Gas Problems

well L. i have twins that are now 2 but when they were little they had problems being gasy so i would put them belly down across my legs while i was sitting and just move my legs a little and bounce just a little then pat them on their back...it worked for me so maybe it would work for you ...have a great day!

Hello my name is T., and when my kids had gas real bad I used a warm rice bag. I placed it in the microwave for a couple of mins, and placed it on their tummy on top of their clothes. Or you can lay them on it, on their bellies.. Try that.

Hi L.. My name is V.. I have a solution to the gas problem. Try Milacon. I think I spelled it right. Well anyway. You can find it anywhere. Walmart has it for about $5. It works really good, and you can give it many times a day. It relieves the gas pains. I know that you have tried gas drops though. But if that don't work or if you already tried it, then what about those special bottles. They have so many. It can become pricey, but it's worth it. Those Vent flo one are good ones. And with the schedule idea. He's just too lil to really get on a set schedule. Their feeding times differ.

Hi,

My name is R. and my son has had gas problems all along and he's 1 now. When we was younger we put him in his bouncey chair with a warm pillow on his belly and that really seemed to calm him down. Mine was like the ones from discovery store that had lavender in it and could be put in the microwave. I hope this helps.

R.

Do not totally avoid any foods! It's just one more thing people tell you to do that makes breastfeeding all that much more difficult and frustrating. Remember, every baby has gas, and they all spit up. Throwing up is one thing, spitting up is fine. If he is spitting up a lot, talk to your doctor, but a lot of time they will put you on formula when that isn't really necessary, I promise! I'm a breastfeeding counselor, and I see it happen all the time!
Try to keep a diary for a couple of days of what you eat. For example, if you sit down for dinner at 5, right down the time and what you ate. If it is your food causing the gas, you will notice in two or so hours. Make a note of how bad the gas was and so on. If it's just normal gas, don't cut out the food, just cut down a little. If it causes extrememe pain, then cut it out for awhile, and try eating it again in a month or so.
About scheduling, he's too young for much of a schedule. Nothing wrong with bedtime routine, but when it comes to eating, do not schedule it. Feed him whenever he wants to eat, even if it's 45 minutes after the last feeding. If you start scheduling feeding time, at about 4 months, you'll notice a sudden decrease in your milk supply, if not before then!

It is normal for some babies to spit up, pass gas, and even stomachs ball up. What I did when my girls had gas is wrap a recieving blanket tightly around their stomach, let them sleep either on my or my husbands stomach, and even massaged their little tummies in a circular motion kindof like the ones used during delivery for us. rub one direction for a little while then rub the oppisite way.

We did the "colic carry" with my daughter. Put her face down on your forearm and support her head with your hand. That helped. As far as a schedule, we made sure all the blinds were open during the day, and lights were low in the evening and nighttime. You're not going to have a schedule for the first couple months though! Good luck.

Hi. I got a lot of my advice from my wonderful mother. When I had a problem with one of my children, I called on her. Her gas advice was to get a small bottle of warm water and drop a half of a piece of peppermint candy in and shake it. It only took a little bit but it help us.

As for the schedule, try to keep him up a little longer during the day playing with him, give a bath always seemed to be a good one. If you are too tired to keep him up ask for help while you take a nap. Good luck

Schedule is never to soon. It makes your life easier and the babies too. As he grows he'll know what to expect and when to expect it. I have 5 children (which includes a set of twins) and all slept through the night around 8-10 weeks. Try to feed him at 2 1/2 to 3 hour intervals, then work your way up. Also bathing at night helps a lot. Nurse him on one side, burp, then bath him and nurse the other side then to bed. I would try to bath my children around 10pm and go to bed. Fortunately none of mine ever had the spitting up problem, but keeping him upright after nursing does sound logical to help his stomach settle. Just always make sure to get a burp from him. Rubbing my babies back from bottom to top sometimes helped when they had a hard time burping. Good Luck!

