Signs Your Baby Has Gas
Its not always easy to talk about gas , but the reality is that all humans pass gas on a daily basis. But how can you tell the difference between a gassy baby and a normal newborn?
Here are eight signs of a gassy baby:
The Best Tips On Gas Relief For Babies
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You can plan on it your baby will experience gas. Unfortunately, your babys little digestive system is quite immature when theyre first born and this leads to a lot of unpleasant gas.
Gas in babies is completely normal, and most babies will grow out of overly gassy bowels as they get older and their digestive symptoms continue to grow and develop.
As a new mom, you may find yourself helpless as your little baby screams in pain due to unpleasant gas, but luckily for you, there are quite a few remedies to help with gas relief for babies.
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Definition Of Constipation In Infants
In younger infants, constipation is often defined more by what the bowel movements look like than how often they occur.
Younger infants are usually considered constipated if their bowel movements are like hard, little pellets, or if they are very large, firm, and difficult to pass.
Some people also consider an infant constipated if their bowel movements have a consistency that is thicker than peanut butter and if the child appears to need to strain to pass them. Simply straining to pass a loose or soft bowel movement, however, is probably not a sign of constipation.
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The Facts About Ger And Gerd
Q. Are GER and GERD ever serious problems?
A. GER is a common, normal occurrence in infants. On the other hand, GERD is more rare. Although most infants with GERD regurgitate frequently, some have what is known as “silent reflux,” in which stomach contents back up into the esophagus and cause painful irritation without reaching the mouth. GER and GERD occur more often among preemies, babies with developmental delays, infants born from a prolonged labor or traumatic delivery, and those with chronic lung disease or gastrointestinal birth defects.
If your infant cries excessively, doesn’t eat well, or has difficulty sleeping, GERD may be the cause. During feedings, infants with GERD often appear irritable and uncomfortable, frequently arching while pulling away from the breast or bottle, presumably due to heartburn. Many infants with GERD stretch and turn their necks in an effort to lengthen the lower esophagus, a posture known as Sandifer’s syndrome. And they may prefer to graze, taking only a small amount of milk at frequent intervals, because a distended tummy aggravates reflux.
There is no single test to confirm that a baby has GERD. The diagnosis is often made after an infant is referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist for severe reflux.
Q. How is GERD treated?
If your baby’s irritability is caused by reflux disease, the complications are rarely severe enough to warrant surgery.
Q. What can I do to decrease GER?
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Gas In Breastfed Babies
Is your diet causing gas in your baby? Find out how what you eat may affect your breastfeeding little one.
Breastfed babies receive many benefits when they nurse — all the nutrients they need in the first few months of life, powerful antibodies to help fight against diseases, and a nurturing and bonding experience with their mom. But they also might be getting some extra gas.
Gassy Mom, Gassy Baby
“It’s possible that some of the gas-inducing foods that Mom ingests can also affect her baby,” says Jennifer Shu, M.D., an Atlanta-based pediatrician and coauthor of Food Fights: Winning The Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and A Bottle of Ketchup. If mom’s breast milk is “gassier” than usual, it could start to surface in your baby within two hours of her last feeding. So how do you identify the offending food? It’s not easy. “It may take up to two or three days for food to be completely out of your system,” Dr. Shu says. “So, think back to what you’ve eaten over the last 72 hours to see if you can pinpoint a particularly gas-inducing food.” But with so many foods on the gassy list, this might be easier said than done, and it’s certainly not worth limiting your diet on nothing but a hunch. Here are some foods that might give you — and your baby — a little extra air.
Food Factors
Diet Decisions
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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.
Keep Proper Position When Feeding
If you are breastfeeding, keep the babys head and neck higher than the stomach. In this way, the milk goes to the bottom of the stomach and the air goes to the top, making it easier for the baby to burp out. If you are bottle feeding, raise the bottom of the bottle slightly to prevent air accumulating around the nipple.
