Infant Gas Problem

A.,,,,there is some excellent stuff called milacon drops that you can get just about anywhere. If you go to Wal-Mart it is located in the baby area along with Tylenol and all that. This stuff is a life saver. I could not have handled it without this miracle medicine for babies, lol, when my girls were that little.

I don't know about gripe water, however, I have had two colicky babies. And what you're describing sounds like colic! My doctors prescribed levsin to each of them, and it worked wonders. I see that this is an old post, so you may have already worked this out. If not, I hope this helps! Good luck!

Mylicon, mylicon, mylicon, my baby went through the same thing and trust me mylicon works. You can also try rubbing her belly and back.

My son is a now almost 6mth.old breast fed baby, and I had the same problems with him until he was almost 3 mths.old. I will tell you that the more their bodies adjust it will begin to get better. Whatever you do, DO NOT listen to other people who tell you that you will have to stop breast feeding because she can not take your milk!! Breast feeding that baby is the best thing that you can do for her, so if you are dedicated to nursing her DO NOT give up unless your doctor tells you to do so. I to had people try to discourage me. Even my husband told me that I should switch to formula. This was because he came from a family of formula feeders, and they didn't understand nor were they educated enough to know how healthy your child is going to be thanks to this gift that you are giving her. I promise it will get better with time. Just don't give up and try not to get discouraged.

Luckily my son's pediatrician is very pro breast feeding, so he never suggested for me to switch my baby to formula. As a matter of fact, he told me that if I would give him formula his gas would be 10x's worse than it was. He did prescribe us some Levsin drops which seemed to help sometimes but not always. I have heard that the gripe water helps, although I never tried it. I tried Mylicon and it was a waste that did not help at all. It may work for babies with minor gas problems, but I found it did nothing for my son. I am from a small town and everyone kept telling me of this gas/colic medicine from a pharmacy here in my town. Its a special medicine that the pharmacy makes themselves that is made from all natural ingredients. I decided to give it a try and it worked wonders. Within a week of giving it to him, he still had times of gas but he seemed to be able to tolerate it much better. After that I only had to give it to him every now and then, and its been at least 2mths. since the last time I used it. It can be purchased by mail, so if you are interested let me know and I can send you the address and phone number for the pharmacy. I also found that rolling his knees into his stomach helped to get the trapped gas out too. If you do a little research there are many remedies, and it really only depends on what will work for your baby. Our doctor told me not to bother with not drinking milk, because this is much harder to do than it sounds. If the baby is allergic to milk products you will have to cut way more than just milk out of your diet, so go ahead and have yourself a glass. Stay away from really gassy foods though like brocolli and cabbage, but other than that eat what you want and stay as healthy as you can for your baby.

I wish you luck and hope that things get better for you and your new little girl. I think you are doing a great job so far, so keep up the good work.

My daughter in law swears by gas drops.She has used them with all her kids. You may want to try those. You can find them at the pharmacy anywhere. Good luck

Mylicon, Mylicon, Mylicon...we would not have survived without it! My Daughter went through the same thing and changing my diet didn't seem to help(although I didn't drink milk).You might also want to contact someone from the Le Leche League, she might be getting to much air while shes nursing.

Hi A.:

There are other food that might 'cause some gas in breast feeding babies. Try to avoid chocolate 'til your baby is older, coffee, almonds,and fried food / fast food. If you drink lots of water, fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, and your milk, yogurt is great, your baby will benefit from all that, and continue taking a multi-vitamin, food base if you can. Your baby will need a break between feedings to get rid of gas anyway but not as much gas as they usually get from a bottle! Don't give up! At www.meetup.com
there's a group in Tulsa area, OK for breastfeeding mothers, even if you do not live in the area, you can contact the organizers, well educated ladies that I'm sure we'll love to give you some advise!
I have 4 kids, 2 grown and 2 preschoolers and I still nurse my almost 2 boy! About time for this boy to give mommy a break! Blessings to you, your precious children and your husband, hope he'll return soon safe and well!
R.

