Newborns can be prone to gas as their gastrointestinal systems are developing, making the transformation from being fed through the umbilical cord to living on breastmilk or formula. Because they eat so often, their little tummies are working that quite a bit. Gassiness is totally normal, and you may not even notice. However, some babies can become fussy and uncomfortable, drawing their little legs up to their bellies, particularly when they aren’t releasing said gas. Here are five tips for helping gassy newborns.
Don’t Forget to Burp Your Baby
The first lesson in Feeding Newborns 101 is to follow up every meal with a burping. Although some breastfed babies don’t burp as much as bottle babies, it’s important to start by burping. If nothing happens, you may be able to adjust accordingly, but if the air your baby swallows while eating doesn’t come back up, it has to make its way down and out. Sometimes this can result in a painful amount of gas Baby finds challenging to pass.
Change the Feeding Angle
The angle you hold your baby or her bottle at may be impacting the amount of air she drinks. For especially gassy babies, make sure the head stays higher than the stomach. This might mean a certain amount of rearranging for breastfeeding. Prop a pillow under the elbow where your baby's head rests to create more of an angle. Additionally, keep the bottle at a flatter angle that makes it more difficult for Baby to chug a lot of milk at once. Be careful not to make the area too flat, because that can make it easier to suck in more air.
Look to the Composition of Your Baby’s Milk
In some instances, the foods a nursing mother eats can become noticeable to her newborn. For example, if you eat something very spicy, this may be reflected in your milk supply, and Baby may not be as hungry until the weird flavor passes. When it comes to gas, specific proteins can be less tolerable for your baby than for you, causing more gas. Conversely, bottle-fed babies may be gassier if the formula you choose doesn’t agree with their system as well as a different brand might.
Try to Help Your Baby Pass Gas
If your little one is still giving signs of painful gas, you can help her pass it with a few simple activities. Massage her tummy, making a gentle circle clockwise (the direction food digests) to help move things along. This massage may actually work better from a tummy time position, to increase the pressure that drives the flatulence along. You can also lay her on her back and make gentle bicycling movements with her legs.
Talk to Your Pediatrician About Gas Drops
If nothing is really working, and you’ve tried changing your diet or different brands of formula, ask your pediatrician about gas drops. There are plenty of over the counter options, but not all medicines are equal. In particular, some homeopathic remedies are not well regulated and may not be very helpful. Of course, keeping your little one’s doctor informed of unusually gassy periods is a good idea, but if you decide it’s time to pull in something more than angles and belly rubs, ask her doctor what’s best for her.
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