Gas Pains Are Making It Hard for My Daughter to Eat, Help!

My daughter had gas also. We gave her the gas drops in every bottle. We went through quite a bit for a while. Also, making the bottle in advance might help. I don't know if you use the powder or not, but I was told when you make the bottle, you shake it to mix the powder and water, you are creating bubbles. I also started making the bottles in advance so they were settled by the time she needed them.

Hi,
My grandson who lives with me full time was going thru the same problem...and also was on the emphimil gentle ease...and was still having problems. So I took him to my chriopractor and asked for his advice, and he told me that his intestines are not developed and that I should give him almond milk unsweetened, with a little coconut milk organic, and paleomeal which is a protein..one scoop to 32 oz. of almond milk and 32 oz. of filtered water. I started him on that and it worked...and has been on it since and that was when he was 8 weeks old and is now 7 months...just sharing what worked for us...good luck and if you need any additonal information send me an email...

I have read that probiotics help with gas pain / colic. You should be able to find liquid probiotics at Whole Foods or vitamin/nutrition stores.

Don't be afraid to call or visit the doctor.

Good luck!

Trust your instincts and don't wait to see what happens. From almost the time he was born my sixteen month old was unconsolable at night and seemed to be in so much pain, and we thought he was a bad sleeper. Through much trial and experimentation we found that he is EXTREMELY sensitive to a number of foods. I wouldn't say that he has an allergy because he doesn't get a rash or any other such thing. However we found that with certain foods (such as yogurt) when we would feed him he would do the same thing you describe. We got to the point in realizing that he can't handle any dairy (or anything that contains dairy--- which is pretty much everything), most vegetables, and some fruits. In fact when I was breastfeeding I couldn't eat any dairy and most veggies as it affected him. Try switching her to a formula that is not milk based (we have used Similac Sensitive with my son). Also we give our son Grip Water (you can find it at Walgreens, Whole Foods, Toys-r-Us, etc.) which is an all natural remedy to colic, gas, reflux. It didn't solve the problem totally for us, but we find that if he doesn't have it for a few days in a row that he doesn't sleep well. It has been a night and day difference for us when we figured out his food issues as he now sleeps through the night instead of waking 4-6 times and is much happier during the day.

try adding infant massage, clockwise rotation of your hands on her abdomen and gently "pumping" her legs to her belly as well. Ask your doctor to also show you how you can help move the gas along in her stomach with gentle pressure. All helped my daughter, but no cures.

Before you make any changes be sure to call your doctor and get their opinion!

I suggest asking a doctor - a pediatrician...

When I started supplementing my BF-ing I started to notice problems with my daughter that sound very similar to what you are experiencing. When we went completely over to formula I knew the problem was in the formula and not me.

I asked the Dr for some suggestions since the Mylicon and tummy time and rubs were not working. They suggested switching to Soy Formula and gave me a sample of the Similac Soy. What a change within only a few days! I have only had to use the Mylicon since then when I give her brussel sprouts or brocolli now... or we all suffer! lol Talk to your ped. This is something that they would probably do right over the phone!

One other thing that also helped was warming her bottle up. If it was too cold she would only hold the nipple in her mouth and fuss. I assume this is cuz she was used to my warm milk instead of room temp bottled water/formula! Not for sure but it definately seemed to helped us!

Good luck and many blessings to you and your beautiful baby girl!

I would give it time, I have an 11 week old and I switched her to soy formula because she had the same issues. Mylicon is safe to use with every feeding. Babies intestines are developing and will take some time but continue to use the mylicon with every feeding she will get better and then you wont have to use the mylicon anymore. Also be very careful when switching formula, ask your doctor first before switching. The cans don't state this but when switching formula your baby can experience violent vomiting and diaharria that can last a few days. I switched my baby from Enfamil Prosobee Soy to Enfamil Lipil and I found out before it was too late, she is doing better now but it would have been nice if I had a heads up first.

