Check For Oversupply Too
Having too much breast milk could also trigger gassiness. “Oversupply can cause the baby to overfeed or swallow too much air, causing an upset belly,” Dr. Montague says. Make sure you’re emptying one breast fully before switching sides so baby gets all of the stomach-soothing hindmilk. A lactation consultant can help you get your supply under control.
How To Prevent Gas In Babies
If you want to avoid baby gas pain, your best bet is to stop gas from building in the first place. Make sure youre properly positioning baby during feedings so theyre swallowing as little air as possible. Hold baby in your arms and elevate their head while their drinking, OConnor says.
When mixing formula, make sure to let the formula settle before feeding it to baby, Grossman says. Mixing and shaking the formula while preparing it can lead to more air bubbles that baby might swallow, which may cause gas. As youre giving baby the bottle, tilt it to let as little air into the nipple as possible. You can also try using a vented bottle specifically designed to reduce how much air baby swallows as they feed. Tip: If you decide to switch bottles, dont buy a bunch of them at once. Try one at a time and see if the gassiness improves, OConnor says. Also consider switching to a nipple with a smaller hole. Large holes let milk flow through quickly, and baby may swallow a lot of air in an attempt to keep up.
When breastfeeding, its a bit harder to prevent baby from swallowing air. But you can stop at regular intervals and burp baby, OConnor says. And like trying different bottles, you can try different breastfeeding positions to see if one leads to less baby gas.
Expert bios:
Meredith Grossman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Plus, more from The Bump:
When Should I Take My Baby To The Doctor
Look for the colic symptoms and the signs of colic to help determine if your baby has colic. However, there are a number of things that might present themselves similarly to colic, but arent, like:
– Infections- Acid Reflux or stomach problems- Pressure or inflammation of the brain and nervous system- Irregular heartbeat- Injuries
If youre concerned about your baby – whether it be because you think she has colic or because you suspect she might be irritable due to another medical reason, you should visit your doctor. Theyll be able to rule out any medical issues with an exam, and provide their opinion on whether or not your baby has colic. Like we always say – you know your baby best! If you think somethings up, give your doctor a call.
Also Check: How To Put A Newborn Baby To Sleep
How To Know If Your Baby Is Uncomfortable
First, you need to identify that the baby is indeed suffering from gas pains. All babies cry to a certain extent because it is their primary means of communication with those around them. But the cry associated with gas pains is different from a tired, hungry, or bored cry. A gas pain cry will be sharper and sound more frantic than others. You may also see the baby pulling up their legs in discomfort. With these two signs combined, you can be sure your baby is suffering from excessive gas.
How To Help A Baby Get Rid Of Gas
- Move around. Any activity that involves torso movement will help push the gas through and provide some relief.
- Get upright. Moving baby from a supine position to an upright position can help move things along, with the added benefit of being more comforting.
- Belly down. Tummy time is fun and distracting and can help massage that stomach to help gas find its way out.
- Snack time. Although not a direct fix for gas, a quick feed can help soothe baby as things work their way throughso long as there are no air bubbles in the bottle and baby is burped often.
Another sign of trapped gas is, of course, a grumpy baby. If a baby stops smiling and is visibly uncomfortable, theres a good chance that there is something inside that needs to be released. For really little babies, though, moving the gas bubbles from inside the digestive tract to the open air is no mean feat. Their undeveloped organs are ill-equipped for pushing that air out, and their lack of motor skills make any deliberate attempt almost futile.
Luckily, there are a few things parents can do to help ease the passage.
RELATED: Fatherly Advice: How to Comfort a Baby With Colic and Not Go Insane
Some formula or mommy milk can also have a pain reducing effect, Palmer says.
MORE: How to Burp a Burpless Baby
Alleviating gas is about making a baby comfortable. And, if done right, it can be an extremely satisfying end to an episode of fussiness.
Also Check: How To Treat Newborn Baby Acne
When Should You See A Doctor About Your Babys Gas
In 8 out of 10 cases, your baby will get better with time. Gas is common among newborns and usually gets better over time as their digestive tract grows. However, if you see the following signs, you may want to call your pediatrician:
- You notice that your baby isnt gaining weight.
- Your baby cries uncontrollably every day.
- Your baby hasnt passed stools or has regular episodes of constipation.
- Your baby refuses to feed.
Recognizing The Signs Of A Gassy Baby
Read Also: How To Help Newborn Sleep In Crib
How To Burp A Baby
Table manners? They don’t apply to infants. To reduce after-dinner discomfort, follow our tutorial to helping baby pass gas.
Check how he’s feeding Babies need to burp because they tend to take in air while they’re eating. To reduce the amount of air coming in and keep your little one at ease, make sure he’s latched on well: His lips should be sealed around the bottle or your breast.
Put Baby on your shoulder Stand or sit comfortably, slightly reclining, and hold Baby under his bottom so he’s well supported. Make sure he’s facing behind you, looking over your shoulder, with his chin resting on a soft cloth to absorb any spit-up from a burp.
Pat him on the back Tap or rub the fingertips of your free hand across your baby’s shoulder blades. Baby may move back and forth a bit this won’t hurt him as long as your shoulder supports his head. Be patient: It can take four or five minutes to coax out a burp.