Hello! Well, I have to say that although you may be right about him having gas pains, at that age, there's really no way of knowing why he's crying, unless you know he's hungry or he's in need of a diaper change. So, if the gas drops are not working, I'd say he's just grumpy. If you're eating things that would normally give you gas, I would definitely cut back or cut it completely from your diet because an infant's stomach is a lot more sensitive than ours.

If he's spitting up a lot and it's right after eating, you are probably feeding him too much without burping him. Since they don't know how to burp themselves, it comes up on its own and will bring a lot of breastmilk along with it. With both of my kids, I started out feeding them for 5 minutes, burp until they burped, which sometimes would take 10 or more minutes, I swear!! Then, 5 minutes on the other side, followed by a burp.

With the schedule thing, you'll find that he'll eat about every 2 hours for now. It's a rough one, but that IS his schedule. Pretty soon, he'll eat every 3, then 4, and so on. I think I put my kids on a schedule at around 3 months. I started putting them down for a morning nap around 2 hours after they woke up, and then put them back down for an afternoon nap. They also ate at the same time everyday and went to bed at the same time every night.

Do the "burpie dance'!! Rather than placing him over your shoulder, place him on your knee and wave him from side to side, and back and forth -- u should feel a little thump (like thumping a watermelon)-thers the burp!! Since u know where it is, its easier to pop it out.

Just a technique I learned along the way and have been passing on...

mother of three under three

L.,
Everything everyone is saying is true. I had problems with both my daughters. Keep a food diary and watch out for anything that causes gas in people. Milk and cheese - even in other foods. Tomatoes, citrus, broccoli, there is a big list. Talk to your son's doctor, they should be about to tell you what to avoid. It is just a matter off finding out what is bothereing him. For my youngest it was orange juice.
Good Luck,
V.

I think infant massage will help too. I took it with my daughter and it worked wonders. For gas try this massage: If you are looking at your baby and the baby is lying down on the bed, take a small bit of lotion and move from left to right and then down with 4 fingers. Do this right below the belly button. You can feel the gas moving when you do this. Don't push too hard, but be slightly firm. So you are moving in an L shape(upside down and turned around). I took this class from a nurse at the hospital, so it is totally safe. Good Luck.

I didn't have gas problems with my breastfed son a lot, but I did with my daughter, who I couldn't breastfeed due to medical reasons. We tried Mylicon and other infant gas relief drops to no avail. I'll tell you what we did--in spite of any backlash I may get for doing it--we gave her like 2 ml. of Mylanta after her bottles, and eventually, she got a lot better with her gas. We don't even have to give it to her any more. She's great at burping with the li'l pats now. Also, signs of discomfort may result from constipation, so you may try 1 teaspoon of dark Karo syrup in about 2 oz. of water or 2 oz. of apple or pear juice, which worked great for us as well. It eventually helped her regulate her bowel movements and relieve her of her gas issues.

It definetly could be what you are eating. Avoid cabbage, broccoli, beans and other foods that cause gas. Spitting up a little I think is normal but if it is every meal, then there might be a problem. I say at 3 weeks it is hard to get them on a schedual. They eat and sleep when they need it at that age. Good luck!

i hear that when you breast feed you are not suppose to eat spicy foods.i dont know if that's related to giving a baby gas or not ,but you can ask around.Also i've always given my babies a little bit of baking soda and warm water that always helped mine, but you really need to find out why he is so gassy.One of my grands ,had a disease called ,galactosemia,because she use to spitt up alot.So you may want to check into that also.

Hi L.! I just wanted to second the infant massage suggestion. It seems that a lot of (maybe most?) babies are gassy and spit up a lot in the first 3 months or so of their lives. (Some more than others - they're all individuals, of course!) Their little bodies are so new to all this stuff that it takes them awhile to adapt and figure it all out. Massage is a great way to move the gas through their systems, but also to relax them so that the gas CAN move. It's also a great way to put them to sleep and to bond with the baby. You can find some great books and videos on infant massage online (just Google "infant massage") or at a bookstore.

I can't help much with the schedule. I know it's important, but I also found out with my kids that I had to let them show me their rhythms so I could work with them rather than trying to force them into a schedule that wasn't going to work. You're still the leader in the dance, but you have to let the babies tell you what they need too.

