How to Get Rid of GAS in an Infant

S.,

for my son, the answer was getting rid of dairy, eggs and soy from my diet. He's highly intolerant/allergic to all of those things. Fortunately I was able to produce enough breastmilk to not use formula, but if you aren't in that situation, you'd likely need to switch to a hypoallergenic formula like Neocate. This type of misery in a tiny baby is almost always a food intolerance and it is usually to dairy. I can tell you all about elimination diets and that type of thing if you are interested. My email is ____@____.com My son is 20 months old now and he's still intolerant to dairy (he'll get gassy and scream if he eats it) but he's actually allergic to soy now (screaming and hives). It really isn't uncommon at all.

:-)T.

We did all the same stuff as Christi H below including the Gripe Water and bicycle motion. It did relieve the gas. There is a chiropractor in town who specializes in babies. She has worked on my daughter since she was 3 days old and me while I was pregnant. She is very good and will be able to help with the gas issue. Chiropractic for life, ###-###-####, Dr. Koury. We went through this on an extreme level with our son. He cried a lot and it was very stressful. A lot of things will relieve the gas but getting the baby checked out and adjusted most often eliminates it. Dr. Koury is GREAT and LOVES babies. She is also very gentle. My 9 month old baby loves her.

I raised 7 children and my mom gave me this advise; but some anse tea, you can find it at Staters Bros. in the condiments isle.Make a tea out of the seeds and drink it if you are nuring your baby and if you bottle feed then make the tea very very weak and bottle feed it. It worked for my seven kids I a confident that it will work for yours.
V.

There is a product called Happi Tummi that I found for my daughter and it works amazingly well. http://www.happitummi.com/
Its a wrap for her tummy that has an herbal pouch in it that you warm up in the mic. We did all the same things you are doing for helping relieve the pain after feeding. You might want to add an incline to her bedding, they say 45 degree angle is best so she is never flat on her back.
My daughter is almost 8 months old and still has "reflux" which is basically gas. While it is getting better slowly, I still have to burp her all the time (including when she wakes from a sound sleep and starts crying- I sit her up and pat/rub her back and 2-3 burps come out and then she'll fall right back to sleep every time).

Hi, S.. When my kids were babies and got gas, the pharmacist gave me elixer of catnip and fennel. It relieved them right away. Admittedly that was a few years ago, but you could check with your pharmacy and see if they still carry it.

Darlene

check out Lalecheleague.com it could be that she is only getting the foremilk with your breastfeeding...that will make them incredibly gassy...there are several articles on there concerning that....also "Infant's Friend" is a wonderful homeopathic remedy for gas....you can find it online.
good luck

My neighbor/ nutritionist told me about a natural product, it is called Baby's Bliss Gripe Water (www.babybliss.com to read about it). I got mine at Henry's..

I would try a couple of things first. Do cut out the milk and see if that works. My son was having a hard time with digesting the protein in the formula that we were giving him and he was put on formula called similac alimentum. You could try that.

The other suggestion I have is peppermint water. Take about 4 oz of water in a bottle. Buy some peppermint extract. Dip a toothpick in the peppermint quickly and then dip it in the water. Add about a tbsp of sugar and shake. She will most likely only need to drink an oz or so but it should help calm her tummy down and not make it hurt so much. I know that is what we did and it help our son.

Hope these suggestions work out and she gets to feeling better.

This might sound strange, but my son had the same problem and I finally took him to see a natural chiropractor. The babies can be all twisted up after birth and they can actually adjust an infant. Afterwards, my son's gas problems faded away almost instantly. I saw a N.U.C.A. doctor who adjusts the neck only. But all chiropractors would know how to help. I have a friend who's a chiropractor and he always adjusts his newborns after birth. Just something you may want to try. Hope it helps. I know how exhausting it is to have a baby with gas!

I thought it was gas with my baby...then I thought it was just colic. But after 2 MONTHS of crying and crying (yeah me too!) it was just a simple thrush. No one told me that thrush hurts their little throat so after they eat it drives them nuts! I know thrush is supposed to be very white all over their tongue but it wasn't that visible in my baby. I spoke with the La Leche League lady and told her EVERYTHING. And she figured it out quite quickly. =) A simple remedy (gen zinc violet<sp>) and he was fine! Such a different baby! And (a blessing) now he has a super tolerance for pain! =)
HTH, A.

