How Do You Relieve Gas In Newborns

Other Reasons Your Baby Could Be Crying

For very young babies, crying is the only means of communication they have.

So, while gas or colic might be the reason for their tears, there can be other reasons that your little one is having a bad day. These include:

• Early teething. The general age for a baby getting their first tooth is around 6 months of age. But in some cases, babies can cut their first tooth as early as 4 months. Along with fussiness, teething is associated with extra drooling, swelling of the gums, increased biting or gumming of items, and sometimes even ear-rubbing.
• Pain or illness. Especially in newborns, incessant crying can sometimes be a sign that your baby is in pain due to illness or injury. Check your baby over for bruises or other injuries including a stray hair that could be wrapped tightly around a finger, toe, or penis. Schedule a visit with your babys pediatrician to have them assessed, just in case.
• Discomfort. Just like older kids and adults, those little humans might not always love every outfit you put on them or every place you stow them thats not in your arms. Sometimes, theyre just bored and want to have a change in scenery. Before you assume its gas, see whether picking them up, changing their clothes, or going outside helps.
• Tiredness. Babies can very easily get overtired and ironically, resist going to sleep even more. Try to create some kind of consistent sleep routine such as creating a dark and comfortable environment or reading the same book for naps and night time.

I Have A Very Gassy Baby Is This Normal

Gas is not a medical condition. Baby gas pains are typically brief and relieved when a baby burps or farts. The good news is infant gas pains improve over time. By the age of 4 to 6 months, the gut has matured and your baby can move more efficiently, decreasing the bouts of painZeevenhooven J, Browne PD, LHoir MP, de Weerth C, Benninga, MA. Infant Colic: Mechanisms and Management. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 15:479-496. .

What Can I Do To Help Alleviate Gas In My Breastfed Baby

Apply gentle pressure to your babys belly

Tummy Time: This position can put gentle pressure on your babys belly, helping to provide gas relief. Wait at least 30 minutes after a feeding to allow your little ones belly to settle before starting tummy time.7

Or try a more advanced move use both hands and a lot of guided support to lay your baby tummy down on a large beach or exercise ball and gently roll her on the ball in a circular motion.

Forearm Hold: Also called the football hold, magic hold, and the colic carry. Try carrying your baby face down with her body resting on your forearm, the front of her diaper area in your hand and her chin cradled in your elbow.9 Make sure to tilt babys head to the side to avoid blocking their nose or mouth. Carrying your little one in this face-down position will place the same gentle pressure on their belly that is achieved during tummy time.

Burp your baby during and after a feeding

Take a break between sides or even during a feed to get a burp or two out.8

You may choose to burp your baby while they are in a seated position, with their head supported by the cradle of your hand.17You can also burp your baby in the typical position: upright and over your shoulder.8

Try infant massage on your babys tummy for gas relief

Read more: Baby massage benefits and techniques

Bicycle your babys legs

Read more: How Do I help My Breastfed Baby with Diarrhea and Constipation?

Do gas drops like simethicone work?

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Formula And Gassiness: Do Formula Fed Babies Fart More

In addition to gassy foods, some babies may react if they have food sensitivities. This includes food sensitivities in a breastfed mothers diet or food sensitivities in a baby formula. For example, a baby who has dairy sensitivities may react to formulas that contain dairy. If you think your gassy baby is reacting to his formula, consider trying a new formula. Check out this post for more information regarding the best baby formula.

Youll know that your baby tolerates the new formula if hes less gassy during feedings, less back arching after meals, and less spit up.

In addition to food sensitivities, bottle-fed babies may fart more since they tend to swallow more air while drinking. You can combat this by using slow-flow bottle nipples, feeding baby at a 45-degree angle, and holding the bottle so that milk is always in the nipple.

Doing Bicycle Kicks To Ease Gassy Baby

Although choosing the right bottle nipple and giving your baby infant probiotics are good for preventing gas, some good old-fashioned bicycle kicks can help your baby during a gassy flare-up.

To perform this move, follow these simple steps:

• Lay your baby on a soft blanket on the floor
• Sit in front of your baby and move your babys legs as if he was on a bicycle

This is a great opportunity to bond with your baby, gaze into his eyes, and sing a few nursery songs.

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What Causes Gas Or Flatulence In Babies And Toddlers

There are quite a few reasons for gas formation in babies and toddlers.

Babies eat through out the day and night. Hence their bowels produce a lot more gas compared to adults.

If you are breastfeeding and has taken some gas causing foods in your diet, it can cause gas as it passes on to the baby through breast milk.

Swallowing air while crying can also cause gas. Breastfed and bottle-fed babies can have gas problems as they suck in a lot of air along with milk making a build up of air in the intestine.

Gas problems are mainly caused by the substances called natural sugars like fructose, lactose, raffinose and sorbitol and/or soluble fiber. Since these substances are not digested in the stomach, they make their way down to the intestines.

The bacteria in the intestines does the needful resulting in the release of gas, bloating and flatulence.

Many fruits, vegetables, legumes, dairy products, carbonated drinks contain these substances hence these gas problems are unavoidable. We can only follow a few home remedies to treat gas in babies and toddlers.

What can I do to prevent formation of gas in baby?

9 Safe and Easy Home Remedies To Treat Gas in Babies, Toddlers and Kids:

I have listed down 9 home remedies which are easy and safe to treat gas in babies and kids.

#1. Burping after every feed:

Infants who are breastfed must be burped after every feed.

Dont make them lie down once they have had their full.

#2. Bicycling your babys legs:

#3. Massaging with mustard oil:

Relieve Baby Gas Fast Home Remedies

Many newborns, particularly between the ages of 1-4 months, suffer from gas. The taking in of air while feeding, allergies to food given, and/or improper burping practices may all cause the baby to be gassy and irritable.

