Infant Infant Gas

My daughter had this issue as well while breast feeding and it lasted a while too. I used Mylicion drops after every feeding, cut out apple juice, milk and soda, and pushed her little knees into her belly to help her pass the gas. You may also try putting warm compresses on his belly.

Have you ever tried Gripe Water? It is made with ginger, etc and is usally found in the baby or herbal sections of stores. Good luck!

C.,

It may be something you're eating. Do you drink caffinated coffee? Soft drinks? Do you eat a lot of cabbage?

Regards,
C

C.,
Congratulations on your son! And congratulations & kudos to you for breastfeeding!!!!!!!!!
My youngest is 8 mos now, but it seems like yesterday that he was in that phase too!
First of all, don't worry too much. Babies are extremely fussy & gassy at that age. I'm sure you're not doing anything "wrong"--especially if you're exclusively breastfeeding (formula often makes the problem much worse!).

Some things that you can do to try & help is to try some Gripe Water (you can find it at Wegmans or a local health food store), Cammomile tablets (same places), tummy massage, baths (although, if his cord hasn't come off yet then that's not an option) and by cutting down on dairy in your diet if you consume a lot of it (but don't feel like you need to go overboard on that!)

Most likely, it's just a phase that he will have to grow out of. I know that kind of sucks, but that's WHY breastmilk is so good for infants--their intestines are just too immature to digest anything else! The breastmilk actually coats the intestinal tract to protect it until about age 6-9 mos when it matures a little more. Most likely he WILL outgrow it some before then though, so don't worry too much! I think that it tends to be at it's worst from 4-12 weeks & then improves drastically!

Have you been to any La Leche meetings at all yet? They're a wonderful place to meet other new moms & to get lots of great info! I think there's one next Wed evening in Allentown. You can go to www.LaLecheLeagueInternational.org to find out more.
I also HIGHLY reccomend www.KellyMom.com for the BEST fact-based info on breastfeeding available online! Greatest site ever! :-)

Congrats again & good luck!
A.

It could be something in your diet such as onions, broccoli, garlic etc but have you considered the possibility of reflux? You may want to bring it to your pediatrician's attention in case gas is not the issue.

Keep up the good work. Breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your son!

Hi, my second is 4 weeks and gets upset too. What worked for both of my kids is bouncing. Standing with them looking over my shoulder and bouncing up and down or doing bicycle legs! It does go away soon though, it really is just they don't know what that feeling is and once they get used to it and figure out how to work it out on their own, it is over! Really, none of these things last long! Try putting him in a baby carrier and walking outside too. That tends to calm mine down. Good luck!

One more thing--my parents used to put me in a warm bath, I would stop crying and soon they would see bubbles coming to the surface and all was well after that! Just thought you might want to try it.

I remember when I first started nursing my oldest, I noticed she had gas also. You need to monitor what you are eating. She is getting some of what you are eating through your milk, so cut out broccoli and think about what else you may be ingesting that could cause her gas.
Best of luck!
J. B

Try eliminating all forms of dairy. I had the same problem with my first child and it lasted 11 months! Being a new mom I took out all gassy foods but it wasn't until later that we discovered she had a severe milk protein allergy. She did outgrow that at 2 1/2 years though. You might notice a big difference if you eliminate all forms of dairy from your diet. Tummy massages in circular motions also helps to stimulate the intestines to pass gas the doctor told me. Good luck!

they do work great usually.

How do you know gas pains? stomach would be hard.

I also did rubbing the tummy, as baby lying on back i would take the 2 legs and bend them towards the body and say push the gas out push push

Good Morning C.,

My son is now 4 months old, but he had the very same issue at your son's age. In our case, it seemed like only time helped, but I would recommend the exercises that the other mom's talk about - bicycle, alternating legs and "squishing" them up toward his belly, and rotating his legs in a big circle. I still do all of these things whether he has gas or not, just as good bonding time. It's fun for him. The trick, though, is getting him to do the exercises BEFORE the screaming begins. I found it was hard to control once it started. I would get proactive and do it several times thoughout the day, maybe an hour after he eats to avoid too much spitting up.

I tried Mylicon drops and didn't feel they helped. I've also done the homeopathic drops that another mom recommended and still use them now for the other dreaded nighttime terror... Teething! I think they help.

