Got A Gassy Baby 6 Tips To Relieve Infant Gas
No one likes a grumpy newborn: not mom, not dad, and certainly not the baby! One of the most common sources of infant discomfort is trapped gas. While its certainly frustrating, there are several steps you can take to reduce gassiness and get your little one back to feeling good.
Here are six tips and tricks we recommend for relieving and reducing infant gas:
Gas Pain Symptoms In Children
Although gas can lead to gas pain, it is important to remember that gas is often normal, especially in newborns and infants.
Signs and symptoms that your child may have more than just simple baby gas include that they are often fussy, have loose or foul-smelling stools, have difficulty feeding, arent sleeping well, or cry for long periods of time when they have gas. These could be symptoms that your baby has colic.
On the other hand, babies who are happy, feeding well, and their gas doesnt seem to bother them likely dont have any kind of medical condition.
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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, sometimes loose, even watery, and sometimes seedy, mushy or curdy.
If she’s formula-fed, the stool will usually be soft but better formed than a breastfed baby’s, and anywhere from pale yellow to yellowish brown, light brown or brownish green.
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When To Show The Doctor
In most cases, gas is simply a natural consequence of your babys development and adjustment to the world of feeding, and can be managed at home with no problems. However, if your baby suffers from extreme discomfort from gas, often has a distended abdomen from gas, or cannot pass gas effectively even with assistance, there may be an underlying problem. In these cases, it is a good idea to consult a medical professional to avoid any long-term complications. They may suggest gas drops, a natural remedy such as gripe water or possibly even probiotics. It is important to follow your doctors suggestions if you suspect a serious problem aside from normal gas build up.
See If Foods You’re Eating Could Be Making Baby Gassy
If youre nursing, certain foods youre eating may also make baby gassy, because they create gassy breastmilk
Beans, onions broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage are common culprits, as are other green vegetables. But fruits and fiber-rich foods can also be culprits.
If you suspect that breastmilk is making baby gassy, keep track of the foods you eat. . Then, ask a doctor or lactation consultant if certain foods youre eating may be causing your babys gas.
Only cut out foods from your diet, though, if your doctor or lactation consultant
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Are There Any Exercises That Can Help Infant Gas
Your baby may not be walking yet, or even crawling. But that doesnt mean you cant do exercises with themand help relieve some of that uncomfortable gas in the process. Enter: The Bicycle technique. Simply lay your baby down flat on their back, then pump their legs in circular motions, similar to how one would move while bicycling. This simple movement can get gas moving, helping your baby to expel it.
Likewise, a little tummy time has been known to help promote infant gas relief. By laying your baby down on their stomach, you’re using their weight to put pressure on stubborn gas. As your baby inevitably starts floor-wiggling, the pressure and motion may help move the gas around enough to get it out. Bonus: Tummy time also helps strengthen your babys neck and upper body muscles while helping to keep their head from getting flat from laying predominantly on their back.
How Many Calories Do You Need When You’re Breastfeeding
Just because you can make milk on a less-than-adequate diet doesnt mean you should. The goal when youre nursing should never be to deplete your bodys store of nutrients. Thats too risky for your short- and long-term health, and it will short-change you on much-needed energy as well as potentially interfere with your milk supply.
Your body generally burns around 300 to 500 extra calories a day while you’re breastfeeding depending on whether you’re nursing exclusively or not .
So while you don’t need to be hyper-vigilant about counting calories and consuming more, definitely keep your extra nutritional needs while nursing in mind. As long as you stayed within your doctor’s recommended weight gain during pregnancy and your postpartum weight is within normal ranges, you shouldn’t have to take in any more or less than that, but check with your pracitioner if you’re not sure.
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What Could Be Causing My Babys Gas
- Swallowing Air: Excessive crying, a bad latch or feeding position, and even lots of babbling could be causing your baby to swallow air.
- Digestive Problems: From constipation to a gastro virus, digestive problems can definitely cause gas.
- Immature Digestive Tract: Your babys digestive tract is just not as developed as yours and, therefore, not as well-practiced in passing gas!
If youre a nursing, keep in mind that anything you eat can also cause your babys tooting. So, if you want to reduce gas in your babys tummy, stay away from fruits for a bit. You should especially avoid apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, and anything with citrus. Keep your distance from green veggies like brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower, onions, garlic, potatoes, corn, and pasta. If youre lactose intolerant, dairys a no-no and dont eat casein, whey, wheat, corn, fish, eggs, or peanuts. And sadly, sometimes chocolate makes the list too .
What A Good Breastfeeding Latch Looks Like
You’ll know you’ve got a proper latch if your baby’s chin and tip of her nose are touching your breast. You’ll also notice her lips flanged out instead of being tucked in. Let the feeding begin. Once you’ve got the proper latch, your baby will fall right into the rhythmic suck-swallow-breath pattern of suckling.
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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.
Relieve Baby Gas Fast Home Remedies
Many newborns, particularly between the ages of 1-4 months, suffer from gas. The taking in of air while feeding, allergies to food given, and/or improper burping practices may all cause the baby to be gassy and irritable.
Following these simple methods can help relieve the babys gas:
- A warm bath and compress work as the best natural remedy for colicky babies and offers respite from gas. Soak a towel in warm water, squeeze it, and gently rub the babys tummy with it. Warm water will soothe the cramps and make the baby feel better.
