Your Babys First Poop
Most babies have their first bowel movement within two days of life. , these stools tend to be thick, sticky, and tar-like. They consist of skin cells your baby shed and swallowed while in the womb. After the meconium has passed, stool consistency will vary depending on whether your newborn is breastfed or formula-fed.
How Often Should A Newborn Poop
Changing dirty diapers becomes part of every parents daily routine. Whether your baby drinks breast milk or formula, these guidelines can clue you into how often newborns usually poop.
Babies go through at least 2,000 diapers during their first year alone, so youll have plenty of time to get acquainted with their bowel movements. But during the precious newborn phase, it can be hard to know if your babys stool schedule is healthy. You may be asking, How often do newborns poop each day?
As it turns out, the answer isnt one-size-fits-all. For starters, poop frequency depends on whether theyre breastfed or bottle-fed. A babys unique digestive system also comes into play. Always ask your pediatrician about questions regarding newborn poop, and refer to these general guidelines for pointers.
Trying Gripe Water For A Gassy Baby
Gripe water is a go-to for mothers of colicky babies, but it can also help a gassy baby, too. Gripe water contains many tummy-friendly herbs such as fennel. Studies show that fennel can reduce gastrointestinal spasms, increase the efficiency of the small intestine, and reduce discomfort associated with gas. If youre breastfeeding, you can drink fennel tea by adding 2 tablespoons of fennel seed into hot water and seep for 20 minutes. Strain and drink.
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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.
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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.
What Should I Know About Gas In Breastfed Babies
- Know that most babies have gas
- Understand the many causes and symptoms of gas in breastfed babies
- Learn tips and tricks to help prevent and relieve gas in your baby
One of the most common concerns parents have is their babys gas. While gas is usually not harmful, the pressure that gas bubbles create may cause pain when it becomes trapped in your babys stomach or intestines.1
Gas is particularly common during the first 3 months of life when your little ones digestive tract is still maturing.2 You may even notice its worse at night.3 Most of the time, gas is from swallowing too much air, but there may be other reasons your little one is gassy.
Read on to learn how to help your baby with gas.
Common causes of gas discomfort in breastfed babies:
- An incorrect latch while nursing leads your baby to swallow too much air3
- Excessive crying fills your babys belly with air1
- Strong let-down or oversupply, causing baby to gulp quickly and swallow air3
- Immature digestive tract is still learning to process breastmilk, gas, and stool effectively2
- Sensitivity or allergy to a food in moms diet1, 3, 4
- Introduction to a bottle or to formula. Baby may swallow air while drinking from a bottle or may need to get used to formulas ingredients.3, 7
Common symptoms of gas in breastfed babies:
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Surefire Ways To Soothe A Gassy Baby
As a new mom, one of the things that surprised me about my babies was how gassy they were. My sweet, little cherubs would toot and grunt and pass gas a lot. At times, it was hard not to laugh. How can such a little baby make such a big noise! The truth is babies pass gas 13-21 times a day, so its totally normal.
Why Is My Newborn So Gassy
There are several reasons why newborns can get gas pains. We spoke to Dr. Jackie Schwarz, a pediatrician with Arlington Pediatrics, Ltd in Arlington Heights, IL who gave us some insight. Some babies arent great at burping and some take in excess air while feeding, which turns into excess gas, Schwarz told Scary Mommy. Some may need more time for their bodies to learn how to digest.
But how do you know if your baby needs gas drops and not just a good burp or fart? When a baby is gassy or seems to have digestive discomfort, I give parents many suggestions, Dr. Schwarz said. First, I show parents how to burp their baby, feed their baby slower if they are bottle-fed, and do some leg bicycling or tummy time to get out the gas. If nothing is working, I recommend gas drops, gripe water, or baby probiotic drops as a next step.
If youre overwhelmed with the thought of administering medication to your tiny baby, the easiest way to do it is by putting the dropper in your infants mouth while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
Below youll find the most highly recommended gas drops, probiotic drops, and gripe water options for newborn gas relief and colic, according to parents and pediatricians. Before you give any supplements, medications, or treatments to your baby, check in with your pediatrician first.
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Home Remedies Offering Gas Relief For Babies
Need a surefire way to deal with a gassy newborn? Whenever gas strikes, ease the pressure and discomfort with one of the following baby gas relief techniques:
- Burp your baby: help rid a gassy baby of the air theyll inevitably swallow during feeding. Burp them both during and after every meal to prevent gas buildup in their tiny tummies.
- Feed at an angle: still wondering how to help relieve gas in newborns? Try holding your infant in a slightly inclined position and tipping the bottle so the air rises to the top. If youre breastfeeding, however, select an appropriate breastfeeding position, and remember to keep their head and neck elevated above their stomach.
- Use the right bottle: another do-it-yourself approach to soothing a gassy newborn is buying a bottle with a soft, contoured nipple that fits snugly in their mouth. This will reduce the amount of air they take in at mealtime.
- Bicycle your babys legs: lay them on their back and gently move their legs, alternating sides, as if pedaling a bike. You can also try tucking your little ones knees into their stomach.
