Use the rising popularity of gift bags to your advantage!

Whether a portable receptacle for dirty bibs or burpers, or the perfect mechanism to house your baby's reflux journal, you don't throw away or re-gift-bag your collection after a holiday or birthday. 

• As a reusable waste basket, the sturdy design and built-in string handle creates a reliable garbage pail you can take with you or hang on a convenient doorknob. It can also house spit-on clothes (baby's or your's) temporarily before it hits the washing machine. 

• For a helpful reflux journal to track your baby's behavior and triggers, simply tape a piece of paper on the front to log the day's events. You can hang this in a convenient location or take with you to keep consistent records. Keep past records by placing the logs in the inside portion of the bag so they're in one place on your next trip to the doc. 
  

I got this idea from creating a "potty chart" for my older son, where I stored stickers in the interior and taped his charts on the front. It helped that it was his fun Cars character!


How else can you re-use gift bags to make your present state much simpler? 

Before I made humans...I raised puppies. These puppies (2) came from unimaginable situations, and with them, a whole set of health and digestive issues. In short, I've been cleaning a variety of accidents from my carpets for years now. 

When my little spitter came on the scene I realized that I didn't need to invest in a new suite of cleaners. The natural pet cleaning products I relied on for much more dramatic messes proved more than effective in cleaning puddles of milk. 

They even helped eliminate the odor; from the carpet that is. Can't say as much for everywhere else. 

What do you use to clean, or at least cover up, the accidents on your floors and carpets? 

What best describes your method of cleaning baby spitup?

A. A warm, wet paper towel or cloth asap after the incident
B. Dedicated cleansing agents to tackle stains and quick trip to the washing machine (for clothes at least)
C. The nearest baby wipe if there's one available
D. The family dog
E. I've ripped out my carpet and replaced it with tile flooring
F. None of the above - I've given up. 

Don't be ashamed if you can relate to this list. Or if you have a completely unorthodox method of managing the mess. Below are a few resources I found online to keep things under control. 


What is the best way to treat spit up? Forum message chain - Circle of Moms
Cleaning tips for minor "spit up" on the carpet? Forum message chain - What to Expect
Cleaning Spit Up - Mamapedia

It's nearly Memorial Day weekend, which for me, means an extra day off of work to finally clean my house (and do some laundry) so I might try some of the new tips. What works for you? 

The debate over the stigma of pacifiers is useless for moms dealing with reflux. If there's something out there that might help; it's worth the time to check out. 

The concept of pacifiers helping babies with reflux and spitup revolves around stimulating the flow of saliva and downward contractions of the esophagus to help keep the stomach contents where they belong. 

Dr. Sear's mentions pacifiers in his "17 Ways to Treat Reflux," but offers several counterpoints to consider: 

"..While the most effective pacifiers will be your touch and your holding, some infants with GER are helped by the frequent use of pacifiers. Non-nutritive sucking can often ease reflux. This is why breastfeeding mothers often find that their babies with GER want to “nurse constantly.” (Yet, some babies with severe GER refuse to feed often because they associate feeding with pain.) Frequent sucking stimulates saliva production, which, as described above, eases the irritation of reflux. Yet, vigorously sucking on pacifiers aggravates GER in some infants by increasing air swallowing..." 

WhattoExpect.com also weighs in on the pros and cons of the pacifier overall, as yet another big decision in the sea of infant care craziness.

For this mama, the jury is still out on how much the pacifier use helps. I've used them from day one with both of my boys; but only the second has reflux. I do give it to my baby at naptimes and bedtime as recommended, as well as right after feedings while he's propped up for the half hour. He still spits up...but maybe it would be worse without the pacifier/prop treatment. For his sake, It's not something I'm willing to test out. 

Did you choose to use pacifier and do you feel it helps with reflux? 

SPITUP HACK: Dedicated zip-up hoodie to protect mama or other caregiver from projectile spitup.

WHY: When spitup comes from all directions and without warning, burp cloths and towels over the shoulder don't cut it. I needed full protection especially if I was already dressed to go to work or out of the house.

PROS: Zipper style offers quick access and removal. More comfortable than the poncho you've considered. 

CONS: No style points here - this is for function. It will get stains and you will get sick of wearing it. Also, you may need 2-3 backups for bad days. 

BONUS TIPS: A hood is not required but can double as a shoulder burp cloth; or a place to mentally hide when things get really ugly. Also, cream-colored or white/light fabric colors work well for obvious reasons. Choose a maternity sweatshirt or sizes larger than your normal size for a longer cut that shields your lap. Deep pockets give you places to store extra burp cloths.