Lastly, you could try gently massaging the belly. Light circles on the tummy, cupping the hand in a U shape and lightly stroking downward from chest to navel, and lightly stroking from the right side of his belly to the left (facing you), which is the directional flow of the intestines, to help move things along.

Best of luck!! M.

I would suggest maybe be more slective of what you are eating that you may be passing to him. It sounds a little like colic pain as well. Have you tried the warm water bottle close to his stomach ? If it comes to it, would you ever consider in switching him to formula ? Good Luck, I hope he gets thru this, I had a daughter with colic and it lasted until between 6-9 months.

My son had terrible gas until I changed my diet- no dairy. It took some trial and error, but turns out he can't tolerate dairy or peanuts. I would start with what you are eating and cut it down to very bland food- rice, pears, very low allergenic foods and then add things back. Also, I used gripe water with my son and that seemed to help. There is another product called the happy tummi and its a band that gets warmed up and goes around their abdomen. The other thing is that swaddling helps.

Mine did the same thing at 5 weeks. He was then checked for acid reflux and that is why he was crying all the time. Have him checked and try to burp him really well. Good luck!
Chris

Don't even bother with the Mylicion drops...waste of money.

Since you are breastfeeding, could it be something you are eating? Dairy products are usually a big culprit. I could never eat Chinese food with my son (who is almost 8). He was so irritable and miserable afterwards.
For you it may just be a matter of trial and error. Cut one thing out at a time and see if your son is happier.

~C.

my honest opinion is that your son senses your concerns (wanting to 'do it all right'... My son was nursed as well and had some 'mystery gas' that seemed to be un helped by normal 'treatment' he cried a lot (they called him Screamin Mimi)I mean screamed the whole time he was a the baby sitters... turns out she was very tense around him and he was picking up on her emotional stuff...
at the time... It was torture on everyone... he was such a sweet little boy any other time... I say try to relax more... hold him as often as he wants to be held and just love him.
He'll be fine...
Good Luck
Kimberlie

HI,
try camomile tea (dilluted)or mixed with fennel tea (both dilluted, no sugar. It worked well on my kids. I would also try putting the baby on his stomach and massaging his back gently. I hope that will help, A.

Mother of 2

My baby was the same way for the first month or two after she was born. I know it is sooo hard! It will get better!

I discovered that my baby was lactose intollerant. I had to avoid all dairy b/c it went into my milk. My little girl is now 3 1/2 months and just out grew it! (2 weeks ago!)

You could try not eating dairy for a week and see if that is the problem. (thats what I did) I saw a HUGE difference in my daughter! She even had a rash on her face that I assumed was baby acne, but was an allergic reaction, and went away as soon as I cut out the dairy. If you discover thats the problem and still want to breastfeed, slowly introduce the dairy back into your diet until you notice the symptoms again and take some vitamins to make up for the dairy your not taking in. Good luck!

Also- I think there little tummies are just dont work real well when theyre that little. It will get better! Hang in there : )

I am a third time mom but have only nursed my last one. I found out the hard way that he was lactose intolerant. I cut out all dairy from my diet and that worked great. So try cutting out your dairy. It might work.

Try eliminating dairy from your diet. It worked for us. I was reluctant at first but finally did it and saw results in two days.

Talk to you Dr about giving your little one the Baby Gas X. It has worked qonders for my son. It is found at babies R US but under a certain age the Dr has to tell you how much to use. Good Luck! Since he is breastfed also watch what foods you eat.

Dear C.,
I thought my daughter was having "gas pains" at first too. Then I noticed, she would wake up screaming 20-30 minutes after I would lay her down...with naps and at night. She also spit up a lot, and would act like she was hungry even after finishing a feeding. I did a lot of research and discussed it with my pediatrician, and found that it was reflux that was bothering her, not gas. It was really helpful for her to sleep in an upright position (in the bouncy seat or car seat). Also holding her upright for 20 minutes after a feeding, and keeping her head slightly elevated while feeding (don't use the boppy when breastfeeding). I was dead set against starting her on any medications, but after 3 months of sleep deprivation I gave in. It was the best decision I have ever made....she was like a new baby once she started on the zantac. She now sleeps in her crib through the night, and doesn't scream all day (only a little in the evening). She still gets some gas. For the gas it does help to push their legs (bending knees) up to the belly like riding a bicycle...also doing circles with the knees in a clockwise motion helps. Sometimes laying her across my lap on her belly makes her feel better too. I have also found that if I eat too much dairy it makes things worse...you might do a trial of eliminating dairy from your diet for a couple of weeks (not an easy thing to do). We tried something called Gripe Water, which was helpful periodically.
I hope you can find at least one helpful thing from all of this. The one thing I've learned from being a new mom, is that all babies are different, and you need to do what works best for your baby. Hopefully you will find out what is best through trial and error. The good news is it will eventually get better no matter what you do, and your baby won't remember a thing.
J. W

