How To Prepare For Your Pediatrician Appointment
Some degree of infant gas is to be expectedin fact, a happy, gassy baby is perfectly normal. But if youve implemented the tips above and are worried, or if you think your little one is in pain, call your pediatrician for an appointment.
Follow these tips below before you meet with the pediatrician. Also, when you book the appointment, ask your pediatrician if there is anything additional or specific you should do in preparation for the visit.
Q: Why Is Baby’s Gas Worse At Night
We lie very still at night! When we move around it is a natural way to assist the progression of gas through our bodies. At nighttime, theres less movement and the gas can build up and get trapped. Additionally, babies tend to feed close to bedtime, and air introduced during this feed can become trapped. Also, our digestive systems are still very active at night and the results of digestion can be gas!
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.
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What Happens If My Baby Wont Burp After Feeding
If youre concerned about what happens if your baby wont burp after feeding, try not to worry. Hell likely be just fine and will end up passing the gas from the other end. Other babies may spit up in the crib later on, or theyll wake up fussy and need that burp you tried to get out of them before.
If All Else Fails Try Switching Your Diet
If you’re breastfeeding your baby, try omitting common gas culprits like dairy, soy or caffeine from your repertoire one at a time to see if there’s any improvement in your baby’s digestive problems and discomfort.Trusted SourceAmerican Academy of PediatricsColic Relief Tips for ParentsSee All Sources
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Little Remedies Gripe Water
Little Remedies Gripe Water tackles your baby’s stomach discomfort with a soothing formula. Ginger root extract, fennel seed extract and agave vegetable glycerin work together to remedy colic, gas and hiccups. This gluten-free dietary supplement comes with a dispenser as well, so your baby can take it directly if they are having tummy troubles. Plus, this gripe water set comes with two portable bottles that are great for impromptu trips to grandma’s house or airplane travel.
Too Much Milk Too Fast
If youre one of the mamas who has an oversupply of milk or a forceful letdown, your baby may be getting too much milk too fast.
Dont worry its totally okay if you arent sure whether forceful letdown is a thing for you breastfeeding doesnt come with a manual and nobody expects you to know #allthethings .
The following are some signs that youll see if your milk is a little too overactive for your new little one.
- Baby suffers from gagging or choking
- Continually pulling away from the breast
- Biting down on your nipple to slow milk during the let-down period
- Dislikes comfort nursing or spits up frequently
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When Your Baby Gets Wind
Every baby is different and over time you will grow to know your babys cues.
Sometimes the wind builds up from the days feeds. This is especially true if an unsettled feeding period happens in the late afternoon or evening period.
The period of being unsettled is sometimes called the witching hour. Most babies will experience this period of being unsettled. Some suffer worse than others. It usually begins around 2 to 4 weeks old and may last for 6 weeks.
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How Is Colic Diagnosed
The healthcare provider will ask about your childs symptoms and health history. He or she will give your child a physical exam. You may be asked questions such as:
- How long and how often does your baby cry?
- Have you found anything that seems to trigger the crying?
- What comfort methods help to calm your baby, if any?
Blood tests and X-rays or other imaging tests may be done. These can help find out if your baby has other health problems.
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Popular Treatments For Gas In Babies
Time
For most babies, the number one most effective treatment for gas is TIME. Babies are born with an immature digestive system, and it needs time to mature. Until this happens, baby is likely to be gassy no matter what you do. Some babies wake up around 3-4 weeks to all the new GI sensations they are feeling and get really unhappy about it. If you cannot find an apparent cause for your babys gassiness, he probably just needs a little more time to mature.
Gripe water, fennel tea or other herbal remedies
Herbal remedies have been used for gassy babies for a countless number of years. I prefer to avoid using herbal remedies for gas in young babies. Here are my reasons:
- In a healthy baby, anything other than breastmilk is more likely to cause problems rather than solve them.
- Giving baby substances other than breastmilk can alter the intestinal flora and reduce the protective qualities of exclusive breastfeeding, thus making baby more susceptable to illness and allergies. See Why Delay Solids? for more on this.
