Weight Gain: The Measuring Stick for Baby Spitup Severity

By Batholith (Own work) [Public], Wikimedia Commons

At our six-month appointment last week I was again reminded of two of the spitup stipulations:

1. Does it bother your baby to spitup? (No but it bothers me dearly, does that count?)
2. Are they gaining weight? (four lbs in two months this time around meant yes).

So we're back again with a happy spitter who's getting all he needs to eat. I hope. 

Weight gain and nutrition have always been front and center. From the start I've had concerns about the amount of food and nutrients staying down with so much coming up. 

One trick that mentally helped me was to fill a 4 oz bottle with water and then spill on the table. Compared to some of the spitup episodes, you can see how much is likely making it into their system. But it doesn't ease all of the anxiety by any means.

The scale is the true measure, and with regular doc appointments the first year, there's always a periodic check-in and recording.

But what about different scenarios that can affect weight gain? What if your child is just naturally a bigger baby, or on the other side, has mouth pain from teething that makes feeding a struggle? Or possible "mechanical" issues with feeding that are hard to identify (such as the immature epiglottis, or something more serious)? 

I guess the point is weight does carry alot of weight here, but if other things seem off, it's time to trust your gut and get help!

How do you feel about weight gain as the measuring stick for spitup severity?

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