Baby Has Paiful Gas Pain?? Help!

I just read some of the responses. I will just second what someone had said to moving the babies legs up towrds the stomach. When my 9 year old was a baby, she had gas issues. It really helped. Just push the knees up and thighs up into the stomach. It really does help. Good Luck. It looks like you got a lot of good advice.

It could be an allergy to another food that you are giving him. My best friends son had so many allergies that it was easier to say what he was not allergic to. I would talk to the doctor.

T.,

Hello. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to post. My daughter who is eighteen months old had much stomach discomfort with gas and terrible pain when passing bowel movements. She had blood in her stool- which her surgeon from her prior surgeries was able to identify as blood by placing some sort of drops on it in her diaper. He suggested that while the blood could be from a small fissure- I believe was the word- a small cut, the other possibility was a cow's milk protein intolerance/ allergy. It turned out that it was the cow's milk protein when we went to the pediatric gastroenterologist which he referred us to. I highly recommend him. His name is Dr. Sari Acra, and he is at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in the Doctor's Towers on the ninth floor. His phone number is ###-###-####. Here is a webpage on him: https://medschool.mc.vanderbilt.edu/facultydata/php_files...

Dr. Acra was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and was also really nice. He is one of my favorite specialists we have seen although I have a lot of favorites I must admit at Vanderbilt.

I was breastfeeding and had to cut out all dairy which includes ingredients caesein (not sure of the spelling), whey, cheese, milk, etc., and goat's milk which can act similarly. Also I cut out all soy too because children with cow's milk protein allergies are often allergic to soy too. It was difficult for sure, but I felt it was worth it. After three months my pediatrician said that she thought I could try adding back the soy to see if that really was part of the problem, and it ended up not being- so I could have soy, but I always limited it just in case.

My daughter has a number of medical problems, and so I don't know if it will be worth it for you to see a pediatric gastroenterologist if your baby is otherwise healthy, but it might at least help answer some questions. Really important I think is that Dr. Acra told me it would take about THREE weeks to get the milk out of my system and to let him know if the blood didn't go away by then. It took three weeks and one day for my daughter's blood to go away from her diapers. She was greatly improved with her pain by then too and now seems to be normal with passing bowel movements, and she doesn't have gas any more.

I used a lot of mylicon for her too when she was in pain with gas, and I was told by a friend that is a massage therapist that rubbing the arches of her feet would help with passing bowel movements due to reflexology where the nerve endings responsible for digestion end in the arches of your feet or something like that. It seemed to help her some, and it gave me something to do to feel like I was helping too. I still do that for her when she gets constipated, and sometimes it really seems to make her feel better. Other times she pulls her feet away.

Also Dr. Acra gave me a schedule of how to introduce baby foods for my daughter since children with milk allergies may have other allergies. The only things I found that she seems to be allergic to are bananas, sweet potatoes, and blueberries so far. They all make her vomit. Although she has reflux and vomits other times too. I think that bananas and avocados were pretty high on the likelihood for allergies if I remember correctly- so that might be a thought- but that is just my fuzzy memory on that because I could not find the schedule for foods Dr. Acra gave me. I didn't discover the bananas and blueberries until recently, and I ate them both while I nursed. It was hard to know what she was allergic to when she has reflux too. I don't recall my daughter's stools being green in particular during the three weeks although I do rememeber some green ones when she was little.

Also when we introduced milk at age one very slowly according to Dr. Acra's recommendations- I found that she hasn't outgrown the cow's milk protein allergy- she had diarrhea and vomitting then, and she has to be on a special forumla now where the proteins are broken down. It is called Elecare and it is for kids over one year old. She was on Nutramigen before she was one because she had to have formula added to two bottles of breast milk a day for weight gain due to her other medical problems. The other option our pediatrician had given us was Alimentum which is Similac's brand. I preferred the Nutramigen because it had DHA but Similac may have that now too. I, like some of the other mothers, am concerned that your pediatrician switched you to formula. I hope that was temporary. If you decide to change pediatricians, I would be happy to recommend my daughter's. She is at Vanderbilt too but in the Medical Arts Building. I know that is pretty far from Franklin, but she is really great and highly regarding among the many specialists my daughter sees. Her name is Dr. Rachel Mace and her number is ###-###-####. The other two doctors in her practice are great too- Dr. Huss and Dr. Steigelfest, and we have seen each when Dr. Mace was out. Their practice is slated to move to the Vanderbilt facility at 100 Oaks, but I have no idea how long that will take, but that would make it a little closer for you. I do often have to wait a long time when we go, but I believe it is well worth the wait, and everyone there is so nice and helpful from the nurses to the office staff. Also they have always gotten my daughter in when she was sick that day. When we do have to wait a while, we are in a room by ourselves already, and I just bring lots of things to do and eat, and when she was nursing, I nursed her while we waited.

