Terribly Gassy 3 Week Old. Need Advice on Formula.

In addition to the formula it could be the breastmilk that is giving her gas. She eats what you eat. My neice gets really bad gas when my SIL drinks coffee and my son used to cry terribly when I drank cranberry juice. If you eats gassy foods it may be aggrivating her.

what always worked for my children was nestle goodstart supreme and also it takes 2 weeks for their little bodies to get used to new formula so if you're changing it more often than that, it might be why it's still continuing. Have you tried gripe water? That really helped with my daughter, you can find it at any pharmacy

My daughter is on Similac Sensitive for fussiness and gas. She had colic and the doctor recommended it. Enfamil has their own version too.

My son was terribly gassy, and just as you described. I ended up using Enfamil LactoFree for my son because he couldn't and still can't handle Lactose. I buy him Lactose Free Milk now that he's 2.5 years old. Once I switched him over he was back to him happy and cheerful self.

You may want to ask your Pedi about it. You are doing a great job being proactive and trying to figure out the issue.

Good Luck!

after reading some of these responses, i thought i'd respond. i would not go to a soy based formula; soy is an estrogen mimicker in some people's bodies-probably not a good way to start her off in the world, if you don't have to. so many females have hormone issues before their teens now-at least do your research. i would go for an organic brand. i use earth's best and my 2.5 month old son does great on it. i primarily breastfeed but rarely have time to pump (i also have a 3 yr old) so we supplement with formula when i need to leave. i also tried similac organic & he did great on that as well.

remember that at 3 weeks their digestive track is still learning how to work efficiently and they tend to get a lot of gas. i use gripe water and it works wonders - it has with both boys.

good luck-it will get better for her!

Hi K..

Perhaps you can elaborate on what kind of struggles you are having with breastfeeding. Most "problems" do have a solution. Have you been able to meet with a lactation consultant? Also check out the La Leche League web site. There is lots of support out there for you.

My advice would be to work on getting the breastfeeding down because there is not a formula out there on the market that is going to be as gentle on her tummy as your milk.

I have breast fed all four of my children. I would love to offer additional support if you can elaborate, or you can find an abundance of info from La Leche League.

I K.:
Congrats hun. That sweet little girl is going to change your life. We had a problem with my Grandson,his first few weeks.He had painful gas, and also became constipated.It was so sad. They had to take him in because eventually he was unable to have a bowel movement at all.The Dr. told them, that allot of babies can't handle all the (Iron)they put in the formulas today.He said that was what was tying him up. They put him on a formula with little to no iron.If I were you, I'd keep working on breastfeeding,and use a formula with no iron.See if that helps her.The Mylicon drops are great i'm sure, but the idea is to get to the root of the problem,not mask it,or try to resolve a problem,with medication.I wish you and your darlin girl the best. J. M

Do you know for SURE that it is "gas" problems?

Your baby is only 3-weeks old, and it could be a combination of gas and/or digestive problems or something else.

For the gas/digestive problems: try (1) "Hyland's Colic Tabs"...it's for all ages, and helps for ANY gas/digestive problems in babies. It is NOT only for "colic" babies. Our daughter had bad gas problems too as an infant and this helped her a lot.

(2) As the other poster said, it could actually be your breastmilk and what you are eating, that is giving her gas. And not the Formula per say.
(3) Sometimes, a baby/newborn is fussy because they are actually not getting enough intake. Is your baby latching on fine? Is she actually swallowing and can you hear it? Is she having enough wet/poopy diapers? I am asking this because I have seen this many times...
(4) Do you burp baby often enough?
(5) What kind of Formula were they giving her in the hospital? Did this formula cause her problems? Or just the Similac? I would really ask your Pediatrician for recommendations... and about the gas as well.
(6) a baby full of "gas" and gas pains... many times can't exactly "eat/nurse" very well. It's uncomfortable and their tummy is bloated. So, make sure she is getting enough intake...otherwise you will be dealing with an infant that has gas problems AND is hungry all the time= fussy and inconsolable baby.

(7) You mentioned baby had breastfeeding problems in the hospital and thus, you/they started supplementing while working on it. NOW... what is the status of this? Is she now nursing fine? Or not? Is she still "needing" to have supplementation by Formula or not? If not, then just nurse her... but only if she can now latch on properly. And then you won't have to deal with "which" Formula to give her.
(8) If she is indeed having gas.... try gently massaging her tummy in circular motions, or bicycle her legs... and this helps to "circulate" the gas and get it expelled.

