Mom’s Question:
My baby is drinking about 3 oz/feeding. She throws up and gasps like she can’t breathe well. She also coughs and chokes. What’s wrong with her? She’s 3 days old.
Baby Helpline:
Tips When Newborn Baby Chokes On Formula
Poor girl! Here are a few possible reasons and what to do:
- Could it be that the teat hole is too big so that the milk flows too fast for her? To test this, turn the full bottle upside down without shaking. If the milk flows instead of drips, the teat hole is too large. Try a teat with a slightly smaller hole and see if it helps.
- If the teat hole is not an issue, it can also be that she has some degree of acid reflux, which is when the stomach fluid travels back into the throat too easily. This is quite common among young babies and even more so among preemies. You can try to feed your baby in a more upright position and with less formula at each feeding and see if it helps. (You need to feed your baby more frequently if you cut down the amount she received at each feeding.) If she continues to spit up very frequently, discuss acid reflux with her doctor. In most cases, (except for the very severe cases, when the baby is in serious pain or not thriving), no medication is needed.
- Since your little girl is only three days old, it may also be that she simply hasn’t really got a hang on how to drink from a bottle yet. (Much like the latching on issues for a breastfed baby.) Try not to worry, provide a calm environment, skin and eye contact, and try to feed her before she is starving and furious – not many babies manage to eat properly when upset.
If none of this helps, get back to me. (And congratulations on your daughter!)
Paula
More Babies Gasping Or Throwing Up
Find comments below.
and she was also a premie 4 pounds can that have something to do with it
my 3 month old has been spitting up since she was born and now she projectiles after every ounce i tried her on three kinds of formula im trying her on soy now but its only been thee days but i she will be sitting there choking and gasping for air and it comes out of her nose as well all over her clothes and mine and i took her to the doctor and she did an ultra sound and everything came back normal i dont know what to do i feel so bad for her
When My daughter was a infant she use to cry every time she takes the bottle and throws up that’s dues to reflex what i did to get her to eat was to put her in a car seat and prop the bottle for her so she can eat better! When infants is gagging or throwing up its best to sit them up instead of laying them down in your arms! Babies with reflex tend to do better eating when they are sitting upword. I also Took her into chiropractor and it saved her life!