Have you tried "Gripe Water"? There are probably several forms of it but the one I have found at Walgreen's and Rite Aid as well as health food stores is called Baby Bliss, I believe (this is for my granddaughter). It contains ginger and herbs and sugar and no synthetics or drugs. However, when I was searching the shelves at Walgreen's the pharmacists said that he had gotten the most and best feedback on the gripe water than any of the other products he had dispensed in recent months and was very curious how our little one would do with it. My granddaughter only needs about 1/2 teaspoon and within ten minutes or so, she relaxes and is able to enjoy life again. She was also having a hard time latching on and she takes in quite a bit of air so using the gripe water is an every day event and it can safely be used up to four or six times a day (can't remember -- just read label). Also, Hyland's and Borion both make homeopathic products that are good but we have just found that the Baby Bliss seems to work quickly and well enough that we don't need the others. If your little one is really suffering, you might find the Hyland's or Borion are more effective though they need to be given every 15 minutes until the symptoms subside. Good luck to you! Grandma L.

Hi, I would recommend Nicole McInerney at http://remembertobreathecenter.com - she turned my baby's digestive issues around almost overnight. She can show you specific massages to help get rid of the gas. I can't tell you how much of a difference it made for the pain my baby was in. All the doctor's had said was wait it out.

Good luck.

Hi S.,
I feel your pain! Your poor little one. What I would suggest is eliminating dairy from your diet.
Trying the Playtex bottles with the bags and a product called Colic Calm. It has charcoal in it that absorbs the gas and helps it to pass. It is basically Gripe Water with charcoal, lots of feel good ingredients to help your daughters belly. I didn't give as much as they say to give and it still helped my little girl. She was very colicky and screamed 6hrs. a day.
Best wishes to you and your sweet little baby!
S. G.

Perhaps a different formula would help your daughter.
Also, consider your own diet. Are there any gas-producing culprits that might be getting into the breast milk? Try switching to soy milk or lactaid, as well as non-dairy cheeses; and the usuals: cabbage, broccoli, beans, etc.
Good luck

It may not be gas-my son was like that and we tried different formulas and ended up using the first one we started with and then we ruled it to be acid reflux-he was put on zantac 2 times a day and was a new baby after that. We only did that for a few months and when we took him off it he was fine-Was does the ped say?You may want to check with them first.Good Luck! L.

If ur bottle feeding try the dr. browns bottles burp after each ounce. Formula try low gas for fussiness.

Hi S.! We used Gripe Water (found at most health food stores and even Walgreen's) and it worked great for us! We also would "pump" our little one's legs, kind of like a bicycle, and then give a firm but not too firm push with both legs into the tummy area...think about when you are on your back and pull both your knees into your chest. We learned this in a mommy-baby yoga class, and it definitely worked!! We sang to him while we did it...Motor boat motor boat go so fast, motor boat motor boat out of gas!!! During that last line is when we would push his legs/knees into his tummy area!! We would laugh and he would relax and it would certainly provide relief!!

Good luck!

My breastfed daughter reacted to what I ate and was painfully gassy, too. I figured out by recording what I ate and her reactions to it in a journal and figured out that milk products and spicy foods set her off. You may want to find some other formulas to try and watch what you eat when breastfeeding. I don't know about formulas, but I'm sure there are lots of experts who can steer you to some alternatives. Good luck - I know it hurts you just as much as it hurts her!

Hi S.,

You seem like an experienced mom and are doing everything that you should be doing with a baby that's so young. I'm sure that there may be a homeopathic remedy or two that you can try out like pepperment or ginger but I'm not sure how safe these remedies are with a newborn. Maybe someone with more experience will advise you on this.

Since the mylicon and tummy rubs are not working, and since you mention that the crying starts when you go to lay her down about 30 minutes after she eats, I'm wondering if she is having a problem with acid reflux problem instead. Just wanted to throw that possibility out there . . .

L.

Maybe you are not burping her well...you've done this before, never mind. Sounds like she is allergic to milk. My middle son had the worse gas when I weaned him. Certain foods also manifest as gas in the baby from your milk. Hope you figure it out soon!

Stop and burp more often during feeding. Also try using bottles that are allow less air during feeding.

It might not be gas... especially if you have tried mylicon and that hasn't helped. She might be entering the dreaded colicy phase (usually starts between 4 and 6 weeks, sometimes sooner). Unfortunately parents often mistake this for gas because infants are always so close to a feeding. Read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Karp, and try swaddling her. If that doesn't help, you should call your pediatrician because it might be some kind of food intolerance or something else- babies shouldn't have that much gas that makes them that uncomfortable.

