Alexis throws up after feeding almost every time. It's like....projectile puke. I've cut out milk and dairy as you all suggested....and she's still doing it. I haven't changed my diet any since having her....and I take my iron pills every day (I'm anemic). It makes me sad to watch her throw up. She's just so helpless. Is she allergic to me?
She's not allergic to you. Questions: Is she happy before and after the puking? Is she gaining weight? How do her stools look? And how often does she have them? Just keep nursing her. If it worries you too much, take her to a pediatrician. Make sure the ped is breastfeeding positive. If they suspect something, make sure to see a pediatric gastroenterologist in a teaching hospital...Those are usually the best. You're doing fine, momma. Just keep asking questions and nursing her.
when she throws up, is it curdled or separated, or does it look just like milk? Does she act distressed, or does it not bother her? She might just be getting overfull, Meriel did that for about four months. Their tummies are so tiny, they can't hold but a few tablespoons when they are brand new. If it is curdled looking, or watery and separated, and if it does bother her, and if pooping seems to be painful for her too, my first guess would be dairy. It can take four weeks to get all the dairy out of your system, and you have to be completely casein free in your diet, no whey, no casein, no other products made from dairy (and there are lots of things made from dairy, including "non-dairy" creamer and such!). After a month of absolutely no dairy, if she is still having problems, then a more extensive elimination diet would be in order, unless you know that you can intuit what is wrong. Trust your mama instinct!!! Above all else, listen to what your heart is telling you. Even when that instinct disagrees with every expert in the world, Mama knows. Deep down inside, you already have the answers to every question.
Could it be that she eats too fast? Or too much at once? I know mine did that when she was a wee baby. But some babies are allergic to dairy/or mothers milk. If she keeps doing it I would tkae her for a visit to the ped. I know some babtes that had to drink goats milk because mom's milk, and formula did not agree at all. Good Luck, and I hope Alexis will overcome this.
Mya does that too sometimes, and I've come to the conclusion that she is getting too much too fast and she just cant handle it all. My boobs produce more milk than what she eats and they are almost always (painfully) full if she doesn't eat exactly on schedule, so if let down happens while I'm feeding her I can hear her gulping and she has to pull away sometimes because it's coming too fast, and then when she pulls away it squirts her in the face. Does this seem like it happens when you feed Alexis? What I try to do is I'll try to make her wait for a minute until after let down happens and then try to let the excess milk drip out or I squeeze it out if she is getting too impatient. That way she isn't getting milk forced down her throat and she can eat it as fast as she wants. This seems to help a lot with the projectile pukes. Hope it helps.
They probably went to a pediatrician for advice when very few doctors know the first thing about human lactation, rather than seeking the help of a board certified lactation consultant who could have figured out the problem through an elimination diet rather than have them wean from human milk to goat milk. It just never occurs to some people to ever question the word of a doctor.
My advice may be a bit too "mainstream" for this board LOL, but anyway... I also think a visit to a paediatrician would be a wise idea. I don't think repeated projectile vomits could be very good for her. There may be something physiologically going on which is causing this. Failing that, a visit to your local early childhood nurse (don't know what you call it over there) would also be a help. If you are in doubt, I think you should get her checked out, if only for peace of mind.
We went for her two week check up today. The doctor (who was pro-breastfeeding and very happy that such a young mother does it....he said most he deals with are grossed out by bfing.) said that babies don't digest all their food like big people. After we eat in about 30 minutes all of our food drops to our intestines and babies take forever....which is why it's curdled sometimes. He also said that I'm probably producing a lot of milk....which is a good thing....and that I'm probably over feeding her (I do 10-15 minutes on each boob) and I should cut back the time on each boob or just do one per feeding. She isn't fussy when she throws up....she just does it and rolls and plays in it, so he said he isn't too worried. He said that unless I see blood in her stool she's not allergic to anything I'm eating. She's also gained 7 ounces....he said that's A LOT for a breastfed baby. He told me he'd be happy if she still weighed the same she did at birth....I guess bf babies don't gain a lot of weight? And, she's grown an inch! She's getting too big too fast....and I want to cry.
i am glad to hear that your lil girl is doing ok and the pediatrician put your worries at ease. you should be proud of yourself for breastfeeding your baby and for producing so much milk, i was 19 when i had my lil one and i didnt even think twice about not breasfeeding my sister was in aww cuz she's on her 4 kid and cant produce only but a drop of milk. what i may suggest is with the extra milk your producing you should try to pump it and save it for when your having an icky day or somethin. babies do puke and they puke pretty much everything that they just "ate" except for a wee bit to fill their tummies. so keep on asking questions and learning the answers and always trust your instincts. CONGRATS!!!! FF
you cannot overfeed a breastfed baby. They simply overflow, and it's no big deal if it's not distressing to the child. Blood in poop is only a sign of a really major allergy, there are lots of other signs that aren't nearly so severe. again, a pediatrician is not always the best source for info when it comes to breastfeeding, even one who is supportive has not been educated except by the reps from formula companies that lecture in med school. I would not recommend you start pumping so soon. You need time to regulate your milk supply to your baby's demand, or you will end up with oversupply problems. Doesn't sound like a big deal, unless you are the mama trying to straighten it back out.
I heard the opposite, that breastfed babies tend to gain weight quicker. Both mine did. Lily never lost any weight after she was born and gained 4 lbs by the time she was 6 weeks old, and Mya isn't even 6 weeks yet and some 0-3 clothes are already too small for her! Don't worry about it, it sounds like she is doing wonderful.
I do pump my extra milk and keep it in the freezer. When I first got home I was really engorged and got oodles of milk via pump. If Alexis skips a lot of time (sometimes it's 5 hours before she's hungry) I have to pump or I'm swollen and sore.
