Burp During And After Feedings
Because gas bubbles tend to form from air that sneaks in during feeding, burping is your friend. It releases the air that can turn into gas bubbles in the tummy. Although itâs standard practice to burp your baby after feeding them, if they suffer from gas, you can try burping during feeding as well. This can help provide your baby some gas relief, especially at night when feeding before bed.
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!
Check Your Diet If You’re Breastfeeding
If you’re breastfeeding, talk to your pediatrician about whether you should try cutting out foods that could potentially cause gas in your baby. Some that may cause baby gas include dairy products, caffeine, onions, garlic, spicy foods and cabbage, but some babies aren’t bothered by any of these.Trusted SourceAmerican Academy of PediatricsColic Relief Tips for ParentsSee All Sources
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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:
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Burp Your Baby Correctly
We cant stress enough that your babys digestive system is still developing so dont skip the burping stage! In some cases, you might want to burp them twice.
This means that midway through a feeding session, let them take a break and burp them. Then you can continue feeding them, and burp again once youre done. Be sure to follow different positions for burping and always work the gas from the bottom up.
If youre breastfeeding or chestfeeding, you may not need to burp your baby as frequently, since nursing babies usually swallow less air which results in less gas. Babies with lots of gas may need to burp more often.
Signs That Baby Isn’t Latching Properly
If you feel nipple pain while nursing, something’s not right. This means your baby is likely chewing on your nipple instead of gumming the areola. The fix: Unlatch , and try again.
Ditto if you hear clicking noises, which indicate your baby’s not latched on properly and is likely only sucking the nipple. Again, unlatch and start over.
Sometimes your baby may be so eager to suck that she grabs onto any part of the breast and continues to suck even if no milk is forthcoming. The result: a painful bruise on your oh-so-tender boob and a very hungry baby. Unlatch and redirect that misguided little mouth to the nipple and areola.
If she’s fussing, chewing, rooting and gaping, turning red, or making clicking sounds, chances are your baby’s getting a mouthful of boob and air instead of milk. Unlatch babys grip and begin the lip tickling anew to get baby to latch on with the nipple and the areola in the mouth.
In the beginning, it might take quite a few tries to latch properly. Keep at it. Your baby will be happier in the long run if those efforts bring a mouthful of milk rather than a mouthful of air.
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What Do Experts Predict Will Happen With Gas Prices In 2023
Gas prices aren’t nearly as bad as what we saw last year, but they are on the rise once again, and the big question is: will the lower prices stick around?
As of Wednesday, prices in metro Detroit are around $3.23 per gallon, which is 16 cents more than last week, but a far cry from when prices peaked at $5.31 over the summer.
Experts say they expect prices to creep back up once warmer weather sets in, but they think prices will still be lower overall compared to last year.
Patrick De Haan, the lead petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, said there are three factors that could drive up prices.
The first is what happens in China as they deal with a surge in COVID-19 cases. Next, the war in Ukraine. Any volatility could push prices up. Finally, making sure refinery options meet demand.
“There remains a lot of wild cards, expect a lot of volatility, but don’t expect prices to get to the record territory that we saw in 2022,” he said. “It’s not a guarantee that we won’t hit record highs, but it less likely this year.”
So, how do metro Detroiters feel about this? Michael Brown, a handyman out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was visiting family over the holidays when we ran into him at a gas station in Southfield.
So the higher gas prices have impacted your business then?” I asked.
“Yes big time, it definitely impacted my business, because I travel you know maybe 10 or 15 miles out to work and that’s a lot of gas,” he said.
He’s not the only person feeling pain at the pump.
Your Baby’s Digestive System
Isn’t it wonderful how babies are such uninhibited little creatures? Adults have to mind their manners, refraining from uncouth behavior such as belching or passing gas in public, whereas babies let loose naturally. They can’t help themselves — eating is their favorite pastime and their digestive system is getting used to food.
Other than crying, these noises are some of the few sounds your newborn makes early in life, and they tell you a lot about what he wants. Surprisingly, spit-up can be equally revealing. So get your burp cloth ready, because you’re about to decipher your baby’s varying digestive needs.
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Q. Why all the gas?
A. It comes from two sources: harmless bacteria breaking down undigested sugars in the large intestine, and swallowing air during crying and feeding.
Some breastfed babies may produce excessive gas when their mothers eat gas-forming vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, beans, and onions.
Feeding babies too much fruit juice can also cause gas, as well as bloating, tummy pain, and diarrhea.
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How Many Calories Do You Need When You’re Breastfeeding
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. If you are, it’s typically up to 450 to 500.
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. If you stayed within your doctor’s recommended weight gain during pregnancy, you shouldn’t have to take in any more or less than that, but check with your practitioner if you’re not sure.
