Parents have many questions especially first time parents as there is no previous trial and error period. A common question asked is “why my baby cries when eating”. There are many factors to determine why a baby cries when he or she should be happily eating. Usually it is not normal for a baby to cry when eating as this is one of the guaranteed times for peace and quiet. The problem could be very simple baby might just need to be burped or the flow of milk is too slow or formula could have become trapped in the feeding bottle. Baby’s especially new born babies digestive systems haven’t matured enough and some babies find it more difficult than others at feeding time.



A good tip if you find your baby cries when eating is to simply give baby what he or she can handle. You might have to nurse as little as 2 ounces at a time as baby gets used to a feeding routine. This will have its difficulties as baby will ultimately wake sooner feeling hungry. Gradually baby will take more and more formula till they are full. Some babies are just ravenous and will be need more food or perhaps a stronger formula if the current food isn’t rich enough. Other babies might be allergic to a certain food and might need to change formula. Some babies have a reaction to cows milk this will only affect older babies. Some moms find putting anti colic or gas drops into baby’s bottle
helps to elevate the problem of gas or trapped wind.



If you find baby is wriggling about during feeding and is distracted, they might need burping and the best way to burp your baby is to place your hand firmly under the tummy and pat babies back, or you could lay baby on your lap and pat baby. Another reason for why baby cries when eating will depend on the way baby is being fed, for example breast fed babies will take in more air due to the fast flow of breast milk. Babies especially those just learning to feed at mom’s breast can become destressed by the fast flow of milk and need to be burped more frequently. Some babies will have a time between feeding whether its bottle or breast that they wont settle and are a little fussy usually in the evening, this is normal.



Another reason why baby cries when eating could be a reflux problem as baby’s oesophagus hasn’t matured sufficiently. Reflux or spitting up is common in babies and can last up to 1 to 2 hours after feeding. It generally goes away after two or three months. If it persists baby could have a problem called gastroesophageal reflux disorder or (GERD), this is where food goes half way up the oesophagus and back down causing baby pain and a burning sensation. There are medications to help with this and a test where a tube is inserted into babies stomach to test for stomach acid. Generally any problems with feeding will resolves themselves within a few weeks or you should seek medical advice.