Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed a young baby since breast milk provides antibodies, enzymes and growth factors that formula lacks. Though breast milk is healthy for babies, some babies may have uncomfortable challenges with breastfeeding. One common challenge that breastfeeding women face is reflux in their babies. According to Kelly Bonyata, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, IBCLC, the symptoms of reflux in babies typically include vomiting spitting up, gagging, burping and excess fussiness.
True Reflux Versus Spitting Up
Many breastfeeding women assume that their babies have reflux, when the babies are simply spitting up, which is normal. This misunderstanding may cause some women to change their diet or even to quit breastfeeding when they don't actually need to. According to Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC, it is common for young babies to spit up, since their digestive systems are not fully developed. She states that a baby only has true reflux if the baby has frequent vomiting, which is characterized as more spitting up that is more profuse, trouble sleeping, discomfort and possibly poor weight gain. It is important to take your baby to the doctor if you think he has reflux, instead of assuming that he does.
Breastfeeding Reduces Reflux
Reflux is generally not a reason to quit breastfeeding, according to La Leche League International. This is because reflux is actually less common in breastfed babies than it is among formula-fed babies. Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC, states on her website that breast milk leaves the stomach faster than formula so there is less chance that breast milk will back into the esophagus and cause reflux.
Foods and Reflux
Though food sensitivities are not the cause of reflux in all babies, some babies experience reflux from milk products in their diet if they are being combo-fed with formula or because of something in the mother's diet. Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC, states that sometimes if a nursing woman consumes too much dairy, her baby may be sensitive to cow's milk and may react with reflux. Other than dairy products affecting babies with cow's milk sensitivities, there is no evidence that what a breastfeeding woman eats triggers or reduces reflux in her baby. If an older baby has reflux and is eating solid foods, the cause of the reflux could be a reaction to the foods rather than the woman's breast milk.
Remedies for Reflux in Breastfed Babies
According to La Leche League International, breastfeeding with the correct positioning can actually reduce reflux in babies. La Leche League recommends holding the baby upright while nursing, so that gravity will help the milk stay down in the baby's stomach. Putting the baby's tummy on your tummy and nursing while leaning back in a chair is another helpful position. La Leche League also states that though it is not proven to reduce reflux in babies, some doctors recommend giving babies baby cereal in the bottle before recommending medicine. If recommended by a doctor, nursing women can pump their milk and mix in a little cereal as directed rather than having to give formula.
