4 Tips for Spit Up Prevention

Before I was a big girl, I had a bit of a problem with spitting up. It’s a common problem for us babies. We grow out of it and spitting up is rarely a reason for concern, but that doesn’t make it less of a nuisance when it’s happening.

It’s quite upsetting when you’re comfortable with a full tummy one moment, and then uncomfortable and soaking wet the next. There may not be a cure for spitting up, but there are things you can do to help prevent some of those spit ups. I put together a list of a few little things that helped me get through this problem.

1. Small portions for small tummies.

Babies can easily overeat and a full tummy has an even harder time keeping food down. If your little one tends to spit up after every meal, consider feeding smaller amounts more often. Now that I’m a big girl, overeating is the only thing that still occasionally causes me to have a mishap.

2. Gravity is your friend.

One of the main contributors to spit ups is due to the fact that the part of the digestive tract which keeps food in a baby’s tummy isn’t fully developed. If you make a conscious effort to use gravity to help keep food down there, you will find that spit ups are greatly reduced. Keep a baby somewhat upright during mealtime and for at least 30 minutes after feeding. This will allow time for food to travel further down the digestive system so that it can’t come back up.

3. Air is not your friend.

When you’re new to eating, it’s easy to gulp down air with your meal. Not only does this air take up valuable space in the tummy, it can also take food with it as it travels upwards to escape. Make mealtime calm and relaxing to encourage slow and steady eating instead of frantic gulping. Help your baby burp at the end of every meal and at any time the little one takes a break during mealtime.

4. Those activities can wait.

When you’re on an all liquid diet, your meals have a tendency to slosh around in your tummy. Allow for some calm relaxing time after eating and delay physical activities for at least an hour. When I was tiny, I would spend the first half hour after eating in my swing which kept my head elevated. That’s when I would play with a toy or watch my favourite video. This would be followed by another half hour of social time or calm play on the couch with mommy or daddy.

It can be discouraging and worrisome when you have a baby with a tendency to spit up. It often seems like there isn’t enough food staying in them to provide all the nourishment they need. If this was the case, weight gain issues would quickly show up at your routine doctor appointments.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, spitting up is just a part of growing up and is nothing to worry about. In my experience, this problem is resolved with time and becomes less of an issue when your all liquid diet starts being supplemented with solid foods. That’s when I noticed the greatest improvement. If you have concerns, speak to your doctor to give yourself peace of mind.