Dear Sarah,

You are asking an excellent question. There is a great deal  of information about what to eat/not eat when nursing. Some babies seem to be sensitive to a mother's diet while others do not. I know some moms try to eliminate so many food that both the mother and baby are short on nutrients. Some babies seem to react to high acid foods such as tomatoes and oranges and spicy foods. It is probably best to eliminate caffiene and alcohol, whether or not your baby has reflux.

Some moms have tried a elimination diet to try to detect the food or foods that cause symptoms.

I wonder if you have tried other ways to reduce the vomiting:

-feed small meals

-feed more frequently

-offer a pacifier or cuddle between feedings when you are not sure if he is hungry or just want to suck

-offer a little rice cereal before feeding. Sometimes solids tend to keep the food down

-place or hold upright after a feeding until he has digested the meal.

-burp well.

If your baby is growing well and is otherwise healthy, he might just need to outgrow the vomiting.

If your baby is gaining weight slowly or losing weight, you and the doctor will need to work very hard to reduce or eliminate the vomiting.

Let me know if you need further assistance.

Jan Gambino

The Reflux Mom