Regurgitation in babies is very common, it happens to the vast majority during the first year of life. This is due to the immaturity of their digestive system, which cannot assimilate food properly. For help the baby and prevent too much milk, you can follow some tips like the ones we leave you below.
Not because it is something serious, just because it is uncomfortable for the little one. The first and most important thing is to learn to differentiate between regurgitation and vomiting, because although they look similar, they are not the same. Regurgitation occurs when milk returns from the stomach to the esophagus. It appears suddenly and comes out of the baby's mouth.
Tips to avoid regurgitation
During the first 6 months of life, when the diet is based exclusively on milk, it is very common for the baby to give milk in most feedings or shortly after. This occurs because the baby's system is very immature and cannot assimilate all the food while shooting. It does not have the ability to digest properly and expels the milk when it is still in the stomach.
Generally, after 6 months when complementary feeding arrives, this problem is solved naturally. The baby begins to take a smaller amount of food but adapted to her needs and her digestive system is already more prepared to digest and assimilate food. For this reason, it should not be, in principle, a cause for concern. As long as the baby is gaining weight correctly, the expulsion of a little milk is not a problem.
Although you can discuss it with the pediatrician so that he can carry out a greater control of the baby's growth. In this way, you will soon notice signs that the baby is not assimilating all the nutrients in the food, in which case tests would be performed to find the cause. However, in most cases it is nothing more than a problem of immaturity in the baby's organs.
To help your little one assimilate food better and prevent regurgitation, you can follow the following tips that we leave you below.
Prevents the baby from eating too eagerly
If the baby feeds very hungry, he will be anxious and will take more than he really needs. The milk will accumulate in her stomach, without time for it to carry out the digestion process and it will end up regurgitating it. To avoid it you must give him feeds without waiting for him to have a big appetite, advance each meal without waiting for him to cry to put him to the breast or bottle.
That expels the gases and in an upright position
Posture is also very important to prevent the baby from regurgitating milk. Avoid laying him down after the feed, as it will be easier for him to lay her down. It is preferable to place it vertically on your chest, with its head resting on your shoulder and perform some light movements to help you pass gas. You can also pause each feeding and have him pass gas before continuing, so his body has more time to digest the food.
Sufficient but not excessive intakes to avoid regurgitation
It is very important that the baby takes the food he needs, that he is satisfied, but not full. If his stomach gets too full he will end up regurgitating what he cannot digest, and soon you will be hungry again. Which means your body doesn't get the nourishment it needs. It is better to give him many feedings in small amounts and let him be satisfied.
Don't put him to sleep after eating
Generally babies fall asleep after eating and it is not necessary to avoid it. What you should avoid is putting it to bed directly after eating. Cradle him for a few minutes on your arms, let him lie on your chest and allow his body to do its job. In this way you can prevent the baby from throwing out the milk that her stomach has not been able to digest.
With these tips you can help your baby make better digestions and little by little the regurgitation will end.