Kids often do outgrow these cow's milk protein allergies, and under her pediatrician's supervision, I am going to test her on milk again- Dr. Acra suggested trying it each year, and he said we could return again whenever we needed anything but did not have us schedule yearly follow ups which is nice since my daughter sees so many specialists- he said we could just come back whenever we needed to.

If you have any questions or if I can be of any help, please let me know. You can message me, and I will happily send you my email address and phone number- I just don't want to post it because of computer programs that collect them for marketing. I will try to send you a message personally to give it to you too. I have never done that so I hope it works. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to respond to this. I hope that I was able to help some.

Take care,

M.

-This presumably started 1 1/2 weeks ago? Was he on antibiotics before this started? Did the doctor do any stool cultures?
-The reflux is helped by the Prevacid, but he still has excruciating new abdominal pain, green stool, blood in his stool, no change with your change in diet, vomiting the new formula, and no improvement from probiotics, Mylicon, or Gripe water.
-I would continue the Mylicon anyway.
-I would also try the exercises mentioned by another writer, getting his little tush up in the air - but not within an hour after eating.
-If he's used to your milk and he's changing to formula, you may need to progress him slowly to the formula with each feeding. Start with a small amount of formula mixed in with the breast milk. Slowly build up the proportion.
-I would continue pumping in case the problem has nothing to do with your breast milk.
-I agree that he should see a pediatric gastroenterologist ... and soon!

-(Here are some of Mamasource's colic and reflux articles from the past couple of weeks.
http://www.mamasource.com/request/13165534727270039553
http://www.mamasource.com/request/13730499913706373121)
Some ideas for reflux that I wrote:
1) Make absolutely sure that he is well-burped after each ~ounce and after each feeding.
2) After the feeding, let him lie stretched out on his right side with his head up on your chest in a comfortable chair while you hold him and you both doze for at least the next half hour.
3) If he wakes up screaming and thrashing, hold his arms and her legs securely, pat his back or chest to try to burp him more, keeping him in that right-sided with him head elevated position.
4) Change his diaper before his feedings. Avoid changing his diaper for at least 30-60 minutes after feedings so his belly isn't squished and legs aren't lifted above his head. (You might need to increase your use of A&D, or whatever you use.)
5) Make sure that his diaper is lose and he has no waistbands or constricting clothes around his abdomen. Avoid letting his belly get compressed after eating.
6) Sing to him. Play calming children's music CDs softly in the room. Avoid letting him sense any tension or anxiety.
7) Mylicon (simethicone) helps get the bubbles out. They swallow air when they cry, increasing the bubble build up in their stomachs.
Good Luck!

Went through the same thing with my now 10 month old. The green stool has nothing to do with a milk allergy. The baby is getting to much foremilk and not enough hind milk. I never switched my kids during feeding. I would let them nurse as long as they wanted on one side. When the came off if they were still hungry I would offer the other side. I talked to a lactation nurse about the gas. They have different oponions then doctors. Try talking to one in your area. The gas could be caused by crying. They gulp in air and it fills there little tummies. I tried not to let my little on cry to much and it helped. She is still gassy and I still breastfeed. It should work itself out. I he isn't latched poperly he may be getting air. Hope this helped.

A.