MYLACON gas drops saved our lives...literally :). She also may be collicky (sp) since he seems to do it in the evenings.
Make sure you talk to your ped. but the gas drops are over the counter. I also would lay my baby on her back and gently roll her legs up and try to help her pass the gas that way. It is horrible to know they are hurting like that. May want to try and hold her in your arms with her tummy facing down on your arm. Good luck!!

Yes I have used gripe water and I felt like it helped. I also used gas drops(simethcone) and I found it to be helpful. You can also try a warm blanket wrapped around the tummy. Or place them on thier tummy with their legs tucked under them while you are watching them. I also cut out most of the dairy, caffine, concentrated sweets in my diet and kept of food diary. This helped me track what seemed to be causing the problems with gas with my baby!

hi A., i have 2 kids and both of mine had trouble with gas i used the over the counter gas drops and they worked great.You might give that a try, i also tried the gripe water but that didnt really work for my kids but its worth a try also...good luck.

babies will get gas... try using mylicon drops and continue tp watch what you eat those are probably the only two things you

Oh, girl! I have a 7 month old girl who had "3 month colic." GRIPE WATER WORKS! I used Baby's Bliss Gripe Water. GIFT FROM ABOVE!!! It helped her a lot. And me a whole lot! I recently bought a different kind. It is Gentle Naturals (it has Winnie and Tigger on the front). It works too. I purchased both at Walgreen's. The Baby's Bliss was more expensive, but I like it better. When you get a hold of it, keep it coming. You won't want to be anywhere without it. Later on, it'll help with teething. It cures hiccups in minutes and it will settle nausea and gas. I bought 3 or 4 bottles at a time. Two for 2 diaper bags, 1 in the house, and 1 in our truck. Did not want to be caught not having it.
Another thing with my girl...I couldn't figure out what I was eating that was bothering her, so I just eliminated something and watched her, eliminated another and watched her, eventually, I figured out that it was chicken. The only thing my lactation consultant and I could figure out was that. I stopped eating chicken and it helped out tremendously.
Good luck. DON'T GIVE UP ON BREASTFEEDING! It gets so much easier and sweeter at about 4 months. You will really start enjoying her more. My baby would just grin at me, all the while with a mouth full of boob! Priceless!

gripe water is the best!!!

My son, who is now 21 months old, had gas problems, too. I was nursing and tried to figure out what was the cause. i could not. Now I realize that drinking milk causes him distress, like painful gas and diarrhea, so he's been milk free and happy for 2 weeks now. I only wish i had figured it out before.

A.,
Both of my sons ( one is 15 months and the other is 12 years...BOTH had/have gassy issues...
What I did with both of them is lay them on their back... grab their ankles.. and let them kick... pushing their knees to their belly... what it does is, it opens up and places pressure on the gassy areas in the stomach... soon, he would be expelling that gas and he would also be getting a bit of a workout! I would also use the Mylicon at the same time.. This was good for one on one time with the baby ( Like we don't have enough sometimes!) We did this from about 2-3 weeks old till now.. If he seems to be bloated feeling or just a little cranky.. we do this and most of the time.. he ends up a tootin machine! Anyways, I hope this helps you out... it did the job for us!
BTW.. I just read my post and just to let you all know... I don't do this for my 12 year old NOW.. I just do it for the baby!!LOL!!!

I don't know about the gripe water or food, but when her belly hurts, if you will rub starting in large circular motion getting smaller (more than skin deep) from just below her ribs all the way down, it will convince the gas to move along and relief will come faster. My yougest daughter had gas problems and this is what the midwife suggested, she is 5 now and still does this to herself when her belly hurts.
k

I experienced the same issues with my children and breast feeding and un been ounced to me it was because I was eating cucummbers, califlower, and brocilli oh boy that was every painful for both of us. He was very misrible and inturn shared with me. I had to learn with all 3 children what I ate affected them. Each one a different food. This same child that got gassy with the above foods had no effect when I ate hot, spicy foods and nursed him. Very interesting and I hope this helps you. Keep up the great work in continuing to nurse your children. GODS perscription milk.

