Hello, mamas and papas!  Melissa, here.  Back for our CloudMom Tuesday how-to video, and talking babies and burping!

Have you noticed that your baby is spitting up more than usual?  I became very friendly with spit up over the course of breastfeeding and burping my five babies.  My babies spit up a lot, and if you see a picture of them, you’ll notice that they usually sported a fashionable, drenched bib.  What I learned over time is that when my babies spit up, this didn’t necessarily mean that there were full and didn’t need to eat just a bit more! Watch today’s video for more for more advice on burping your baby and baby spit up.

Why Do Babies Spit Up

Learning to breastfeed takes some time, as does noticing the signs your baby is giving you while he or she feeds.  When I first began breastfeeding my oldest, as soon as he spit up a bit of milk, I understood him to be full and stopped nursing him.  Not too long later, he was hungry again.  Since that time, with my other babies, I’ve taken the spitting up after breastfeeding (which usually gets all over me!) as a sign that my babies were just letting the air out of their bellies and that they still could be interested in feeding some more.

It’s different in every baby, but with my youngest, I’ll knew she was finished breastfeeding when she fell off the breast and looked disinterested, after having been burped.  You can also hear when she stops sucking. Bibs are also very useful when it comes to spit up during breastfeeding.  By changing bibs all day long, I managed to keep my babies’ torsos dry while not having to get bogged down in extra laundry.  And then of course there’s my favorite: the hospital burp cloth, also helpful in preventing spit up from getting all over your own clothes!

The routine spitting up I am talking about — which did not appear to cause any discomfort with my babies — differs from reflux in newborns, which is a condition you should consult with your doctor on, and which may require medication.

What are your go-to products when it comes to avoiding your baby’s spit up? Any stories you’d like to share? Comment below, I would love to hear what you have to say!