Does Warm Formula Help With Reflux? 5 Feeding Tips to Avoid Reflux
Ah, spit up! Welcome to another glamorous stage of parenthood.
You’re likely to be seen sporting some of the stuff on your shirt more often than not in those first few weeks (or months) of your baby’s life. Also known as gastroesophageal reflux or just “reflux”, spitting up is extremely common in babies six months of age and younger.
How and Why Does Reflux Happen?
At the base of the esophagus, just before the entrance to the stomach, there is a muscle called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter or LES. This little flap is there to keep food inside of the stomach, but in infants it’s very weak and underdeveloped. Pair that with a fully liquid diet, and you can understand why spillage happens often. Stomach contents can come back up for any number of reasons, but one of them may be having too much pressure put against the LES.
All of this medical terminology may seem a little concerning at first, but there’s good news when it comes to infant reflux. It’s perfectly normal, and there’s rarely anything to worry about.
If your baby is feeding comfortably and gaining weight, reflux is just another fact of daily life. According to American Family Physicians, most babies will grow out of spitting up by the time they are 6-12 months old.
However, for some babies, reflux can be more serious. It may seem like their reflux is causing them discomfort or excessive fussiness. There may be audible sounds of gurgling, or spit bubbles on the infant’s mouth while they are sleeping. Perhaps they are spitting up large volumes of milk and are struggling to gain or maintain their weight. In these cases, simple reflux can become a serious health issue.
5 Feeding Tips That May Reduce Reflux
Thankfully, you can make a few simple adjustments today to help your baby experience less bouts of spitting up. Here are a few of our tried and true tips for reducing infant reflux as soon as your baby’s next feeding!
1. Feed Your Baby In An Upright Position
One of the simplest changes you can make to help cut down on reflux is being sure to feed your baby in as upright of a position as possible.
Being in a horizontal position puts more pressure on the LES - that muscle we learned about earlier. When your baby is in an upright position, it makes it less likely that the contents of the stomach will put pressure against the LES and spill out.
Related: 5 Week Old Baby Routine: Feeding Schedule, Sleeping Schedule, and More
2. Keep Your Baby Still and Upright, Even After Their Feeding
Does your baby ever scream when put in a horizontal or inclined position, like sitting in a car seat or lying in their swing? This may be a sign of them experiencing a reflux event and the discomfort that comes with it.
It’s important to continue keeping your baby in an upright position even after you have fed them, for the same reason mentioned in the last section. You want to keep the fresh milk in their belly from sloshing against the LES muscle and coming out as spit up.
No bouncing that baby on your knee just yet! We know it’s hard to wait for that irresistible little smile, but the extra movement can exacerbate problems with reflux.
All in all, it’s best to keep baby still and upright for about 10-15 minutes after each feeding. This will help reduce uncomfortable reflux symptoms, and keep those precious calories on the inside of their tummies.
3. Experiment With Different Temperatures
Does warm formula help with reflux? It turns out that the temperature of the milk does matter. However, it may not be what you expected. It’s not only warm milk that can soothe a baby suffering from reflux. Cold milk can help as well!
Each baby has a different preference and will decide whether or not they are willing to take milk at a certain temperature. The ideal temperature for formula or breastmilk is around 98.6 degrees, or body temperature. Some babies may prefer it warmer or cooler than that. Experiment with different milk temperatures to see if you see any improvement with your baby’s reflux.
The easiest way to do this is with a programmable bottle warmer, or a formula dispensing machine. Bottles can also be warmed by placing them in a bowl of hot water in the sink. Be sure to swirl the bottle to disperse the heat, then test the milk on your wrist before giving it to the baby. This is to ensure it is not too hot.
The one way milk should never be warmed is inside of a microwave oven. Microwaves heat liquid unevenly, so dangerous hotspots may form that can burn your baby or destroy the nutritional content of the milk.
4. Switch To a Slow-Flow Nipple
One of the most common causes of infant reflux is being fed too much, too fast. When bottle-feeding, try switching to a slow-flow nipple. This will slow the drip of milk into the baby’s mouth, enabling them to eat more slowly.
As you may already know, nipples come in different sizes or “levels”. These levels represent the size of the opening in the tip of the nipple. This determines how quickly milk is let down into the baby’s mouth.
If your baby is 0-3 months old, they may already be using a Level 1 nipple. However, there are even smaller nipples available. Try the preemie nipple by Dr. Brown’s, or Enfamil’s Slow-Flow nipple. If your baby is at a higher level nipple, just try moving down by one level.
5. Try Switching to a Dairy-Free Formula Brand
Surprisingly, babies who suffer from Cow’s Milk Allergy or CMA will have signs very similar to those of babies suffering from GER (Gastroesophageal Reflux). Symptoms such as fussiness, vomiting, poor appetite, and sleep disturbances are shared between the two conditions.
This is why it may be important to consider trying a dairy-free formula with your baby. Before making any major change to their diet or feeding routine, consult with your pediatrician about symptoms and eating habits.
While some people may recommend removing certain foods from a mother’s diet to prevent food sensitivity, this recent study from 2022 says otherwise. It was published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy and states that “children with food allergies do not usually react to maternal allergen ingestion during breastfeeding. In fact, when healthcare practitioners advise maternal dietary restriction, this can harm the mother and undermine breastfeeding.”
Did You See Any Improvements With Your Baby’s Reflux?
If not, it may be time to reach out to your pediatrician. Gastroesophageal Reflux or GER can sometimes progress into a more serious condition known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). The only difference between GER and GERD is the severity of symptoms. Plus, GER usually peaks around 3-4 months old, while GERD usually shows up sooner, peaking at around just 4 weeks old.
All babies are different and spit up at differing frequencies and volumes. Some babies may only spit up once per day, while with others it may be happening as frequently as at every feeding! Talk about a lot of costume changes.
The best way to monitor your baby’s progress with reflux reduction is by tracking feedings and bouts of reflux closely. Consider doing this with an app like Baby Connect!
Track Your Baby’s Sleep and Feeding Routines With Baby Connect
With Baby Connect, have all the data you’ll need right at your fingertips during your next pediatrician’s visit. We make it possible for you to easily log the details of every feeding on your phone, or with a hands-free device like Amazon Alexa.
You can track feeding times, amounts, and keep track of the milk you have in the fridge, all from your phone, Apple Watch, or voice assistant. Plus, you can add custom trackable items - like a reflux event!
You do all the logging, and we’ll translate that information into helpful, easy-to-understand charts. We’re in this together!