I can relate to this, I had similar problems with my 6 week old. I found that when I changed my diet, I had good luck. Are you eating any very gassy foods yourself? Broccoli, beans, caffeine?
If that doesn't work, also try BOIRON Cocyntal (you can get it at a health food store). It is a homeopathic remedy for colic relief. My baby is not colicy, but it really seemed to help her pass the gas more easily and reduce it as well.
Good luck,
A.

Try Bubble b Gone you can find it online and in most healthfood stores it works great
V.

I would watch your diet to see if you can make the connection between what you are eating and how he feels. Some popular culprits are green veggies, dairy, and greasy food. My daughter would scream and cry with gas/upset stomach. It took a few weeks of paying attention to what I was eating to nail the cause but I did figure out that it happened when I had a lot of milk and cheese. When I switched to soy she was perfectly fine. Our pediatrician said to periodically try dairy every now and then because she might outgrow this sensitivity. Sure enough around 7 or 8 months it didn't bother her anymore. Now that she's a year old, I just finished nursing her and she can drink milk just fine.

Something that I tried aside from the gas drops was infant massage techniques. There are specific massage techniques to help relieve the gas bubbles in the intestines. I had a video on infant massage and it touched on that specific problem. There are also websites where you can learn how to do the massages properly. I found that they worked for my daughter when she was an infant. You sometimes can actually feel the gas bubbles as you massage the belly area.
http://www.makewayforbaby.com/massages.htm

I have the same problem with my 5 week old girl. she grunts and pushes all the time like she is constipated. I just got some advice from a mom that says grape water, a product you can find at Riteaid really works. I plan to try that.
D.

Are you watching what you eat? Some food(esp. certain veggies, spicy food) can really wreak havoc on a newborns system. I hope you have happier night ahead!

Same thing happened with my first daughter - she was breastfed, and I stopped eating/drinking dairy products. (by suggestion of our ped) Within a few days we had a new child! She was very sensitive to dairy. Anyway, it's something very common, and easy to try. Good Luck.

My first born had the same problem. Try giving him the drops fifteen minutes before he eats. My doctor told me that. Some babies don't respond to the drops. Also, he might be sensitive to milk, so you might want to try going off dairy for a month, see if that helps. Check online to see if he has other symptoms of an allergy, and then try to see if you can pinpoint it with your diet. Takes time to see any results if it is a food allergy/sensitivity. There are also those who believe that additives in food are problematic for kids/infants. (Hormones, preservatives, etc.) Maybe try organic and hormone free products, your little guy may just be very senstive to something that is in his food.

Be wary of the soy formulas, however. We switched after I stopped nursing to a soy, and he had diarrhea two times a month for six months. No one could figure out why. He was upset and gassy all the time. Recently, I learned that soy can irritate and cause diarrhea if your little one is already having trouble. Once off the soy, he didn't have the trouble again. Plus, soy products are the equivalent of giving your baby large doses of estrogen (birth control pills). There is a huge controversy regarding soy products and kids that your pediatrician won't tell you about, or may not know. Pediatricians aren't nutritionists. No hard facts out there, but I don't need a scientific study to tell me that giving an infant huge doses of plant estrogen is a problem. I wish I had known that before blinding following my doctor's advice.

Nothing may work for a while, but he'll probably get over it eventually. We had lots of sleepless nights, so I know what you are going through!! I think some little ones, it takes a long time for their digestive systems to fully develop, so they just have trouble. My first born, two and half now, is doing just great.

Good luck, hang in there!

I use to have to have my daughter doing sit-ups with me guiding her body through the process. Also, natural peppermenit drops in a hald once of water

Hi C.,

Have you tried eliminating dairy from your diet? Many babies have dairy sensitivities and your baby may be reacting to it if you are eating it. Try eliminating it for a week and see if that helps.

Also, take a look at the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD by Harvey Karp. He has great tips for soothing a fussy baby.

Congrats on your new baby!

J.

