Last week, I received a message from a mother who said that her son was 3 months old, and every time he finished eating milk, he would spit up milk, and the corners of his mouth were always hanging white milk. The mother-in-law said that the child spit up milk because the breast milk was too cold, and told her to eat less cold things in the future. In order for the baby to eat enough breast milk, I am also very concerned about my diet, which is really a pain.
She said she didn't know what was wrong, the baby had been crying lately. As soon as the mother-in-law saw the baby crying, she said that the child was hungry and it was time to feed. So the number of feedings has increased, and the number of times and the amount of spitting up of babies has also increased. Every time she saw the baby spitting up, she was so distressed that she shed tears.
Although it is very common for babies to spit up milk, new mothers need to master how to distinguish between spitting up milk and milk spillage, as well as some nursing knowledge, so that they can be prepared and no longer anxious.
What is milk spilling?
According to the situation described by the mother, the baby should only be a milk spill, not a spit at all. The gastrointestinal development of newborns is not yet complete, whether it is milk leakage or spitting up milk is normal. However, severe milk spillage and spitting up will also reveal that there are problems with the baby's physical health, and new parents have to guard against it.
There are many reasons why babies cry, hunger is just one of them, and mothers can't feed their babies as soon as they see their children crying. When your baby is overnowed and the amount of milk is exceeded above the limit of the stomach, milk spillage naturally occurs. If your baby is crying because he's hungry, it's accompanied by a strong milk-seeking reflex.
Later, according to my suggestion, she reduced the number of breastfeeding, and it only took three or four days for the baby to spit up the problem of getting better.
This mother has always said that her baby has spit up milk, and I have been explaining to her the problem of the baby's milk leakage, is it a mistake? Yes, many new mothers often confuse milk spills with spitting up due to their lack of experience.
Milk spillage is relatively mild and occurs more frequently, usually referring to the fact that the baby will inadvertently spit out a small mouthful, or slowly flow out, the amount is very small. Spitting up milk is more serious, the number of occurrences is very small, generally refers to the baby to spit out the milk forcefully, or squirt out more appropriately. So I said her baby was spilling milk, not spitting up.
Why does my baby leak milk?
The reason why the baby will leak milk is because of incomplete gastrointestinal development, which is a normal phenomenon.
1. The stomach space is small
Newborn babies, the stomach space is very small, whether it is breastfeeding or formula is a liquid food, once the mother overfeed, the baby will spit out excess milk.
2. Incomplete cardia closure
There is a tissue in the stomach called a cardia that acts like a lid to prevent food from flowing back. However, the infant's cardia is immature, relatively loose, and the closure is not tight. Once the baby eats too much, the milk will seep through the gap in the "lid", at which point the milk spill will occur.
By the time the baby is 6 months old, the cardia is close to maturity, and the milk leakage will slowly disappear.
What is spitting up?
Knowing what is milk spillage and the reason for the baby's milk spill, let's take a look at what is spitting up. Compared to the milk spill, the spitting up is much more intense, and the baby will use all the strength of the body to spit out the milk. Spitting up milk is actually a protective mechanism for babies, and after eating unclean things, you can spit out dirty things together by spitting up milk.
Spitting up milk is not terrible, what is terrible is the reason behind the baby's spitting. If the baby has the problem of spitting up, the mother must pay attention to the number of times the baby spits up and the color of the spit. If there is yellow or green in the vomit, and it is accompanied by fever, poor appetite, and poor mental state, it means that the baby is sick, and it is necessary to seek medical attention in time.
There are many reasons for babies to spit up milk, but most of them are caused by diseases, such as: lighter caused by gastrointestinal inflammation, milk powder allergies, and serious blood diseases, congenital diseases and so on.
Whether it is a milk spill or a spit up, the mother should pat the baby on the back in time and cough up the milk that choked in. If the back patting does not get better, the baby has difficulty breathing and purple lips, so be sure to seek medical attention in time.
How should the mother take care of the baby after spitting up
1. Lie on your side
After the baby spills milk, we will let him lie on his side for a while, let the remaining milk in his mouth flow out, and then dry it with a towel. When wiping the milk, the mother must not use the fingers wrapped in the saliva towel to dig the milk in the baby's mouth, once the baby resists, it will hurt his mouth, and the serious one will cause choking, but it is more dangerous.
2. Clean the mouth
After the milk in the baby's mouth is clean, the mother dips the gauze in warm water and wraps it around her fingers to clean the baby's gums, tongue and mouth, which can prevent bacteria from growing.
5 care methods to avoid spitting up and milk spillage, moms should know
Before the baby is 6 months old, if there is a problem of frequent milk leakage, the mother can try the following nursing methods to reduce or avoid the problem of milk leakage.
1. Feed less and eat more meals
We know that overfeeding can also cause your baby to leak milk, so we reduce the amount of milk your baby feeds each time, eating fewer and more meals to reduce pressure on his stomach. In this way, the baby can eat enough and will not cause the problem of spitting up milk.
2. Slow down
If it is milk powder feeding, the caliber of the pacifier is large and the flow rate is fast, which will cause the baby to accidentally inhale a large amount of air into the abdomen, causing bloating and indigestion. Moms can avoid leaks by changing the nipple size one smaller and reducing the milk flow rate.
3. Do not shake
After eating milk, the mother should not rush to coax the baby to sleep, because shaking and sleeping is easy to cause the baby's stomach discomfort and induce vomiting.
4. Breastfeeding
When the baby has a milk leakage problem, the mother should feed more and feed less bottles. This can also reduce the occurrence of milk leakage problems in your baby. When breastfeeding, the breast and the baby's small mouth fit well, not only the suction is large, but also will not inhale the air by mistake, and naturally will not overflow. In addition, breast milk is nutritious and easy to digest, and the baby will not have bloating problems.
5. Hiccup
Of course, the best way to prevent milk spillage and spitting up is to burp. Hiccups are divided into two types: sitting knee type and upright type, and the mother can master one of them. The mother lets the baby sit on her lap or lie on her shoulder and gently pat him on the back from top to bottom with the hollow palm for a few minutes, without having to burp.