Overfeeding or Acid Reflux?

My son had reflux from the time he was a newborn until he grew out of it around 18 months.

Here are the common symptoms of GERD (reflux) in infants:
* Frequent spitting up or vomiting
* Irritability when feeding
* Refusing food or eating only small amounts
* Sudden or constant crying (colicky behavior)
* Arching the back while feeding
* "Wet" burps
* Frequent hiccups
* Frequent coughing
* Poor sleep habits with frequent waking
* Bad breath

Sometimes, babies with reflux have a lot of hiccups (but alone, that 'symptom" means little).

I would take your baby to the pediatrician and ask about amounts you should be feeding. breastfed babies don't need as much breastmilk at formula-fed babies need formula, in order to grow; also, its much easier to overfeed a baby when feeding with a bottle.

I would be very concerned about her aspirating the milk/vomit, because this can cause problems like pneumonia.

Some things to try:
* Make sure to feed the baby in a more upright position (at least 30 degree angle, but higher angle is better).
* Keep the baby more upright for at least 30 minutes after each feeding.
* Feed smaller feedings more frequently.
* Elevate the baby's mattress. When I was doing research, there is apparently a foam block you can buy to elevate the mattress, and a harness that you buy that attaches to the crib. We didn't use the harness, but we did elevate our son's crib. We just rolled up some towels and used old pillows under the mattress at one end of the crib.

There are medicines that can be prescribed for the baby, too, if you want to go that route, too. I think Zantec, maybe? We opted to treat it w/o meds, by the recommendation of our pediatrician, but we were late in getting it diagnosed, and it was already starting to get somewhat better... had we figured it out at its worst, we probably would've insisted on the meds, because he was pretty darn miserable.

Hey D.,
My son also did the same thing at this age and he was exclusively breastfed. I also wondered if he was overeating, but it turns out that he was reacting to something in my diet (he has multiple food allergies now). The stools were the big indicator there- green, frothy, stools and a rash on his bottom. He would spit up a lot, sometimes a while after being fed (all curdled-looking), sometimes right after.
I would start by trying a little less in the bottle, more often. See if that helps. If she wants more, she'll let you know!
Also, at night, you can try one of those wedge positioners to keep her slightly elevated.
I would mention it to the doctor. There are medications for reflux that can help if other things don't help.
Good luck!

My husband and I took our little guy to see a specialist and they said babies do not have acid reflux. Their food goes up their throat as much as what it does in us, their throat just isn't as long. With that being said at 4 months we were told to start giving our son cereal. He did much much better with the heavier food. I too breastfeed my son and he spit up all the time from day one. I expressed my concerns with her normal doctor, but he didn't really belive me until she had an episode while we were in his office for our 3 month check up. We were also told that babies do over eat esp. if their throat is burning from their food coming back up. Our guy is now 6 months old and is a little better with keeping his food down, but I still wash a ton of clothing, his, mine and my hubbys.

I wish you the best of luck and I know comletely how you are feeling right now. If you have any second guesses I would contact a specialist. We learned more in that 45 min appointment than what we did with 4 trips to our doc.

Stop the formula feedings for a few days and see how she is then. Question: what difference does it make if she uses a bottle or you nursing to build up ber tongue muscles? Just curious...

My daughter threw up pretty much after every meal, and sometimes a few hours later. I'd often sit her in the swing or carseat after she ate, just so she'd be upright for a while, but it didn't really help much. (I figured if it was reflux, then being upright would help.) She had food allergies though. If I had any sort of dairy, she'd spit up, and the gluten I was eating was giving her eczema. When I eliminated those things from my diet she stopped spitting up. It seems like it took about 24 hours for whatever I was eating to take effect on her stomach, so you could try cutting out common allergens (milk, wheat, soy, eggs) from your diet for 2-3 days just to see if it helps.

This happened to my daughter and it turned out we were overfeeding her the formal. And at 4 months (crazy but had to be done) we had to start on baby food just so she could get enough to eat and not be overfed.

I'm curious as to how you define/know the end of her feeding. Does she stop nursing as if she's satisfied, or as if she's upset/angry that she's not getting enough milk? If you're just going by a set length of time on the clock, I'd suggest ignoring the clock, and let her nurse as long on one side as she will, and then go to the other, and let her nurse on that side as long as she wants.

You can freeze the milk you pump for future use, or donate it to another baby in your area -- get on facebook and check your state's "Eats on Feets" to see if there are any requests for milk in your area, or you can offer the excess as well.

You need to talk to the pediatrician about this.
There is a difference between acid reflux and and a baby throwing up due to overfilling.
My daughter was nursed and threw up after every feeding. Sometimes, ALOT. Her doctor said that the little flap in their epiglotis, (or whatever it's called) sometimes takes time to mature in order to help keep things in their stomachs. He ruled out acid. I tried feeding her more often, shorter periods at a time and eventually her vomitting quit entirely.
My daughter never cried when throwing up, it bothered me way more than her. She really was just getting too much at a time.
Talk to your pedi though. Acid reflux isn't uncommon, but it's not the only reason for a baby throwing up a lot.

Your daughter is just 5 weeks old so a lot of things will change in the next couple of months.
Hang in there and best wishes!