Which Medications Can You Safely Give Your Newborn For Gas
Over-the-counter gas drops given to a baby for gases contain simethicone, a medicine designed to relieve excess gas in the stomach and intestines. Simethicone is generally a safe medication for most babies.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it in 1952. Simethicone may cause loose stools in some babies. A typical dose for simethicone is 20 milligrams, up to four times a day. The FDA advises against using gripe water for treating colic or flatulence in babies.
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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, 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!
Know The Nipple Your Gassy Baby Needs
Nipples come in different sizes and control the flow of the formula. For example, a nipple for a newborn has a slow flow, while a nipple for an older baby flows much quicker. Make sure you are using an age-appropriate nipple.
If your baby has outgrown their nipple size, they might be sucking in a lot of air with the formula. And extra air means a higher of having gas At the same time, if the nipple flow is too fast, your baby is gulping too much formula at once, which can also cause gas.
- Tip: Make a baby feeding supplies list, and test out different bottle and nipple sizes until you find the right one for your little one.
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Parent’s Choice Gripe Water
Using organic ginger and fennel extract, the Parents Choice Gripe Water is a budget-friendly alternative to help keep babys stomach troubles at bay. Parents in the What to Expect community have even attested to its ability to stop hiccups in their tracks. It can be delivered orally with the included syringe and is suitable for infants as young as 2 weeks old. And, because its dye- and paraben-free, itll likely be easier on babys stomach. Each 4-ounce bottle contains up to 24 doses depending on your babys age, so it’ll last you for a few weeks when stored in your medicine cabinet.
Why Is My Baby So Gassy
If your baby is gassy, you’ll 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 they’re 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 relate to a breastfeeding mom’s diet or a certain type of formula.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of A Gassy Baby
Crying could be a telltale sign for a gassy baby, but there may be other signs to confirm that the baby is experiencing gas. They are,
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Feeling grumpy.
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For around an hour every day, the baby might feel upset or uncomfortable.
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Trouble eating and sleeping.
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The face turns red or seems like they are in pain when crying.
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The baby might pull their legs up to their chest.
How To Help Your Baby Feel Better
Try these steps to prevent and ease the pain of gas:
Check feeding position. “When you’re nursing or bottle-feeding, try to keep the baby’s head higher than her stomach,” Shu says. “That way, the milk sinks to the bottom of the stomach and air goes to the top, and it’s easier to burp out.” Tip the bottle up slightly so there are no air bubbles in the nipple, and use a nursing pillow for support.
Burp your baby. One of the easiest ways to ease gas pains is to burp them during and after they nurse. If they don’t belch right away, lay them down on their back for a few minutes and then try again.
Change equipment. “If you’re bottle-feeding, switch to a slower-flow nipple,” says Joel Lavine, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics at Columbia University.
Work it out. Gently massage your baby, pump their legs back and forth while they are on their back, or give their tummy time . A warm bath can also help them get rid of extra gas.
Take a closer look at foods. Talk with your baby’s doctor about foods that may give them extra gas. “Some parents give infants fruit juice, which contains sorbitols that the baby can’t absorb,” Lavine says. The doctor will also make sure you don’t cut out nutrients your baby needs.
If you breastfeed, your baby could have trouble digesting some of the foods that you eat, which can come through your breast milk, like dairy products and caffeine. If you give their formula, talk to your doctor about switching brands. Some claim to be helpful for gassy babies.
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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, youre 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.
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When To Stop Burping Your Baby
There’s no definitive age to stop burping your baby, but as your little bundle gets older and their digestive system becomes more mature, burping will become less of a necessity, says Dr. Landau. You’ll likely see this change around 4 to 6 months, when your baby starts eating solid food. That said, if you still notice your baby is gassy, continue with burping and other gas-relief techniques until you feel they aren’t needed.
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What Sleeping Position Is Best For A Gassy Baby
Many parents wonder about the best sleeping position for a gassy baby. You may have heard that side sleeping is better for releasing gas. However, safe-sleep guidance calls for babies to be placed to sleep on their backs until the babys first birthday. If a baby moves onto their side on their own, they can be left in that position if they are strong and confident at rolling in both directions, and have excellent head control.
Already showing signs of discomfort? You can help release gas pains by bicycling their legs or bringing their knees up to their chest. During the day, be sure to offer plenty of tummy time the gentle pressure may help break up gas bubbles.
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.
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Q: Does Dream Feeding Cause Gas At Night For A Baby
You may find that your baby feeds more calmly during a dreamfeed as they are only partially awake. This may result in less air intake. However, if your baby has latch or seal issues, they may still swallow air. You can still burp after a dreamfeed! Try to keep them upright and spend a few minutes bringing up any air before placing them back down to sleep.