Position Your Baby For Gas Relief
There are a few positions that can help your baby with gas by supporting the stomach and digestive system.
Left side. Gently roll your baby onto the left side while holding them in your arms. You may want to rub their back to help keep them calm.
On the back. Place your baby on the back while moving their legs as if they were cycling. On the back is also the best sleeping position for a gassy baby .
On the tummy.Tummy time has lots of benefits, among them being that it may help aid digestion. A little pressure on the abdomen may keep things moving and help break up those gas bubbles. Watch the video below to pick up some tips on tummy time sessions and remember to supervise your baby during tummy time.
Why Is My Baby More Gassy At Night
Gas accumulation is a function of gut motility and positioning. As our body rests, our digestion slows. Gut slowing results in more gas buildupOrr WC. Gastrointestinal Functioning During Sleep: A New Horizon in Sleep Medicine . Sleep Med Rev. 2001 5:91-101. . During the night, you and I have the luxury of moving our bodies when we feel this discomfort. Our body movement releases any trapped gas bubbles, allowing us to burp or fart to relieve the painful pressure.
Babies cant freely move while they sleep. At night, we tightly swaddle our babies and lie them on their backs to sleep. This technique is important for infant soothing and decreasing the risk of SIDS, but limits the movement of tummy bubblesTASK FORCE ON SUDDEN INFANT DEATH, S. Y. N. D. R. O. M. E. SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. Pediatrics. 2016 138. . Tummy gas builds during quiet rest until the pain wakes your baby up.
Why Is Your Baby Gassy In The First Place
Babies usually experience gas troubles almost right away, even after only a few weeks of life. Most infants grow out of it by around four to six months of agebut sometimes, it can last longer.
Most infant gas is simply caused by swallowing air while feeding. Other times, though, it can be caused by sensitivities that could be affected by a breastfeeding moms diet or a certain type of formula. Heres how to tell if your baby is gassy:
You notice that your baby is fussy for about an hour or so per day. Again, baby gas is normal! But if you notice it every single day with no sign of improvement, its time to call your doctor.
Your baby seems unhappy most of the time. This is a good indicator that your babys gas is above a normal newborn gas level.
Your baby isnt eating or sleeping well. This can have a lot of different causes, but gas is definitely a common one.
When your baby cries, you notice that they get red in the face, or they seem like theyre in pain.
Your baby is squirming a lot. If your baby seems uncomfortable, is squirming around, or pulling their legs up to their chest, it could be a sign of gas.
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Why Do Babies Accumulate Gas
There are several reasons why the baby accumulates gas. One of the most common and easy to solve is anxiety. There are babies who eat with great anxiety, if this is the case with your child, offer him food more frequently and as much as he wants. When we do this, the baby is satisfied and begins to eat more calmly. In case of using a bottle, consult your pediatrician for the appropriate amount.
On the other hand, there are babies whose intestines produce more gas than normal. In this case, it may be due to poor digestion of milk or its intestinal flora. The first case is more common in bottle babies due to intolerance to lactose or cows milk proteins. The second assumption depends on each baby, it is a matter of luck. Regardless, if your childs case, there are ways to help his gut flora.
If you are breastfeeding, allow her to empty one breast before offering the other . The milk at the end is richer in lactose and will help your intestinal flora. In the case of artificial lactation, there are probiotic preparations on the market that can help with digestion. Another data that influences the expulsion of gases is posture . Babies who lie down for long hours have more gas.
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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When Should You See A Doctor About Your Babys Gas
In eight 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.
Solutions For Your Baby’s Gas And Tummy Discomfort
The following methods aim to provide temporary relief from tummy troubles related to gas. Unless the underlying cause of excessive gas is discovered and corrected, it’s likely you will be faced with the same problem again and again. If gas is not the real reason for a baby’s distress these method may not provide much help at all!
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When Should I Contact A Health Care Provider
Gas is common with infants. Reach out to your babys provider with any concerns about your babys increased fussiness to see if there could be additional causes for their excessive gas, including constipation, cows milk protein allergy or acid reflux.
For additional help or questions, you can call Banner Nurse Now, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for free advice at 844-259-9494.
Adjust Your Bottle Technique
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. Shaking and mixing often causes the bottle to be piled high with bubbles on top of the actual formula. You may also consider using a ready-made formula for gassy babies, as well as specially vented bottles that may reduce the number of bubbles.
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How Does A Babys Diet Affect Gas
Breast milk is the biologically normal food for babies and usually, the healthiest choice. There is no need to stop breastfeeding because a baby has gas. Try keeping a food log, which might help identify whether particular foods trigger gas in a baby.
Infant formula may also be a culprit. Mixing up infant formula can cause air bubbles to appear in a babys food, increasing the risk of gas. Try a pre-mixed liquid formula instead, or give formula a few minutes to settle before feeding the baby.
Some babies may be sensitive to formula ingredients, such as soy or lactose. A small-scale 2011 study suggested that feeding babies an easily digested low-lactose formula may ease gas and colic. Talk to your babys pediatrician before changing formulas.
When a baby starts eating solids, keep a food log. This can help with identifying food sensitivities that trigger gas.
found that women often needlessly restrict their diets. There is no need to avoid any specific food when breastfeeding because most babies get gas.
Some strategies that may help prevent gas include:
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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.
