I remember when I was first breastfeeding, that I was so worried about getting it “right”. I was constantly wondering, was she getting enough? Is she getting too much? And, I would feed my daughter around the clock.
She was a great nurser. She was the type of child who would literally sit at the breast all. day. long. That is if I would have let her. She was content to nurse, stop sucking, but still hang on, and then start up again when she felt like it. Falling asleep at the breast was also a challenge because she was just so content being there.
One thing that happened to me a couple of times that I wish someone would have clued me in on were the handful of times when she didn’t just spit up, but finished nursing and then literally emptied the contents of her stomach onto herself and onto me. I remember the first time it happened, I freaked out! She literally drenched me down to my skin in breast milk, and it was regurgitated breast milk at that. Not fun. I burst into tears and turned to my husband and said, “What do I do now??” I had just spent 15 minutes nursing her, and then it all came back up. I was convinced her tummy was empty, and that I needed to nurse again. Luckily, my husband, who is always a calming influence, just said to me, “Don’t worry, go take a shower, and if she acts fussy, you can nurse her again in a few minutes.”
It turns out that she was fine, and all was well. Occasionally this will happen. When a baby spits up, or in this instance throws up, it always looks like more than it actually is. Seriously. To test this, try taking a tablespoon of water. In the measuring spoon, it doesn’t look like much, but when you pour it out onto a countertop, it looks like a whole lot more. It is the same thing with spit up and vomiting. It always looks like more than it is.
I think that in these instances, she just drank too much. Since she was so content nursing all the time, I’m sure that in the beginning, babies have to figure out what it means to feel full, and when to stop. However, if this sort of thing is happening frequently, you might want to consult your pediatrician, but more than likely, it’s nothing to worry about, and your baby will be just fine.