She might be in pain due to acid reflux! I diagnosed my daughter at 5 weeks old b/c she was in pain, could stay latched and arched her back b/c it hurt so bad. We also used probiotics and finally was prescribed Zantac. Not a fan of medicating kids however it was the difference between night and day. I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into at first b/c she seemed so colicky however relux can cause that. Not saying she has it however its worth looking into. I also take her to the chiropractor which has numerous benefits!

Try Neutromygen (sp?). It's made by Enfamil. It's super expensive but it worked wonders for my friend who's son had horrible GERD. Luckily my son didn't have to have it. I would also contact your doctor. You might need to give her Zantac. I had my son take this for 8 months before hi GERD went away.

Talk to your pediatrician about formula choices. Each brand has different levels of formula based on digestive issues (i.e. regular, soy, sensitive).

My daughter was the same way. She cried constantly and seemed to be in a lot of pain. My husband and I switched bottles and starting giving her Dr. Brown bottles. It helped a lot with reducing the air in the bottle so she wasn't swallowing a lot of air. There is a mixer that you can buy that mixes the formula so that you aren't shaking the bottle and creating air bubbles. I've seen it at Walmart. We also gave her the Mylican drops every other feeding. Our pediatrician said it wasn't harmful at all. It just reduces the air bubblies in the stomache so they aren't full of air. This helped her out alot. She did have acid reflux, constantly spitting up, and that also contributed to her being in pain so she was on Zantac for awhile. I would take her to her pediatrician to be sure. Good luck with everything...hope this helps.

You can give the gas drops at every feeding. If she acts like she's in pain while eating, it might be acid reflux which can start to show up at around 6 weeks. Ask your doctor. You can also switch to Enfamil Prosobee which is soy and helps with gas.

She may have an allergy to the formula. You should either try a different formula or go to get her treated for the allergy through NAET - an allergy elimination technique
(www.naet.com).

that has helped our 2 year old get rid of allergies and sensitivities to corn, eggs, wheat, gluten, yeast, and others.

If your current formula is made of soy, your daughter may need to get a non soy formula, (likewise if it is whey based she may have lactose intolerance/allergy) or get her tested to see what in the formula she is allergic to.

We go to Dr. Tam in Lombard - he is FABULOUS!!!!!!!! The infants get treated through the parents, which is nice.

Good luck!

how about switching her to a soy based formula? so many children (and adults) are intolerant to the potein found in milk (casein)...so even if you buy a lactose-free formula, the casein is still there...i would try the new formula for two weeks since it takes dairy that long to exit the body.

p.s. i think you've given it enough time...

Have you considered giving her some infant probiotics to help boost the good bacteria? It is so beneficial for newborns Here are two great articles.

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/how-do-probiotics-...

http://bodyecology.com/07/09/20/introduce_babies_probioti...

FloraBaby by Renew Life is an excellent brand can be found at www.smartbomb.com

You can also switch to Nurtragimen which the formula is broken down to the finest powder. Or you can make you own formula using rice milk and other ingredients.

Try tummy massage starting at the right hip bone and going clockwise it goes with the flow of the digestion track.

Good luck.
J. W. MPH
Lifestyle and Wellness consultant

Went through a similar situation with my first. She cried for 8 weeks. Try the Nutramigen and Dr. Brown's bottles - they cut down on the air intake. For my first, and now my second, I get Nutramigen on ebay b/c it is ridiculously expensive, anywhere from $25-$28 retail. I don't pay more than $18/can on ebay, sometimes less and it's delivered to your door!
Good luck. Once they get bigger, it gets easier so know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Formula is a guessing game. We had the same problems with my son and we tried EVERYTHING. I originally had in on Emphamil Lipil, like you, plus was doing gas drops in every bottle, giving him watered down chamomile tea, pumping his legs, etc. Nothing helped. Next was Nestle Good Start and that didn't help any either (partially broken down, easy to digest). Then we went to soy. That really didn't work. Then we just skipped ahead to Nutramigen because I was dealing with a baby that had been crying for something like 6 weeks straight. Colic and reflux were the culprits and Nutramigen was the only thing that worked. But before you jump ahead and start that product, try a few others first and get some recommendations from your Dr. Nutramigen is extremely expensive, we spent about $250 a month on the stuff. After 7 months of going broke buying forumla we were told we can try something else (thought he had grown out of it). We tried lactose free and had very good luck with it. Strangely though he's on regular milk now and is fine, so who the heck knows. I think his little tummy still had some growing to do.

