Should Breast-fed Babies Be Spitting Up White Chunky Milk?

It is common for all babies to spit up, especially in the first few months of life. This extra liquid can cause extra laundry and at first might just seem to be a nuisance. If your breast-fed baby starts spitting up white chunks, though, you might be wondering if there is another medical issue. Knowing the warning signs can help you determine what is normal and when you should seek help.

Causes

Most spit-up is normal in babies, whether they are breast-fed or formula fed. Because their digestive systems are immature, the stomach contents come up into the esophagus, which causes the baby to spit up. Babies usually spit up when they get milk too fast, or when the mom's breasts are too full.

What's Normal?

Spit-up can look different for every baby, so white chunky milk might be normal for your breast-fed baby. Half of all babies between birth and three months of age spit up at least once a day, and it peaks between two and four months. If your baby is spitting up white chunks, it is not a problem as long as he is gaining weight well, the spit-up is not causing him discomfort and he is generally content most of the time.

Identifying a Problem

Chunky white spit-up can indicate a problem, though, if inconsolable fussiness or excessive crying associated with breast-feeding accompanies the spit-up. If your baby also spits up blood, yellow or green fluid, she might have gastroesophageal reflux disease. In these cases, the baby may also gag and choke while spitting up. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in premature babies, as their stomachs had less time to develop while in the womb.

An oversupply or a fast letdown of milk can also cause spitting up. Try switch feeding to help deal with the oversupply if the spit-up is not related to gastroesophageal reflux disease. In switch feeding, you nurse the baby on only one side for every feeding that takes place in a six-hour time period, and then after the six hours, switch to the other side. That way, the baby is getting more hindmilk from deep within the breast, which should reduce spit-up incidences.

Fixing the Problem

If the spit-up is bad enough, the baby's pediatrician might prescribe a medication to help him deal with his discomfort. A food in your diet might be triggering the reaction. Talk with your doctor about the possibility of eliminating certain foods from your diet. Breast-fed babies have a lower incidence of spitting up and gastroesophageal reflux disease, so continuing to breast-feed is usually the best option.

Breast-feed frequently, on demand, as smaller, more frequent meals are easier for a baby to digest. When nursing, try to hold the baby in a semi-upright position and stomach to stomach with mom. Comfort sucking either at the breast or with a pacifier can also reduce stomach irritation.