What to Do for Gastroesophageal Reflux

• Bubble and burp your baby after each feeding.
• Check your baby's position during and after feedings. Be sure she is propped at a 30 degree angle during feedings and for at least 30 minutes after feedings—longer if needed.
• Don't sit her straight up in a baby chair, as she'll just slump forward, defeating the purpose.
• Give your baby smaller feedings more often. Keep cutting back the amount of each feed until the spitting up is better. Try using an ounce or two less at a feeding to see if it helps. But be sure you feed her more often, often enough so that she still gets the same total amount of breast milk or formula every day.
• Some doctors recommend thickening formula with cereal "to help it stay down." Be sure that it is not so thick that it clumps up, clogging the nipple or requiring too much of the baby's energy to suck down. Some studies, though, have failed to show that this makes a difference.
• Your doctor may prescribe medication to neutralize the stomach acid and to help the stomach empty feedings into the intestine rather than sending them back up the wrong way. These should be considered especially if reflux is severe, such as when it interferes with breathing or growth.

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