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Some Causes Of Gas In Babies
- Many young babies have a certain amount of gas and seem to strain as it is passed or as a bowel movement occurs simply because of the immaturity of their digestive system. This doesnt always indicate a problem. Most babies bodies manage gas more easily with growth, maturity, and greater activity. As long as your baby is not overly bothered by the gas or has no other symptoms of food sensitivity or other problems, then tincture of time is likely the best solution.
- Too much milk too fast, so that baby gulps and chokes and takes in too much air along with the milk. See forceful let-down.
- Anything that causes baby to take in too much air may result in a gassy baby :
- Crying Babies swallow air when they are crying, so crying is more likely to be the cause of gas, rather than the result of gas. Respond to babys feeding cues promptly.
- Bottlefeeding Babies usually swallow more air when drinking from a bottle. When using bottles, use the slowest-flow nipples so baby doesnt get overwhelmed with the milk flow. To reduce air swallowing, keep baby at about a 45 degree angle , make sure baby has a good seal on the base of the nipple, and keep the bottle tilted so the neck & nipple are filled with milk. There are also varieties of bottles that aim to reduce air swallowing. Dont let baby suck on an empty bottle. Burp baby more often if he seems to be swallowing too much air.
Burp During And After Feedings
Because gas bubbles tend to form from air that sneaks in during feeding, burping is your friend. It releases the air that can turn into gas bubbles in the tummy. Although itâs standard practice to burp your baby after feeding them, if they suffer from gas, you can try burping during feeding as well. This can help provide your baby some gas relief, especially at night when feeding before bed.
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Do Gripe Water Or Gas Drops Help With Gas
Gripe water is an over-the-counter liquid supplement of sodium bicarbonate and herbs. Plenty of parents have sworn by it, but theres not much hard evidence it soothes gassiness.
Im not personally a fan of most homeopathic remedies as there is little oversight to ensure the ingredients listed are contained in the amounts described, Boone said. I encourage parents, if you choose to use these products, to search for ones that take the extra steps to ensure the products safety by being manufactured in an FDA-inspected facility.
However, gas drops like simethicone are a great option if your baby has gas trapped in their stomach and intestines. Many parents report improvement in fussiness relating to gas within 15-30 minutes of giving a dose of simethicone, Boone said. But check with your childs provider before starting any kind of medicine or supplement.
Burp Your Baby Correctly
We cant stress enough that your babys digestive system is still developing so dont skip the burping stage! In some cases, you might want to burp them twice.
This means that midway through a feeding session, let them take a break and burp them. Then you can continue feeding them, and burp again once youre done. Be sure to follow different positions for burping and always work the gas from the bottom up.
If youre breastfeeding or chestfeeding, you may not need to burp your baby as frequently, since nursing babies usually swallow less air which results in less gas. Babies with lots of gas may need to burp more often.
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Is My Baby’s Poop Normal
What’s normal for baby poop depends on whether you’re breastfeeding or formula-feeding. If your baby is breastfed, her bowel movements will often be mustard-like in color and consistency. It can sometimes look loose, even watery, and sometimes seedy, mushy or curdy.
If she’s formula-fed, the stool will usually be soft but more formed than a breastfed baby’s, and anywhere from pale yellow to yellowish brown, light brown or brownish green.
Feed Her Before Shes Too Hungry
If you are tracking your babys feeding times, try to stick to a schedule and feed her before you start hearing her hungry cries. That way she will be more likely to eat at a leisurely pace and not gulp down her breast milk or formula too quickly. If youre breastfeeding and your milk lets down quickly, you may need to unlatch baby for a moment and then re-latch her so she can manage your milk flow.
Tummy woes can make for a fussy baby. Find out what you can do about hiccups, gas bubbles and colic to ease the symptoms here.
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How To Manage Baby Gas
How to burp a babySolianiks doctor recommended baby probiotic drops each morning to help with Theodores tummy trouble, which has been attributed to gas. She also occasionally gives him Ovol .
Theres very little evidence that those things help, but theres also no evidence that they hurt, says Pound. If parents feel they are making a difference, thats great.
Gently massaging the tummy can also help baby work out the gas. You can learn some useful techniques , such as massaging the abdomen in a clockwise motion to ease digestive discomfort, or just do what seems to feel good for your baby, says Pound. Pulling their legs in and out in a bicycling motion sometimes helps as well, but again, its not a magic cure.
Being vigilant about burping after feeds can help to prevent gas pains from developing in the first place. If your gassy baby drifts off to sleep while nursing or taking a bottle, consider waking them to burp. With any luck, theyll go right back to dreamland when youre done. There are different burping positions parents can try, including holding baby with their chest against your shoulder laying them chest-down on your lap or sitting them on your knees, with one hand supporting their neck and head while you pat her back firmly.
Andrea Cheung has mastered the art of burping her five-month-old son, Gilbert. Im pretty sure that has helped him a lot with gas, says Cheung. He had some trouble when he was younger, but not now, because hes burping so well.
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.
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Baby Is Not Sleeping Well
Understandably, a baby with a tummy ache will have trouble sleeping either falling asleep or staying asleep. However, there are many, more common reasons for a baby to have a disturbed sleep pattern other than abdominal discomfort. .
MYTH: A common belief is a baby will become “blue around the lips” when he has wind/gas. This is not true. A bluish tinge around a baby’s lips is due to increased blood circulation… which is often more obvious when a baby is crying .