Hi S.! Try looking at the reason for the gas. If you are using a formula with sugar (all kinds of sugar) this will create gas. I recommend Earth's Best Organic. It's the only one I found that doesn't have any sugar. Good luck!

what kind of bottles are you using? My daughter had Gas really bad when she was 2 months old and alter trying everything we knew. Someone suggested Playtex Nursers. That did it. She hasn't had issues since. Good Luck

i understand what you are going through. i solely nursed my son and he would get bad gas too. mylicon didn't work for him much at all. i have a friend that swore by it and she gave it to her son after each feeding no matter what. it doesn't harm the baby. the tummy drops by little tummies worked better for him. the drops however didn't work as well until he got a bit older, around 2 1/2 months. no matter what, sometimes they get really bad gas that won't pass for 15-20 minutes. those are the times i felt helpless. try little tummies though. if that doesn't work, there are other makers. try them all. it doesn't hurt. stay away from spicy foods, and veggies especially brocolli and cauliflower and cabbage and eggplant.
are you pumping your babies legs by briging them up to her knees when you lay her on her back. knees to chest and back down. keep repeating that. that helps move things around. i would also pull her arms straight up criss cross them across her chest. for some reason that helped sometimes too. oh, and sometimes i think dairy bothered my son. more if i drank a glass of milk.
but anyway, i hope what i told you works. sometimes nothing helps however.

My son is almost 3 months old also with bad gas but "pumping" him does help - bringing his legs and knees up to his chest and holding it in that position for about 5 seconds while I sing a little "poop-poop-poop-poop" made-up song, or I reach to kiss his nose after each pump. It works like magic. I hear him pass gas (with poop sometimes) right away! I do this, too, with every diaper change and it never fails to help him pass gas. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for her soon.

They have drops on the market for infants, i have used them with a couple if my daycare babies, also if you are breast feeding, don't et fish, or spicy and high acidetic foods, J.

so sorry to hear that! mine had the same problem but it turned out to be acid reflux, with much proding, the dr. finally gave her medication and it was like a whole new baby. however, it may be gas and it may be what you are eating. have you tried to stop diary just for a while to see how she response? or switched formula? try earth's best organic. also the most wonderful book in the world is 'the happiest baby on the block' and it gives great advice for some holds and positions that can really help babies. good luck.

go get some Gripe Water. It works fabulously. It's natural, safe and babies like the taste.

Babies magic tea will get rid of this gas. It is a safe and healthy tea to eliminate gas and other tummy issues in babies.

I would recommend consulting a lactation consultant for assistance in getting your daughter to latch on properly so that she can get the benefit of the perfect food for her right now; breastmilk. Also, my brother-in-law is a chiropractor and has great success in alleviating gas in infants.

I agree with gripe water...that really helped my son.

Sit her on your arms facing forward, like a little bench with your arm. Walk around and actually "roll" her around, like forward/back/side/side, circular....
The bouncing of the walk and "rolling" helps work the gas up or down!
I used to do this with my first daughter, long, long ago(now she's 15), and I swear by it!

Wendy

Hi S.:
Tiny ones,can experience Gas and (gas pain) as well as constipation.Its so important to watch what your eating,and if you aren't able to stick with a diet of foods that will be benificial,to your baby, or she doesn't seem to take to breast feeding,there is no shame in switching to bottle feeding.The important thing here,is that your baby eats.I know, that alot of formulas have to much (iron) in them,and alot of times that will cause gas and severe constipation. I would try a formula with no iron,and see if that helps her gas problem.If it does,you know its the (Iron) I believe in attempting to find the problem,and eliminating it,versus medicating.That should be the last resort.The very best to you and your new darlin baby.

Perhaps you should try goats milk. Many children digest this better.

Try Playtex disposable bottles with the bottle liners. After you poor the milk in the bottle place the lid on and squeeze all of the excess air out of bottle and then feed it should do the trick or try the Playtex vent air bottles. I have a 4 mo. old and has no problem. Good Luck!
_Nicole B.

Our little girl had the same problem...mylicon did n ot really help...she was only breastfed and after numerous visits to the doc...he determined that she had reflux. we had her on reflux medicine for about six months and by then, she had outgrown the reflux. Maybe see if your dr. has any thoughts on whether or not it may be GERD. Good luck!

My daughter was really gassey too. She slowly out grew it. Boiron makes a homeopathic anti-gas medicine that kinda worked. It was easier to use than the mylicon in the middle of the night.

