My 6 week old son cries with gas pains 10-15 minutes after every feeding (I am breast feeding). Is it normal for him to get gas pains that frequently? Then he will fall asleep and wake up passing the gas in pain. I thought it was normal, but it happens all the time!!
Thanks for all the advice. Sometimes it just makes you feel better to know that your baby isn't the only one with gas. Over the last week I have eliminated dairy, beans, many veggies, soy and wheat. I eat chicken, pasta and white bread and his gas is much better. He may only get in once a day! While I miss my varied diet, it is worth not sitting up with a gassy baby all night!
Thanks Everyone.
If you are nursing it can definitely be something you are eating. Check out Kellymom.com for suggested foods. Also, a friend of mine swore by LittleTummies gas relief drops. Good luck!! :)
Could he be taking in too much air during his feedings?
Chances are it's something that you are eating that is causing the gas. With both of my sons (4 years and 8 months--still nursing the baby) I had to give up dairy COMPLETELY, as well as garlic, onions and spicy things. With my second one I also gave him Mylicon drops before I fed him. It really made a big difference. Luckily, he will outgrow the "sensitive stomach". With the exception of milk, I can pretty much eat whatever I want now and he's OK. And I only had to use the Mylicon drops until he was 3-4 months old. Good luck to you, feel free to contact me if you have any more questions!
D.
Hi K.,
My baby, who is 7 mos. old now, had gas pains fairly frequently after I fed her for the first 3 months of her life as well. I learned that I had to watch what I eat. Maybe that is the problem with your son as well. Try to stay away from any dairy, green vegetables (such as broccoli, beans, spinach, etc.), and I found that Chinese food bothered her as well. So, basically, the best way to help him to not get gas so often is to watch what you eat. Also, if you watch your diet carefully and he still gets gas, try mylicon drops...they are life savers! Hope this helps!
Amanda has some good advice. It could certainly be something you are eating that your baby cannot tolerate.
My son had some gas problems as well. Luckily these did go away withinabout 6 weeks. I am assuming (I hope correctly) that his digestive system matured and that is why the gas pains subsided. However, during this time I turned to a more bland diet and was careful not to have any gassy foods (like broccoli). I also did baby massage to help relieve the gas pains. Not only did the massage help but it was a fun way for us to play and bond with our baby. Give it a try. Good luck!
My baby girl was exactly the same way when I breastfed her. The doctor recommended Mylocin as a safe way to help alleviate the gas pains. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. It also helped to make sure she had a good burp after eating and keeping her upright for about 30 minutes after each feeding. I know this may be difficult with a little one, but it does help in the long run. Good luck!
Hi K.,
My daughter was like this also. She would cry after she ate, and when she was almost 3 months, we noticed a spot of blood in her diaper. Her dr. suggested it may be a dairy allergy (I was breastfeeding too) so I stopped eating anything with any dairy/ dairy biproducts. We then also eliminated soy, and the problem went away. I am NOT saying that your son has the same problems, but if nothing else is giving relief, maybe you could discuss the possibility of an allergy with the doc. They jst check a diaper to see what is going on, not anything to the baby. By they way, she outgrew the allergy and now eats ANYTHING! Good luck. I know how hard it is to see a baby in pain!
E.
Hi K.! Has your pediatrican ever looked for acid reflux in your baby? I'm an RN and a mom of 2 (4 and 2) and both of my kids had reflux and did the same thing. They will cry after a feeding because of the reflux and the gas is usually caused by the baby swallowing too much air during feeding because of the way they feed when they have reflux. I hope this helps because I remember being there with my little guy!
I'm not sure if it's "normal" or not. My daughter hardly ever had gas and she was breastfed as well. It could be something like a digestive problem (don't know how common irritable bowel is in babies, but I was thinking along those lines), or- more likely- a digestive irritation that is being caused by something that you are eating that doesn't agree with him.
Are you having anything might cause gassiness? Cabbage, brocolli, etc... I have heard that babies can sometimes have a sensitivity to dairy in their mom's diet as well. (I'm not sure of the accuracy of this, but if you're eating anything in excess, it's probably going to affect him... watch out for things you might be over-indulging in.)
You might want to try altering your diet and keeping a food journal and write whether what you are eliminating from your diet is helping with his pain or not.
Ask your pediatrician if it continues to be a prob. Whatever you do, don't let someone tell you to switch to formula- that can make sensitive digestive tracts even more sensitive!
I'm sure the IBCLC's on the board will chime in soon. :)
Best of wishes,
Amanda R
aspiring IBCLC
K.:
gas and pain are NOT normal.. while it may be something you are eating it also maybe something in the breastfeeding management.... you should see a lactation consultant to help sort this out.
the foods that you eat that may cause you gas do not cause gas for your babies. gas happens in the intestines.
P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com
The advice given by the others is great and valuable. Besides monitoring the foods you eat, you may need to invest more time burping your son. My daughter was very sensitive to what I ate. Additionally, she always hiccuped when she was in utero. Related or not, she ended up not burping efficiently without alot of help on our part (sometimes up to an hour after eating - whether breastfed or formula fed). She ended up being diagnosed with reflux and has been on Zantac since she was about 2 or 3 months old (From about 2 weeks old until 2 or 3 months, we gave her Gripe Water). She's still on Zantac as she still has a touch of it. If after consulting with your lactation consultant and monitoring/restricting your diet to accomodate breastfeeding, your son's gas and pain continues, defintitely consult with your pediatrician to rule out reflux or other problems. I also agree with the others to be prepared if switching formulas. My daughter was on Similac Advance since she was 8 weeks. When the ped wanted her to switch to soy before prescribing Zantac, she projectile vomited the first (and only) two feedings. Good luck!
