My daughter is almost 8 weeks old and suffers from gas. She currently takes mylicon gas drops to help relieve her but lately that hasn't been enough. She takes Similac Advanced formula (blue lable) and I am trying her on the same brand but the senitive formula. My question is: when switching formula of the same brand, does it have to be done gradually? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
K.,
My daughter had gas really bad also, and we switched her to the sensitive formula and my ped told me that you don't need to do it gradually, as long as it is all milk based. just keep an eye on her for allergies. hope this helps and good luck.
J.
I switched my baby at about that age to the Similac Sensitive stomach, and I did it all at once. He handled it fine, and I saw an immediate improvement. We tried Gentlease, Isomil, and Good Start first, but he did best (by far) on the Similac Sensitive. The gas improved dramatically. Good luck!
I think it would be okay just to switch but I'd also recommend taking her in to make sure it's only gas and not something more like reflux. It's so sad when babies hurt!! Good luck to you and your precious daughter.
Hi K.,
Congratulations on your the new addition to your family, you're life will never be the same.
My daughter (she is now 3yrs old) was very gassy and actually colicy as well. Her gas pain was so terrible that there was a time when she cried 3hrs straight (off and on). It was really a test of patience because I was so frustrated that she was in so much discomfort. I was often left feeling helpless.
We put her on a soy-based formula as well. She also seemed to find relief when I held her in the "football" hold. People in public would look at me funny for holding her like that, but she liked it.
My mother-in-law also did "bicycles" on the living floor with her. She would have my daughter lay on her back on the living room floor and she would sit facing her. Then she'd hold my daughter's legs up by her ankles and gently make bicycle peddling motions in the air, making sure that my daughter's knees came up to her tummy. She would also flex her legs out and back, again bringing the baby's knees up to her tummy. This seemed to help move the gas up and out.
When my daughter turned 4 months old, she miraculously became a new baby!?!?! It was so weird, but I was so thankful.
Hang in there.
Hi K.,
COngratulations on your baby girl. My daughter is 6 months and I remember the "gasy" phase very well. I did not find mylicon helpful, however my Dr. told me to try Gripe Water (you can get it a Buy Buy Baby or Whole Foods) and it made the world of difference. I also switched her formula (all at once) and had no problems.
Good luck!
my son (who is now 9 months) had the same thing and no you do not have to ween them off the old formula. We went thru 5 different formulas before we found the one that worked best. You do however have to stay on it for a few days to see if it's working. Ask your pediatrician to give you a sample so you don't have to pay for each switch and waste your money.
Nik
It is recommended to gradually introduce the new formula. Because there could be other reasons that are causing the reaction from her current formula. YOu can mix the old and the new, starting with 60% to 75% of the old mixed with 40% to 25% of the new. Be consistent with a few feeding and note any changes. This could take a couple of days for the switch. Also check with your peditrician
When I switched my daughter to soy, for the same reasons, I was told you don't have to do it gradually. You can just switch but then give it about a week before switching again, if needed. We finally settled on Similac Sensitive (orange label) because my daughter was still spitting up a lot. Once we got off the soy and advanced she did much better. She used to vomit so violently it would fly across the room. She is now 7 months and doing great. Hope you find the right formula for your little one.
In short, no, just start the new formula; if there isn't a difference in a week or so, you may want to talk to the pediatrician about switching to a soy-based formula.
My son was the same way. I switched formulas from Similac to Enfamil. Enfamil was a lot better. But the Mylicon drops never worked for him so I used Gripe Water. That stuff works wonders. I would also put him to bed with one of those tummy heated pads for babies. That would help him sleep through the night. Hope that helps.
Some kids can just switch straight up. They all taste the same unless you get soy or something else. But if you want you can always do it 1/2 and 1/2 then 1/4 and 3/4. I know sometimes extra iron in formulas can cause gas. And also try feeding smaller feedings more often and see if that helps. Its alot of work but worth it to get thru a gassy stage...which hopefully will pass. We did 2-3oz every 2hrs.
Buy Dr. Brown bottles IMMEDIATELY - you can find them at Walmart or Target. This saved my life. They are made so that the child gets absolutely no air what-so-ever. http://www.handi-craft.com/
Also to help alleviate the pain - lay her belly on your belly - while you are sitting up in a somewhat reclined position. Pat her back - the warmth of your body will help make the gas rise out of her.
Best wishes.
My daughter had the same issue! We gave her gas drops usually after each meal and Enfamil Gentlease was only formula that we found that her system can handle. She just recently got out of the gassy phase at four months. Hang in there!
My son is now 18 months old. I had the same problem the first couple months also and the Dr recommended that I switch his formula to Gentlease in a purple & gold can by Enfamil. Its specially formulated for gassy or fussy babies and easier to digest. It worked great and thats what we kept using. He now drinks Silk Soy milk. I tried Mylicon drops, little tummies gas drops, etc. The formula was the best switch i made.
Hello. My 1st child was much more gassy then my second. What is even weirder is my breast milk made them really gassy. So with my fist child she had had some enfamil at the hospital to help feed her and at home since I had a sample. After discovering it was gas that was bothering her so much and off a recommendation I immediately switch to Carnation Good Start and she was very happy. I didn't even try anything else with my second. So don't worry about switching gradually. Sometimes you have to play around with different brands and types. If all else fails and you've tried everything, ask your doctor for some advice. She might be lactose intolerant and need soy based formula. Hope this helps and good luck!
My son is 10 weeks old and also very gasy! I have him on the mylicon drops too but we are using enfamil gentlease. I had to change him from the same brand of another kind of formula to the gentlease and did not do it gradually and he was fine. My doc had said it was fine to do that. He has been doing much better, still some gas but nowhere as much and he is more comfortable, especially at night time. Good luck
depends on how sensitive their taste buds are. If she'll take it cold turkey, then great, if she balks at it, you may have to mix it in gradually.
Changing gradually is not neccessary. My two children had the same problem and I put them on soy it really helps but ask your doctor first.
Have you thought about breastfeeding instead of formula? Breastfed babies usually never have gas issues. Its not too late, even if you haven't started yet, your baby is real young. You can find great advice at the Le Leche League site at www.llli.org. Good luck to you!!