- Gently massaging touch can be calming and relaxing, but even more importantly, the pressure on your babys tummy can help encourage gas bubbles to come out. You can also try the colic hold to help relieve pressure in a gassy baby. To do this hold, you can hold your baby across your lap so that his tummy lays on your legs.
- Simply putting the baby in the tummy first position for about 2 minutes can also help relieve the gases due to the pressure on the tummy. Be mindful that the nose and mouth are free, and breathing is not hampered.
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Do Infant Gas Drops Help With Gas Pain
This one is our specialty: For generations, Mylicon has been the #1 brand trusted by both parents and pediatricians to safely relieve gas for all infantseven newborns. Our Infants Mylicon Gas Relief Dye-Free Formula, the same formula as our time-tested Infants Mylicon Gas Drops Original Formula, gently breaks down gas and helps promote your babys natural ability to expel it. By relieving the associated pain and discomfort, our infant gas drops may help quell cries and fussiness. They are gentle and effective enough to be used after every feeding, up to 12 times a day. Be sure to keep some on hand so youre prepared to tackle your babys gas as soon as it starts to arise.
Foods That Make Breastfed Babies Gassy
If youre breastfeeding, certain gas-inducing foods that you eat may also make your baby gassy. Some foods that can make breastfed babies gassy include:
- Foods rich in fiber, particularly any food that contains bran
- Fruits such as apricots, peaches, prunes, pears, and plums
- Citrus fruits
- Green vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, artichokes, asparagus, and cabbage
- Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and cauliflower
- Other starchy foods such as corn and pasta
- Dairy products
- Chocolate, carbonated beverages, and caffeine
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When To Call The Doctor
Once your babys feeding schedule has been established, her special delivery diapers may appear five or more times a day or once every three days. Thats perfectly normal. As long as her stools are soft, she isnt constipated. But you should call your doctor if…
- Your breastfed baby doesnt poop for more than three days.
- Your formula-fed baby doesnt poop for more than five days.
- Stools are hard and pebbly, or much thicker than peanut butter.
- Stools are thin or watery, or you see mucus in the diaper this may be diarrhea.
- You notice baby’s stool is red or black, which could indicate bleeding.
- You notice baby’s stool is white or clay-colored, which could be a sign of a liver problem .
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.
Watch For Allergies And Reactions To Something You Ate
In certain cases, if your little one is allergic or reacting to something you ate, removing that item from your diet may be the only way to solve this problem if you want to continue breastfeeding.
Indicators of allergies in babies can vary in intensity and are personal, but theyll go beyond just gassiness. Typically food allergies will appear within a few hours of consuming the allergen. The most common symptoms are:
- hives
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Feeding Well Before Sleep Time
For babies that are prone to gas, its important to keep them upright for 20-30 minutes after a feeding. To help support this, try to feed your baby well before sleep times.
Feeding them right before a nap or bedtime can be a recipe for disaster. If they lay down right after eating, gas can build up and lead to a very fussy baby.
A sleep, eat, play routine can work well, wherein you aim to feed baby upon waking instead of right before sleep times. This can also help prevent a sleep association with nursing or bottle-feeding baby to sleep at night.
Another tip to help distance feeding from sleep time is to feed baby at the beginning of your nighttime routine instead of right before sleep.
Talk To Your Doctor About A Possible Formula Ingredient Intolerance
If youre formula feeding and baby seems gassy — even when you take other steps to reduce gas, or even try a gentle formula — baby may have an intolerance to a formula ingredient.
Food intolerances cause baby to develop GI symptoms, including gassiness, loose or abnormal stools, and abdominal pain, when baby eats foods that they are sensitive to.
Most commonly, if baby has a formula intolerance, its caused by cows milk in the formula. They could have an intolerance to lactose or to milk proteins.
If you think baby has a formula intolerance, talk to your doctor. Switching to an extensively hydrolyzed formula, like Nutramigen or Alimentum, may ease your little ones symptoms. These formulas contain milk proteins that are broken down into very small parts . They are also free of lactose.
But dont switch formulas until youve talked to your doctor about babys possible intolerance, and theyve given you the ok to switch.
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Choose The Right Bottle
Certain bottles are better at preventing gas buildup than others. If youre bottle-feeding, look for a bottle with an anti-colic valve, which is designed to vent air out of the bottle and reduce the air that baby takes in while feeding.
Youll also want a slow-flow nipple, which mimics the flow of milk from a breast and keeps baby from feeding too quickly. Slow-flow nipples make sure that baby wont gulp down too much breastmilk or formula at once, and wont take in as much air as a result.
In addition to this, make sure the bottle nipple is always completely full of milk or formula
Doing Bicycle Kicks To Ease Gassy Baby
Although choosing the right bottle nipple and giving your baby infant probiotics are good for preventing gas, some good old-fashioned bicycle kicks can help your baby during a gassy flare-up.
To perform this move, follow these simple steps:
- Lay your baby on a soft blanket on the floor
- Sit in front of your baby and move your babys legs as if he was on a bicycle
This is a great opportunity to bond with your baby, gaze into his eyes, and sing a few nursery songs.
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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.
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.
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