Order Today And Get $10 Off A 1
Improper feeding techniquesBreastfeeding your baby directly or using baby bottles can either increase or reduce gas in a baby. Finding the right method to feed your baby will prevent them from swallowing gas. When breastfeeding, hold your baby in a position where their head goes above your breast to keep them from taking in the air. If your child swallows air, their digestive system struggles to break down lactose leading to an increase in intestinal gas. Now you know why your baby farts excessively.
A bottle to feed also affects the flow of milk inside their throat. Ensure that you are doing it correctly to prevent them from swallowing gas. After your babys meal, put them at the right angle for them to burp so that you can eliminate gas trapped inside their system.
Allergy to milk proteinDo not assume that your baby may not react to artificial milk proteins. Unlike breast milk, some children are sensitive to formula food. Your child may negatively react to the whey or casein found in baby food which increases the rate of farting. Milk protein may cause inflammation in your babys digestive system which leads to flatulence.
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.
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.
Don’t Miss: Why Does My Newborn Spit Up So Much
How Much Water To Drink
Aim to drink more water than usual a day, so at least 8 cups along with fluids from fruits, vegetables and other sources. Especially in the weeks after birth, it will help your body recover.
To ensure youre getting enough, a good rule of thumb is to drink a cup of water at every nursing session. In all, you’ll need about 128 ounces of fluids a day from all sources . Your exact needs will depend on different factors like how often you’re breastfeeding, your activity levels and even the weather.
Keep in mind that your milk supply wont be affected unless youre seriously dehydrated, but your urine will become darker and scanter. Not drinking enough can also set you up for health issues including urinary tract infections , constipation and fatigue. So just be sure to drink whenever you’re thirsty, which will likely be often when you’re breastfeeding!
When To Call Your Doctor
Its always a good idea to consult your doctor about whats going on, even if it doesnt seem like a big deal. There are, however, a few signs you should be on the lookout for. If you notice any of the following, call your doctor right away.
- Your baby isnt gaining weight
- Your baby often doesnt want to eat or is difficult to feed
- Your baby seems constipated or has a hard time with bowel movements
- Your baby has an allergic reaction
Don’t Miss: How To Use Ergobaby Omni 360 Newborn
What Does It Mean If My Baby Is Gassy
Simply put, a gassy baby is a typical baby.
The digestive systems of new borns and babies under the age of six months are still developing. This means that food may not always be fully broken down, resulting in gas and/or trapped air in the stomach and/or intestines. Babies’ tummies are so little that excess air can readily fill them up, causing pain and pressure.
What’s the good news? Usually, the soreness is just temporary. It dissipates, just like gas.
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.
Read Also: What Can I Give A Newborn Baby For Constipation
Why Massages Help Babies With Gas
The above massages were designed for infant gas relief because they aim to get trapped air moving through the body. They can also be deeply relaxing, which makes them worthwhile even if they are not successful with preventing or resolving gas. Whatâs more, parents find that massages make them enjoy childrearing more, regardless of whether their babies are currently suffering gas, colic, or other problematic conditions.
Some studies suggest that infant massage may help to increase insulin levels or activity of the vagus nerve. This, in turn, can reduce gastric mobility and promote efficient nutrient absorption. Conflicting research exists for these effects, but experts believe that the duration of massage as a gas remedy may impact its efficacy in both studies and the general public.
Getting Help With Your Baby’s Breastfeeding Latch
If your nipples are inverted, breastfeeding may take some more effort but it’s still possible. Some moms find that pumping helps. Others use a nipple shield or shell between feedings to make the nipples easier to draw out.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
Don’t Miss: What To Buy For A Newborn Baby Girl
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.
Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding
When you’re breastfeeding, there’s a lot more thats on the menu than off with a few caveats. Here are the drinks and foods to avoid while you’re breastfeeding:
-
Excessive caffeine. One or two cups of coffee or tea a day, amounting to 300 milligrams or less, are safe while you’re breastfeeding . More than that, however, may lead to you and your baby feeling jittery, irritable and sleepless. Other sources of caffeine include tea, soda and chocolate.
-
High-mercury fish. The same EPA guidelines on fish safety that apply to pregnant women also apply to breastfeeding women: Avoid high-mercury fish including shark, orange roughy, swordfish, marlin, big eye tuna, tilefish and King mackerel. Limit tuna to 8 to 12 ounces a week of canned light tuna or no more than 4 ounces a week of white albacore tuna.
-
Some herbal supplements. Few studies have been done on the safety of herbal supplements, so little is known about how they affect a nursing baby. Plus, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t evaluate them for safety or efficacy. To stay safe, ask your doctor before taking any herbal remedy, and think twice before drinking herbal tea or breastfeeding brews. For now, stick to reliable brands in varieties that are considered safe during lactation . Read labels carefully to check for the exclusion of other herbs.
Also Check: How To Get Your Newborn To Burp
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 .
Best Nursing Positions For Helping Baby Latch
How and where you breastfeed matters, for your comfort and your baby’s nourishment. Studies suggest new moms who try at least two breastfeeding positions are more likely to breastfeed for more than six months.
