Help for a Gassy Baby

Yeah, so much for breastfed babies "hardly ever getting constipated!" My son always had painful bowel movements, the consistency of peanut butter. His ped advised 2-4 ounces of juice. Water works, as does juice. I always diluted his regular from-concentrate juice half and half, but now I do even more. It's 1/3 juice to 2/3 water. Saves a lot on juice and calories! I gave it to him in a bottle every day, and he only had problems when we forgot.
Anyway, that helped a lot.
He was also very gassy, and I spent many a night awake with him laying on my chest on his tummy. That's the only position he liked. Then I got simethicone. I bought the WalMart generic Infant Gas Relief Drops, which is the same as Mylicon. It TOTALLY works. We took it everywhere with us, and he liked it so much, we called it "gas candy." It saved my sanity.

My baby was SUPER gassy in his first months of life. If he is uncomfortable from it, I swear by Mylicon. It dissolves the gas instantly and makes baby feel better. You can get this at any grocery store or pharmacy.

Another thing that worked wonders (and was much cheaper) is pumping baby's legs. I laid him on his back and pushed his knees up to his tummy first at the same time and then alternating. Then I would take his legs up to his tummy and rotate his lower body in a circle. I nearly always got gas out that way. This also will work with his digestion and pooping.

Hope that helps!

If you are breastfeeding, consider the foods that you are eating that may be gassy, such as beans, brocolli, or dairy. Also make sure that your baby is having enough time at ONE of your breasts at each feeding, so that s/he gets the thick, caloric milk at your hind breast, aka the cheesecake. If your baby spends 15 minutes or less on a breast, do not switch so soon because your baby is probably getting more of the watery milk in your forebreast, aka the soup. Too much "soup" can cause a gassy and unsatisfied baby.

If you are formula feeding, consider switching brands or types of formula. You may need a formula that is more easily digestible.

Remember that a baby's digestive system is the most immmature system in his/her whole body. They have never used it before, as they used to get fed by mom's blood supply thru the umbilical cord in utero. It can be quite the adjustment for your little one.

C. M., CBE, CLD, MWA
The Westside Birth Connection
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www.westsidebirthconnection.com
Marketing Chair, Colorado Doulas Association
www.coloradodoulas.com

I totally second the gripe water and you can find it anywhere now a days

Hi,
My babies were formula fed & constipated. My pediatrician had me give 1 oz of water with 1 oz of adult white grape juice until he was 2 months old & then we started giving him 4 oz of the juice without water. Since you are breastfeeding, I don't know if this is a possibility for you but it worked great for easier bowel movements.

We also gave him 1/4 tsp of Maylox (sorry I'm not sure if that's the right spelling) starting at 2 months.
T.

Two words: Gripe Water. Its an all natural product for gassiness, colic, upset stomach. Its made of chamomille, ginger and fennell. Works so great... you give a does when your baby gets fussy and it takes a little while to work (up to half an hour). You can find it at health food stores. We got ours at Good Earth... the brand we used is GentleCare (not the possibly contaminated brand that was recalled) and had no table sugar, artificial colors, flavors or perservatives. Worked great for us... our daughter was pretty gassy and this got her through the rough times until she learned better how to deal with the gas (and BMs). Good luck!

Breastfeeding is the way to go!!! Just watch what you are eating. Brocolli and chocolate can make babies extra gassy, as well as Mexican...Just keep track of the times that he is at his worst and figure out what you ate. Drink lots and lots of water!!!

I breastfed all three of mine and loved every minute. You might purchase the baby book "The first year".It was a life saver for me.

I too had a gassy baby who had hard bowel movements while breastfeeding. My baby ended up being allergic to MY milk and cows milk. My milk because I have a thyriod disease and wasnt producing good milk. However you dont want to assume thats the case. Whole foods has an all natural gas tablet that will relieve some of his gas without the pain. I used them for my daughter. They also have teething tablets and more. You may want to try that first before the allergy test!

Are you breastfeeding? Alot of times what you eat will affect the baby. Steer clear of corn...it seems to be the worst! My kids were gassy and had difficult times passing gas and having BMs. You can naturally stimulate the rectum with a thermometer...usually gets a little stimulation is all it takes. If you are using formula, I HIGHLY suggest Carnation Good Start, it is a little more expensive but the proteins are already broken down so makes digestion easier for the baby. GOOD LUCK!