The vomiting is starting to wear me down...

[human bean]

DD has always been a fairly 'chucky' baby. Happy, but chucky. I'm fairly certain just the normal amounts of little chucks/possets when burping after a feed, or within 10 - 15 minutes after. The last 2 weeks she has really started to bring up a heap of milk at each feed. I just look at it and think what a waste of breastmilk! It's not projectile, but it's a fair amount, but then she's still happy to finish the feed. She doesn't seem to be in pain, or unhappy, or off her milk, she hiccups pretty regularly, but otherwise seems okay. She's putting on weight and has good output.

Can a baby have reflux without any evident pain? Could it just be a stage? I know I'm so lucky to have a happy baby that doesn't seem to be in pain, but the constant changing bibs, her clothes, my clothes, burping rags, rugs, blankets etc is starting to wear me down a little. (Sorry for the added whinge)

I normally burp her after feeding from each breast - if she has a big chuck should I finish the feed or wait? She doesn't always chuck just when burping, sometimes she'll be feeding happily, pull off and throw up milk then be trying to get back on the nipple straight away.

I had an issue with oversupply after a blocked duct about a month ago, but I think it's all cleared up - milk supply is back to normal and her poos are yellow, no longer green.

Any pointers? Or do I just need to get over it?

[onthefly]

Some babies are happy chuckers. They spew lots but everything else is fine.
If she's otherwise well and happy then probably nothing to worry about at least - aside from all the extra washing. I don't have personal experience with this, so maybe others will have some advice on management. Hopefully, it's something she'll grow out of in time.

[~Kaz~]

Hey mate, sending you a big I had a happy chucker too. Used to drive me bananas (and I was also very thankful that he wasn't in pain etc too but constantly getting spewed on does wear you down after a while). I don't really have any advice except that I always carried multiple terry cloth nappies and always ALWAYS burped him over that and waited longer than I thought necessary. Didn't always work in that he could occasionally still spew 10 or 20min post feed but I did get most of it, most of the time. I used to try and remember that it was better than solid food spew too in that at least the smell wasn't offensive. The worst was when he spewed on other people, other kids toys or other people lounges It could be a phase and Miss Goober Head might outgrow it pretty quickly. DS gradually did it less and less up until just before he turned 1!!! Now that I've said that, he's gunna chuck on me again tomorrow morning I bet

ETA - We recently had an incident where he drank a whole sippy of cow's milk and then promptly spewed that all over me and the lounge and got himself a little bit too. That kind of put the bm possits into perspective! Not sure if that helps you now, but I bet there'll be other stuff she does down the track that will make you think 'geez, can't believe that used to bother me'. Having said that, it really did drive me bananas at the time too

[black_rose]

Dd1 was a happy chucker too but we eventually worked out she was lactose intolerant and we struggled with her keeping on weight. If she is happy to feed after a chuck it's fine, that's what our paed told us to try. Hopefully she will outgrow it, try having her upright for awhile after a feed.

[~Kaz~]

Ooooh I second the upright bit.

[Oorki Galoorki]

what happens if you DONT burp?

like others have said its common for babies to be happy chuckers and it isnt linked to reflux.. just eyes bigger then their bellies
i agree with solids chucks being worse. i hope it wont take long for her to slow down on the upchuck

[black_rose]

I think we stopped burping dd too can't remember, could be worth a try.

[human bean]

I do try to keep her upright, but most of the chucking is before we even make it off the couch/chair after a feed, but I will be even more sure in keeping her upright and see what happens. Same with not burping her, I'll give it a go and see!

[Arcadia]

Could you try only offering one side per feed, or giving bub a longer break between sides? Dd was a big spewer too !!!

[MantaRay]

My second DS was a happy chucker too. I hear you on the washing and mess It is relatively normal and they do grow out of it. Many of them by 6 months, and nearly all them by 18 months - and it can be anywhere in between. My DS grew out of it by 6 months but TBH I don't remember exactly what age he was. One day I just noticed that I hadn't need a cloth nappy with me 24/7 for a while - I didn't even realise when it had stopped! I hope it stops sooner rather than later for you

[Nai]

DD2 was also a happy chucker - she grew out of it at 6 months when she started solids. It never worried her and she stacked on weight so it wasn't an issue apart from the washing!!! It is a short term thing though so it won't be too long and she will grow out of it.