Good Luck!
L.

To add to the advice pp gave, try to keep him upright for about 15 minutes after you feed him. That may help with the spitup. If you aren't able to hold him, put him in his carseat or bouncy seat.

Also, my girls are 11 mo old (twins) and they still BF every 3 hrs... during the day. Luckily, they go 12-13 hrs between their 6 p.m. feeding and their 6-7 a.m. feeding.

I think it is too early to try to put him on a schedule, but I highly recommend the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It helped me get my girls on a great schedule. I will warn you, the beginning is very dull and dragged on for me, but you can just skip to the more helpful info if you are pressed for time. Good luck!

Our son was (is) VERY gassy. It would cause a lot of fussiness in him. What I found the be the most helpful was burping in the middle of each feeding at least once (sometimes twice) and immediately after, and also burping in between feedings. This helped a TON!

As far as I know, some infants spit up a lot. Ours only does once every few weeks, but it can be major. The increased burping helped that too.

Good luck!

I could have written this! My son Levi is 3 weeks old too and sounds a lot like your son. I have found that putting him on his stomach across my legs and patting/rubbing his back helps (the pressure on his tummy seems to work some stuff out). Also, if you're eating things that would typically give YOU gas (broccoli, sprouts, beans) it could translate to the baby. It's totally normal for them to spit up a little, but if you are still concerned, ask your pediatrician. As far as the schedule thing goes check out the book "the baby whisperer". From what I understand a lot of what it teaches is how to get them on schedules from feeding to eating.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

Gas tips: do push toosh (pushing the legs into almost a birthing position with the knees being pushed in toward the belly) while doing push toosh (our special little nickname, silly I know) twist the legs to the right then the left kindof tilting the lower half of the body slightly left/right, this shoots gas out in almost a gunshot like fashion!!! HA. Sometimes we'd rank these on a scale of 1-10 it was so loud...

Burp OFTEN. More often then you think you need too!

sleep - comes later, like around 6-8 weeks a little routine starts...

good luck

Hi,

I recommend keeping a food diary to determine if it is something that you are eating. When I breastfed my oldest daughter, I figured out that salad caused excessive gas for her.

L.,
My son had gas problems all the time. I thought that maybe it was something that I was eating, but it sometimes is just something they grow out of. He had the problem for several weeks, and eventually grew out of it. He is still young, so unless it is causing pain don't worry. Keep burping on a regular basis. It is normal for infants to spit up. Again, they grow out of that as well. Regarding tips on getting him on a schedule--the younger the better. I had my little boy on a schedule by the time he was 2 weeks old. He has kept it ever since, and it made my life much easier. Obviously, right now you are feeding ever 2-3 hours. Try to stretch him to four. Let him cry. Many moms think that they have to get up every time. Just try it for a day and see how it works. A little change at a time is best. Try to feed him every 4 hours and begin now doing the same things at same times during the day. This will help him understand when it is time to sleep, eat, sing, etc. I started my little boy in the morning by singing to him and just talking to him. Ever since he was 3 months old he woke up at 8 am. took a nap at 11, nap at 2:30 and went to bed at 8. It has been great! Don't get discouraged though. Every child and home is different. Just take it slow and see what works best for you and the little guy. Hope it goes well for you.

His gas problems could very likely be something you are eating, I would try a rather bland diet for a couple days and see if that helps, it could also be that he just has a little gassy system. I would lay him on your lap face down and rub up his back, that should help push things up and it will also put pressure on his belly at the same time. We had some trouble with our daughter at first and I found that if I gave her the gas drops right before she ate or in her bottle that it helped tremedously, I was all about prevention not treating it after it was a problem. so maybe that would help.

As to a schedule, it is never to early to start that. I recommend the baby whisper book. She is terrific at helping you set up a schedule and sticking to it, and it is a practical book full of other resources. Something good to have on hand.