Good luck.

Gripe Water is safe and perfect to give for gas in infants.
You can buy it at India Sweets and Spices on Venice Blvd.
just west of Robertson. You can also buy it online.

same problem, exactly. Try putting him on soy,. my son did a 180 after the first feeding. Turns out he was lactose intolerant

What worked for me with my kids was two types of teas. First one is made from celery leaves. Just boil water and place a few leaves as if you're making tea. The other is camomile tea. It soothes the tummy and my kids still drink it before bed because they like it!

Best of luck,
G.

Wow you sound exactly like my situation 9 months ago. My son had really bad gas from birth to about 5 months and then it seemed to calm down. Same thing... I used to pump and bottle feed him because he wouldn't latch. And right after the bottle he would cry. Mylicon worked beautifully for us. But if its not working for you, try "gripe water" as well. Comes from England but I think local stores carry it now. I believe similar ingredients as Mylocon but you may have better luck with it. If you can't find it at babies r us or whole foods try a british grocer if you have one. Also, I think it may have been my milk because he had exclusively my milk til 5 months via bottle and when I switched to formula he got better. No matter what I ate, he was cranky. So maybe you need to do all formula?? Good luck, I promise it will pass!

I had a lot of trouble with my daughter having gas and reflux. We used Mylanta Cherry Supreme mixed with her reflux meds to help with gas problem. We started that when she was around 6 weeks.

I'd try to cut out "suspect" foods from your diet. My baby was the same way.. he cried & seemed like the gas really hurt him. I cut milk out of my diet & switched to soy & then later rice milk. It seemed to make a big difference. I also stopped eating yogurt.. it's been hard but better for him. Good luck

i DO NOT mean this in a "preachy" way, or to make you feel guilty or anything lame like that....but i would honestly persevere with the breastfeeding as i had the same prob with my son. they cant get as much thru the breast as with a bottle (flow is slower) so there is less "gulping" thus less air going down. the other trick i learned for burping (as he was also impossible to burp!!) was to lay him flat on his back across my lap and keep one hand on his crotch/belly and with the other behind his head, gently lift him up so he bent at the waist. HUGE burps...it was hilarious!! good luck!!! :)

Hi S....i noticed that whenever i drank milk, my little one would have gas soon after nursing. Also when we switched her to formula she all of a sudden had gas. We have used Good Start (and it's usually cheaper too!) and also Enfamil Gentlease which both worked great. But limiting the gas producing foods you eat and sticking with the nursing is the best bet....good luck!

Could it be something else that is bothering her. Maybe she has reflux. Try reading "The Happiest Baby on the Block". I don't agree with everything he believes in but some of his suggestions I found to be helpful. Good luck!

Try laying her on her back and carefully pumping her legs bending at the knees toward he abdomen repeatedly. Singing to her while doing it will keep her mind off the gas pains and pumping the legs helps get the gas moving through her intestines.

Have you tried using a different formula? Maybe one with soy or one specifically designed for easy digestion? Maybe her stomach is sensitive and confused by the breast milk/formula combo. Maybe switching to just one would help her. If you decide to go with bottle, choose one that minimizes swallowed air. Also, (and, I am sure that you are already doing this) it would be good to burp her several times during her feedings. This should ease some of the pressure. And, if none of this helps, maybe the problem isn't gas. It sounds like you are very pro-active and are doing everything you can...maybe it is reflux or something like that... Regardless, take heart and be strong, it won't last forever! Goodluck!

I went through the same thing with my son. He was also bottle fed with breast milk. There wasn't one thing that worked every time. But these are some things that worked some times. Mylicon - it's the best thing ever. I gave it to him after every feeding. I also burped him after every 1-2 ounces. I fed him in the upright position. We tried the Dr. Brown bottles, but they didn't work for us. Think about what you're eating. I had to cut out all dairy because it made the gas worse. When I started supplementing with formula, I went with Isomil (soy based). I found that laying my son on my lap on his left side helped. I would just rub his back and legs to help calm him. It didn't get rid of the gas, but it made him a little more comfortable. Don't worry, it will go away. Good luck!

