Change Your Babys Diet
It happens rarely, but babies can have an intolerance or an allergy to milk. Only about 7 percent of babies under the age of one year have a true allergy to cows milk. But your baby might still be sensitive to cows milk.
If feedings seem to upset their tummy, you might need to change your babys formula if it has cow-milk based ingredients like:
- lactose
- casein
- whey
Other ingredients in your babys formula might also be harder for them to digest, leading to more farting. These include added:
- sugars
- flavors
- dyes
Ask your babys pediatrician about the best formula for them. Some doctors may recommend switching to different formula to see if this helps reduce the gassiness.
If youre only breastfeeding your baby, your diet can make a difference in how your baby digests the milk.
Some foods may affect some babies and not others. If your baby is gassier than normal after youve eaten something, try avoiding the food for a few days or weeks to see if they get better.
Foods that mama eats that might cause extra gassiness and farting in some breast-fed babies include:
- cows milk
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.
Feed Her Before Shes Too Hungry
If you are tracking your babys feeding times, try to stick to a schedule and feed her before you start hearing her hungry cries. That way she will be more likely to eat at a leisurely pace and not gulp down her breast milk or formula too quickly. If youre breastfeeding and your milk lets down quickly, you may need to unlatch baby for a moment and then re-latch her so she can manage your milk flow.
Tummy woes can make for a fussy baby. Find out what you can do about hiccups, gas bubbles and colic to ease the symptoms here.
Don’t Miss: How To Do Your Own Newborn Photos
What Infant Gas Drops Are Safe And Effective
Infant gas drops contain simethicone, which breaks up gas bubbles and is also the main ingredient in common anti-gas medications for adults. Research as to how effective they are is mixed. Still, simethicone gas drops for babies are very safe, and some parents find theyre very effective.
Want to try infant gas drops to help your gassy baby? First, talk to your pediatrician about what kind to look for and how often to give them. And follow the dosing instructions on the bottle. Most will say you can give your baby drops up to 12 times per day, or at each feeding. Some parents find its helpful to give babies gas drops right before each feed to pre-empt gas problems, but check with your doctor to be sure.
Read the label and be sure to avoid drops with sodium benzoate or benzoic acid, which can be harmful to babies in large quantities.
And if a friend or relative brings a gas treatment from another country or one that isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration , don’t give it to your baby unless you get approval from your pediatrician. It could contain alcohol, sugar or other potentially harmful ingredients that aren’t clearly listed on the packaging.
How To Relieve A Baby With Intestinal Gas
Follow these tips to help with a gassy baby:
- If breastfeeding, be sure babys lips form a good seal far back on the areola.
- If bottle feeding, be sure babys lips are positioned on the wide base of the nipple, not just on the tip.
- Tilt the bottle at a thirty-to-forty-degree angle while feeding so that air rises to the bottom of the bottle, or try collapsible formula bags.
- Eliminate fuss foods from your diet if breastfeeding
- Feed baby smaller volumes more frequently
- Keep baby upright during and for a half-hour after a feeding.
- Avoid prolonged sucking on pacifiers or empty bottle nipples.
- Respond promptly to a babys cries. First and foremost, be sure to burp baby during and after feedings. You can also try the following techniques and remedies to relieve a gassy baby:
- Abdominal massage
- Baby bends. Lie baby on his/her back, bend knees and legs toward abdomen applying gentle pressure on tummy.
- Simethicone drops
Also Check: Is It Normal For A Newborn To Cry All Night
Excessive Crying Can Lead To More Gas
Sometimes babys cry, apparently for no reason. When your baby cries, he inevitably swallows a large amount of air simultaneously, therefore becoming more gassy.
My advice: You know your baby. When I told a pediatric gastroenterologist about my babys extreme gas and how she screamed because of it, he said, How do you know its not the crying thats causing the gas?
Signs Of A Gassy Baby
If you suspect that your fussy baby is genuinely uncomfortable, and they keep squirming and pulling up their legs, they might have some gas that refuses to pass. The best way to confirm your suspicions is to try some gas-relieving techniques. “If your baby seems much better after passing gas, then that’s a telltale sign that the problem was gas,” 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. This applies to gassy breastfed babies and gassy bottle-fed babies.
Don’t Miss: Can I Use Water Wipes On Newborn Face
What Causes Baby Farts
Everyone adults, children, and babies pass gas every single day, usually several times a day. Farting is completely normal and healthy for our bodies. However, there are several reasons why babies sometime fart more than big people.
If your little one is farting a lot, their tummy might have more gas than usual. Too much gas can sometimes make your mini-me very uncomfortable and upset.
