Hungry but Spitting up

Kaitlyn - posted on 01/03/2013

I am having a similar problem. My daughter just turned 4 weeks old. For the past few days, she has been wanting to nurse all day long, but frequently fussy at the breast. The first few minutes at the breast she is fine, then goes back and forth from sucking vigorously to screaming while trying to nurse. She wants to eat so often I feel like I have to force her to wait sometimes because I'm out of milk! I started trying to burp her more often, but now she is constantly spitting up. It's very frustrating!

Melissa - posted on 01/05/2011

aaww at this age colic and reflux really start to show! Sounds like both. Our son was the same way. I had to go on a nondairy diet, finally he just wouldnt breastfeed anymore so we put him on formula for colic. He also had reflux..the formula helped a little but we also gave him meds. It sounds like he also might not be getting enough form you maybe because of reflux...try feeding him in either a football hold or sideway so his beely is flat against you. Alos talk to a lactation specialist to make sure you milk is coming out ok. Deff talk to the doc. asap about the symptoms!

Chloe - posted on 01/05/2011

It sounds like it could be GERD to me. Have you taken him to the doctor and saw what they thought? The acid from his stomach could be flaring up and making him uncomfortable and not allowing him to digest properly- this happened with my DD. We got her on medication and it definitely helped a lot! Good luck!

Mary Renee - posted on 01/04/2011

I have a friend who experienced this same thing. On occasion when my daughter is feeling ill, I've experienced the same thing, too!

My friend's son had reflux. Nursing was a source of comfort for him so he nursed to make himself feel better and to soothe the reflux, and then spit up the milk anyway because of the reflux. They took him to the pediatrician who was able to give him some medicine. There might also be some OTC medicines to help with reflux, but your son is very young so make sure it's alright for newborns.

My daughter also nurses as a source of comfort when she's ill and there has been times she's felt sick where all she wants is to cuddle and nurse as a source of comfort and then she projectile vomits! Some children don't know the difference between hungry and a stomach ache.

None the less, your baby is so young, not even a month yet? It might be that he IS constantly hungry. My daughter ate constantly until she was 3 months old, and even then she ate every 2 hours for an hour each time. But when she was 3 weeks old...oh my god, forget it...she wanted to eat every hour and a half for an hour! So there was only a half hour between feedings! She wanted to eat constantly but she was only 7.5 lbs (6.5 lbs at birth) so I fed her constantly. She also had a brief fussy period around 3-6 weeks where at night time she wanted to eat all the time and cried and rooted and was sometimes just unconsolable. I was afraid it was colic but she grew out if it luckily. She wasn't spitting up excessively though.

I would guess that your baby has reflux but don't put rice cereal in her bottle (that's what my MIL suggested when my daughter was only 4 weeks old! Not a good idea)

I would continue to nurse him on demand though because an infant that young really should be eating and sleeping constantly - that's normal. Spitting up is also normal, but spitting up large ammounts several times after a feeding might be something worth calling the pediatrician.

Kyla - posted on 01/04/2011

feed, than OVAL
MY 2MONTH DAUGHTER IS THE EXACT SAME WAY
i deal it during the day, but at night i giver her oval because she is gasy!

Sarh - posted on 01/04/2011

For the gas have you tried cutting dairy out of your diet? My bub was really gassy and had "old man farts". I cut dairy out of my diet and he got much better. I don't burp him because he would take forever to burp and when he finally would he would spit up a lot and then have to feed again. I swear the first month or two after he was born we used Mylicon as much as you can in a 24hr period!
So, give him Mylicon before every other feeding or every feeding (just don't exceed the limit for 24hrs). Cut dairy out of your diet and that should help.
When you rub/massage his tummy make sure you do so ONLY in a clockwise manor or you can make him constipated and cause more tummy pain.

Vanessa - posted on 01/04/2011

Thanks a ton! He has still been having days like that on and off...he seems super gassy. We have tried the drops and they work occasionally but more often then not they don't even touch the bubbles he has in his tummy. If we can can get him to calm down a little he can pass them just fine but if he is inconsolable then the crying just adds to them and it becomes a long day. I hate to see him in such agony but we try changing his position frequently, burping and rubbing his tummy which usually works...has anyone tried anything else for a gassy tummy?

Liz - posted on 12/31/2010

My little boy is now 10 weeks and he has days like this but not usually one after the other. Some days he feeds and feeds and feeds and then spits up several times before he feeds again! He may be heading into a growth spurt.
I agree with Sarh about feeding him as often as he wants, and speaking to the Dr about whether he may have reflux.
Have you considered topping him up with a bottle? Do you pump breastmilk at all or just feed. I top my baby up with formula if he has fed for too long but doesnt seem to be satisfied, but I know some breastfeeding mums only want to breastfeed. The only reason I did this was because I was worried about how much he was getting - I thought perhaps I wasnt producing enough. In a bottle you can see how much they drink - darn mother nature should sure have given us a measurement feature on our breasts! It might be worth, if all else fails, either giving him a formula top up or if you are against that then pumping some breastmilk and storing it to give in a bottle. However this trick is only good if you are happy to give both breast and bottle, and if baby will accept both breast and bottle. Good luck!

Sarh - posted on 12/30/2010

Feed him when he is hungry and as often as he wants. At first you may have to offer frequent feedings so he does not chug down as much as possible at one time.
He may have reflux and I would personally call the pediatrician.
This could also be a growth spurt and Cade (almost 7ms and breastfeeding) still does cluster feedings. I feed him as often as he wants and allow him to nurse for as long as he wants. I have always done this and have had no problems. He has reflux and is lactose intolerant.
You have to take into consideration that when baby spits up it looks like a lot more then it really is because it mixes with saliva. My mom still has to remind me of this when Cade spits up and he is my 2nd child.

Best advise I can give is what I first stated... feed him when he wants (on demand). The best way to go!

Good luck!