I have definitely heard of blood in the stool being an idicator of allergies, although my son never had that and was diagnosed with severe allergies to milk, egg, and peanuts. I'm guessing your son has not been formally tested for allergies(i.e. skin prick test and RAST) as they usually don't test until 1 year old. I was under the impression that it took up to a month for dairy protein to leave a mom's body? I'm not sure what formula you are using, but my son had his first allergic reaction to formula - it contained whey (a milk protein). If you don't have a list from your doctor of common milk words (i.e. whey, casein, etc.) you can probably get one from the Food & Anaphylaxis Network or an allergist. We use UNC's. Soy formulas may also present a problem, as many children are also allergic to soy. The neutral formulas smell/taste awful, but kids can get used to them :) Unfortunately, they are expensive. If you have been diligent about reading labels for all the milk specific words for yourself (if breastfeeding) and your child and notice no improvement, I would suggest a referral to a pediatric allergist for evaluation and further education. At the least, they can be helpful and reassuring. They may also suggest evaluation for any other gastrointestinal problems since milk allergy is not the only cause of blood in stool.

Hi T.,
Do you notice this problem right after you breastfeed? Is he still having green stools and spitting up?
Do your breasts never run dry, or do you find that you have an heavy letdown? Some of the symptoms you are describing sound so similar to my son when I was breastfeeding. I had a horrible oversupply problem. My breasts NEVER ran dry- not even once. The problem is that my son was only getting the foremilk, which is rich in lactose, and never getting any hindmilk, which has all the fat and is heavier. He would fill up on the foremilk before the hindmilk came through, then about 10 -30 minutes after breastfeeding, he would spit up everywhere, scream/become colicky, become very gassy, and then have green stools. When babies get too much foremilk, it literally goes right through them, and causes a lot of the symptoms you are describing. I also had a heavy letdown, and I would hear him gulping down the breastmilk (and also take in air). It took a while, but I was able to get it under control, and his symptoms subsided and his stools became normal. If you think this is the problem with you, email me offline and I will give you some tips I used to help with this problem. It isn't common, but it does happen. Unfortunately when it happened to me, I could find a ton of info on undersupply problems, but hardly anything on oversupply problems.

I have heard of other moms dealing with allergies and I still think the experts say breast is best. I don't know if it is too late but you should try to breastfeed. Your son could develop allergies to every kind of formula as well and then you would be stuck trying to get breastmilk from a milk bank. Contact the La Leche League for more information good luck.

REPOST**
Green stools and gassiness in an otherwise healthy breastfed baby are often caused by a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. This sounds very complicated, but it really isn't. Foremilk is the thinner, lower fat milk your baby receives at the beginning of a feed. It transitions to the hindmilk which is higher in fat.

This problem often occurs when the mom has a very abundant milk supply. It can also occur when the baby is switched from one breast to the other after a set period of time, and when the baby doesn't achieve a good latch-on. The baby is getting an abundance of foremilk and not much hindmilk. This can cause fussiness(colic), gassiness, green frothy stools, unhappiness at breast and breast refusal. A baby who is getting too much foremilk may want to feed frequently or for very long periods of time. He is often getting a high volume, lowcalorie feed.

Your baby's green stooling and fussiness can result from too much lactose(sugar). High volume feeds are invariably, high lactose feeds. When the excess lactose enters your baby's colon there may be increased fermentation, resulting in colic, gas and loose, acid stools.

Low-fat feeds (of mostly foremilk) are very rapidly digested. An infant will be hungry again soon after feeding. This will further stimulate the mom's milk production, often resulting in oversupply and further complicating the situation.

To help remedy this situation, allow your baby to control the feed. When nursing, let your little one come off the first breast on his own, relaxed and satisfied. If your baby is properly positioned and attached, taking in a good mouthful of breast, allow him to feed as long as he wants. You can offer the other breast, though many babies are quite content nursing from one side per three to four hour period. During the first three or four days, as your milk supply is adjusting, express just enough milk from the "unused" or "less used" breast for comfort.

If this problem persists, I would recommend working with a Lactation Consultant. To locate an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) you can contact the ILCA (International Lactation Consultant Association) office. You will be referred to three IBCLC's in your area. You can reach them at:
ILCA
200 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 300
Chicago IL 60601
phone ###-###-####
fax ###-###-####.
email ____@____.com.

I have to agree with the other post about switching to formula b/c breakstmilk is the easiest thing for a baby to digest and it is not dairy....formula is dairy...and you don't need to switch to a soy base formula. This is not going to solve the problem (I have both breastfed and formula fed..medical reasons for formula fed) I know some babies go through this, but sometimes it could be something that needs a little intervention.