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Does Your Diet Affect Babys Gas
Tell anyone about your baby having uncomfortable gas and theyre likely to list out several foods you need to eliminate from your diet. However, research shows there is absolutely no correlation to a breastfeeding moms diet and baby gas pain.
Although theres no research to point to diet causing gas. I am absolutely certain that my first baby was affected when I ate raw leafy greens and my second baby did not like diary! Those are two of the most common culprits of gas. If youre interested in cutting out dairy to help with baby gas, heres some helpful tips on how to go dairy free while breastfeeding.
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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Giving Your Diet A Makeover
Sometimes, all it takes is a little tweak to your breastfeeding diet to help your baby get relief. Some foods can be problematic. Dairy is a huge culprit. Try eliminating for 2 weeks and see if it makes a difference. Other foods like cruciferous veggies and legumes are known to cause gassiness in breastfed babies. If you suspect that your diet is affecting your baby, eliminate problem foods and see if your baby feels better. Learn more about the best breastfeeding diet here.
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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, since 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 .
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!
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Can Mothers Diet Cause Baby Gas
According to most Healthcare organizations, Breast milk is the only food that babies need until they are 6 months old. So, there is no need to stop breastfeeding because your baby has gas. Gas in babies is inevitable in the first 1 to 4 months of their life.
Many breastfeeding mothers worry about their diet causing gas in babies. However, study published in 2017 found that mothers often needlessly restrict their diet . There is no need to restrict any specific food.
But if you really think that something in your diet is causing gas in the baby, try keeping a food log, which may help identify whether particular foods trigger gas in a baby. You may want to try eliminating dairy and caffeine first before restricting gassy food Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beans from your diet.
What Foods Cause Gas In Breastfed Babies
The most likely culprit for your baby is dairy products in your diet milk, cheese, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, or any food that has milk, milk products, casein, whey, or sodium caseinate in it. Other foods, too like wheat, corn, fish, eggs, or peanuts can cause problems.
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Baby Gas Prevention And Treatment
Baby gas is normal, but may be a nuisance if your baby is uncomfortable. Babies get gas because their intestines less mature and arent used to feeding. In addition, babies may swallow excess air while feeding or crying.
How can you tell if your baby has gas? All babies get gas. Babies pass gas frequently and this is normal. It may be very obviousyou notice bloating, flatulence, and fussiness. If your baby fusses, turns red, or cries for several seconds with gas, this is not terribly worrisome. If your baby cries excessively and is very gassy, this may indicate a different problem, such as gastroesophageal reflux or an infection. If this happens to your baby, consult your doctor immediately.
How to Keep Gas Away and Make Your Baby Comfortable
Feed your baby at a 45 degree angle. In other words, dont have your babys head low while feeding. Keeping your babys head at an inclined angle helps aid digestion and reduces gas.
Try smaller, more frequent feedings. If your baby is bottle-feeding , try giving him a smaller quantity on a more frequent basis. Smaller more frequent feeds help reduce spitting up and large quantity feeding, which can both cause of gas.
Breast milk helps improve intestinal immunity and reduce gas. Work to ensure that your baby latches for at least fifteen to twenty minutes at each feed. By latching longer, he will get the thicker hind milk, which reduces spitting up and, subsequently, gas.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baby 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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How Do You Comfort A Gassy Baby
Your baby is fussy, and youve pegged gas as the culprit. Now what?
Although many moms may reach for the best baby gas drops, thats not the only option. There are many ways to naturally comfort a gassy baby. Some of these methods bring quick relief while others are intended to bring long-lasting relief by tackling the cause of gas.
You can provide comfort by:
Mommys Bliss Gripe Water
If your LO is crying from colic, Mommys Bliss Gripe Water is a gentle formula that works quickly to remedy pain. This pediatrician-approved gripe water contains 100 percent vegan ingredients, including organic ginger and fennel. The herbal mixture also contains no alcohol or parabens, making it a safer option for instant colic, gas, hiccup and teething relief.
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