Q: My baby is one and a half months old. I breast feed him for 20 minutes approximately and he sleeps for 2 hours after that. Occasionally, Lactogen-1 is also given. From the last 15 days he has developed a habit of spitting up milk. Sometimes he spits large quantities of milk while being fed and sometimes, small amounts after feeding. I have heard that spitting occurs due to overfeeding but he starts crying when he spits a large quantity and wants to be fed again. He stops crying only when I feed him again. I don't know why he has started spitting suddenly. Could my food intake in anyway affect his spitting behaviour. I am also concerned that whether or not he is getting enough food? Can nutritional benefits of breast milk differ in mothers? I take shelcal & ferronine. What all should I not eat while breast feeding?

A:The nutritional benefit of breast milk remains incomparable for all mothers. There are no special foods to be eaten while breast feeding. The supplements you are taking will not harm your baby. What you must keep in mind is that your daily calorie intake needs to be at 1000-1500 cal above your normal daily intake as this is the amount of energy you need to produce enough milk for your baby. Your baby is spitting milk. Burp him properly after every feed. After he has finished drinking milk, hold him against your shoulder as you normally carry him and thump his lower back gently till he burps. Do this after every feed and his spitting will decrease. Do not feed him lactogen.