What you eat greatly affects your baby. I nursed all three of mine, and I knew immediately when I'd goofed on my intake. Anything that YOU might be allergic to, you should avoid. Your more mature system may handle it better, but since allergies are familial, it's very possible she will have the same allergies. Once I ate crawfish (like a dodo) and had to pump milk for a spare bottle. I forgot about the crawfish until my baby took a sip, turned her head and cried. You could actually smell the spices in the milk!

I would avoid typical allergy-prone foods like wheat, milk, cheese, and any other foods you may eat a lot of. Especially avoid spicier foods. The blander your diet is, perhaps the better it would be for her. Sorry!

Another thing is to make sure she is fully burped. Some babies burp fully and are fine. Others tend to gulp when nursing and swallow huge amounts of air. Even after what seems appropriate burping, they can still have air left. If your baby makes lots of slurping noises, she may not have a tight seal around your breast.

The worst case scenario is that she has colic, which can be quite miserable for the entire family. My best friend's daughter had colic, and no matter what my friend did, the poor baby just cried. (You could actually hear popping sounds in her stomach/intestines.)

God bless you and your family! We love and support you and your family, especially because your husband has chosen such an honorable profession.

Good luck!

My grandmother was a midwife and she advised mothers with babies that had colic/gas to boil an onion and use the water from the boil in your babies bottle. I have personally tried this with my granchildren and it works. Good Luck P.

Your drinking milk should not be giving the infant gas. Your body digests the lactose long before your baby nurses. You need the milk to maintain your calcium levels.

However, if you are eating oninons or peppers these can be giving the little one gas.

Make sure you are burping her properly, and try giving her Mylicon drops. If she continues to have problems it may not be colic it may be something else.

I would call the pediatrician and have him check her out.

A.,
Have you tried Mylicon--it worked WONDERS for my son. You can give it to them before and after each feeding. Now if she is having some type of colic or reflux I would take her to the doctor. HTH.

I love Gripe Water. I do recommend it. I believe it helped our daughter (who was a preemie). Also, when she comes off the breast, lay her down and "bicycle" her legs in an up and down motion pushing them gently to her stomach. What worked on my daughter was also rubbing her abdomen in a clockwise fashion.

my son is 9 weeks and he had gas so bad he would scream in the middle of a dead sleep. I got gripe water. it is the best thing i have ever tried. I got it at nurturing moment. I love it. I continued to eat and drink everything. You can also take it to daycare when she starts because it has a specific dose for all ages. I LOVE it. My son is breastfed also and didn't cause any problems. Try it!!!

Hi, A.

I have a friend who has a little girl that is 4months old that I watch occassionally she had the same problems with her and she uses gripe water it seems to have really helped her.
good luck.
B.

Gripe water worked wonders for us. My baby was very colicky and cried in pain a whole lot till a pharmacist told me about gripe water. It seem to work immediatly and I went through bottles of the stuff. I found it in Dallas at an Indian Store. It was really cheap and worked great. When my son was born I no longer had the connection in Dallas and ordered a bottle off line from a health food store. It did not work as well but did help. I suggest if you find a place that sells spices and stuff from India that is your best bet. Hope that helps!

I have a 6 month old little prince and I tried the gripe water but it did not seem to help him. I LOVE the Mylicon gas drops you can get at Wal-mart or andy drug store...I also took eggs out of my diet and that seemed to help with the gas. You may have to try taking out any food that may make you gassy untill her system has time to mature....hope this helps.

J.

Dear A. P,
My name is D. and my son had the colic when he was only a month old and it lasted until he was about 5 months old. I had taken him to several doctors and the best thing I finally found was an old home remedy called onion tea. I boiled a white, red or yellow onion after I had quartered it up into a sauce pan until it was tender. I could stick a fork into the onion and it was soft. I would pour the broth off the onion. I would use half onion tea or the broth and half water into his bottle with a little sugar in it to make it sweet. If you are using a 4 ounce bottle use 2 ounces of onion tea and 2 ounces of water plus sugar to make sweet. Onion is a natural sleep aid. This worked to help him sleep and relax to get rid of the gas. I hope this helps. My son is now 23 years old.