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Watch what you are eating. keep track of what you are eating and how much crying etc he does. You may find a pattern and see that something you are eating is bothering him. You also may want to try wrapping him up tightly at night. It may be that he is screaming because he is overwhelmed. He also may just be a fussy little guy. Which he will grow out of. You might also want to try burping him differently sometimes that works as well. Good luck & best wishes

Keep a log of what you are eating. Your diet has a huge impact on the baby in regards to digestion. I breast fed two kids (12 months and 13 months) and often a slight change in my diet had dramatic results for the baby.
Goof Luck!
ER

He might have reflux. Does he like being held upright on your shoulder more than laid back flat on your arm? Try elevating the head end of his crib by putting books or something under the bottom of the crib itself. Reflux burns up into the throat. Don't put him down right after he eats, and don't bounce him.

I tried a product called Colic Calm. My mom found it on the Internet. It helped our little girl and I recommended it to another mom at my church. It helped her son too, so you may want to give it a try. It is all natural! My pediatrician said I should go for it as there wasn't anything that would harm her.

Jen

Try using the mylicon with each of his feedings later in the day and before bed....might work better if you use it consistantly - it helped my little one. ofcourse check with your doctor!!!

Hi,

I had the same thing happen to all my children when they were babies. Put your child on his back pull his legs to his chest then pull them straight do this for a few times
this should give some relief for your baby’s gas. I also suggest you talk to your doctor about your diet because what ever you eat it is passed to your son and sometimes
what we eat can cause the baby to have gas. Hope this works for you good luck.

All I know to deal with babies gas problem is babies magic tea. I have tried lots of things and got relief after using this nice tea.

C.,
Maybe look at your diet--eliminate cow's milk products for a week, for instance. That's how my girliefriend, Susan, figured out their issue.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to e me directly.
smiles,
L., 39
Brianna 21m & yes! still bf'ing!
and baby
butterflylindamarie at yahoo dot com

Hi C., do you drink a lot of milk? With my son, whom I breastfed, I found that my high milk consumption affected him. He was breaking out in a rash, had terrible gas and would fuss/scream/cry unconsolably. I was trying to rule out everything else, and it came down to my milk intake.
Dianne

My little guy did that too around 5 weeks. It only lasted for a few weeks though, thank god! I just kept burping him and swinging him from side to side. That really seemed to release his gas. Call your ped. to see if they have any suggestions too. :-) Hang in there!

you can also rub his belly in a counterclockwise motion. also take his legs while they are bent and move them in towards his body a few times and stop then do it again. make sure since you are breastfeeding that you watch what you are eating. may be some of the things you eat pass through the breast milk and can give him gas. broccoli is one that i have heard is not good. i would also take him and put him in the warm bath with you. it can soothe him to hear the water and may relax him.

My breastfed son is the same way. Little tummies is the product I use, it is the same active ingredient as Mylicon drops. You can give a dose wait 1/2 hr or so and repeat. My son always needed more then one dose, but always start out with the recommended dosage and follow the bottles directions. Some other tricks I learned were doing leg exercises. While laying on back bring his knees to his chest repeat that a few times and then make his legs go side to side. That helps the gas move. The last thing is from infant massage, Baby laying on back place your hand on his belly and make circles around his belly button then switch direction. You are not applying any pressure but it is the motion that helps.

The only advice I can give is to hang in there! Both of my boys had similar issues as young infants. My first was the hardest. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I was still adjusting to being a mom, too - but nonetheless - he was a crier. I understand your feeling like you need to blame it on something that can be fixed by you. But sometimes there's just nothing you can do. Invest in some good relaxing music for yourself and baby and wait a couple more months and things should start to smooth out. I found 6 months to be the real turning point for both of my kids as far as their contentment is concerned...

I would start fiddling with your diet. For example, I've noticed that my newborn gets worse gas when I eat chocolate. Try cutting out (or down) on something like dairy for a week, and see if you notice any difference.

Congratulations! I have a 2 1/2 year old that still nurses. What I eat matters to him. Dairy, spice, chocolate, it's all trial and error. The Dairy Ease lactose free milk tastes very good--like real milk and is found at Trader Joes and Pathmark and some Acmes. Also, I found, for whatever reason, that the Little Tummies version of Milicon worked better and is even cheaper. You have to give more than one dose though so just read the bottle and proceed. We still use it if I eat something that bothers him. Hang in there!