Getting comfortable varying the way you nurse will make it easier for you to adapt your style to your baby’s feedings habits. Switching up positions may also reduce breast pain or discomfort. Experiment with these different options for an improved latch:
Don’t Miss: Can You Overfeed A Newborn Formula
Causes Of Gas In Babies
The majority of a baby’s gas discomfort will be caused by their still-developing stomach and intestines. However, if their gas problems seem to be getting worse, there could be a number of other factors at play, including:
Swallowing while sipping – Your baby is most likely a fan of the breast or bottle. What’s the drawback? With those enormous gulps, your little one might be taking in some additional air, and extra air creates extra gas.
If you’re breastfeeding, look for evidence that your baby is properly latching on to your breast and forming a seal around your nipple .
If you cant pinpoint any other causes for your babys discomfort, it might be worthwhile to look at your diet and consider limiting potentially aggravating foods and drinks, such as:
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- Alcohol
Back is best sleep position Parenthood is magical, yes. But it can also be a little bit maddening, especially when the thing that youre told you must do is also the very thing thats causing your baby discomfort. This is so often the case with back sleeping. Though the AAP states black-sleeping is essential for your babys safety, this sleep position may also lead to trapped intestinal gas for some babies.
While your babys gas may feel stressful, it may help to remember it wont last forever. At around six to nine months of age, your babys digestive system will mature. Until then, there are steps you can take to treat their tummy and set them up for nights of back-sleeping bliss.
Signs You Have A Gassy Baby
So, how can you determine if your babys discomfort is because of gas? If your new born burps or passes wind a lot, you’ll know they are having gas problems. Your little one may be experiencing gas-related discomfort if they:
- Become red in the face while crying
- Wriggle and pull their legs up to their chest
- Act increasingly fussy after feeding
- Have trouble eating or sleeping
Don’t Miss: What Should I Bring To The Hospital For My Newborn
How Can Breastfeeding Make Your Baby Gassy
There has been some research which suggests that the foods in your diet could make your baby gassy if youre breastfeeding. The evidence isnt conclusive yet, so be sure to try other things first. If theyre still gassy, and you notice that they get gassier when you eat certain foods, theres no harm in cutting that food out of your diet to see if it helps.
You can work with your doctor, too, to nail down foods that might be causing the gassiness. Some common gas-inducing foods include:
- Cruciferous veggies like cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower
- Dairy and eggs
- And meals that are very spicy, onion-y, or garlic-y.
Basically, anything that makes you gassy could be making your baby gassy as well!
What Causes Breastfed Baby Gas
Before we go any further, its important to note that all babies have immature digestive systems and will need help at some point with getting gas out of their system. So, youre not doing anything wrong if your baby gets gassy.
However, if gas is causing discomfort its worth trying to identify and solve the problem. In order to minimize the problem of breastfed baby gas, youre going to need to know more about the potential causes of it though.
One of the most common ways that babies get gas in their digestive system is by taking in excess air. This can happen when there is:
- Poor latch. If your baby doesnt have a tight seal around the areola, air can get in along with the milk
- Issues with bottle feeding. Air in the nipple can be gulped with the milk.
- Crying. All that gasping can mean extra air is getting swallowed.
- Oversupply/strong letdown. The necessary quick gulping frequently includes some air!
Some gassiness in the form of farts may be more common when your little one begins to space out their bowel movements. There are a few things that may help if your baby is not pooping but passing gas.
Youll probably hear a lot from people who believe that babies can get some of the gaseous effect from foods that were consumed by their mother through breast milk.
Other people believe acidic foods and dairy products in the mothers diet can increase gas for babies.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Your Newborn To Sleep In A Bassinet
Let The Formula Settle
If youre using a powdered formula, make sure you let your freshly mixed bottle settle for a minute or two before feeding your baby. Why? The more shaking and blending involved, the more air bubbles get into the mix, which can then be swallowed by your baby and result in gas. Try using warm water compared to cold or room temperature water. This helps the formula dissolve more effectively, thus eliminating bubbles from tons of shaking.
- Tip: If youre in a rush, gently tapping the bottom of the bottle on the counter or table can help bubbles rise to the top more quickly.
How To Help Babies Who Have Excess Gas
If burping doesn’t help, Marinus recommends a few other steps to help relieve or prevent gas:
Don’t Miss: How To Change Newborn Sleep Schedule
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.
Infant Gas Relief: How To Treat And Prevent A Bloated Baby Belly
On average, babies pass gas about 13 to 21 times every day. A bloated baby belly due to gas is therefore quite common and usually doesnt require any special treatments.
Gas is particularly common in infants between one and four months, as their digestive systems are still developing. Read on to learn more about infant gas relief and effective ways to relieve gas.
Don’t Miss: How To Add Newborn To Blue Cross Blue Shield
Signs Of A Gassy Baby
If you suspect that your fussy baby is genuinely uncomfortable, and they keep squirming and pulling up their legs, they might have some gas that refuses to pass. The best way to confirm your suspicions is to try some gas-relieving techniques such as burping them and moving their body into different positions.
“If your baby seems much better after passing gas, then that’s a telltale sign that the problem was gas,” says Jennifer Shu, M.D., an Atlanta-based pediatrician and co-author of Food Fights: Winning The Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and A Bottle of Ketchup. This applies to gassy breastfed babies and gassy bottle-fed babies.
For some babies, even normal amounts of gas can cause abnormal discomfort. These babies may have an increased sensitivity to distension , says John Rosen, M.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children’s Mercy, in Kansas City, Missouri. Kids experience sensations from intestinal pain fibers in different ways and have individual pain thresholds.