Monday, May 16, 2011

Spit up

Emmett is a spitter, and it drives me crazy.  He spits up ALL THE TIME.  It's not just after a feeding - it can happen at any time, even hours after he's eaten (and it looks and smells really great by that time :P).  It doesn't matter if he's lying down or sitting up, although it does tend to be worse when he's sitting up or lying on his tummy.  I think that's why he's not very good at sitting yet - we just don't put him in that position very much because it means he'll likely spit up (Carey always says I'm tempting fate when I put Emmett in his Bumbo).  Annika did not spit up very much as a baby, and when she was this age she was already sitting with just a pillow for support, but Emmett's nowhere near that point yet.  On some days Emmett will go through 2 or 3 different outfits because he's soaked them with spit up (or drool - he's got that coming out in abundance as well).  He's goes through at least 4 or 5 bibs a day and the house is littered in spit clothes, so there's always one within arm's reach.  Most days I probably stink like spit up by the end of the day too, as it gets on me, on the couch, on the floor... it's everywhere.

I asked the doctor about it at Emmett's 4 month check up, and he wasn't concerned because (obviously) Emmett is growing very well.  There must be enough staying down to nourish him, but it just seems like there's so much coming back up.  I tried using a different bottle (the kind we had used with Annika), but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.  I've read articles online that suggest burping the baby after every 2 ounces, but it makes Emmett very mad when I take away his bottle that often (he arches his back and screams), so that didn't seem to help either.  I'm thinking about trying a different formula - he currently gets the Wal-Mart brand of formula, because it's nice and cheap and I heard that it's just as good as the brand name formulas.  However, when we were at the doctor last week, they gave me a couple sample cans of Nestle Good Start (which is what we used with Annika), and I'm wondering if the different formula would help.  I just don't like the idea of paying that much for formula again!  I'm also thinking about starting him on cereal on the weekend, so maybe that will help.  I don't know what else to do, other than just keep doing laundry.  I know this won't last forever, and I know that it's probably nothing to be worried about, but I can't help it - it bothers me.  Although, as a friend once said, if spitting up is the worst problem that my baby has, then I'm lucky.

3 comments:

Meghan said...

Wyatt was the same way, it was awful. He grew out of it around 6 months or so, a few weeks after starting solids. We were never able to find anything that made a difference. :S

Gin said...

I have no wisdom or recommendations for you. All I'll say is "Note to self - when playing with Emmett, make sure I'm washable!" Don't worry - the spit up won't keep me from playing with him. Now, if he keeps it up and is doing it when he's 14, we'll have a different conversation!!

Seriously though, that must be frustrating!

Andrea said...

You know what my comments will be on this one already, but I'll put it out there again anyway! :)

I was always worried with Joelle that she would be going to Kindergarten still wearing a bib, she puked so much. I have never seen a baby spit up as much as she did, but I PROMISE you that it doesn't last forever. (obviously...since you don't still see her spitting up. :)

The frustration is definitely understandable even though, yes, there are far worse things. The smell is annoying, the laundry is exhausting...but this too shall pass. And there will come a time when it's just a very faded memory. And you'll smell like YOU again instead of baby barf. And so will your baby!!