I had the same problems with my children (all breast fed) I would take a little baking soda and put it on the babies tongue and that really seemed to help with the gas. Just wet your finger and dip it into the baking soda and put it in the babys mouth. You will see a difference almost immediately. I think I got this from my grandmother?? WHo knows, but it works

Hi C.

I had the same problem with my children when they were infants, more so with my boy than my girl. You could try some warm catnip tea. You can get it from an herbal store. Just read the instructions on how to make it, and then sweeten it with some sugar. The tea has a calming effect on the stomach, and might settle it down and help your baby pass the gas. You probably wont get the baby to drink all of it, but even if he drinks a little bit, it may help. That seemed to help my kids tremendously, because after I gave it to them, they were able to pass their gas, and have a bm too. It also helped to relax them, and they would fall asleep. My dad recommended it to me when I was having problems like that with my kids, and he swore by it, and it really did help. Rubbing the tummy like the other moms mentioned, and the bicycle exercises will help too. Your son probably won't like the taste of it so don't get upset if he refuses to drink it or spits it out. I hope that I may have been some help to you because I went through it myself, and it can get quite frustrating when you have tried everything else, and nothing works. Hang in there though, cause it will eventually pass, and you will get through it. Since you are breast feeding, the things that you eat will pass through to your milk, so he basically is eating everything that you are, so what you do eat can affect him too. The other moms suggestions were very good, so try them too. Take care and I hope everything works out for you. I will be thinking of you.

A. M

Is it for sure gas or maybe gerd (reflux) when my daughter was 3 months old she would be laying there all sweet and cuddly and then burst into horrendous tears, i panicked, called the doctor had a visit and i was told gastroesopheageal reflux (usually after she would eat)they prescribed zantac. She's 9 and fine !

I found this was around the time with both of my kids that they began having gas issues. I used Gripe Water which I found at Wegmans and it seemed to help. I gave it to the baby right after breastfeeding before the crying started. I also found I was overfeeding. I had to take them off the breast before they overate. My diet had to be very strict too. I felt like I could eat meat and fruit, I cut out a lot of dairy for awhile, a lot of vegetables (including salad), and some spices. A very bland diet. Slowly I introduced all these things back. Once their digestive systems matures, they seem to handle all those foods better. good luck. It does get easier!!

I suggest trying Gripe Water. It is an herbal supplement used to ease gas and stomach discomfort in infants. It is pediatrician recommended and is all natural. All of my friends recommended it. I found it at Rite Aid.

Hi C.,

Hi. My name is D.. I am a stay at home mom of a beautiful 17 mos old daughter. Have you tried altering your diet? I know that when I breast fed my daughter whenever I ate certain foods it would make her have more gas or make her go more. I would try to write down everything that you ate for a couple of days and then see how he reacts to it.

Hi! I had two "gasey" boys especially as babies. Some people think it's if you eat broccoli, pasta sauce, etc. and some say that doesn't help. It's just a phase. I would try it to see if it does help your situation.

Also, the love, upside-down "U" pressure on his abdomen and bicycling his legs especially for bed helped release a lot. I would even do it as together time. That way you talk to him and appreciate him and he has no clue that you're trying to help for other reasons as well.

Hope this helps!

Toes to the nose
That's how it goes
Fart, fart, fart
Isn't that smart!

I breast feed my now grown up children. They only had breast milk until at least 6-9 mo old.

But, I did have to watch what I ate. If I ate spicy mexican style food, my daughter would be in pain.

So, check and see what you might be eating that you can tolerate, but it doing into your milk. Eat what you feel best on and that does not disagree with you either.

Hello C.:
When breastfeeding you have too watch what you eat. I am from the West Indies and we use “Gripe Water.” I am not sure of your geographic location but you can find this at Hispanic, Indian, West Indian, and Asia groceries. The instructions should be on the box if not let me know. C., you can also place your baby on your bare stomach, the heat from your body can help (I used both methods with my son and it worked.) Best Wishes

This may seem too easy to work, but it worked for my son. When he use to wake up or not be able to fall asleep due to gas pain, I would do little leg exercises with him and rub his belly. Just lift his legs up towards his stomach a couple of times; stop and rub his belly, kinda like you would a dog; and repeat as much as needed. It usually only took a few times before he was settled enough to dose off. Hopefully it works, I know how bad it can feel when you can not find something that helps your baby.

Our daughter has the same issues due to gas. "Bubbles Be Gone" worked so well! It is natural and can be found online!
Good luck.