- Many of these products contain mixtures of herbs or other substances, thus putting baby more at risk for adverse reactions. Some contain alcohol, so read labels very carefully.
- Most of these products have not been tested in infants for safety or effectiveness.
- It is more effective to look at treating the causes, rather than simply trying to treat the symptoms.
Simethicone drops
Why Medications Don’t Work For Gassy Babies
There is a huge array of medications on the market which are used to ‘treat infant gas’ and/or colic. The majority of these products aim to reduce the amount of gas in a baby’s stomach by helping to facilitate a big burp.
Some medications act as muscle relaxants to “aid the passage of gas through the bowel”. Of concern is that many of these medications contain alcohol or drugs that provide a sedative effect. In theory, these medications claim to relax the bowel, but in practice their effectiveness in the treatment of gas in infants remains unproven. What is often perceived as an improvement from their use may be due to the fact that they make the child sleepy.
Whatever these products aim to achieve, they are limited in their effectiveness in treating gas in infants by the fact that they do nothing to correct the cause of excessive gas and/or a baby’s distress . Medications do little to resolve the problem of a distressed, crying baby other than to provide exhausted parents with some relief by sedating the child.
Almost all medications have side effects. The side effects may outweigh any benefits of using medications to treat infant gas or infant colic. See Colic medications for more on the effects and side effects of commonly used medications.
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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.
When Should I Be Worried About My Babys Gas Pain
If your baby is showing any of the following symptoms, something besides gas may be causing your babys painReust CE, Williams A. Acute Abdominal Pain in Children. Am Fam Physician. 2016 93:830-836. . Call your pediatricians office for advice.
- Lengthy periods of inconsolable crying
- Bouts of inconsolable crying most days of the week
- Blood in babys stool
- Vomit that is green, black, or red
- Fever or other signs of illness
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When Should You Worry
Most of the time, infant gas is normal and treatable. But in rare cases, it can be the first sign of a more serious digestive problem, says Jenna Faircloth, PharmD, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio. Contact the doctor right away if your baby:
- Does not poop, has bloody stools, or vomits.
- Is very fussy. If you can’t get them to calm down, a doctor needs to check for a problem.
- Has a fever. If they have a rectal temperature of 100.4 F or higher, a doctor needs to rule out infection. If they are under 3 months of age, take them to the doctor right away.
Show Sources
American Academy of Pediatrics: âHow to calm a fussy or colicky baby,â âYou and your pediatrician.â
Jenna Faircloth, PharmD, clinical specialist, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
John Hopkins Medicine: âColic.â
Joel Lavine, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons chief, division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York.
Mayo Clinic.org: âWhat’s the importance of tummy time for a baby?â
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: âGas in the Digestive Tract.â
Jennifer Shu, MD, author, Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed With Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup.
Why Is My Newborn So Gassy
Got a gassy newborn? Youre not alone. According to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia Pediatricians, , and Naline Lai, MD, all babies are gassy in their first two months of life. Yes, all.
Having just spent nine months as fetuses developing in fluid, newborns have no experience with air until they take their first breath. Then, if they swallow some air when they cry or feed, eventually, some of the air comes up as a burp.
Gas expelled from below comes from a different source. As babies drink formula or breast milk, farts in the first few days can be a good sign that their guts are waking up. As time goes on, some liquid in the intestines may remain undigested, and the normal gut bacteria eat the food. The bacteria produce gas as a byproduct of their eating. Thus: A fart is produced.
Either way, the gas wants desperately to escape, but young babies are not very good at getting it out and they are not accustomed to the sensation. So, newborns ball up, grunt, turn red, wake up from a sound sleep, or scream until they eventually produce thunderous burps and farts.
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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:
Is It Gas Or Colic
A baby who cries more often than is typical and is highly difficult to soothe may be experiencing colic. Colic means more crying. More crying means more air is being swallowed. That means, you guessed it, more gas.