Please jsut put yuor child on similac alemntum or nutramagin . you will notice a differnce in 2 days and a huge difference in 10 days if not call the dr it is more than gas and reflux etc.
hang in there and do not let anyone tell you it isi just colic. Colic is the word drs use when they dont know what is wrong with your baby and now more drs are realizing it is the gi allergy issues. The lining of th stomach is not thick enough and the protein cells leak though the lining and come into the body causing pain and can even make more holes in the stomach causing blood and more pain.
If you think it is bad take her to the pped and have her bottom swabed for blood, it only takes a quick sec. There are just too many things it could be , lactose, milk protein, etc so that is why I suggest the alimentum till 6 months of age.
good luck
J.

Hi L.,
You have been given some great advice by all the wonderful moms here and I just wanted to share with you my experience with the same issue I had with my daughter. I nursed her for almost 7 months the whole time of which she was "gassy", uncomfortable, irritable etc. We did gas drops to no avail and also Zantac which helped with the reflux but not the other isues. When we initially switched her to Nestle Good Start Supreme she was just as bad then we switched her again (Dr's advice) to another formula and she had a horrible reaction. Long story short, I asked to be referred to a pediatric allergist and found out that she is allergic to dairy (and egg). We did a 50/50 combo of soy based formula and hypoallergenic (Nutramigen) and she was a TOTALLY different child within a few weeks! The reason we did 50/50 is because the hypoallergenic tastes horrible and is very expensive. Your daughter may not have allergies but may be very sensitive to casein (found in milk based formulas). Talk to your ped about some options. I wish someone had told me all this when my daughter was younger because it would have saved her many miserable months.
Hope this helps :)

Given all the different responses you got below - and I agree it could be any of them causing your daughter's discomfort - I would say please go to your pediatrician. My son ended up on the most hypoallergenic formula there is (Neocate) and also took medicine for acid reflux - and wow, what a difference. Trust your instincts if you think something isn't right. Good luck-

Your pharmacist probably can tell you more about this than any of us. They are so overly trained in all medical situations. Give him a call or stop by. I'm sure he/she can be of help immediately.

1) increase tummy time. Placing her on her tummy on your knees, laying her on tummy for a few minutes each time you change her diaper. laying her on her back and doing bicycles with her legs (sing a song while doing this). All of this will help increase motility and help work out the gas
4) Swaddle. The tightness and slight pressure around their tummy will also provide some comfort. Think about when you have a tummy ache and want to curl in a ball. Newborns naturally asume this position and swaddling helps them feel secure and calm (happiest baby on the block) recommendation.
2) contact your pediatrician to discuss
3) consider switching formula. my dd would not tolerate enfamil with iron (ever). she was on Enfamil Gentlease until we switched her to whole milk at 12 months.
4) i did not have any luck with Mylicon drops. I implemented the steps above with success. My dd switched to formula at 4 months and until month 6 she was fussy and had irregular bowels until I sorted through her issues. I also started giving her 1-2 oz of undiluted prune juice. Other alternative was to mix prunes in with her cereal in the morning. She had (still has at 14 mos) prunes consistently in her diet to help with ocnstipation. I don't recommend this yet as your daughter is still young, but please keep in mind as she gets older if you still strgugle with this.

My son had horrible gas pains when he was very little. It was probably caused by what I was eating, as I was breastfeeding. The lactation nurse told me to try "Gripe Water". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gripe_water
- you can type in "Gripe Water" in your web browser and get a plether of information about it. It's a natural solution to give to your daughter, as the Mylicon drops did not work. When I was done breastfeeding and started him on formula, it seemed to get worse. I then switch him to a "soy" based formula and his gas pains/ problems seemed to get better. I know it's heart-wrenching to see your little baby in so much pain. Good luck & check with your pediatrician on switching formulas.