Expert Answer: Baby just threw up her bottle, can I give her one again?

Baby food, a worrying subject

Food is at the heart of the concerns of young parents. "Has baby eaten enough?" is a question that comes up often, regardless of the mode of feeding chosen, breast or bottle. Sometimes baby vomits the contents of his bottle immediately after swallowing it. What to do in this specific case? Should we give him one immediately or wait until the time of the next meal and leave him with an "empty" stomach?

Vomiting or regurgitation?

The answer of our expert, Raphaella Stern, pediatrician:

"In general, vomiting can be due to too much milk, swallowed too quickly and with air. What parents call "vomiting" are usually large regurgitations that are not serious, because they are physiological. As long as these regurgitations are not painful, that the baby does not have a break in the weight curve and that he does not cry with each regurgitation, then it is not necessary to worry. If he has vomited his bottle, give his stomach a little rest and give him the bottle again as soon as he asks for it again. You have to adapt to the child's rhythm. he does not ask for the bottle after vomiting, give it back to him at his usual time. Do not worry, if Baby drinks 150 ml of milk, he does not vomit all of what he drank and did not so not necessarily hungry.

To prevent regurgitation, there are thickened milks or anti-regurgitation milks. They are very useful for children who regurgitate all the time and in large quantities, or who have gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition, remember to position Baby vertically after his bottle to help him burp and prevent him from regurgitating.

If you are unsure whether it is vomiting or regurgitation, consult a pediatrician, as vomiting can be a symptom of many illnesses, especially when accompanied by a fever. So if the vomiting is not due to an overflow of food, it is necessary to be interested in its cause, because the baby has no reason to vomit. If baby vomits after each bottle, and it is vomiting in jets, it is important to consult a pediatrician to verify that it is not a stenosis of the pylorus which requires surgery. It is also necessary to worry if the child has a total food intolerance, that is to say that each time the child eats something, he vomits it completely and immediately.

Also note the existence of vomiting during the first days of life during which the newborn evacuates a large quantity of mucus and also vomits the contents of its stomach. In this case, you do not need to give him food again as soon as he has vomited, unless he asks for the bottle. Then, it will be necessary to feed him regularly every 3 hours during the first days in the maternity ward".

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The testimony of Aurélie, mother of Charlotte

"When she was born, our daughter Charlotte could never keep the contents of a whole bottle in her stomach. Each time she drank milk, she had discharges once lying down. She could not sleep more than 20 minutes without waking up squirming, we could even hear noises in her throat and in her mouth! We decided to change milks, to try several brands, several ranges, with additives like carob flour and that's when she started vomiting what we gave her. She was crying a lot after each vomiting, so we were waiting for she calms down, let her relax before trying to give her a bottle again. It was very small quantities, but she took forever to drink them. With each change of milk, Charlotte showed signs of improvement for the next 48 hours, but never more. Pediatricians advised us to wait until she grew a little, she had no symptoms of GERD, and after 7 weeks, we finally came across milk savior, the one she endured and more than 48 hours! I never had to spend nights sleeping in a baby carrier next to me again (it was the only way to get her to sleep for several hours at a time) and Charlotte never threw up her bottles again." .