Had to jump in on this from personal experience -- my first was a major
spitter upper. He was also a very very slow gainer (that is another long
story) and I had a low supply/no MER problem (possibly due to probs with his
throat/mouth muscle tone, who knows) so anything he spit up I wished he'd
keep down (and I measured it, usually 1-2 Tablespoons worth or 15-30cc)-- he
"needed" every calorie, right? (well maybe not so right as intro of other
food sources at 7 months had NO impact on his weight gain which remained
eeekingly slow)...he also could tolerate NO dairy in my diet for the first 8
months. He only minimally tolerates dairy himself, now, and refuses to drink
cow milk at all.

Anyway we used a pacifier and I used to joke that it was to keep in anything
he might try to spit up -- mostly he spit up less with the binky in. By ten
months he was eating finger foods some and we threw away the binky (okay I
hid it in a drawer, just in case, but don't tell, okay? <wink>) and he had
basically stopped spitting up.

Someone suggested early on that it could be pyloric stenosis, but the
physician ruled that out just watching him spit up. I have reflux probs,
myself, and my whole family has probs with hyperextension/hyperflexibility
-- my son is moderately low toned -- all this combined added up to the
reflux being a laundry problem not a medical one. Babies spit up! I think
all the recent media (read USA TV) commercials about reflux and antacid
preparations and such have gotten everyone reflux happy.

Am I wrong here? or isn't "reflux" really just a laundry problem, and like
night waking comes with the territory of new baby in the house? And like all
other baby behaviors, the range of normal is very wide -- some do it more,
some less... If the baby is gaining adequately, has wet/stooled diapers and
looks/acts good what is the worry about?

Invest in a few extra towels to have handy and get a dog --- our dog loved
baby spit up, "BillyRay... TREAT" and he was right there to clean up-- sorry
if that grosses anyone out, but I get so tired of "normal" baby behaviors
being drummed into the realm of "disease."

PS my second child never spit up not even once, so go figure -- or maybe he
has antireflux and needs medication???? I better go call the pedi office and
ask the nurse....

with apologies for my sarcasm,

Anne E. Robb, MAT, LLLL
Off on a Tangent, Oregon, USA
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