Gripe water worked for my 3 boys. I swear by it and always give it to new moms.

A.,

Eat and drink more SOY.

When the mother eats and drinks more soy, it has been proven to prevent cholic in nursing babies.

My favorite things are Morning Star Farms Grillers Prime, Chick Patties, Chick Nuggets and Corn Dogs.

For Soy Milk, I think the best is the Wal-mart brand. Start with Vanilla or Chocolate flavor or mix them together.

The symethecone drops are great too. They aren't absorbed in the babies body and are amazing.

K. B.

I nursed my son for 13 months. My question to you is what are you eating? Something that you are eating is causing your child gas. Try and tell me everything that you are eating first of all. I have found gas drops work real well. Another thing that helps is rubbing/patting their tummy in a circle to help relieve the gas. Been there and done that! Let me know if there is anything else I can suggest. C. H

I can remember my little girl's tummy being so hard and she would just scream. All I did was lay her on the couch or on my legs and rotate her legs like a bicycle. Make sure you put just a little force when going in towards her belly. Soon you will hear her making music with her little toots.

I used gripewater. My daughter started with colic at 3 1/2 weeks. The doctor gave me a sample bottle. It was like magic. I gave it to her at the onset of fussiness and it really lessened the spells. She was a new baby by the time she was 8 weeks. I also would push her knees to her belly in a sort of circular motion to help get the gas out. Hope it passes quickly, I know how frustrating it can be.

First off- a big thanks to you and your husband for his work in the Navy. Antbody who answers the call to defend this country's freedom has my full respect and support!

Now on to answer your question- my youngest daughter (now almost 6 months) started having the same issue at about 3 weeks. My Dr. said I could give her gas drops which did not help (but worked wonders for my older daughter when she was this age.) Gripe water also did not work for us. Then a different Dr. gave me a paper about colic. It sounded about right. Gas type pains in the evening, unconsolable crying, 3 or more nights a week- usually starts around 3 weeks and stops around 3 months. When my daughter hit 3 months it was like a switch had been flipped and this behavior stopped immediately! With that being said, here are a few things that seemed to help us:

1. no broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or chocolate
2. walk around outside
3. vacuum! (seriously) I would hold her so that either my arm or my shoulder was putting pressure on her tummy, and vacuum. she loved this so much that she would fall asleep and BONUS! I had super-clean floors.
4. lay her on her tummy across your lap and rub/pat her back.

I know this is a rough time....hopefully you'll find something that works!!! Good Luck!

A.,
I find there are many babies who have milk allergies. More specifically they can't break down the casein protein in dairy products (milk, butter, yogurt, cheese). Neocate is a good formula to use that does not have casein in it. If you continue to breast feed just make sure that you stay away from dairy products as you will pass it on to her. Milk substitues for you are rice milk, almond milk or potato milk. DO NOT take soy products as the baby may have an allergy reaction to that as well. You can go to Kirkmangroup.com for the potato milk (Vances Darifree) and I would also purchase some probiotics (also can be purchased from kirkman with no casien and you must refrigerate the probiotics) The probiotics that we frequently use are the "probio gold". You can take them and help to reduce her allergies. I would take 1-2 capsules every day. You can also go to GFCFDiet.com for more information about a casein free diet.
Dairy products do make a difference with our children. Many children that I treat cannot have dairy products. As soon as parents remove the dairy their children all of a sudden start talking and don't have the melt down's that they had when they were drinking milk or eating dairy products.
Let me know if you have any other questions. 1-###-###-####
L.

My son is now 4 months old and he started having the same gas issues when he was a few weeks old. A friend told us about gripe water and we tried it. We love it. The first night he took it, he slept for about 7 hours through the night. He was in such a better mood and not at all fussy the next day. The gripe water is all natural, so you can still give her mylicon if you wish also. We still use gripe water on our son if he's having issues. You can get gripe water over the counter at kroger, or probably any pharmacy. It costs about $10 and it lasts for quite a while. I recommend trying it. I hope it helps.

