Newborn projectile vomiting - related to my dairy intake?

[littlemissindulgence]

hi,

My newboirn is 4 weeks old and every day she projectile vomits usually once. They say their little stomachs are not much bigger than a ping pong ball at this stage, but the amount coming back up is more than that I can tell you... (sorry if this is stomach turning)does anyone have experience / advice on projectile vomiting with newborns? i read that it may be related to my dairy intake.Does anyone have any experience doing this?

I'm not extremely worried as i know PV is common in newborns (overeating etc), but when milk supplies are ok - not brilliant - I am slightly worried.

Thanks

LMI

[Saffron]

How many days in a row has she been vomitting? Are you breastfeeding, or giving any other liquids? After which feed does she vomit? If you're exclusively breastfeeding, does she vomit after your biggest milk letdown? The biggest milk letdown for many women is early in the morning, but it can vary greatly from person to person. What else is in the vomit? Is it just milk and stomach fluid, or is there a lot of mucus or blood (can look like coffee grounds in the vomit)? Is her body temperature normal?

Phone NHS direct 0845 4647 https://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/About/ContactUs.aspx . When they are very busy, they will have someone call you back. We've never had to wait more than 10-20 minutes to get a call back. They are very knowledgeable and re-assuring.

[bluesuperted]

Hi there,

I had this with my LO from him being days old to probably about 8 weeks. I was so worried - he would often be sick 4 or 5 times a day, and it always looked like a lot of liquid coming up. Luckily for me, I was with Brierley midwives and they were amazing at reassuring me that he would still be taking a lot of milk in, they came out and weighed him (he was gaining), asked me if he was alert and happy (he was) and if he didn't seem in pain (he didn't at all).

At one point a very experienced, calm midwife came and sat with my husband and I for 2 hours and reassured us whilst watching him feed; he did a 'massive' (in my mind) vomit while she was there and the midwife looked at us and said, 'that was a tiny amount' - she thought less than half of what he was taking in had come out, whereas to us it looked like loads. One of her tips was to throw a eggcup of water on the carpet and see what a mess it makes - a small amount of liquid can indeed look like a bucketful! So I totally understand what you are going through but if you feel that your little one is happy, alert, gaining weight and not in pain, you may find it resolves before too long - I remember feeling very stressed, down to my underwear for the second time in a day, and feeling I would never be able to leave the house for fear of being covered in sick! Once I felt reassured by the midwife I could cope with the vomit (and washing!) a bit easier, and then it was suddenly over without me really realising it! If you are in any way concerned, I would try calling a community midwife who can visit you at home, calling seldoc or even going to A&E if you feel your baby is floppy, losing weight or unhappy. If she is not worrying you in any other way you are probably doing great and just have a guzzler of a baby like I did.

Oh and I wonder why you are worried about your milk supply? If you are feeding on demand at this stage and she seems happy and gaining, I'm sure your supply is great.

Hope this helps somewhat, take care! x

[littlemissindulgence]

Thanks for your message.

I am breastfeeding solely at the moment. She has been vomiting since the early days, but not every day. It can come after any feed, no feed in particular. No mucus or blood so far (I would take her to see a GP of course if this is the case). And body temp is normal. She does not seem bothered about it at all and remains calm, she's in no pain that is for sure. She is very alert and happy and content in herself. Hence I am not over worried.

If this changes I will seek medical help and HV advice. Thanks for your help!

[littlemissindulgence]

Hi Bluesuperted,

Thank you so much for your message. It was very calming to read your experiences and advice.

She is gaining weight and only sick once every 36 hours or so (not after a particular feed really).

Am just keeping loads of cloths around and yes... washing til the cows come home.

Did they ever suggest to cut out your dairy intake?

Thanks again.

[gebbjane]

I went through this with my daughter up until about 12 weeks old,probably once maybe twice a day. but after mentioning it to my hv she said as she was gaining weight and was alert there was nothing to worry about and she would grow out of it. And sure enough she did stop and was fine.