- Massage their tummy: there are two popular variations on this particular baby gas relief method. The first is to slowly rub their tummy in a circular, clockwise motion. The second involves applying mild pressure to the abdomen and using your fingers to spell the letters I, L, and U . Both are done while theyre lying on their back.
Gas Prevention Methods For Babies
Bring on the Burps. Feeding time can come with a lot of crying, gulping, guzzling, and sucklingin other words, a lot of air, which eventually manifests itself in the form of a burp or gas. “And while relief from a burp might be more immediate, air that turns into gas has a longer journey through the intestinal tract first,” Dr. Shu says. Try being a little extra vigilant about burping your baby during and after a feeding to see if you can keep some of the gas at bay.
Settle Down. Bottle-fed babies can ingest a lot of bubbles. To combat this, tilt the bottle at an angle that fills the entire nipple with milk. “Otherwise your baby will suck in air,” Dr. Shu says. “More swallowed air means potentially more gas.” If you use powdered formula, let the bottle settle first before giving it to your baby. There’s lots of shaking going on and the bottle is often piled high with bubbles on top of the actual formula. Also consider using ready-made formula for gassy babies, as well as specially vented bottles that may reduce the amount of bubbles.
Adjust the Angle. “When feeding your baby, make sure her head is higher than her stomach,” Dr. Shu advises. You want to hold your baby in a position that allows the liquid to slowly sink to the bottom while the bubbles rise to the top. If you keep the bubbles closer to the surface, the naturaland easiestmeans of exit is a burp. Trapped bubbles will likely pass in the form of gas.
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Massaging Your Babys Tummy
The gentle massaging touch can be calming and relaxing, but even more importantly, the pressure on your babys tummy can help encourage that gas bubble to come out. You can also try the colic hold to help relieve pressure in a gassy baby. To do this hold, you can your baby across your lap so that his tummy lays on your legs. This works for the same reason that tummy time does. You can find more baby massage ideas in this article.
Signs That Your Baby Has Gas Trouble
If you see your baby continuously squirming and getting uncomfortable, pulling his legs up, you need to check for his digestive health. It could be because of gas stuck in his tummy. The way to confirm this is by applying some gas-releasing techniques. If he seems to be relieved and at comfort, then your suspicion regarding him being gassy baby is true. He might also turn red while crying because of the discomfort. Check if the baby is fussy and cries for an hour or so every day. If the pattern persists day in day out, it’s better to rule out the possibility of a gas trouble by checking with the paediatrician.
If your baby is mostly unhappy during the day, then it could be because he might be trying to get the gas out of his body. This unhappiness could be because he’s only focused towards getting rid of the gas. If gas is something keeping your baby upset, then there could be something serious with his health.
Gassy babies are also fussy about eating and sleeping. If you notice your baby not eating and sleeping smoothly, you must consider it as sign of gas troubles. Take the baby his paediatrician and share your concerns. If you see this happening too often with other signs as well, then it could be because of gas.
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How To Prevent Gas
Gas pain can just be a nuisance or be due to a medical condition such as celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome, possibly requiring the aid of a medical professional. But in general, preventing gas pain is something that can be prevented by altering lifestyle habits and diet. The following are some tips you can start doing today to prevent stomach pain:
- Stop chewing gum, as you tend to swallow more air doing so
- Avoid smoking
- Chew with your mouth closed to avoid swallowing excess air
- Cut out gas triggering foods from your diet
- Avoid straws, as they are sucking a lot of air in as well
- Incorporate more exercise into your daily routine
- Avoid the consumption of carbonated beverages and food known to cause stomach upset
- Eat fewer fatty foods
- Read labels
- Temporarily cut back on high-fiber foods
These 23 natural remedies can help you finally get relief from embarrassing gas and painful bloating.
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Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
What Causes Babies To Experience Gas Pain
Gas is a natural by-product of digesting the nutrients in breast milk or formula and the digestive system normally expels it without any discomfort whatsoever. However, since gas is buoyant it creates pressure in the opposite direction of gastric flow. When gas becomes trapped in the intestines it causes a painful pressure build-up. There are several factors that contribute to this:
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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.
Signs Your Baby Has Gas Pains
Despite the discomfort theyre feeling, a gassy baby cant tell you the location or nature of their problem. In order to find an effective method of baby gas relief, youll need to carefully observe the signs and symptoms of a gassy baby:
- Burping: if your child is frequently burping, then too much air is being swallowed when theyre crying or feeding.
- Spitting up: failing to burp them often enough can cause your baby to spit up and become cranky. The majority of infants spit up, especially after gulping down too much air at mealtime. It may also be due to gas buildup, overfeeding, or eating too quickly.
- Bloating: bloating tends to occur when air gets trapped in their belly, acting like a wine cork in the intestines. It curbs the flow of gastric juices, and an immature digestive system is unable to cope with the associated pain and cramping.
- Flatulence: excessive flatulence is another indicator that your gassy babys GI tract is still struggling to fully process the food theyve eaten.
- Restlessness: is your little one having difficulty sleeping? Restlessness usually points to gassiness and is a direct result of the aforementioned symptoms.
- Fussiness: crying and general fussiness are your childs way of communicating their needs and wants with you. They may be tired, hungry, gassy, uncomfortable, or in pain.
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