My one month old baby keeps vomiting my breastmilk

by An.

Question: My one month old just recently started vomiting up my breastmilk but not formula - what could be the reason? I thought breastmilk was better then formula.

Heidi's Answer: Hi there, Throwing up a bit of milk is normal at this age. Most babies, whether formula or breast fed, do it.

Vomiting more with breastfeeding may have to do with feeding position, maybe he is more upright when formula fed? Or your milk may spray out (good supply!) which makes him take in more air. If this is the case, press out the first gusts of milk before offering it to your baby. And always make sure he empties the first breast completely before offering the second side.

It's worth trying these out because as you say breast milk is better, for so many reasons.

If the vomiting is very frequent and in large quantities, and it comes out with force, that may point to a form of reflux.

Please read the Baby Reflux Symptoms Guide for full details and to help you decide what is going on.

Good luck,
Kindly,
Heidi

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Same issue, feeding child breastmilk in the bottle
by: Anonymous

I have the same issue, one month old keeps vomiting breastmilk, not formula, and I feed him both in the bottle. With breastmilk, he has wet burps, even projectile vomiting to the point where we went to the ER to test him for pyloric stenosis. I have to add, I do take mesalamine for ulcerative colitis, debated a lot, asked many doctors what to do, all of them left it to my decision, although some encouraged more breastfeeding while others suggested formula feeding. Due to lack of research, nobody tells me what to do. The only side effect of the medication known is diahrrhea, which he never had. Therefore I did a 24 hr test, feeding formula only, did not vomit once, had dry burps, with minimal to no reflux, although ER doctors diagnosed him with GERD, which he doesn't seem to have on formula. Knowing the benefits of breastfeeding, of course I tried to even give him a few breastfeeding meals, alternating, ut he would vomit when the formula feeding comes, curdy milk, which is the breastmilk from the previous meal. Please do not suggest coming off the medication, ulcerative colitis symptoms do come back, and drain you of energy,never mind the pain and blood loss. It's been only a little over a day that I came to this co nclusion, after seeing how happy he is on formula, smiling, and how bad he screams when he has reflux after the breastmilk, what is a mom to do so that it's for the best for the baby.j

What's best for baby
by: Heidi - BabySleepAdvice

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your comment and for detailing your situation and the process you went through so nicely.

I know it must not have been easy for you. And good for you for trying to stay with the breast milk, experimenting with the meals.

But if you see your baby healthy and happy now with the formula ... the choice is easily made. Do keep an eye on him, regarding quantities and evolving formula needs.

But always, best for baby is best ...

Good luck going forward,
Kindly,
Heidi

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