Sit him on your lap As an alternate position, place your baby sideways on your lap, with his chest leaning slightly forward. Make sure he’s firmly seated. Support his chin between your thumb and index finger, and pat his back across the shoulder blades.
Originally published in the American Baby “Baby Care Basics”book.
American Baby
Bottle Feeding Tips To Help Prevent Gas
What position should I bottle feed my baby in?
Hold your baby more upright with only a slight recline. Hold the bottle mostly horizontal, tipped only just enough to keep milk in the nipple.5This allows baby to draw milk out at the pace they prefer, rather than it flowing too fast and making them swallow more air.
You could also try an angled bottle that naturally allows air to vent out the back.
What bottle should I feed my baby with?
The best kind of bottle will have a soft nipple that contours along your babys mouth and lips thus preventing air from flowing along with the milk.
The milk should flow gradually and slowly so your baby has time to drink and swallow without gulping excessively.6 Many bottles and nipples are staged for different ages, so notice how fast your baby takes the bottle.7
Learn more: Choosing the Right Bottles and Nipples
How fast should baby eat from a bottle?
Bottle-feeding should take as long as nursing does for infants at least 20 minutes but no more than an hour. If your baby can chug down a bottle in 5 minutes, they are likely gulping too fast and taking in too much air. If this is the case, try a slower flow nipple.
If your little one is still drinking too quickly, try paced bottle feeding. This aims to slow the feed down and allow baby to take control of the speed of the milk and take breaks.8
Read more: Paced Bottle Feeding
Can formula cause gas?
Also Check: Why Is Newborn So Fussy
Be Careful About Foods
To provide your infant with gas relief, talk to their doctor about foods that may cause extra gas. Some fruit juices contain sorbitols or sugar alcohols that babies cant absorb, causing gas. The doctor will also make sure your baby is getting all the essential nutrients they need.
If you are breastfeeding, foods youve eaten can also cause your baby to be gassy. If you give your baby formula, you can try switching brands. Some brands claim to prevent gas.
What Should I Do If Baby Is Reacting To My Breastmilk
Contact your pediatrician
Bring your baby in for a checkup. Youll want to rule out any other causes for her symptoms, check babys growth and weight gain, and make sure baby is not losing excessive blood if your little one experiencing bloody stool. Your doctor can also discuss the possibility of confirming the presence of an allergy with a skin prick test.
If your child is diagnosed with a food allergy, remember to ask about reintroducing the food later. Most kids will grow out of food allergies, sometimes by their first birthday.
Keep a food and symptom journal
We know its hard to find time to eat in those first few months, let alone write down what made it into your mouth, but tracking your intake alongside your babys symptoms is a good way to shed light on any possible reactions.
Just remember that foods we eat remain in our bodies for long periods of time. So while a journal can be helpful to pinpoint the onset of symptoms when you first eat the offending food, know that your babys symptoms can persist for several days or up to 2 weeks, even if you dont eat that particular food again.
Try an elimination diet
If you notice an adverse reaction in your baby after you eat certain foods, try removing that food from your diet and watch for improvement.
Seek support
Lets Chat!
We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.
Also Check: How Many Ounces Per Feeding Newborn
When Should You Worry
Most of the time, infant gas is normal and treatable. But in rare cases, it can be the first sign of a more serious digestive problem, says Jenna Faircloth, PharmD, of Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center in Ohio. Contact the doctor right away if your baby:
- Does not poop, has bloody stools, or vomits.
- Is very fussy. If you cant get them to calm down, a doctor needs to check for a problem.
- Has a fever. If they have a rectal temperature of 100.4 F or higher, a doctor needs to rule out infection. If they are under 3 months of age, take them to the doctor right away.
What Should I Know About An Allergy Or Intolerance In My Breastfed Baby
- Learn the difference between an allergy and a food intolerance or sensitivity
- Know the signs and symptoms of food allergy or intolerance in breastfed infants
- Learn which foods are the most common allergens or culprits in food intolerances
- How to manage your food intake to help alleviate your babys symptoms
Breastmilk is incredible it offers a complete form of nutrition for infants, and offers a range of benefits for health, growth, immunity, and development.1 The nutrients in your breastmilk come directly from whats circulating in your blood, meaning that the nutrients and compounds you absorb from the food you eat are then passed along to your baby.
While being truly allergic or reacting to something in moms milk is rare in babies, a small percentage of mothers do notice a difference in their babies symptoms or behavior after eating certain foods.
Whats the difference between an allergy and an intolerance or sensitivity?
Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably, but an allergy and an intolerance/sensitivity are very different. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology , an allergy is when the immune system reacts to a food, whereas an intolerance happens during digestion.2 Allergies generally have more severe symptoms, often causing skin reactions or difficulty breathing. Food intolerances occur when we have difficulty digesting a food, which often result in gastro-intestinal symptoms.
Which foods might cause an allergic reaction?
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Colic Vs Crying: Colic Baby Symptoms
Knowing whether your babys cries are average or excessive can be tricky because crying patterns vary from baby to baby. Knowing what symptoms of colic in babies you can look out for can help you identify your babys crying. “The Rule of 3” is most helpful for parents and doctors when determining if your baby has colic.