I would go get a second opinion. Obviously it is bothering you b/c you are asking for help here. Go get a second opinion...even a third if you have to. I would. My babies health concerns over ride any feelings I might have for not wanting to go to another doctor (embarrasement...sometimes I don't want to rock the boat...). Especially if there was blood in his stool. I would go make sure that is what it was and see if there could be another reason for blood being in his stool. Also start a journal of what your babies day is like so when you go in they can see when the fussiness is...it is better than going in and saying he is fussy and in pain all the time. Give them a record to go by...does not have to be long..one or two days (until you can get in to see another doctor). Does it interrupt his sleeping? Eating?

Did I say go get another opinion?!? Hugs to you and your little one. I just read some more post and a lactation consultant could really help out with the milk issue, but you might want to still go see another ped to make sure there was blood in his stool or not. If anything it will give you a little peace of mind about that so you can focus on the breastfeeding.

There is a lot of good advice hear. I only have two things that I would like to add. First my daughters all were formula fed, but my last one had such an adverse reaction that I had to put her on Lactose Free formula, NOT soy, but Lactose Free it made a world of difference. Second bouncey seat with a vibrate setting is a God send. I used to have to lay on the floor beside my first daughter while she slept. It was the only way for her to get any rest for about 6 months. Good luck it's rough, but you will pull through it.

I think your doctor is an idiot.

It may be that your baby is allergic to dairy, and most formulas are dairy-based, so "switching to formula" instead of breastmilk is ridiculous. Breastmilk is not dairy; cow's milk is. You did not indicate whether you went on a soy-based formula or not, but your baby could be allergic to both dairy and soy, in which case you're probably outta luck in the formula department.

Breastmilk is usually not the problem, and formula is almost never the answer.

There are several "tricks" to getting gas pain to stop -- give Mylicon at the time of the feeding (it stops gas on contact, so needs to be given with the gas-causing food so it's in his intestines at the same time), "bicycling" his legs, making sure he's well-burped at the time of the feeding, massaging his tummy to help the gas move (the colon goes in an upside-down "U" from his lower right side up to the top of his tummy and then down to his lower left side, so massage in that direction -- left side first, then add in the top of his tummy from right to left and then down the left side, and then add in the right side from bottom to top).

It wouldn't hurt to switch doctors to somebody who won't try to turn you off of breastfeeding at the first sign of a problem -- some docs get incentives for suggesting formula or giving samples in their offices, so I don't trust them to give unbiased or pro-breastfeeding information.

Go to Dr. Denise Punger's blog (http://permissiontomother.blogspot.com), because she's a board-certified MD as well as a certified lactation consultant, and email her or leave a comment to a post with your problem and see if she can help you over the internet.

Green, frothy stool is a sign of foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, as mentioned previously. You can try block feeding, only feed on one side for a few hours, then switch to the other side to make sure your baby is getting hindmilk. You may have overactive letdown in which case the gassiness would be aggravated by gulping in air while trying to keep up with the heavy flow of milk. Magnesium can be helpful for overactive letdown, as can nursing your baby while laying on your back to get the benefits of gravity working against your letdown. Blood in the stool is a sign of gut damage which is due to probably more than just undigested lactose (which does not mean your baby is lactose intolerant, just getting too much). A pediatric gastro would be much more informed than your ped in this area.

Both my boys had reflux and dairy intolerance (which is a bit different than allergy AND more common than most realize). Dairy made them extremely gassy and worsened the reflux. It can take up to 10 days for the dairy proteins to clear your body and thus your milk. It also takes a little while for the baby's system to improve. My second son also showed a sensitivity to wheat/gluten, egg, soy, and early on, cabbage/broccoli family. I could tell he was sensitive by increased gassiness, fussiness, sleeplessness and/or vomiting (often with a sour smell). Both their symptoms cleared up around 6 months, the time when an infant's gut begins to close up and mature. In all my research I've come to realize that an infant reacting to foods is also a sign that the mother has gut issues. She shouldn't have proteins in her blood/breastmilk. I've been working on healing my gut as well as my boys. Probiotics are one aspect of gut healing. As infants I rarely allowed them to be flat on their backs. They were either held upright, or upright in their swing or bouncy seat. Their mattresses were propped up quite a bit at the head. Car seats are really bad for reflux because they put pressure on the belly, both mine hated being in them if they weren't moving around.