[bluesuperted]

Glad you feel reassured and she's doing so well! Once every 36 hours sounds great to me! No one mentioned reducing dairy that I remember.

[Jo'sEnglish]

When you say projectile vomiting, is it actually shooting out across the room vomit? As I understand it, that you would need to worry about as it might mean more of a problem. If it is just bringing up milk I wouldn't worry at all, especially if it is just milk and she's not bothered at all. Once in 36 hours sounds great (my son used to bring up milk after every feed just about!). As long as she is growing well, wet nappies, etc it is not a problem and she will grow out of it (although it is horrid at the time!)

Good luck!

[bluesuperted]

For me it seemed pretty dramatic and projectile at the time but actually it wasn't proper projectile vomiting which is when it literally crosses the room. It was kind of impressive in a slightly gross way though!

[shaunag]

Hi.i would not discount dairy allergy-my daughter projectile vomited for 3 months.was at the gps all the time.saw about 10 different gps.none of them suggested possible dairy allergy.went to see a paeds gastro specialist privately and he suggested I try cutting out dairy.the vomiting reduced dramatically and had stopped completely within 2 weeks.19 months on I'm still angry it was not diagnosed sooner as it was an incredibly stressful time and in my mind unnecessarily so.you could try cutting out dairy for two weeks but ensure you replace your calories,and calcium with alternatives.would recommend against soy as my lo developed allergy to that also.oat milk is a good alternative-wait rose do a ton of dairy free alternatives.if the vommitting does not stop,you know it's not dairy and can reintroduce.no harm to anyone,but a little inconvenient.also,if baby seems to be struggling to poo for hours on end another sign.would press hard for a referral to gastro at kings and while waiting for appointment pay for a private referral if you have insurance or can afford it.it is worth it for the peace of mind.happy to chat re if you want to pm.best of luck.shauna

[sandy_rose]

If your little one is truly projectile vomiting I'd definitely get it checked out. If not, follow your instincts and look out for signs of dehydration (sunken eyes, no wet nappies in 6 hours). Still, no harm in getting it checked in my opinion if you're worried.

[Lhell]

Not sure if this is helpful but our baby was sick a lot in the early weeks (as well as being tongue tied) and we have consistently been getting treatment for her at the OCC in Wandsworth (osteopathic centre for children). Treatment is free but they ask for a donation, the mother can be treated too and you can park nearby but make sure you pay (just got a ticket today being absentminded!). I went with my first child for about 12 months and have now been going with the second for 4 months. They treat all types of baby and mother problems and have been amazing for us in so many ways. if you have any more specific questions PM me as don't come on the forum all the time. Good luck!

[Yak]

I had a sicky and windy baby - cutting out dairy for me certainly reduced the wind a lot (I don't know if it was reflux/ colic, never got it properly diagnosed). And I think the sick did reduce too. But like your little one, the sick didn't really bother the yaklet at all - it just meant I constantly went around looking like a pigeon had just pooed on me. A m/w said that quite often if babies don't know when to stop feeding when they are full they have no option but to spit it up - there's no other way for it to come out. Don't know if there is any basis for that.

It did get better between 8 and 12 weeks, and I gradually introduced diary after that. I was cautious with introducing diary products when weaning but now he is totally happy with dairy products.

BUT giving up diary is seriously hard workand you have to make sure you get enough calcium and protein. If it were just milky spit up without the painful wind, I wouldn't have done it.

I also ended up buying more muslin cloths than I ever thought I would need and distributed them round the house strategically. Oh and scarves / wraps to make you feel less bedraggled...

Good luck!

[Mutrik]

Hi. My little ones also had reflux. It happened a couple of times a day and a lot came up. It looked like the whole bottle! Doctor would not give them any medication as it did not happen every time they fed and they were putting on weight. I just took it as one of those things and they grew out of it eventually (well, by the time they're we're about one). It was pretty hard work though. I saw the doctors at King's who did not seem worried. I would suggest to go and see a doctor though, if nothing else but to put your mind at rest.