Hi L.! I have a 4 month old little girl and we experienced the same thing with severe gas. We went through a phase where she would cry nonstop, for over 2 hours every night, due to her discomfort in her belly. She would arch her back and tense up in the stomach. We thought it was colic and the doctors thought so too. We went and bought Gripe Water, an all natural remedy from the baby store, and this seemed to be a miracle. After 2 weeks she mysteriously stopped this crying and was burping better and she did not look to be in pain or have stomach discomfort. I don't necessarily think it is something that you are eating, however I think it is more of your baby's stomach pain and discomfort.
As far as the spitting up...my little girl very rarely spits up. Have you asked your doctor about acid reflux? Maybe try and position him upright for feedings and don't lay him down on his back immediately after eating. This is one thing that we did to help my little girl with her stomach pains and gas. Make sure that your little one is burping and keep on patting that back until you hear one.
As far as schedules...that was the best thing that I could do was to get her on a schedule. Until then, it was rough! I honestly believe that having your baby on a shcedule will help you too. When my baby was around 2 months we were better establishing a routine for feedings/naps/baths,etc. Now, at 4 months, it is pretty much routine. I am enjoying myself more and enjoying her much more due to a routine! Hope this all helps. Good luck!
S.

L., I am so happy for you on the birth of your son. However your problem is not gas, it is reflux. Unfortunately, most people think that it is gas that causes a baby to fuss, when actually it is the reflux that makes them fuss, they swollow alot of air and then the gas has to go somewhere. At this point if your son is nursing every 2-3 hours he is doing very well, and that is about where his "schedule" should be. I do think that you need to talk to your Pediatrician about the reflux. Some things that you can do is feed him as up right as you can. This is difficult to do with nursing, but it will help the milk to stay lower in his tummy and the air rising to the top. Holding him upright for about 10-15 minutes after he feeds will also help. You can also elevate the head of his bed and place him on his back on that incline. Ultimately he may need some medicine to help with his symptoms. Usually that medicine is zantac, which helps to decrease the acid production in his stomach and will help the irritation to heal and that will help him to reflux less. In my experience, avoiding the foods that cause gas is all well and good, but that leaves nothing left to eat that tastes any good. There may be one or two things that bother him, but not a boat load full. Also watch the gas drops, because they slow the gut down and alot of times will lead to constipation. That will make the gas he is trying to pass harder to do so. If you need to do something put a warm blanket or hot water bottle on his tummy. The local heat will help better. I think you child will be much happier tho, if you get his reflux treated. Good luck with your son, and enjoy him, he is the love of your life.

Hi L.,

I had the same problem (he was up all night one night!) and found tomato sauce seemed to be the culprit. It happened when I ate pizza and spaghetti. Spaghetti with butter was ok, pizza was hard to give up, but it did improve dramatically.

Good luck!

I can give some advice on the gas. Try laying him across your legs on his stomach and patting his back, It worked for me!

Hi, L..

My son is 6 mos. and he had a lot of gas pain, too, very early. I had to accept that some of it was just normal, yes, but I experimented with my diet since I was breastfeeding to see if that helped. When I tried cutting out unprocessed dairy products (milk, cheese) he had much less pain.
The pain was a lot better by six weeks, but when you love that little one so much it is hard to deal with in the meantime.

And spitting up is very normal! Keeping my son still and off his tummy after eating helps most of the time, but, when he was little-little, it just happened.
Sounds like you are a very loving mom - I'll be praying for you both!

Hi L.,
I know you said you tried gas drops, but did you try Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief. You can get it anywhere. My son is 6 weeks and has gas all the time, I tried the Mylicon and within 5 minutes he was fine and back to his normal self. You can give them as needed just dont exceed 12 doses in 24 hours.

Dear L.,
'
To this day (my daughter is 3) the one method for relieving gas ans tummy problems is a massage. I leanred it from the midwives in England in post-natal classes.

Here's what you do:
First, with baby on the back slowly bend the legs one at a time so the knee is toward the chest. Do this with nice music on and slowly and gently about 5 times each leg. Then repeat, but move both legs up at the same time, then straighten out all the way, repeat about 5 times.