I see that you've been trying probiotics, mylicon and gripe water. Keep trying them. You may also want to try Zantac instead of Prevacid. It's been a long time since I researched those medications for my babies but I do recall there being some concerning side affects of Prevacid while Zantac seemed to be safer without long term issues.

Please don't switch to formula unless you've exhausted all options with breastfeeding. If you stop breastfeeding and have continued issues with formulas, it's a lot of work to relactate, if even possible, and go back to breastfeeding. Your last option with formula (if dairy and soy are issues) is hypoallergenic formula which is quite expensive and obviously not as healthy as breastmilk. Check out kellymom.com for great breastfeeding information from an IBCLC.

I hope you're able to find some relief for your son. I know it's overwhelming from day to day and hour to hour when your little one is in so much pain and you know that something isn't right.

I like the comment that your doctor may not be the brightest. Don't switch to formula! We had almost the same issue and though, I wanted to stay as natural as possible, the only thing that worked for us were the gas drops that we bought at the pharmacy... we used the generic version and I found that I sometimes gave them up to 5 times a day. It didn't eliminate the gas, but it made the gas bubbles small enough to go through his little system and not be so painful. We also propped him up to sleep. It didn't last forever and he is doing great now. Good luck.

My son had terrible gas as well and was a breatfeed baby. Gripe Water is all natural and is like a miracle in a bottle. You can find it at local health food stores and I think in some phamacies as well. Good luck!

You might try infant massage on his tummy to help gently push the gas bubbles out. Your pediatrician, or another mom may be able to show you the method, or perhaps by googling "infant massage".

I would contact your local la leche league, and see what they have to say. If there is any pain med your doc can give, I would insist on that. He may have constipation now. Keep nursing him. I really feel for you and wish I could help. It is so rough and scary when you have no support group. I raised my children away from family also. Try to relax, and only do for you and baby, you 2 are the most important beings right now. Do you have a swing? Get one, and use it. Heat of some kind may help,swaddle him, and keep him on you. Just keep trying different things to see what helps most. Good luck.

hi T.
my son has suffered from this for months what helped him was fennel tea you have to take it over time period.maybe he is intolarent and has a lactose problem ,also .i know you can get it tested if he das had it done than all you have to do is by the lactose free diary products my son is pain free for couple of months thanks to those 2 things.

T.,

What the other two ladies said are good suggestions. Have you ever tried gentle massage? You would move his legs in a circular motion one way and then the other. Then you gently massage the abdomen. This all helps the muscles to work properly. A lot of times, if a child is having problems, thier muscles get lazy and you have to re-teach them. It should help him move some of the gas out. It worked well for my daughter and she used to get such gas pains, she would scream at the top of her lungs in the middle of the night.

I hope your son feels better soon. You too!

E.

Both of my boys dealt with similar pain... I would sit down on the couch, and scrunch them up, facing me on my belly (my thumbs under both armpits, their legs stretched out so their feet were at my chin) and gently bounce, folding them as tight as they could be, a lot of gas would come out; toots and burps -- that helped for a quick fix. some babies are just prone to bad gas and if they are making an "eh" sound or an "aier" sound, then it usually is gas. I never had to change my diet, I just bounced them with their tummy on my shoulder or the way I described above and we got through it :) good luck to you!!

Could it be gluten in your diet? My daughter had so many problems--it was two decades ago, and her intestinal malabsorption wasn't found until she was 16.5! She cannot have gluten, dairy, soy or eggs.

I really feel for you both.

I'd consult with a pediatric gastroenterologist and nutritionist.

-J.

I would check with the dr. about an intestinal problem. This could be a sign of something wrong with the bowel. He is still sooo young. I would be following up with a pediatric GI specialist too. I have not experienced anything like this personally. But, if you feel something is wrong, keep following up until something is done! Moms know best...

