When To Speak With A Doctor
While most baby gas cases are fairly harmless, there are times when you should seek professional help.
If your baby exhibits excessive crying, has long crying bouts three or more times per day, or just recently began crying after reaching their first month, contact your pediatrician.
Also call the doctor or seek medical help if your little one isnt eating, peeing, or having regular bowel movements.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breastfeeding And Gassy Babies
Breastmilk is made from what passes into moms blood, not what is in her stomach or digestive track. Below are a few common questions that moms have about breastfeeding and gassy babies.
Can drinking carbonated sodas cause gas in baby? No. For something to pass into your milk, it must first pass into your bloodstream. Its the carbonation in sodas, etc. that can cause gas in mom. The bubbles in a carbonated drink cannot pass into your milk and affect baby. If this could happen, youd have carbonated blood and carbonated milk!
If mom is gassy, can that make baby gassy? No. Gas in moms body cannot pass into breastmilk.
Baby Gas Pain With 9 Effective Remedies
Its rather stressful to hear your baby crying especially if you cannot understand what he/she needs. One common reason for such crying is baby gas pain. Dont worry, theres no need to call your pediatrician yet. There are many things you can do at home to alleviate your little darlings suffering.
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When To See A Doctor
While most cases of stomach pain and gas can be treated at home, you should talk to your doctor if you are worried. You should also consult your doctor if:
- Your pain lasts more than a couple days
- Stomach gas and pain remain well after an immediate cause, such as constipation, is relieved
Potential causes of more enduring gas pain include celiac disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth . If you suspect you may have celiac disease, pay attention to your gluten intake to discover whether pain changes accordingly.
SIBO is generally seen in people who have:
- Had abdominal surgeries
How Do You Know If Your Baby Has Gas Pains
Its best to start simple when trying to determine if your baby has gas pains. First, try to identify patterns and body language that can help clue you in to the cause of your babys fussiness. What may seem like gas may actually be hunger, and vice versa. Crying while passing gas or soon after is a pretty surefire sign theyre having gas pains. If theyre breaking wind or burping excessively, theres clearly an overabundance of gas. Ditto if they arch their back and look like theyre straining, and/or have a swollen-looking belly long after their last feeding.
Hungry babies, on the other hand, dont always cry for food. Early cues your baby is hungry may include bringing their hands to their face, puckering their mouth and looking for a nipple , or making sucking sounds and motions. They may also put their fingers or fist in their mouth, flex their hands and limbs, clench their fists over their tummy, or breathe faster.
Once you know what your baby is communicating, its easier to take the right plan of action. After all, you wouldnt want to overfeed a gassy baby, just as you wouldnt want to deny a hungry baby.
Finally, if you think you can rule out gassiness, hunger, or even an errant environmental discomfort, such as a bunched up piece of clothing, try taking note of the time the fussiness occurs. Oftentimes, babies simply have a fussy time of day . Once youre aware of this, it should become easier to prepare for and manage it.
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Home Remedies To Treat Gas In Babies And Toddlers
Infants to adults, we have all suffered from gastric concerns.
Babies suffering from gas problems is a major concern since their digestive system is under-developed. They inhale a lot of air while breast/bottle feeding, due to excessive crying and also during teething.
This post gives you a detailed information about causes of gas problems and home remedies to treat gas in babies/toddlers.
Remedies For A Gassy Baby
Here are several home remedies you can try to help relieve your babys excess gas!
Burp Them Twice
Since swallowing air while feeding is the most probable explanation for newborn gas, burping them twice is a great and simple thing to try. Even giving your baby some gentle back pats during feeding can go a long way. A lot of times, if your baby turns away from the breast or bottle in the middle of feeding, its not because theyre fullits because the gas is making them uncomfortable!
Keep Them Upright
Try to feed your baby in a very upright position. This will help minimize the amount of air theyre swallowing. If youre bottle feeding, you can try an anti-gas nipple to better control the flow of milk. Also be sure to avoid shaking the bottle too much, which can create extra bubbles.
Learn Their Hunger Cues
Crying, of course, can be very unpredictable. But, if you can, try to feed your baby before they start crying. Babies swallow a lot of air while crying try to learn their hunger cues as early on as possible, so you can get them fed before they cry.
