on dad instead. Everyone says it gets better but so far it's getting worse. Her stomach is bigger & able to hold more food, that, of course, later is expelled.

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A.J.

answers from Topeka on

Hi E.,
Have you tried Nutramigen formula? I've heard it works well for babies that have sensitive tummies. Good Luck!!

PS Sorry it's so short...in a hurry :)

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C.H.

answers from Wichita on

I used to know a lady who used Nutramigen formula, and that helped her. When I was a baby... many moons ago... my mom couldn't get me to keep anything down. She finally started mixing evaporated milk with equal parts water. She said that worked like a charm.
Good luck!!
And hug that baby boy for me -- I miss mine being so young. :)

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C.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I don't typically respond to these, but I wanted to give you some advice. Your post sounded just like what happened with my twins. I tried everything that you tried and had the same results. My children spit up/threw up until they were 1. There have been no long term affects. All I can say is that you have to be patient. There is nothing you can do to make this go away except wait. Get lots of spit-up towels and make him wear a bib at all times. The other thing I recommend is NEVER leave him on his back. My daughter almost choked because of this.

Also, if you haven't tried Infamil AR (added rice), try that. It's a little more expensive, but it may help slightly. I wouldn't bother trying any others (soy, lactose-fee, or nutramagen), they won't help. I wouldn't expect to see a huge improvement until he's 1. My kids threw up everything (including all baby food) until they were 1, and they both were either at or above a normal weight and they have nothing wrong with them now (they're 8).

I hope this helps. I know how frustrating this can be. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

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E.C.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi E., I know exactly what you are going through, I have 8 month old twins who both have acid reflux. They were both on Rantidine at first and it did not help, my doctor eventually put them on Prevecaid, and I saw results after a week. They still spit up, but nowhere near the massive amounts that they used to. They are also on Nutramigen, which is really expensive, but all of the proteins are already broken down, so it's basically aldready digested once they take it. Hope this helps!! Know that it will get better eventually!

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S.F.

answers from St. Joseph on

you might need to get the formula that is for babies that spit up i had to with my middle child i have 3 and i know what you mean he spit up a lot too so try the formula enfamil a r that should help but if not i would take him to a doctor who might be able to help you

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S.P.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi E., My spitter upper is now 5 and we lived through it. No one knows the amount of laundry involved. Our situation was not as severe as yours, but here are a few things I did to keep it under control.
I also used the Dr. Brown bottles after trying about 5 other brands. I called their 800 number every day until I had enough info. The nipple sizes needs to change as they get older (which I didn't know) and when you screw the lid on, you need to back off a little to release the suction, so they can finish the whole bottle with ease. I also heated spring water in a stainless steel pan, mixed in the formula and stirred until it was disolved, let it cool, then refrigerated it in a gallon glass bottle to fill the bottles as needed.
Then I just filled the bottle and warmed it in a pan of hot water. Sometimes I would micro wave it, but tried not to. This way they were always ready, because if he cried before taking a bottle it would come back up. I have actually seen mothers pour the formula into the bottle, shake like crazy and give their babies undissolved, air filled formula.
It seems like they wouldn't be able to digest it and all of the air makes them so uncomfortable. I also, needed to hold him up a little straighter than most moms do when feeding and then continue that position for 5 or 10 min while it digested.
I know this all sounds a bit too much, but
he was so much happier. He was also a 100% in ht and 95%in wt. and still is. He could only go 3 hrs. between bottles He never got fat, only taller & taller. He is a very sweet boy and eats very well. We still have the rule, no laughing 15 minutes after eating, to keep that tummy calm. This of course, makes him laugh. A friend use to rock her child or bounce her leg while feeding her and she spit up alot. We had to sit very still. Our formula was one of the regular enfamils. Once the docter had us sitch to nutramigen because he had coin excema. He was miserable on it. It was very oily. After a few days we went back to our regular formula and the excema cleared up with an ointment. He also needed to be burped a few times during the bottle. He only burped if I stood up and walked a little. I think the motion of standing up moved the bubble in his tummy. I know this sounds as though he was "babied", but he quit spitting up and life was much easier. This is all a bit random, but hope one idea helps a little. It's always great to find out it's just a sensitive issue. Good Luck, S.

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J.L.

answers from Springfield on

Hi, E.. My oldest (now 13) was a projectile puker, too. Enfamil's Nutramagen helped us immensley. It's expensive, but it stayed down, so it was worth it to me. The proteins in this formula are broken down so much that it's easier for babies to digest so there's not as much to spit up.

I can totally relate to the mom who mentioned her talented baby projecting to the back window of her Yukon ... lol ... been there, cleaned that. ;)

Hang in there. It gets easier. Promise. Just love him!!

Best wishes to you and Jaxon.

J.

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T.F.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter projectile vomited until she was close to 18 months. Her Dr thought that I was exagerating until she saw it for herself when she pick her up to say "Hi" and got a nice little shower. She ask me if she just ate and I said about 3 hours prior and it just kept coming. We did the zantac for several months which helped tremendously with the vomit (acidity) smell to the spit up. She did eventually switch us to prevacid (which will be a dissolvable tablet that you can dissolve in applesauce). I felt that it did a little better at controlling her "spitting up". Just hang in there and remember that bibs and burp cloths are a girls best friend in times like these.

