Vomit or Reflux?

[Laranna]

How do I tell the difference between vomit and reflux in a 3 month old? DS has just done 2 big spews about 20 minutes after he finished feeding.

He fell asleep on my shoulder while I was trying to wind him, then when I went to lay him down to wrap him for bed, it started to come out so I quickly sat him up and it just gushed out of his mouth! So after we got that cleaned up, I wrapped him up again and was giving him a cuddle and reading a bedtime story and he just opened his mouth and even more came out and it even came out of his nose!! Poor little fella, it just seemed like sooo much.

He wasn't forcing it out and he wasn't crying. In fact he was pretty calm about it and when he finished he did a big sigh (of relief?). Now he is sleeping. I keep checking on him and he seems ok, maybe just ate too much? I've never seen him spew so much before.

So, when is it vomit and when is it reflux?

[Nadine216]

That sounds like reflux, or it could have just been a wind behind some milk, iykwim??

I don't know how to explain the difference, but in a 2 month old if they bring something up just after a feed, it's mostly reflux/wind.

Don't worry. Keep an eye on him. If he spew again during the night for no apparent reason, I'll say it's vomit, but if not ... you have your answer I would think that if it's vomit he would look rather pale or not quite himself. But seeing he looked calm, he was probably just burping

Maybe your right and he was just a little greedy

That did not help much did it!!

[~clover~]

I had Jesse do that at about 5 weeks. None of my babies were ever really spewers, so seeing a whole feed come back up like that scared me!
Does he do it after every feed? Jesse only did it once. The reflux I've seen is after every feed. DD2 had slight reflux & colic, but not enough to worry.
I'm sure there are plenty of reflux mums on here who know alot more about it than me!

[Laranna]

Thanks girls...Skye, no this is the first time he's done it so it kinda freaked me out to see so much of it! It went everywhere all over him, all over me!

[Nadine216]

You had me thinking and I found this very interesting .. I hope I may post this link (if not mods, you can just delete it - thanks)

Vomiting in infants and children - a knol by David Hackam

a bit more info than needed, but hey, now I feel like a learned prof!!

[Laranna]

Thanks Nadine...I'm now thinking it is maybe just reflux...it definitely just looks like milk and isn't green or anything like that...I hope he doesn't make a habit of it!

[rufalina]

Lyn,
Hi hun!!!!! What a cutie pie you have there.

Sounds like reflux to me... Sometimes my DS will chuck after I wrap him, and he is being cuddled and talking and smiling away at me, then "blerg" up it comes, then he is back to laughing and smiling. I think sometimes it is changing from lying to upright then back to lying that brings up the gas bubble.

And If it is reflux, there is nothing really to worry about unless he starts having pain or discomfort with the reflux. If that happens get it checked out.

Take care!!!!! xo

[Madham]

My ds did a big chuck up the other night and i was worried it was vomiting also, but has not done it since. It was almost a power chuck TMI all over the floor and me. I had just changed him and wrapped him up it was about half an hour after a feed. I put it down to wind. But could be wrong.

[BhoysGirl]

Hi,

In my experience, a wind/reflux vomit after food brings up heaps, but they're not distressed by the experience. If it's vomiting because they've got some kind of gastro, then they do get distressed, it's quite a different thing. The couple of times my DS has had gastro, he keeps vomitting to the point that he's bringing up stomach bile (sorry if TMI), you can feel how his tummy is hurting him, and he goes really limp. it's very sad... Reflux vomitting is much "nicer"

[Jennifer13]

Sounds like he just didn't have quite enough room in his tummy for everything!

To settle your mind, it generally looks like a lot more than it is (he probably digested more of his feed than he brought up). It can be because of a slight weakness with the valve at the top of his stomach, which strengthens as a baby grows. My DD never had projectile spews but constantly possetted milk over my shoulder until she was about 7-8 mths.

[Laranna]

Excellent! Thanks for all the advice girls...I am comfortable to know that it was probably just reflux from wind. He has been feeding great since and seems very happy this morning, he's probably laughing at how he spewed all over mum last night! LOL

[Jennifer13]

and I'm guessing it won't be the last time either, laranna!