By the end of the first month, when you've just begun to establish a feeding routine, you'll notice a new issue: the baby spits up after eating, and their stomach is swollen with gas. Let's try to determine how normal this is.
Do all babies spit up?
Regurgitation in children under one and a half years old is normal. The valve between the stomach and the esophagus is not yet elastic enough, and food sometimes flows back from the stomach into the mouth. This is not surprising, especially given that babies only eat liquids and spend the majority of their time lying on their backs: gravity does not help the milk flow down.
If the baby is held upright after each feeding, regurgitation will be reduced. If the baby grows normally, gains weight and does not refuse to eat, then most likely there is no cause for concern [1].
When should I see a doctor?
These signals may indicate that regurgitation is associated with a disease [1].
The regurgitation is very profuse (fountain), like vomiting.
The baby is losing weight.
The regurgitation is not completely white: yellow, greenish or mixed.
The baby often coughs, and occasionally vomits.
The baby is uncomfortable and cries after eating.
Is bloating normal?
Bloating can occur due to a variety of factors. The most obvious is that the baby swallows air while feeding. Most of the time, this occurs when babies are extremely hungry and have begun crying. The best way to avoid bloating is to feed on demand [2].
Gas in the abdomen is a common complaint among slightly premature babies born between the 36th and 38th week. They are strong, do not require medical attention, and are released from the hospital alongside their mother. To keep up with their peers, such babies eat a lot. However, because they lack the strength to consume large amounts of food at once, they latch onto their mother's breasts every hour or more frequently. As a result, they get only foremilk, which is high in lactose. Foremilk promotes rapid growth in babies, but it can also cause gas, bloating, colic, and diarrhea [3].
Should I restrict breastfeeding when my baby is bloated?
No, babies should eat as much as they need. But you may need to use expressed milk for a while. Emptying your breasts completely yields hindmilk, which contains less sugar and more protein and can be bottle-fed to a baby. It can help with some gastrointestinal symptoms [3].
Can a mother's diet cause digestive problems in babies?
Some years ago,there was a popular theory that babies under three months old may have an intolerance to cow's milk and that mothers should avoid dairy products. However, there are no convincing studies to support this hypothesis [2]. If anything, try skipping milk for a few weeks to see if it helps the baby.
Photo: shutterstock
