Can Gas Keep The Baby Up At Night
Absolutely! Gas pains at night can bring anything from moderate discomfort to severe pain. For some babies, you may hear all sorts of noises indicating they have gas but they remain asleep! However, for babies experiencing discomfort, it will be hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. If it comes on at night then its also highly likely to wake them up. The good news is that when the gas has been passed, the discomfort also passes.
What Can I Do To Help Alleviate Gas In My Breastfed Baby
Apply gentle pressure to your babyâs belly
Tummy Time: This position can put gentle pressure on your babyâs belly, helping to provide gas relief. Wait at least 30 minutes after a feeding to allow your little oneâs belly to settle before starting tummy time.7
Or try a more advanced move â use both hands and a lot of guided support to lay your baby tummy down on a large beach or exercise ball and gently roll her on the ball in a circular motion.
Forearm Hold: Also called the football hold, magic hold, and the colic carry. Try carrying your baby face down with her body resting on your forearm, the front of her diaper area in your hand and her chin cradled in your elbow.9 Make sure to tilt babyâs head to the side to avoid blocking their nose or mouth. Carrying your little one in this face-down position will place the same gentle pressure on their belly that is achieved during tummy time.
Burp your baby during and after a feeding
Take a break between sides or even during a feed to get a burp or two out.8
You may choose to burp your baby while they are in a seated position, with their head supported by the cradle of your hand.17You can also burp your baby in the typical position: upright and over your shoulder.8
Try infant massage on your babyâs tummy for gas relief
Read more: Baby massage benefits and techniques
Bicycle your babyâs legs
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Do gas drops like simethicone work?
Wait it out!
What About Gripe Water
Gripe water is a liquid herbal remedy for infant gas. As a natural remedy, the FDA doesnt regulate it. Dr. Sniderman also cautions that its safety and effectiveness have not been well researched.
There are a lot of families who use it, and I havent personally seen any problems with gripe water, but I generally dont recommend it, she says. Without solid research to back it up, I cant confidently say, Yes, thats fine.
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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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Im Breastfeeding Will Changing My Diet Help My Babys Gas Pains
Some parents report increased days of gassiness after a breastfeeding mom has eaten foods such as dairy, eggs, spicy foods or certain veggies. Although there is little evidence to support the relationship between maternal diet and infant abdominal pain, many mothers try elimination diets to explore a possible relationship.
Small studies have supported dairy elimination as a helpful way to reduce a babys GI discomfortIacovou M, Ralston RA, Muir J, Walker KZ, Truby H. Dietary Management of Infantile Colic: A Systematic Review. Matern Child Health J. 2021 16:1319-1331. . But even after years of pediatric practice, Im still not sure which babies improve after their mom stops eating dairy and which babies simply improve over time.
If you want to try an elimination diet to help with gas pain, avoid dairy for two weeks. As a general rule of thumb, if a diet change has not made a difference for a baby within that time, their mom can add the restricted food back into her diet.
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Monitor Your Diet Or Change Formula
If youre strictly breastfeeding your baby, your diet can make a difference in how your baby digests milk. If you notice they are uncomfortable after being breastfed, they could be sensitive to the foods youre eating.
Monitor your diet to see if certain foods tend to cause your baby more discomfort and then avoid them, Boone said. Common foods that can cause gas include beans, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
Your baby may do well on a standard formula, but some may have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Some babies do best with a low lactose formula like Similac Sensitive or Enfamil Gentlease and other do best with a formula containing probiotics such as Gerber Good Start Soothe or Gentle, Boone said.
Check with your babys provider first to address the gassiness and help you successfully make the switch.
Consider Baby Gas Drops
Like gripe water, there is little evidence that gas drops work consistently, but many parents still believe that they are effective. Unlike gripe water, they contain the drug simethicone, which is safe for infants and said to combine small gas bubbles into larger ones that can be passed more easily.
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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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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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How To Burp A Baby
There are three common burping positions: over your shoulder, sitting on your lap, or face-down on your lap. Choose the one that’s most comfortable and effective for getting burps out of your baby. Whichever position you choose, though, have a burp cloth by your baby’s mouth to catch any spit-up.
Over Your Shoulder: Stand or sit comfortably, slightly reclining, and hold your baby under their bottom for support. Make sure they’re facing behind you, looking over your shoulder, with their chin resting on a soft cloth to absorb any spit-up from a burp. Tap or rub the fingertips of your free hand across your baby’s shoulder blades. They may move back and forth a bit this won’t hurt as long as your shoulder supports their head.
Sitting on Your Lap: Place your baby sideways on your lap, with their chest leaning slightly forward. Position your hand under their chin to support their chest and head. Pat their back across the shoulder blades to burp them.
Face-Down on Your Lap: Lay your baby across your knees on their belly, with their head slightly higher than the rest of their body, and firmly rub and pat their back.