Then with nice baby lotion on your hand, flatten your hand and with finger tips toward the baby's head and wrist closer to the baby's feet, slowly and gently place your hand on the belly and wtih minimal pressure move your palm in a clockwise motion in three circles (in the direction the intestines go). This should help get the bowels moving. My daughter usually with be sorted out in about 30 minutes or so after that, and sometimes does a bowel movement almost immediately. Now she asks for these massages.

Good luck! Let me know how it all worked out.

And keep gas drops on hand for car rides, etc.

--K.

For the gas problem, my son was more gassy than my daughter, but the way to relieve the gas the easiest was to sit them on my knee, him sitting sideways so he leaned on my hand which was just under his rib cage. I would lean them forward a little and rub their back. I would sometimes pat them if they were being a little more difficult to burp, but mostly I just rubbed their back. Sometimes doing this and laying them back down, doing the bicycle, etc.. getting them back up again and rubbing their backs, worked great. It took a little while to figure this out, but it worked good.

I agree with the schedule, the sooner you have that going, the better, but I also agree with what someone else wrote, feeding every 2-3 hours, etc.. That is your schedule for now. It'll get easier and, of course, longer in between feedings/naps, etc.. Before you know it, you'll have this walking, talking toddler getting into everything and you'll wonder where these days went. :-)

Good luck!
K.

Hi L.,

I had similar problems with my daughter when she was an infant. Here's what worked for her (all f this was done on the advice of her very wise and experienced pediatrician!): Milicon gas drops in the middle of every single feeding (gave it to her when I switched sides) for about 3 months from hen she was 3 weeks old - it was no problem weaning her off the gas drops once she no longer needed it. As her pediatrician also suspected that she was borderline GERD and had acid reflux (could be the same problem with your son - spitting up is a common symptom) we gave her infant pepcid for a couple of weeks and that really helped - ask your pediatrician. And finally we also tried giving her some Gripe water (very popular in England and other European countries - some baby stores and online places sell it) Her pediatrician recommended trying it and it seemed to help - it doesn't do any harm even if it doesn't help!

Some practical advice - don't lay your son down flat after feeding - hold him upright for at least 20 minutes even in the middle of the night! Ask your pediatricin about elevating the head of his bed with a pillow or wedge under the mattress.

The good news - this does not last long! My daughter is now 2 and has no lingering GI issues and has a wonderfully healthy appetite!

Good luck!

In response to your question about starting a schedule, I would recommend reading "Babywise" by Ezzo and Bucknam. They talk alot about the importance of babies being on a schedule and also tell ways to go about starting one. Their approach can be sort of rigid at times, but you can take bits and pieces from it that can be really helpful. Good luck~

You can try infant massage. This really worked for my daughter when she was that young. Plus it's excellent bonding for you and baby! Also it is normal for baby to spit up, especially at his age. The projectile spitting up is always tons of fun, lol! And it's never to early to start a schedule! I wish I had done more of a schedule for my daughter when she was that age, now I'm regretting not putting her on much of a schedule!

Try rubbing his belly...he'll love it and it will help him get that gas through his bowels.

My son spit up all the time, doctor said it was fine as long as he keeps most of it down. He was about 2 weeks old the first time I saw him do this, but he would spit up/vomit so violently it would come out of his nose and mouth! Scared me to death the first time, but we came to the conclusion he was gaining weight fine and was just a barfy kid.

I bet if you give him just a little more time, maybe another month, he will get acclamated to his own schedule. Some babies take longer than other, no two kids are alike as they say, but 3 weeks is too early to try and push anything on him in schedule form. (just an opinion). Give it a little more time, then work on a schedule.

as far as a schedule goes, I had my newborn daughter with me all day long. i fed her and she napped in the living room. I went about daily routines, watching tv, running the sweeper, the phone ringing. She slept through all this. I only put her in her crib at night when it was bedtime. throughout the night i would do feedings and put her back in her crib. in the morning she would be back in the main part of the house. this not only helped her get night and day straight, it also made her a good sleeper in noisy situations.

My son was the same way and continued with lots of spit up until he was almost 9 months old. We went through lots of clothes and burp rags (burp clothes hardly lasted a feeding for us). The doctor told us that eventually that will just stop and it did. We also rubbed his tummy in a clockwise motion which is supposed to help with digestion.