I have been dealing with the same exact problem with my son. I have looked at site after site trying to find solutions too. Here's what is starting to help me. I've used a few things together. One the breast and formula together didn't work. I added meyenberg goats milk. If you use the liquid you use 13 oz of milk to 19 oz of water. I use the baby water. Two if you decide to wean off the breast milk do it slowly every week use less. Three boil 4 oz of water and add 1 tbsp of fennel seeds. Let it cool and strain. Add 2 baby spoons worth of baby carrots for every oz of tea. Give 1 oz of this mix once a day. Best before bed in the middle of feedings. You should get a good burp after. It usually takes my son 30 mins to an hour and he burps more. Then he sleeps for a good amount of time. Four I do a gentle bounce with him sitting up at least 2 times a day.
Five I add the gas drops in the bottle instead directly. It has been getting better and better every day. Also when the gas is in the lower region knees up and the bicycle motion will get some farts out. I know this all seems crazy and I never would have done it but I tried everything and nothing was working, this is. Good luck I hope everything works out for you and hang in there.

You might want to look at this thread (http://www.mamasource.com/request/recent/92530/1213475821..., it seemed like gripe water was a popular solution.

My son, 3 wks is having the same problem, although Mylicon helps him, I also "pump" his belly. One mom in the thread refered to it as a bicycle pump. It's where you gently bring their knees to their chest-it helps them pass gas-you should hear it right away. Also, I know I'm not so good at this, but make sure your trying to burp for at least 2 mins in an upright position w/strong pats (the hospital's recommendation) Good luck :)

Hi S.,

That must be painful for your daughter and for you.
What I have done for gas that is very, very helpful. Is to apply a drop of essential oil on my belly and within minutes I am feeling fine to the point that I even forget I was suffering. It also helps with flatulence and any GI upset like acid stomachs.

It is called DiGize (it is an organic, therapeutic grade essential oil blend). These oils have been used on a babies umbulical cord after birth to help promote healing. they have been amazing for my son when he had severe allergies. You can get it at www.SweetSmellofHealth.com (I bottle will last a long time, 250 drops) Also good for animals for digestion and parasites. I used it on my cat and the next day she stopped rubbing her bum on the carpet.

The other idea is that you use the DiGize if you are breast feeding and it can get through to your daughter.

I hope she feels better soon.

warm regards,

M.

Hi S.,
if you have tried all of those things you may want to try a different formula. my daughter had the worst tummy pains with enfamil. i ended up switching to 'good start', the bright green can. and literally within a few feedings she was able to release all of the built up gas by herself. hahaha she seemed to be passing gas for days. i think it gets harder to pass it when their little tummies hurt.
hope this helps and good luck to you :D

Dear S. S.

Had the same problem with my son when he was an infant...
Wish I would have stuck with just the breast milk..as he turned out to be lactose intolerant, and I was clueless as the term wasn't even used at that time...

You might want to contact the LeLeche League for help with your daughter not wanting or able to latch on to the breast..They are an awsome group...I've heard they will even come to your home..

Hope things get better soon.

Sincerely,
A. J.

for my daughter the gerber gas drops worked better.

Poor thing. Every baby is different but Dr. Browns bottles did the trick for my little one. Best of luck to you.

Try moving her legs in a bike peddaling postion (while she's on her back) and then lift her knees towards her ears. That works wonders for my little girl who's 5 and a half months. She will fart like there's no tomorrow when I do that. It makes her laugh, probably because it makes her feel so much better.

What worked for us was sitting on an exercise ball and lightly bounching while holding the baby in a cradle hold.

I wonder if she may be lactose intolerant if you are also formula feeding and perhaps that is causing the gas?

You didn't mention what type of formula you were mixing the breast milk with, but it could be the problem. My first son started out on Enfamil formula mixed with breast milk, and he, too, had a lot of gas. Our pediatrician recommended Nestle Good Start formula, and Wow! what a difference! You can actually see the difference in the bottle when you mix/shake it. There are significantly less bubbles in the formula.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Try a lactose free formula. Then if that doesn't seem to help after a few days, you might need to eliminate certain items from your diet (i.e dairy, broccoli, etc.).

My DD was breast and formula fed too. Similac Lactose Free/Sensitive is what worked for her.

I would get her checked by a Pediatric GI specialist. She possibly has Acid Reflux or GER (Gastroesophogeal Reflux). Even if she isn't refluxing that you notice, she might have what they call "silent reflux" that can't be seen only through tests. Bad tummyaches or gas are often Acid Reflux. There is also an AWESOME thing you can buy over the counter, at Walgreens, called "Gripe Water". It's specifically made for babies and it's all natural...it worked wonders for our baby.

Try mylicon; it really helped my daughter. Good luck!