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M.A.

answers from St. Louis on

My son did this as well. We finally figured out that he has acid reflux so the doctor put him on Zantax and that has made a huge difference for him.

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D.K.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi E.
I know this might sound crazy, but I'm recommending a very specific type of chiropractic care called upper cervical. Here is a website that describes how it works and tells the story of many other children like yours that got help, easily, naturally, and quickly using this type of care:
http://erinelster.com/CaseStudies.aspx?ConditionID=13

If you tell me where you are, I can help you find someone that practices this technique. I'll do anything I can to help.
Jeannette

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A.B.

answers from Kansas City on

E....my three children are all grown now...17, 19, 31. My first and my second did exactly the same as Jaxon. My third, never spit up. I did not learn until they were older that the two that projected almost all of my milk AND their formulas were both lactose intolerant. If I had known then, I would have never given them anything but lactose free formula. Hope this experience helps you!

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C.M.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter did that too. We had to take her in for xrays of her reflux it is the flap that is suppose to shut to keep food and liquids down. Sometimes it is weak and cannot hold shut. Some need sergery and sometimes it will strengthen and work properly on its own. What they do is have the child drink berrium and then xray it. It is very simple and easy. Not sure if that is what it is but it is worth a shot to check it out.
C.

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K.L.

answers from St. Louis on

E.,
I would have him checked for allergies. A friend of mine had the same problem. The baby was allergic to the formula. They also found out he was allergic to several other things. You may have to be very persistent because doctors don't usually believe that is what it is.
Good luck.

K.

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K.P.

answers from Topeka on

Take that sweet thing to the chiropractor. Sometimes a baby gets a reflux disorder due to his nerves being our of line in his spine. It can be a quick easy fix. Chiropractic has helped all three of my children. I wouldn't live without it.

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L.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi E.!

I am the mommy of a 4 year old and a 21 month old. My 4 year old spit up alot just like your Jaxon. I always had spit-up on me. And he would fill up a folded cloth diaper at almost every feeding. Instead of thickening up his bottles; have you thought of, or ate just trying to feed him cereal from a spoon? Just a thought. My boy gained weight and grew just like your son is doing and did not stop spitting up until he was almost a year old. The spitting up has not hurt is esophagus. Good luck!
L.

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

it sounds as if you've tried quite a lot to address this situation. My very 1st thought was: he's 5 months old & the closer you get to that 1st birthday, the less this is going to happen.
If you're not noticing any allergic reactions, then why not just wait it out another couple of months? This is not cold or harsh, just simply...he'll be on more foods very soon & this issue will disappear. Good Luck!

Update: I just read the recommendation to seek chiropractic evaluation. What an excellent idea!

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E.F.

answers from St. Louis on

E.,
My son is 2 1/2 years old. He, too, spit up constantly! We were discouraged to take him anywhere b/c of it. As with your son, he really didn't experience any pain, just a lot of and frequent spit ups. I used soy formula and DR. Brown bottles also. He also had a normal GI exam with slight reflux. Medication did not help-we discontinued. Literally to the day that he could walk, the spitting reduced drastically and then stopped. That is also what his Ped. had predicted. Some parents have opted for surgery, but it was not recommended to us. Have you heard of it? It has something to do with the muscle function at the entrance to the stomach I think. Currently, we have not noticed any long term affects-vocally or physically. Good luck!

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L.B.

answers from St. Joseph on

I would recommend taking him to a specialist. My son was the same way but the Zantac seemed to help. I know where you are with the whole projectile thing...we didn't have burp rags...we carried beach towels! My son was so talented, while he was rear facing he could hit the back window of the Yukon!

My son eventually outgrew it (although at 4 he will occassionally get that look and you just know it's coming) but it's not where it used to be and rarely happens anymore. I would suggest somewhere like Children's Mercy for a specialist that could suggest more than just upping the dosage...perhaps the regular vs. the generic would make the difference?

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R.T.

answers from Kansas City on

Does your son have excessive post nasal drip, or has his doctor made sure he isn't having some stomach or esophageal muscle spasms?
Dietary-wise - Have you tried Rice Milk? My niece who's a coeliac (allergic to gluten), could only drink rice milk as a baby. Her mom added non-glutened vitamin syrup and a little rice cereal to her rice milk to make a formula for her. I don't know, but you could probably buy rice formula now days.

These are just ideas!

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S.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Ask your doctor if there is a different medication than Zantac-basing this on what I had-for 25 years Itook Zantac and recently had surgery to correct a hiatal-hernia (they rebuilt my stomach, not removing any part) they told me the Zantac only works in the "top" part and does not get into the bottom to help the acid-it works as a cover up-ok that helps in some cases but it did not help me. So I wonder if there is something like a baby prilosec which works on the acid that is out there for your little one? It is wortha try to find out. Good luck-I feel your little one's pain!

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L.G.

answers from St. Louis on

My daughter did the same thing, and nothing worked to help her either. It did calm down a little when she started sitting up on her own without any help, and also when she started eating baby food more often.

Hang in there! I feel for you! I don't think I had ever done so much laundry as I did when she was in that phase.

P.S. So far, I have not seen any lasting effects on her. She still eats well, and doesn't seem to have any pain.

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