There is a reason baby bibs and towels are a popular baby shower gift – baby spit-up is common. Still, it can be unsettling when your new baby seems to be spitting up frequently, particularly after nursing or bottle feeding.
Spit-up is most common in newborns because the muscle between their esophagus and stomach has not yet matured, which makes it easy for milk to travel back up. This is known as infant reflux, and it goes away on its own as the sphincter matures and better keeps stomach contents down.
Until this muscle develops (which can take up to 12 months), it’s normal to experience the following:
NORMAL
Frequent spit up, particularly after feedings
Comes up easily with burps
Small in volume, up to a couple tablespoons (note: it’s easy to overestimate based on the spit up stain)
White or slightly yellowish in color
Baby is otherwise content after spitting up and is gaining weight overall
NOT NORMAL
Stomach contents come out forcefully, shooting across a room. This is projectile vomiting
Persistent, large-volume spit-up
Thick, mucus consistency
Contains blood (sometimes looks like coffee grounds) or appears green
Baby is not gaining weight
Baby begins spitting up after six months old
Consult your pediatrician if you notice any abnormal spit-up symptoms. Your pediatrician can also advise on otherwise typical cases of infant reflux, ranging from mild to severe.