[~Kaz~]

Oh I should also add that DS only chucked breastmilk (until the aforementioned cows milk incident just recently). So although he continued to possit after solids were introduced at 6 months, he never chucked the solids, only the breastfeeds (I can so wait for the day he chucks solids lol!). Just in case you were getting worried with all this talk of solids!

[Loveinamist]

DS is a happy chucker too! We have cloths in every room, in the car, two or three in the nappy bag just to keep up with the spew! DH stupidly still wears black tshirts! He constantly walks around with white patches on his shoulders! I heard it was the valve, flap, flange whatever it is called that seals off the stomach can be quite flexible in babies and so therefore alot comes back up without causing them any distress or pain (so more or less it is not vomiting like we experience just overspill!!) We call DS the 'cottage cheese factory' LOL! It does seem to be settling down now that he is sitting up. Not ready to ditch the cloths yet though!!

ETA forgot to add that he is gaining weight normally.

[Miss E]

Oh I so hear you! I remember looking forward to the day when I would go a whole day without getting vomited on. And then one day it came, around the 6 month mark like the others have said. I remember realising in the afternoon that he still had the same bib on that I put on him that morning, he had had a little puke on it but nothing compared to normal... then each day it just got less and less. But even now at 12 months he will have a little chuck every few days, but it is only ever a milk one.

He was a constant chucker, it didn't matter if it was 2 minutes after a feed, 10 minutes or 2 hours, he was always vomiting. I literally couldn't pick him up without a spew cloth on my shoulder or put him down anywhere without one underneath him.

[Persephone1]

Apparently the chucking is generally more upsetting for Mumma (who has to clean it up, and then re-feed) than for Bub. DS has had a couple of major chucks in the past couple of weeks but I've found a few things that I think help - burping very gently, moving him around very gently (to avoid moving his tummy too much) and taking him off the boob if it looks like he's taking it in too fast (my let-down has been very powerful in my right bb) and stretching out the feed a bit - so he feeds over 30 minutes slowly, with some breaks, rather than taking in the entire feed within 5 minutes.

Oh, and I noticed that the night-feeds were more likely to come back up - apparently this is because the prolactin is at it's highest between midnight and 7am. Not sure what that means but certainly my DS is more likely to bring up his 3am feed just when Mumma is at her most exhausted.

I don't really have any other answers. I find the re-feeding the worst part

[Beautitude]

I cant give you any advice on breastfeeding as my breatsfeeding experience was pretty dismal and short lived but ds was also a huge happy chucker. I reckon it peaked at around 3 months and he grew out of it around 6 months when he started sitting up and his tummy muscles were stronger. It is very annoying and i hear you on the extra washing etc. I hated having all these lovely outfits for him but they were always covered in big bibs to catch all the spew. It didn't really matter what we did he would just chuck although it didn't affect his weight gain so it was just something we dealt with. We kept him upright after a feed and had a wedge under his mattress so that his head was elevated when put to bed and that helped a bit. It is a phase and it will pass.

[Mak]

DD1 was a happy chucker too - used to drive me mad with all the washing etc. Like the others we had towels everywhere and I even had a 'vom tracksuit' (embarrassingly as it sounds as glam as it was) that I changed into once we were in the house. She stopped about 9months or so when she was eatin more solids and more upright. I was amazed when DD2 was not - it was a marked difference!
xxxx

[Loveinamist]

Just remembered DS doesn't chuck at night...weird?? And nighttime he is still feeding at least twice. But daytime is chuck city! I am sick of covering up his clothes in bibs as well but I find I have sometimes forgotten to put a bib on him and then realised at the end of the day that he is pretty dry still. Must be the 6 month thing. Although now I have the teething drool to contend with!!