Following these simple methods can help relieve the babys gas:

• A warm bath and compress work as the best natural remedy for colicky babies and offers respite from gas. Soak a towel in warm water, squeeze it, and gently rub the babys tummy with it. Warm water will soothe the cramps and make the baby feel better.
• Gently massaging touch can be calming and relaxing, but even more importantly, the pressure on your babys tummy can help encourage gas bubbles to come out. You can also try the colic hold to help relieve pressure in a gassy baby. To do this hold, you can hold your baby across your lap so that his tummy lays on your legs.
• Simply putting the baby in the tummy first position for about 2 minutes can also help relieve the gases due to the pressure on the tummy. Be mindful that the nose and mouth are free, and breathing is not hampered.

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What Are Some Home Remedies For Baby Constipation

If your baby becomes constipated once heâs started on solid foods, check in with your healthcare provider, who may recommend any of the following changes or additions to his diet to help relieve constipation:

• Water. If your baby is over 6 months old , offer him a little water in a sippy cup with his meals. This shouldnât replace breast milk or formula, however.

• Fruit juice. A few ounces of 100 percent fruit juice such as apple, pear, or prune juice can also help your baby. These juices contain sorbitol, which works like a natural laxative.

• Certain fruits and vegetables. Once your baby is eating solid foods, give him pureed foods such as prunes, pears, peaches, and peas. These can help with constipation since they contain more fiber than other fruits and vegetables.

• Infant cereals. Try feeding him whole-wheat, barley, or multigrain infant cereal once he is eating solid foods. These three types contain more fiber than rice cereal and may help get things moving.

If the above dietary changes havenât given your baby relief, contact his healthcare provider again for guidance.

Exercises And Positions To Relieve Your Babys Gas

From Kate:

Im going to show you a cool technique that you can use on your baby if you feel like theyre suffering. The first thing youre going to do is lay your baby down on a flat surface. Then, gently try massaging your babys tummy in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

This treatment will move air through their tummy. The other step that you can try is to gently bicycling their legs. You dont need to apply too much pressure, just move at your own speed.

And then the last thing that you can try is some knee hugs where youll just press their knees into their tummy. You can try one knee at a time and then moving to the other knee through all of those different positions.

Did that help give your child relief? I hope this was helpful for you. So you can test out these moves on your little one and let us know what works and what your favorite remedies are to try it at home as well.

I hope you guys enjoyed this video.

Looking for more sleep strategies and tips for your little one? You can join our Sleep Society membership with access to a large library of videos and support for your child as they grow.

See you next time!

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What Causes Baby Gas

There are several possible causes for infant gas. Some believe that breastfed babies can get the effects of gaseous foods from their mothers breast milk. Others feel that acidic foods and excess dairy products in their diet also seem to worsen their babys fussiness.

But what mom eats isnt the only possibility.

If your babys bottle-fed, they could be having a reaction to their formula. Food intolerance often shows up as gas and bloating. If this is the cause of gas, youre also likely to see other digestive problems like diarrhea.

One of the more common causes is swallowing too much air while eating whether breastfed or bottle-fed it can cause gas.

Why Is My Baby So Gassy

If your baby is gassy, youll notice that he passes a lot of gas and seems to feel better afterward. Gas troubles often start right away or when babies are just a couple of weeks old.

Fortunately, most infants outgrow them by the time theyre 4 to 6 months old, though for some, baby gas can last longer.

Infants are usually gassy because they have immature digestive systems and swallow air during feedings. Some babies may have sensitivities that could be affected by a breastfeeding moms diet or a certain type of formula.

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Give Baby Tummy Time While Awake

Tummy time has many benefits for baby. It helps baby build up key motor skills that they need to eventually sit up, crawl, and walk.

But placing your baby on their tummy also creates a natural gentle pressure that helps push out gas.

Remember, though: Always watch baby during tummy time, and only give baby tummy time when they are awake. It is not safe to put baby to sleep on their stomach, as stomach sleeping increases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome .

Does Massage Help With Baby Gas

Infant massage is another way to help your baby move tummy bubbles. Massage also supports bonding and sensory stimulation between an infant and parentZeevenhooven J, Browne PD, LHoir MP, de Weerth C, Benninga, MA. Infant Colic: Mechanisms and Management. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 15:479-496. .

Choose a time of day to perform infant massage, typically first thing in the morning or as part of the nighttime routine. Baby-safe lotions or oils can decrease friction during a massage, but are not needed. Move your hand across your babys tummy in a clockwise motion to push bubbles forward. You can also move your babys legs like theyre riding a bike to encourage gas release.

Infant massage should be pleasant and soothing. Watch your baby for any signs of increased distress, and stop if your baby seems uncomfortable.

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Head To The Drugstore

Some people find relief with over-the-counter products, such as simethicone and activated charcoal. Of the two, simethicone is considered the better option, although experts are not quite sure how it works. Brand names for simethicone include:

• Maalox Anti-Gas
• Gas-X
• Phazyme

You should know that activated charcoal may result in constipation, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Therefore, its use is somewhat controversial within the medical community.

In addition, if you decide to try activated charcoal, you may find that it turns your stool black. However, black stools from charcoal supplements are not something to be concerned about.

As with any OTC product, check with your healthcare provider before use. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should generally avoid these products.

Baby Gas Pains: How To Help Your Baby

• Returning to Work Blues

Listening to an infant suffer through gas pains can be tough for just about anyone. But for the new parents who are already exhausted, stressed, and frustrated, it can be especially difficult. If your baby is suffering with gas pains, dont despair. There are plenty of things you can do to give your baby some relief.

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