I second "Babywise". Miracle book for us!

Good luck! I know it's tough to seem them in pain that way!

Try Gripe Water for gas, available at The Natural Marketplace at the Arboretum, and I think I've seen it at Babies R Us. My baby's pediatrician suggested that for me. Also, if/when using a bottle, try Dr Brown's bottles. They work really well for gassy babies.

My baby spit up A LOT as well, to the point that I was worried and took her to the DR. It is completely normal for some babies to spit up more than others, BUT, if you fell something is wrong, take her to the DR. My baby had a UTI, and was spitting up like 5 times in an hour sometimes. It never hurts to check.

As far as a schedule goes, I read the book Babywise. Several of my friends used that method (Eat, Play, then Sleep) and their babies were sleeping thru the night at 8 weeks. I probably didn't stick to the schedule as well as I should have, but my baby is 10 weeks and is sleeping about 7 hours a night.

L.,
My daughter is now 18 months old but when she was first born we had a lot of trouble with her spitting up, as well. She would also nurse for about 5-10 min. and then begin to cry like she was uncomfortable. I thought it was gas and I tried all the normal fixes. I tried keeping a food diary, I cut out dairy, ate nothing spicy, used the drops (I even tried using them every 4 hours to help keep gas from building up), and Gype water, letting her sleep in her swing, burping every 5 minutes. Still nothing worked. Eventually my pediatrician sent us to a specialist. He checked her stool and did a urine test and told us it was reflux. My daughter had it badly enough that she had to take medicine for it, but some babies can use simpler cures, Like elevating the crib mattress slightly and not laying them down for a 1/2 hour after they eat. The good news is they grow out of it. The doctor said it seemed like gas because the pain in her stomach and esophagus made her tense up her belly and that pushed whatever gas there was out. So maybe ask your pediatrician what they think, and read up on gas and reflux. Good luck! I truly sympathies. It is so sad and taxing when they are so tiny and uncomfortable!

Hi L.,
My 8 month old had waking gas pains and spit up a lot the first six months. We used a lot of those gas drops but what helped the most (especially for spitting up) was when I read that a breast fed baby should nurse one breast until that breast is empty before nursing from the other breast. The reason given is that the beginning breast milk is watery and slowly becomes thicker with fat... The fattier milk helps the baby with digestion. Since I couldn't really tell when it was time to switch breasts, I simply nursed her on the same side 2 times in a row, then 2 times on the other side.
I noticed a difference immediately.
Hope this helps,
D.

as far as the gas, I always laid my kids across my lap, grabbed their ankles, and bounced their legs like I was doing baby leg lifts. It could be something you are eating. Try cutting out something you eat a lot or on a regular basis. Also, babies spit up. As long as it is not a weird color or being projected don't worry. My son spit up most of what he was eating and he found out I couldn't drink milk for the first 2 months. Then I slowly introduced it back and he could have breastmilk, but he is allergic to milk and can't have any kind of dairy. As far as the schedule, you can certainly try for a schedule but realize he is a baby he has no since of day or night and be willing to be flexible.

My baby was the same way until I cut dairy out of my diet. Milk and ice cream were the biggest problems. I still eat ice cream from time to time but I make sure to drink lots of water after eating it. Another thing thay has helped is holding a binky in his mouth. If he sucks long enough, it makes him pass the gas. It makes me feel awful to see him struggle with gas pains.
Hope my advice works for you.
S.

Yes it could be something that you are eating. Like onions or spicy foods. I don't remember all of the things that contributes to gas problems. My daughter was excessively gasy. The one thing that helped her was I would lay her face down across my lap and pat her back. Start at the shoulders and pat down his back all the way to his butt and just keep repeating that. The patting forces the gas bubbles to find an exit. At first he may scream a bit if he has alot of gas but as soon as some of the gas is released he will relax. When you lay him across your lap make sure his belly is laying on your legs. Hope tis helps.