(9) ALSO though... your baby is only 3-weeks old....MANY newborns have gas/digestive problems because their digestive system is simply STILL developing... and its a given that their system is still getting used to everything. As a baby gets older... it usually gets better. But so it takes patience.

(10) or, some babies simply swallow a lot of air while they are drinking, thus, gas. For me, I LOVE the "MAM" brand baby bottles... which you can get from www.amazon.com My Son loved this brand/bottle, and it contains NO "BPA's" in the plastic. ALSO... while the baby is drinking, there is ABSOLUTELY NO AIR BUBBLES which accumulates in the bottle. I really recommend this bottle.

Well, just some ideas... all the best,
Susan

PLEASE -- RE-READ the response from S H she has a lot of Right-On Insights.

I agree with everything she said, especially about the Hylands Colic Tablets -- I've turned so many people on to them and they work great. Just pour the three tablets into the cap and then into the babies mouth. Try not to use your fingers if possible.

Good Luck and keep asking questions, that's how you learn.

COngrats on your little princess. My son too was a very gassy baby and I had SO much tourble breast feeding. For my son we used Similac Soy (it has a blue label). It seems to help him a lot plus I used gas drops. They were a life saver! Plus, anything that you eat your baby is injesting since you are breast feeding. Try to stay away from eating foods that contribute to gas. Being a new mommy is a stressful thing. I suggest that you try to just let all the small stuff go and enjoy every precious minute you have with your little girl. Before you know it she will walking and into everything (my son is 18 months old and I miss the days of just laying together and cuddling). Since you are still having trouble with breast feeding, you can always contact the lactation specialist at the hospital where you delivered. If you want, you can ask me questions as well. :) Good luck!

I hope things are getting better then when you originally posted. I just want to mention a couple of recommendations. If, after much trying, breastfeeding is not working out, I do recommend an Organic formula. However, with whatever formula you do choose a couple tips to keep the gas to a minimum. First, start with warm water, this in itself can make a big impact. Second, stir the formula, shaking it up creates even the tiniest of bubbles that can make its way into the baby's tummy. Finally, burp your little one until a your satisfied that there aren't anymore burps left. Should the need for gas drops present itself, I highly recommend Boirons Liquid Gas drops. Best!

Try Carnation Good Start formula... it's gentle on little tummies and breaks down to help digestion.

Best of luck to you...

My baby was not passing gas and was getting fussy day by day. I tried gas drops, bicycling his legs and tummy massage but no luck. Then tried Baby magic tea which helped him relieving his gas and got comfortable.

My son, now 5 months old, also had problems with formula (not gas, but constipation from one, a lot of spit up from another, fussiness from all we tried). I had given up on breastfeeding because I got mastitis and was going on no sleep, and couldn't handle it. A month after stopping breastfeeding, I decided to relactate, one of the best things I ever did. Some babies do have problems with formula, their bodies can't handle it. Since you are still breastfeeding, you might want to keep trying and see if you can get away from the formula. Some suggestions to help you get to nursing all of the time, nurse as much as possible, at least every 2 hours, even if your baby doesn't seem hungry (or every 3 at night). It will get better as your baby gets older, so don't worry that you will be doing that forever. If you are having nursing pain (which I totally know about, it took me 4 weeks to get rid the excruciating nipple pain), nurse as much as you can, but when you get to the point where it hurts too much, give a bottle of formula. The more you nurse, the more milk you have. Once my son was on breastmilk only (over 3 months now), we got rid of the constipation, excess spit up, and fussiness, and I love the connection we have (I had absolutely no connection with him the first few weeks before I gave up breastfeeding, so it can take time). If you are having other breastfeeding issues, talk to a lactation consultant, or email me and I might be able to help more. I'm not an expert or anything, but I have been through a lot, and have done a lot of research on lactation.

Although it's been several years since my children were newborns, I DO remember struggling with the exact same problem you describe with your beautiful new daughter. We switched to Isomil, which is a soy formula instead of dairy. We also began using Mylicon drops (they make a baby strength one), and it worked like a charm. No more crying in pain all night! I hope this info is helpful to you - at that time it was nothing short of a miracle to me!