Hello A.,
this is quite common among newborns....due to their little systems trying to live on their own....if you can eat raw vegies at the start of every meal that will help....not just lettuce but carrots, radishes, celery root are excellent...then before each feeding give her one eye dropper full(equal to one tsp.) of raspberry leaf tea....get it at the health food store or if you can get them fresh and dry them yourself is better.....put about one tablespoon into 1/2 cup cold water...bring to boil then let infuse(with a lid) for 10 min......give it to her warm....that always works....also lay her on her stomach when she sleeps...I know that's against common medical advice, but it really works....it's only been about 10yrs. that they say not to and I raised five children who always slept on their stomachs! that should do it......blessings.
F. Souverville C.C.E./midwife

Hi A.-My 3 month old had the same sort of gas problems. I tried the gripe water and she loved it. I used an organic brand-in fact I'm on my way now to buy more. It works wonders for her but every baby is different. I haven't tried it but many people swear by Mylicon drops. Try the gripe water first though-good luck

H.

Hello A., I know exactly how you feel!!! I have an 18 month old and a 3 yr old. My 180 month old was premature and had terrible gas & Spitting up problems! We tried everything. I Had been breast feeding and they took him off that & tried every formula you can thing of!! They put him on all different kinds of medicine trying to help the gas problem but nothing seemed to work. He would just scream for hours!!! I'm not kidding. We had to leave church on numerous time because he just couldn't stop screaming. Someone finally told us about gripe water & he was like a totally different baby. I mean within minutes he would calm down and stop crying. It was like a miracle! I only wished I had heard about it sooner!
Good luck with your new baby. Hope things calm down!
A.

Your baby has colic and I don't know any mother that hasn't dealt with this. It is really frustrating. First of all you should definitely stop drinking milk. Studies show that whole cow's milk molecules end up in the baby's body as if they came straight from the cow herself. Babies don't do well on milk from another species. They can hardly digest their own mother's milk. Next eliminate all foods that might cause YOU gas, like certain vegetables and cereal. And third, (this is what helped with my second one) go to a good health food store and get a strong digestive enzyme and take it anytime you eat no matter what you eat. (I liked KAL brand Pancreatin 8x) This will help break down the food molecules into their smallest parts so that the baby doesn't have to digest this stuff coming from your breast milk.
She will probably still have some colic so when she gets it try putting her in different positions. My first baby liked to be held upside down but my seond child hated that. He preferred face down in the football carry position.
Good luck and just know that it will be over in about 6 week or so.
M

Yes, Gripe Water is great !!! I used it with my baby. He had gas pains; and it also helps relieve the hicups. It smells like licorish (however you spell that), but my son never made a face like it tasted bad (so I guess he liked it). You can put it in her bottle or give it directly to her with a medicine dropper. My son was allergic to milk & soy formulas. He had to use that Alimentum formula.

Another thing I loved was a rice bag a friend made for me. It was a soft cloth bad filled with rice (like a mini beanbag). I would heat it in the microwave for 20-25 seconds, and lay it on his stomach. Sometimes that was the only way to get him to sleep. Some stores & websites sell these ... but it would be cheaper to make your own. They are a life saver !!! I took it everywhere with us. Never use a heating pad though (because the heat is constant, and that would cause burns). With this rice bag, the heat gradually fades away & becomes less warm.

Hope this helps !!

I had this same problem with my son...now 5 months old. The thing that seemed to work for us is what I saw another mother mention before. I nursed him on the same side for several feedings before switching to the other side. I think that I was actually overproducing for his needs...so he never got to the rich, tummy-soothing hindmilk. This seemed to help more than anything else I tried.

get her some infant gas meds... give them to her right before you feed... and write down everything you eat and look at what you are eating that could cause her to be gassy... I couldnt eat onions when I was breast feeding... they were a hoirrible source fo pain for my littel one... the gaas drops will definately help though... she may also jsut be getting colicky... in which case, talk to your doctor about Leveson Drops... they are a MIRACLE cure for gas and colick.... good luck...