Jessie

Babies magic tea can help you out to settle down the gas problems in your son's tummy and this will make him comfortable, so it will be easy for you to make a schedule for him.

Ok yes it is normal for infants to spit up but it depends on how much. Like the quantity of the spit up. My son had the same problems. He ahs severe acid reflux. Yours may not have it as bad but may have reflux. He aslo has stomach spasms which gave him alot of gas and even with us doing bicycle legs it didnt work it out. If you havent already talk toy uor doctor about reflux and see if he has it.

Dear L.,
i dont' know what to say about the gas, as far as his spiting up. When he spits up is like he had to much, or is he is throwing up? My son spits up and he is 3 weeks and 4 days old, he does that he has had to much to eat and dont' want anymore. When you see him spiting up, burp him and see if he wants more if he dont' then let him be. I am first time mom as well it's hard i know. I have tired when i want my son to go to bed, give a bath in lavender and chalmioe baby bath, put the same kind of lotion on him. After he has had his bath, give him a warm bottle,(or in your case breastfeed him). Ask his doctor if he is a colcki baby. When my son wakes up he is feed, he sleeps about 4 hours apart, he put himself on that schedule, he will make his schedule, just be patience with him, it takes a while.

good luck,
C.

Everyone has pretty much said exactly what I thought! books Babywise and Healthy sleep habits happy baby were and are still godscends!!! They help with schedules and just any questions regarding sleeping and napping!

My baby was gassy so I thought, and I gave him gas drops before every feeding up until about 10 weeks and he also spit up alot and still does he is 4 months. My pediatrician put him on Zantac and that seemed to help. I have now stopped the Zantac to see and I think it did help but its not as bad now. My new pediatrician(I moved)suggested I stop to see what happens because at 4 months it seems to get better. Hang in there, you are going through the same exact thing I went through and it does get better even though you think it can't! I also put my son in the main part of the house for naps in his swing. Its great he can sleep through the noise. I have started trying to put him in his bed for naps but to me its not worth fighting because we are both much happier when he naps!!! Good Luck!

L.,
A couple of things came to mind as I read your email. I have been a doula for over ten years and mother for 16 years so I have some first hand experience.
Some babies are just gasier than others. Notice that whatever you eat takes 4 hours to hit your breastmilk. Many baby's show their dislike of flavors and such in the milk by pulling on the breast instead of just simply sucking.
The spitting up thing does sometimes show a baby is getting too much. If there is snacking and not full feedings at regular intervals, then usually there is more spitting up. Try to stretch your son by 15 minutes to get to the 3 hr mark for feedings and see if that helps.
Feel free to contact me off list if you have more questions.
S.
____@____.com

it could well be something in your diet or the baby's digestive system has not matured yet. you can check w/pediatric nurse or some one from le leache (sp) league.
almost all babies spit up. it varies w/each baby. my dr. advised me when my daughter did this, especially projectile spit up to feed water in between feedings. add diluted juices as baby gets older.
schedule? the schedule would be more for you than baby. i have tried it both ways. everyone in family is a lot happier when baby is fed on demand--when he's hungry. life is much more easygoing. at least it was for me. trust your your gut instinct on this one. is it worth hearing the baby cry when it's hungry while you wait for the scheduled time to feed him?

Congratulations on your little boy, L.! Both of my sons were breastfed and had gas the first few weeks. We tried a steady routine of Mylecon drops - I would give a couple drops with every nursing. I also cut out anything gas-causing in my diet, like broccoli and beans, and substituted dairy with soy. This seemed to help a bit, but really I think the gas just got better as they got older and were more able to work things out internally. It is normal for infants to spit up. My youngest son (10mo)and my nephew (1yr) have been very spitty babies. You'll just have to get in a routine of always having a burp cloth ready and keeping bibs on him. Regarding the schedule - at 3 weeks he's still a very young infant and you can't really have a schedule because you are nursing constantly. However, as he gets older, you may see a pattern emerge in your days when he has longer active times and will take fewer naps. We didn't really have any sort of predicatble "schedule" until closer to the 3 month mark. So don't beat yourself up about schedules - just enjoy every second with your sweet little baby!