How to Relieve Baby Gas
to help your baby sleep better
Baby gas is a real sleep spoiler. Luckily a
gassy
baby is not ill and a few simple tricks will turn many sleepless
nights into restful ones. Avoiding baby wind will also make you and your baby feel happier and more relaxed.
What is Baby Gas?
In the first months, baby's digestive system is in full development. It's immature and undergoes a lot of changes until the age of 6 months old.Milk that's not easily digested and the intake of extra air while feeding are the main causes of baby wind.
They can tickle baby's intestines, and the air bubbles are just floating around to make baby feel uncomfortable. Gas is one of the noted causes of colic in infants.
Apart from smelly winds, the symptoms of baby gas are:
- Your baby cries as if in pain
- Your baby moans, groans, squirms, typically within an hour after feeding
- She cries, eyes closed, cramping up her tummy, stamping feet around, and wriggling uncomfortably
How to avoid & relieve your baby's gas
- Burping Always burp your baby after feeding, whether breastfeeding or formula feeding. Burp her several times during one feed.
If your baby does not burp
easily, don't be afraid to put her high on your shoulder (facing
opposite to you) with a confident swift movement (but not too rough
either).
- Breastfeed
if you can. Breastfed babies have less gas and less colic overall.
Your
milk is easier digested than formula and is less intrusive on baby's
immature bowels.
If your baby gets gas in spite of breastfeeding:
- Try to avoid restless nursing.
If your baby is very
eager,
or you have a lot of milk coming out quickly, she may gasp in a lot of
air while feeding. And this will easily cause gas.
To reduce a too high milk
supply start with offering one breast only. Have baby empty it completely
and offer the second breast only if you cannot avoid it. Ask
me for further support if you suspect a too high milk supply.
- Avoid crampy foods such as cabbage, sprouts, beans, ...
- Some moms notice an improvement when they drink Fennel
tea
themselves.
- If it persists: leave out dairy for a full two weeks. This includes yogurt, cheese, milk and bread or cookies that contain them. If this relieves your baby's gas then keep this up until she's 4 months old and then gently re-introduce.
- When formula feeding your main goal is to prevent gas from going in along with the formula:
- Use a correct size bottle nipple/teat with holes not too large.
- Use a well-designed bottle that does not let in air. Dr.
Brown's Natural Flow Bottles
are personally recommended by mom visitors to this site.
- When preparing the formula, shake it in one bottle, then transfer into the bottle use for feeding. Shaking in the feeding bottle keeps more air bubbles trapped, which you want to avoid.
- Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to find a formula brand that suits your baby better - a lighter one, or soy formula can help relieve.
- When your baby is crying or uncomfortable:
- Give a warm relaxing bath - only if your baby likes baths.
- Place your baby on her back in front of you - safely on the carpet or a mattress on the floor, a large bed, ... Gently hold her feet up in the air to help the gas escape.
- Massage your baby's belly: place her safely on her back in front of you. Make sure she's warm, and your hands are warm too.
Slowly and gently rub
baby's tummy with your full hand: make clockwise spirals starting
around the belly button and moving out and downwards.
Combine this with the above (bath and feet up) for best results.
Combine this with the above (bath and feet up) for best results.
- Gas drops are an extra you can try, although parent opinions vary greatly.
I haven't used them
personally but Little
Tummy's Gas Drops
is an
all-natural product that has out rated its more expensive colleagues.
is an
all-natural product that has out rated its more expensive colleagues.Or would it be ...?
As much as your baby seems helpless and seems to be suffering, please do not worry too much about gas.
Try the homemade remedies for baby gas as above, as much as possible. Give every try at least a good week to see if things improve.
See the colic in infants page for ideas as well.
Soothe and comfort your baby in every way.
And then, try to relax. Once your baby will be 3 or 4 months old, things will improve.
Ask me for support if it is all becoming too overwhelming.
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