A baby with colic may well be a gassy baby, but a baby who is gassy isnt necessarily a colicky baby, Dr. Sniderman says.
About 10% of babies have colic. Babies with colic will cry often and for long stretches of time. A rule of thumb, Dr. Sniderman says, is that babies with colic are less than three months old and will cry for at least three hours a day, at least three times per week. Babies with colic are generally not consoled by feeding, diaper changing, rocking or other go-to baby soothing methods, including gas relief.
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When Your Baby Is On Solids
- If your baby is less than 6 months old, stop solids completely or restrict solids to ‘low risk’ foods.
- If you are offering fruit juice to your baby on a regular basis, try ceasing this for a period of time. Offer water at these times instead.
- Offer only cereal specifically designed for babies. Some cereals are too high in fiber for a young baby’s digestive system to cope with.
- High fiber foods should be introduced slowly to allow your baby’s bowel sufficient time to adjust.
Try This Foot Massage Trick
While its not clear how a foot massage might alleviate gas, you only need to turn your volume up on this Instagram video to see that it works. Whether its because different areas of the foot are connected to different organs, or because its just relaxing, it could be worth trying on a gassy baby.
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Easing Your Baby’s Gas Pain
Q. Can I alleviate my baby’s gas pain?
A. You can help prevent gas by feeding her before she cries, a signal that she’s too hungry to wait any longer to eat. When you do feed her, use a leisurely pace, because rapid feeding increases her intake of air. If you are breastfeeding and your milk is letting down briskly, you may need to remove your baby for a moment and let the spray of milk slow down so she can manage the flow. If bottlefeeding, check the nipple opening to be sure it isn’t too large or too small. Bottlefed babies usually swallow more air, especially when the bottle’s nipple isn’t full of milk.
But if, despite your efforts, your baby seems uncomfortable, gas may be the reason behind her fussiness. You can help trapped gas move by gently massaging baby’s tummy in a clockwise motion while she lies on her back. Or hold your baby securely over your arm in a facedown position, known as the “gas hold” or “colic hold.” Still no relief? Ask your pediatrician about trying the over-the-counter anti-gas medication simethicone, sold as Infants’ Mylicon Drops, which may help move gas through the intestines.
Q. How often should I burp my baby?
Trapped air can cause immediate discomfort, make a baby feel full before he has finished his feeding, or pass into the intestines, causing flatulence.
There are several good positions for burping your baby. Use the one that works best for you:
Key Points About Colic
- Colic is when a healthy baby cries for a very long time, for no obvious reason.
- It affects some babies during the first 3 to 4 months of life.
- Colic usually begins suddenly, with loud and mostly nonstop crying.
- Colicky babies can be very difficult to calm down.
- Changing how your baby is fed, and using different calming methods, can help to soothe a colicky baby.
- Colic goes away on its own, sometimes by age 3 months. In most cases it is gone by age 6 months.
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How To Prevent Gas In Babies
If you want to avoid baby gas pain, your best bet is to stop gas from building in the first place. Make sure youre properly positioning baby during feedings so theyre swallowing as little air as possible. Hold baby in your arms and elevate their head while their drinking, OConnor says.
When mixing formula, make sure to let the formula settle before feeding it to baby, Grossman says. Mixing and shaking the formula while preparing it can lead to more air bubbles that baby might swallow, which may cause gas. As youre giving baby the bottle, tilt it to let as little air into the nipple as possible. You can also try using a vented bottle specifically designed to reduce how much air baby swallows as they feed. Tip: If you decide to switch bottles, dont buy a bunch of them at once. Try one at a time and see if the gassiness improves, OConnor says. Also consider switching to a nipple with a smaller hole. Large holes let milk flow through quickly, and baby may swallow a lot of air in an attempt to keep up.
When breastfeeding, its a bit harder to prevent baby from swallowing air. But you can stop at regular intervals and burp baby, OConnor says. And like trying different bottles, you can try different breastfeeding positions to see if one leads to less baby gas.
Expert bios:
Meredith Grossman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
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