All of the suggestions given are really good and I would follow them myself if I were still in your shoes. My son was on formula for the first few weeks because my milk came in late. We had to wean him from the formula on to breast milk. It took a while but we finally got it going and was able to drop the formula completely. Even after that we kept finding that around 6pm every evening he would start crying and although he was hungry he wouldn't/couldn't nurse. I didn't realize until my son was a couple months old was that I not only needed to burp him during and after feedings but throughout the day. When babies cry throughout the day they inhale air and it gets trapped in their tummies. Burping them throughout the day helps alleviate the build up. When he did get gas I would give him the Mylicon drops then put him in my lap facing away from me. I would then pull his legs up to his chest with his feet in my hands so that he was basically squatting in my hands. This allowed the gas to pass more freely through his stomach and intestines. I knew that squatting was the normal position for humans to eliminate waste so I tried it and it worked. Maybe it will work for you too. Good luck!

Nestle/Gerber Good Start Gentle formula...it's the BEST! =) I have a 20 month old and a 3 week old and I use Avent bottles. My daughter NEVER spit up or had any problems on this formula/bottle combo. My son seems to gulp his food and I have to stop to burp him more often, so he will spit up a little bit every few feedings or so. Overall, Good Start is a little on the expensive side (Babies R Us usually has sales), but it's the best and well worth it!

All my kids had gas. First was nursed, 2nd both bottle and nurse, 3rd mainly nursed until 8 months than bottle. So they all got gas drops. For the baby on the bottle I would just put a dropperful in every bottle. For the other 2 I would give to them as needed.

Best if you can work on your milk supply and eliminate formula altogether. This site has great tips for increasing milk supply:

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/galact.asp

I highly recommend switching to Nestle Good Start formula. Our son was really gassy too, until our Ped suggested switching to Good Start, and what a difference! You can see the difference when you make the formula. There are hardly any bubbles on top at all, and those dissipate very quickly. Also, Mylicon drops work well too!

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

K. - my now one year old had the same problem at the much earlier age. We tried everything and what helped her was Nestle Good Start (green can). I too breastfed but had some problems and got all kinds of help as well, but because of an earlier breast surgery, I had some challenges. So don't feel guilty about giving your child formula if you are also breastfeeding. We can only all do so much.

Good burping also helped our little one and the occasional Mylicon (as directed by her pediatrian)was a lifesaver.

Best of luck!

Try giving her gripe water. My son was very gassy and it seemed to help settle his stomach. It is all natural. There is ginger in it which helps. You can get the Little Tummies brand at Babies R Us. Also, most pregnancy stores sell it.

i'd call la leche, or the hospital for some help w/ the nursing. What you eat effects gas also, so it may not be the formula. Plus, not burping may also be the problem.

if your REALLY TRULY concerned about your baby not having gas.... DONT FEED HER FORMULA!!!!!!!!!! continue to BREASTFEED. its not to late to build your milk supply .
Choosing to breastfeed or formula feed is NOT like choosing between coke or pepsi! if you need advice on breastfeeding support, then pm me.

Hi K.,

First, try soy formula, if that doesn't help then I suggest, though some would say no, Mylicon drops. If you have tried all formulas etc....try these drops. It helped tremendously with my baby and he was able to rest and sleep through the night. Ask you doctor and see what he/she says.

I had the same problem with my newborn and I switched from Enfamil Lipil to Enfamil Gentelese. I had a happy baby withouut the gas within 24 hours. Please try this first before switching to soy or the very expensive Nutramigen. Gentelease is the same price as regular formula it just has 75% less lactose and pre bronken down protiens. So much easier for the immature tummy to digest. Hopefully your problem will be this simple to solve. And keep the Mylicon handy. Good luck

Congratulations on your baby! On your it's tough in the begining because everything is so new. but it gets better :)
We had the same problem with our daughter... we switched her to similac .. but soy. She was fine after that. I have also heard alot of good things about good start. GIve it a try!

If you are going with the Enfamil formula then I would suggest using Enfamil Gentlease. It is made for gassy babies. Your pediatrician should have samples in the office to try out. Also you should try Mylicon or some kind of gas drops. I use Little Remedies gas drops that can be purchased at babies r us for gas and Gripe Water for hiccups. My gassy baby gets hiccups all the time. Gripe water is awesome! If you want to go with more natural stuff then I think Sprouts and Henry's carries Highlands products instead of the Little Remedies. I would also think about the fact that she could also be colic if she is crying a lot. Gripe Water will help will that and Enfamil makes formula for colic babies too. Good luck!

