Breastfeeding Tips

Managing Spit Up After Breastfeeding: Why It Happens

Time to read: 1 min.

Has spit-up become an everyday wardrobe accessory ? By understanding what causes spit-ups, you can learn how to stop them from happening too often.

Has spit-up become an everyday accessory to your mommy wardrobe? Rest assured that you’re not alone. By understanding what causes spit-ups, you can learn how you can prevent them from happening too frequently.

What causes babies to spit up breast milk

Spit-ups happen most frequently as your little one is getting the hang of feedings. As a baby begins breastfeeding, they commonly swallow air as they learn how to latch and establish an efficient sucking pattern.
Keep in mind that your baby’s digestive system is still developing, so spit-ups may happen even if he or she feeds without taking in a lot of air.
Sometimes babies may want to nurse more frequently than their little digestive system can handle, so they may spit-up excess milk.

Preventing Spit-ups

Hold baby as upright as possible while feeding.
Don’t wait until your baby is extremely hungry to feed. Frenzied feedings can cause baby to swallow more air while nursing.
Eliminate distractions. Frequent interruptions in a feeding may cause your baby to swallow more air and slip out of proper positioning.
Burp after every feeding. Give your baby a chance to release any air bubbles that were created during a feeding. Just make sure you have a cloth to drape over your shoulder, unless you’ve grown to appreciate the spit-up on your clothes!
Keep your baby calm and upright after feedings. Avoid moving from feeding to play time right away, as the activity could cause an unexpected spit-up.
Don’t overfeed. If you notice your little one consistently spits up a considerable amount after every feeding, he or she may be getting too much at a time. Try switching to shorter, more frequent sessions if this occurs.