What Are The Benefits Of Tummy Time
Offering tummy time to your baby every day offers a variety of benefits:
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Promotes physical development. Tummy time helps strengthen your babyâs neck, arms, back, and legs, and also helps her gain flexibility and muscle control. The motor skills and strength she develops will be needed for rolling over and sitting, and then crawling and walking.
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Provides a new perspective on the world. It gives your baby the chance to observe and explore her environment in a different way than she does when sheâs on her back. On her stomach, she has to lift her head to look around. This not only helps strengthen her back and neck muscles but also gives her a new perspective on the world.
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Helps ease torticollis and avoid flat head syndrome. Tummy time can be beneficial for babies with torticollis, a condition resulting in tight muscles in the neck. Tummy time, along with exercises prescribed by a healthcare provider, can help a babyâs tight neck muscles relax. Spending time on her stomach while awake can also help avoid flat spots developing on the back of your baby’s head, known as flat head syndrome.
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Introduces new textures. It exposes your baby to different textures as the skin on the different parts of her body come in contact with the surface she is on.
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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.
How Do You Comfort A Baby With Gas In Other Ways
Many of us with kids can attest to the power of distraction, especially if your little one is feeling a bit cranky. By using the same techniques experts recommend for calming a fussy baby, you can also help calm a gassy baby.I Here are five of our favorites.
1. Embrace a quiet space: If your babys emotions are already running high due to a gassy belly, refocusing or moving them from a busy or loud environment to a quieter space may help. Calm begets calm, after all.
2. Herald in playtime: To both distract and entertain your baby at the same time, try engaging them in play. Be sure to make eye contact when you talk to them, then reach for a favorite rattle or toy. Bright colors, things with black-and-white contrasts, or even showing them their own reflection can all be good distractions from gassiness, too.
3. Repeat, repeat, repeat: Babies are creatures of habit, making a routine a welcomed comfort. Find one that works for your infant, like playing, sleeping, eating, and repeating. In the same vein, repetitive motions can be hypnotically soothing to your baby: rocking or bouncing them gently as you speak or sing softly can be a lullaby in and of itself.
4. Pacify their innate urges: Sucking is one of the first natural instincts infants haveand its especially soothing to themso a pacifier or teething ring may help do the trick.
Next: Learn more about infant massage in our article How To Give Your Baby a Belly Massage.
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Little Remedies To The Rescue
Gas pain can be triggered by things like colic, so products like Little Remedies Gripe Water or Little Remedies Gas Relief Drops are quick and easy solutions. Gripe Water, a mixture of water and various herbs, is considered to be an effective homeopathic remedy for quickly eliminating babys pain and discomfort. Gas Relief Drops can even be mixed with formula or water, so they offer a quick solution for gassy babies.
Give Baby Tummy Time While Awake
Tummy time has many benefits for baby. It helps baby build up key motor skills that they need to eventually sit up, crawl, and walk.
But placing your baby on their tummy also creates a natural gentle pressure that helps push out gas.
Remember, though: Always watch baby during tummy time, and only give baby tummy time when they are awake. It is not safe to put baby to sleep on their stomach, as stomach sleeping increases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome .
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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.
Keep Your Baby Upright
Let gravity do its thing by feeding at an angle. “Avoid feeding while the infant is lying down,” Dr. Loizides says. If you’re breastfeeding, try an upright football or laid-back hold. After your baby eats, don’t have them lie down right away. “It’s best to seat baby upright for 20 to 30 minutes to ensure proper digestion,” Dr. Montague says.
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Burp Partway Through A Feeding
Taking frequent burping breaks while feeding can help digestion. “Burping the bottle-fed baby at least every three to five minutes, or after every two to three ounces, will slow your baby’s gulping and reduce the amount of air they take in,” Dr. Loizides says. “If your baby is nursing, burp them when they switch breasts.”
How Long Can Baby Formula Sit Out After Its Mixed
The safest way to feed formula to your baby is to offer it in a timely manner and store it safely.
A bottle of prepared formula should be used within one hour from the start of a feeding session or within two hours of preparation . If youre not giving the bottle to your baby within two hours, refrigerate it and use within 24 hours.
As for that little bit of formula left in the bottle at the end of a feeding? Its safest to throw it out, since the combination of baby saliva and formula can prompt bacteria to grow in the bottle.
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How To Treat Baby Gas
Immediately after feeding, keep your baby upright. This will make it easier for them to burp.
If theyre already feeling discomfort, try laying your baby on their back and moving their legs in a bicycle motion.
Alternately, give your baby time on their tummy. Lying stomach-down should help them move the gas out.
You could also try these techniques to comfort them and help move the gas from their little bodies:
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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Most Voted Negative Review
8 People found this comment helpful
I was giving Mylicon drops to my daughter for gas. It did absolutely nothing for her. When I mentioned something to my pediatrician, the pediatrician said that recent studies have shown Mylicon is about as effective as water for the treatment of gas and she recommended I stop wasting my money. I stopped buying it and have started belly massage when my daughter gets gas and it is much more effectiv…
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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