Baby Bicycles
Lay your baby on their back, and gently cycle their legs toward their tummy. This motion will help manually push all the trapped air out of their tummy. You can also try gently pushing their knees to their chest, holding the position for 10 seconds, releasing, and repeating.
Tummy Time
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Choosing The Right Bottle
If your baby is bottle fed, you might want to switch to a bottle thats designed to help with gassiness and prevent colic. Most of these options aim to reduce the amount of air that your baby can swallow during a feeding. Many try to mimic breastfeeding as best as possible.
Whenever youre choosing a bottle, its best to find an option made from natural materials such as glass and silicone. I recognize that its not always possible, especially if an anti-gas bottle is a priority, but reducing your babys exposure to potential toxins is always important to be aware of.
Some popular options include:
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?
Wait it out!
Lets Chat!
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Yoga And Sleeping Positions
Yoga can stretch the stomach and digestive tract to release trapped gas and relieve bloating. Yoga poses that relieve gas include wind-removing pose, supine twist, cat-cow pose, and happy baby.
The best sleeping positions to relieve gas include keeping your head elevated, sleeping on your left side, and lying face down.
Read more: Yoga and sleeping positions to relieve gas and bloating
Consider A Specialized Formula
While most babies can do well on a standard formula, some may need a formula that is specialized. The two options used most frequently for gastrointestinal symptoms are hydrolyzed and hypoallergenic formulas:
As a reminder, please always check with your pediatrician before introducing or switching to a specialized formula!
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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.
When To Call A Doctor
More often than not, a gassy baby is not a major cause for concern. Though fussiness and irritability are to be expected, it will rarely lead to severe pain.
As long as youre able to alleviate the symptoms of gassiness through burping, massaging, or new feeding positions, theres no reason to worry. In some cases, gassiness might indicate a milk allergy or lactose intolerance.
However, if your infants crying and discomfort seem prolonged, make an appointment to see your doctor. Theyll likely perform a complete physical exam to rule out any serious abdominal issues. If your gassy baby is suffering from severe symptoms like vomiting or bloody stools, seek medical attention immediately.
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Gassy Baby Remedies And Treatments
If you have a gassy baby, there are several things you can do. Start by placing your baby on a flat surface, belly down. Lift them up slightly on their stomach, and gently massage their belly. Or place your baby on their back and “try moving their legs and hips around as if they were riding a bike,” Dr. Brown says. Often these kinds of motions break up bubbles and give gas an extra push to work its way out. “You can also try a nice, warm bath to relieve the discomfort,” Dr. Brown adds.
If you’re still faced with an unhappy infant, you might want to consult with your pediatrician about trying some gas drops. “Some babies are said to respond well to over-the-counter anti-gas drops containing simethicone,” Dr. Shu says. Another option is to consider what might be causing the excess gas and see if you can reduce the bubble intake from the get-go.
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.
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Best Formula For Gas Pain
When faced with gas, parents of formula-fed infants may first try changing to a different formula at the first sign that their baby is having any gas pain. Though many formulas are designed and marketed for babies with gas, it is not always necessary to make the switch. These types of sensitive, gentle, and/or comfort baby formula include:
- Enfamil Gentlease
- Similac Sensitive
- Similac Soy Isomil
- Similac Total Comfort
While changing from a milk-based, iron-fortified formula is sometimes recommended, it is necessary much less often than most parents realize. For example, congenital lactase deficiency, in which babies can’t digest the milk sugar lactose when they are born, is extremely rare.
Older children don’t usually develop symptoms of lactose intolerance until they are between 2 and 5 years old. So changing your baby to a lactose-free formula is often unnecessary. However, your baby might temporarily need a lactose-free formula if they recently had a viral infection that caused severe diarrhea, such as rotavirus.
Unlike lactose intolerance, newborns and infants can have true milk protein allergies. In this case, changing to a soy formula would likely seem to be a good idea. But since many of these babies can also have a soy allergy, a hypoallergenic formula such as Nutramigen or Alimentum is usually a better choice.