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Baby Feeding Issues: 6 ways to help reflux and constipation

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It may have been a while ago now but when my boys were babies they both suffered from acid reflux. Before becoming a parent, I never realised just how common it was. Studies show that up to 55% of babies have some kind of feeding-related problem in their first six months of life. Reflux is where babies bring up milk either during or after they have been fed. This is usually down to the fact that their digestive system is still maturing.

It wasn’t nice seeing them in discomfort and have their milk come back up after a feed. We were given baby Gaviscon to help for E which helped and thankfully he eventually grew out of it.

Baby Feeding Issues: 6 ways to help reflux and constipation

M was a little different, when he was around 3 weeks old he began projectile vomiting everything back up and didn’t seem to be able to keep a feed down. I had stopped expressing my milk by this point so we had been formula feeding. We decided to give anti-reflux milk a try – it’s slightly thicker than normal formula and hoped that this would help keep the milk down. My advice to parents would just be to always check the preparation instructions as these can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. M also suffered from baby constipation. His poop was really hard and difficult to pass and I felt awful.

bubba-milk-drunk

Reflux and constipation are usually nothing to worry about as the majority of cases are not serious. Babies, like E, will eventually grow out of it. However, there are ways to help ease baby feeding issues. Take a look at some of the tips below from SMA Nutrition.

infographic-sma-september2017-first-sketch-v2

If your baby appears to be in pain or if you are concerned for any other reason, always seek the advice of a healthcare professional such as your GP, health visitor or public health nurse.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The best way to feed a baby is to breastfeed, as breast milk provides the ideal balanced diet and protection against illness for your baby and also many non-nutritional benefits for both baby and mother. We recommend that you speak to your healthcare professional when deciding on your choice of feeding your baby. Professional guidance should also be sought on the preparation for and maintenance of breastfeeding. If you do choose to breastfeed, it’s important to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Infant formula is intended to replace breast milk when mothers choose not to breastfeed or if for some reason they are unable to do so. A decision not to breastfeed, or to introduce partial bottle-feeding, will reduce the supply of breast milk. If for any reason you choose not to breastfeed, do remember that such a decision can be difficult to reverse. Using infant formula also has social and financial implications which must be considered. Infant formula should always be prepared, used and stored as instructed on the label, in order to avoid risks to a baby’s health.

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About The Author

Picture of Maria
Hello and welcome to Suburban Mum! I'm Maria and I'm mum to two boys - E who's 14 and M who's 11. This blog is about my family, the ups and downs of being a working mum and everything in between. If you want to find out more about me and my family head over to our About us page.

46 thoughts on “Baby Feeding Issues: 6 ways to help reflux and constipation”

  9. Nadine

    I am so greatful that none of my kiddos have struggled with either!!! But amazing too the effects babywesring can have in helping with reflux!!! #kcacols

    Reply
  10. Amy

    Very helpful article, thank you. We discovered my son’s discomfort was lactose intolerance, always worth trying a lactose free formula to see if it helps too.
    #kcacols

    Reply
  12. yvonne

    I wish I had advice like this when the twins were younger. One of my boys had a terrible time with reflux and I felt like we didn’t get any good advice or support. It was just a case of ‘he will grow out of it’ 🙁 #KCACOLS

    Reply
  13. Fran Back With a Bump

    Some good tips. I remember not knowing if Poppy had colic or reflux and why she was screaming every evening. Thankfully it passed with some milk thickener but its horrid watching them in pain. Thanks for hosting #kcacols x

    Reply
  16. Pen

    Cygnet had reflux and regularly used to projectile vomit. I didn’t give him any drugs for it. He also used to poo once every 7-8 days so I was also really worried about constipation. He is now 2.5 and eats well. It all sorts itself out in the end. Pen x #KCACOLS

    Reply
  19. Laura

    As a parent with a child who suffers from chronic constipation my top recommend would be a chest deep warm bath. Horrible but obviously beneficial results often ensue! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  21. alex muir

    Some great suggestions. My first had terrible colic so rather than go through it all again with our second we took her for some cranial osteopathy treatment and boy did it help! There are scientific reasons as to why but I can’t remember them now, but who cares – it worked!! 😉 #kcacols

    Reply
  22. Sharon Parry

    This is really useful advice. I wish I had read it when my eldest was first born. Now I’ll have to bear it in mind for my grandchildren!

    Reply
  24. Nicola

    My two were lucky enough not to suffer either of these but I know people whose babies had terrible reflux and it was so stressful for them especially those that were breastfeeding – to spend all that time and effort feeding the baby for them to throw it all back up again 5 minutes later! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  25. Peachy and her Mommy

    Peachy used to spit up a lot too when she was on an all liquid diet. We did the feeing her upright and keeping her upright for half an hour. We burped her and fed smaller meals more often. These things helped but didn’t solve the problem. It’s usually something they just grow out of and we can only make them more comfortable until them. It’s hard though when you work so hard to feed them and it seems like nothing is staying down. #KCACOLS

    Reply
  30. Blake

    My daughter suffered from constipation when switched to formula. We ended up trying a couple of different ones before we found one that was ok for her! Horrible having an unhappy baby #KCACOLS

    Reply
  31. Sarah Barrett

    We’re lucky that none of our three had reflux. I used to see it a lot in my work as a nurse. Thanks for sharing #KCACOLS

    Reply
  33. Sara

    Ah yes, reflux is horrible! My first had it too, and we were also given the Gaviscon. Hated it all! Thankfully it passed as he got a little older! Thanks for sharing these useful, visual tips! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  34. Mrs Mummy Harris

    Ben suffered from terrible Colic for about a week and then one of my mummy friends suggested tommee tippees anti colic bottles alongside aptamil anti colic and constipation formula. These alongside the tilted cot, upright feeding, and some other tips you mentioned did the trick and within the next week it was like a completely different baby.
    My milk had dried up by this point unfortunately, but im quite thankful it happened once he was already on bottles as I dread to think how hard it would have been to combat it without these two aids! Colic is such a horrible thing to witness! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  35. Cassie

    Remember these guidelines well. My lo didn’t really suffer reflux but he did bring his milk up a lot so I used to try and keep him upright using a feeding cushion for 30 mins after a feed.

    Weirdly this post makes me broody. Remembering back to the newborn days. Ahhhh.

    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  44. Tabitha Siklos

    Great tips, I’lll pass on your blog to any friends who have issues with their babies. We’re past that stage now – phew! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  45. Alana - Burnished Chaos

    Great tips. Both my babies were quite colicky and had some reflux but thankfully nothing too bad. One of friends babies both had really bad reflux though and she had a really hard time of with her first. Thankfully with the second she knew every trick in the book x
    #KCACOLS

    Reply

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