Try Mylicon drops! They are my life saver for my little baby girl. Target sells their own brand..so much cheaper and works just as perfect and fast. Plus the dropper is better. Good luck I hope your baby girl gets some relief soon.

Sounds like it's working for you. If it's not getting better, Enfamil also makes a Gentlease formula that is also supposed to help. I have not personally used that so I have no experience there. For my daughter, we also used the Mylicon gas drops. Life saver for us. They run about $6-7 for a tiny bottle, but there is a $2.00 off coupon on the inside of the box (at least when we were buying them). Good luck and congratulations!

Hi,

You can buy Enfamil formula - Nutramigen. It is more expensive though. But it will reduce gas, colic and allergy. I gave my first baby Nutramigen. He is 3.5 years old now. He had problem with colic, gas and allergy. I tried all Enfamil products. Nutramigen was the only product that suitable for him. Hope this info can help you.

My granddaughter had problems digesting her formula and her pediatrician recommended Nestle's Good Start. He said it was easier for babies to digest. It might be worth considereing. She is much better since the switch.

Hello, congratulations on your beautiful 3 week old. What a blessing. Sorry to hear your little one's gas. I know it can be pretty painful for babies. You're doing great by researching & seeking advice. I gave my daughter Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA Powder Formula - 25.7Oz from the time she was 6 months - 1 year & this worked GREAT! It's a little pricier but only by a few dollars. I've heard from 2 other friends that their babies couldn't handle Emfamil or Similac. Some babies can be quite sensitive to these formulas. Another friend told me about Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief drops. I gave them to my daughter a few times & it seemed to help. Best of luck.

Good Morning K.,

I strongly recommend that you log onto site NAET.com. NAET.com are a group of allergists who treat and elimiate allergies. They are the only allergists in the world who ELIMINATE allergies, and drug free.

I am 37 years old and I have severe allergies. My mother told me that I was a collicy baby, always crying. Come to find out at 37 years old, I am allergic to milk and soy. Collic, gas, throwing up, etc. are all signs of food allergies. So I was allergic to the formulas she was feeding me as a baby.

I have been seeing a NAET allergist for a few months and my allergies ARE being eliminated. My health is improving.

Please contact me at ____@____.com, if you have any questions. But, I recommend that you log onto site NAET.com, locate and allergist near your home, make an appointment to have your daughter tested and treated.

Be Well.

N.

your on the right tract. what i do suggest is that you burp after every 1-2oz. also mylicon drops are great too. i think maybe is your little on is taking the bottle over breast more then you should pump and feed your baby breast milk via a bottle. a medella pump is great! (dont get the instyle though its not really strong). also to help with gas gently push her knees to her chest and do lots of tummy time so theres pressure on the belly. and if non of that works try platex nurser bottles (with the liners) or carnation good start formula (thats what worked for my daughter). good luck!

Hi K.,
Congratulations on your beautiful baby. Most babies get/are gassy. Just a little info, anything with iron can constipate her. Maybe it's too soon for iron...? With my daughter I used Carnation Good Start...never had any issues. With my son, I exclusively breastfed, but he too, was pretty gassy in the beginning. May I recommend laying her on her tummy on you thighs, making sure your thigh is on her tummy and lightly bounce and rock her. This helps to pass gas. Another method, place her on the couch or floor on her back and grab her calves and push her knee up into her chest. Rotate right, then left. Again it puts pressure on her tummy so she can release the gas. If things are really bad, Little Tummies gas relief does work.
I wish you all the happiness with your little one! Enjoy, it FLYS by.

E.

My opinion is gut instinct and not scientific by any stretch of the imagination, but I avoided the similacs and enfamils. Too commercial and too processed. We stuck to the organic product that you'll find at Whole Foods (can't remember the name because it's been a few years). Also, consider trying the soy version. Our daughter did beautifully on it, and later we switched her to Silk unsweetened soy milk. My daughter was a 13 week preemie, but she thrived on these products and has never had earaches (dairy and earaches seem to have some kind of correlation). We also used the mandela bottles.