Your baby might act distressed crying and fussy if he is gassy. Farting is a welcome relief for babies because it helps get rid of some of the gassiness and stomach bloating.
The good news? Babies who are still only drinking breast milk or formula have less smelly farts. Wait until your baby is eating solid foods they will have some very pungent emissions!
There are several reasons why your baby might be gassy. They include:
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:
Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Insurance For A Newborn
Order Today And Get $10 Off A 1
Improper feeding techniquesBreastfeeding your baby directly or using baby bottles can either increase or reduce gas in a baby. Finding the right method to feed your baby will prevent them from swallowing gas. When breastfeeding, hold your baby in a position where their head goes above your breast to keep them from taking in the air. If your child swallows air, their digestive system struggles to break down lactose leading to an increase in intestinal gas. Now you know why your baby farts excessively.
A bottle to feed also affects the flow of milk inside their throat. Ensure that you are doing it correctly to prevent them from swallowing gas. After your babys meal, put them at the right angle for them to burp so that you can eliminate gas trapped inside their system.
Allergy to milk proteinDo not assume that your baby may not react to artificial milk proteins. Unlike breast milk, some children are sensitive to formula food. Your child may negatively react to the whey or casein found in baby food which increases the rate of farting. Milk protein may cause inflammation in your babys digestive system which leads to flatulence.
Is Your Babys Formula Giving Them Gas
Before rushing to a pharmacy or calling your doctor in a panic, here are some preventive measures you can take to prevent your baby from getting gassy:
- Check the formula. Are you making it as directed? Is the formula past its expiration date? Are you mixing two different formulas? Sometimes, your baby may develop gas if you mix two types of baby formulas, but their tummy discomfort will usually settle on its own in a few days.
- Did your baby start getting gassy since you switched to a new brand of formula? Your baby may be allergic to the new brand or maybe their gut is getting used to the new formula. Try discontinuing the new formula and see if it helps.
- Feed your baby before they start crying. Often babies cry when they are hungry, and swallow air when crying. If you feed them before they get hungry enough to start crying, they may swallow less air and not get gassy.
- Avoid giving them a pacifier.
Also Check: Why Do Newborn Babies Cry At Night
How Does A Babys Diet Affect Gas
Breast milk is the biologically normal food for babies and usually, the healthiest choice. There is no need to stop breastfeeding because a baby has gas. Try keeping a food log, which might help identify whether particular foods trigger gas in a baby.
Infant formula may also be a culprit. Mixing up infant formula can cause air bubbles to appear in a babys food, increasing the risk of gas. Try a pre-mixed liquid formula instead, or give formula a few minutes to settle before feeding the baby.
Some babies may be sensitive to formula ingredients, such as soy or lactose. A small-scale 2011 study suggested that feeding babies an easily digested low-lactose formula may ease gas and colic. Talk to your babys pediatrician before changing formulas.
When a baby starts eating solids, keep a food log. This can help with identifying food sensitivities that trigger gas.
found that women often needlessly restrict their diets. There is no need to avoid any specific food when breastfeeding because most babies get gas.
Some strategies that may help prevent gas include:
Exercises And Positions To Relieve Your Babys Gas
From Kate:
Im going to show you a cool technique that you can use on your baby if you feel like theyre suffering. The first thing youre going to do is lay your baby down on a flat surface. Then, gently try massaging your babys tummy in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
This treatment will move air through their tummy. The other step that you can try is to gently bicycling their legs. You dont need to apply too much pressure, just move at your own speed.
And then the last thing that you can try is some knee hugs where youll just press their knees into their tummy. You can try one knee at a time and then moving to the other knee through all of those different positions.
Did that help give your child relief? I hope this was helpful for you. So you can test out these moves on your little one and let us know what works and what your favorite remedies are to try it at home as well.
I hope you guys enjoyed this video.
Looking for more sleep strategies and tips for your little one? You can join our Sleep Society membership with access to a large library of videos and support for your child as they grow.
See you next time!
Read Also: What Can I Give My Newborn Baby For Colic
Check Your Babys Bottles
Check your babys bottle and nipple. Use a small bottle for little ones because their tiny stomachs cant feed that much at a time anyway. Allow formula or breast milk to settle after shaking.
Use an appropriate nipple size so the flow of formula is slow but steady. A nipple hole thats too small can frustrate your baby and force them to suck harder, taking in more air as they do so. A nipple hole thats too large can lead to your baby gulping and swallowing more air, feeding too quickly, and overfeeding.
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
Read Also: What Helps With Jaundice In Newborns