Are you SURE it's gas? The doctor said there was blood in his stool- usually the darker the stool the more iron there is in the diet. My son had yellow stools on Enfamil and when we switched to Good Start (which has more iron) his stools turned green and he became constipated more frequently. Vitamin C helps baby absorb iron.... you said baby screams while on his back? Take him to a chiropracter. No- he won't "POP" your baby's back, but will use gentle manipulation to make sure his spine is aligned. My son sees our chirpracter once or twice a month, and he always seems more agreeable afterwards and sleeps better.

Sorry the gripe water didn't help- it's done wonders for us!

I have never experienced the severe gas pains, but with milder gas massaging the belly in a clockwise motion can help. Look into a baby massage class in your area. Also, is he 19 weeks or 19 months - that is a lot of food for an infant, but okay for a toddler. You might try apple sauce instead of apples in case he isn't chewing them thoroughly. Good luck!!

I would suggest contacting your local La Leche League leader. You can find a chapter on the LLL website. I'm not sure what your baby is experiencing, but I do know that a dairy allergy through breastmilk is EXTREMELY rare. I would be apt to question a pediatrician who would suggest taking a child off of breast milk in favor of formula. It is well documented how much better breast milk is for your baby. Formula is made from cow's milk anyways, so unless your baby was on a soy formula, this would only be making the problem worse. When it comes to feeding, I have found that my LLL leaders (all experienced breastfeeding moms) know a lot more that my pediatrician! Good luck, I know how hard it is to see your baby in pain.

I had the same problem with my son but it began when he was about 4 weeks old. We tried AXID (didnt work) then Prevacid which has helped tremendously. I had to give up breast feeding completly because it seemed like everything I ate gave him gas and he would scream for hours. We eventually ended up on Similac Sensitive formula-It took some time be he got used to it. We put gas drops in every bottle! Also we laid him on his belly on top of those big exercise balls-This helped push some of the gas out without putting too much pressure on his belly. Good luck.

A friend's baby had painful gas. She would gently press her legs up to her stomach and pat or rub her belly and bottom. That seemed to help the gas release. Hope this helps.

I have relieved my gas trapped baby with babies magic tea. This was an awesome remedy ever I found. Before this I tried Zantac, Karo syrup, gas drops etc, but nothing worked as this one.

my son also has milk allergy, he is 2 now, but also had bad gas pain as an infant. if you were told to eliminate all dairy, just be sure to read ingredients on EVERYTHING. you will be surprised at the things that have milk in them especially. also with the chicken you eat, the breading may have milk/eggs in it. also which formula are you using? my son had to be on nutramigen due to the milk allergy. so you may have to switch formulas also. good luck, this whole mom thing can be hard sometimes!!!

One of our babies (now a teenager) also had terrible gas problems when they were an infant. Our doctor showed us how to move their legs to help relieve the gas. We would gently press their knees (legs) up toward their stomach. This helped our baby pass the gas and feel more comfortable. We also changed to a low iron formula.

Good luck and hope your baby is feeling better soon.

Are you nursing? I had problems with my daughter when I nursed. I had to omit beef, dairy, green peppers and onions from my diet. I also noticed that some spices bothered her too - like seasoning salt. She still had gas until she was 2 1/2 yrs old. I later read that chicken is on the meats that gives infants gas. I wish I would have known.

I never found any products that really helped with gas. But I did smash up tums for my son and fed him the pieces in my finger. I started by cutting the tums in quarters and using only a quarter at a time. This helped better an other meds.

As for helping them release it. I agree with the other moms on pumping the legs. We have a foot stool that rocked. We would put our daughter on it, loosen her diaper and pump her legs and it would rock her at the same time. Sometimes we did this for hours. She would sometimes fall asleep doing this. But it really helped to relax her bottom muscles.

If you are nursing I would not stop since it is easier to digest then any type of formula. Other wise there are formulas that do not use soy or milk products, but they are about $33 or more per small container. Ask the dr about it. You need to order them online (normally), they only come in bulk and they are pricy (over 100 dollars for three small containers). But if it works it is worth it. Depending on the state that you live, it may be covered by insurance. Good luck!

Teresa

Avocados can be very gassey and can cause pain. I remember eating them when I was nursing and my baby and she had really bad gas pain it was from the avocadoes but boy are they good, Hope that helps!

J.