H.

Hi A.,

When my daughter was about that age she had the same problem. She was miserable and obviously in pain. Some people suggested Mylicon drops - but it didn't work for her. I was also nursing her - and was very careful with my diet - but she still had trouble. I began taking a product from Nature's Sunshine (you can look for it online) called Hi-Lipase. This passed through to the breast milk and helped her be able to digest the milk better. She improved so much - there are no side-effects and there's no way it can hurt you or your baby. I also gave her a liquid herb called Catnip & Fennel (also from Nature's Sunshine). She was a passy baby - so I would squirt a little bit on her passy and she would suck it off - and it really helped with the gas! I remember my grandmother talking about catnip tea - they used to give that to babies who had gas. Hope this helps!

make sure of what you eat because you pass it on to the baby, broccoli is one of the worst for gas. Another thing i learned is to disolve a peppermint candy in some water and give it to them in a bottle, also learned about onion tea, boil onion and remove onion piece from water add a little sugar.

M. of three
linda

The only thing I've found that works is to let them burp it out. If I sit my baby up (almost 4 weeks old) and pat his back, usually a burp comes out and it relieves the pain. I also avoid vegetables like peppers, broccoli, etc... but mostly it just needs to come out and their systems are learning how to process gas. I've tried Mylicon drops and Little Tummies and they seem to work for a bit but not permanently. I haven't tried Gripe Water though.

Its important for you NOT to eat foods that make you gassy b/c you pass it along to the baby. She has colic which is a common problem for newborns. Ask her doctor but they have over the counter products for colic. The old fashion remedy was peppermint water. Let a peppermint melt in water then give her some thru a bottle or could use a eye dropper. Always ask her doctor first though. Making sure she is well burbed helps too. When she is gassy try laying her on her back & moveing her legs back & forth then gently pushing her legs on top of her abd. it does help her expell gas. Good luck hun. This too shall pass!!! My children are grown & yours will too be one day all too soon.

I have a 5wk old grandaughter and she also cried with gas pains. My supervisor told me about Gripe water, she had used it on her grandson with Great success. I bought it and it really does work. Within a few minutes she calmed down and was looking around. I only wish we would have known about it when my grandson was small. It's not only for babies, even adults can take it. Buy some and try it, I hope you have the success we have.
W.

something you are eating is upsetting her tummy. you might just make a log of what you ate and see when she reacts the most. little tummies gas relief works the best. it gives instant relief. you can only find it at walgreens and babies r us.

My daughter had the same thing and is now slowly out growing it at 3 months. My husband and I gave her mylicon every 3 hours and we also did gripe water every time she fed to every other time. The gripe water she liked we bought at a health food store. She would spit up the brand of gripe water we got at Target. We also started dipping a q-tip into essential pepperment oil that we bought at a health food store on her belly button right before she ate. All these seemed combined seemed to help calm her down so she could sleep. I also looked at my diet and cut out the lettuce as that is what seemed to affect her the most. Hope this helps. Good luck and think she will outgrow this.

A. in Norman, OK

We tried tummy massage (circle the tummy with the palm of your hand and then dance your fingertips upward. Holding her feet, push her knees into her chest gently.) We also, when she had head control, would lay our baby on a small beach ball, tummy down, and gently move her to and fro. Other than that, we went through gas drops like water.

Have you tried the Mylicon drops? They work great for my 5 week old. He has gas ALOT! Sometimes I will give him some right before he eats and then a little while later on after if he seems to have a tummy ache. He likes them too so you dont have to worry about it being difficult to give him. Hope this helps.

Hi A.,
I had the same problem with my little boy and found out it was anything with milk in it and that included whey. You'll notice that milk and whey are found in most everything we eat so i went on what my husband called a prison diet of wheat, water and juice. We also kept a bottle of Gripe Water in the fridge at all times, that seemed to calm him down right away when he was in pain. It's all natural and it really worked wonders. Good luck, I know how heartbreaking it is to feel so helpless.

My son had the same problem. I too stopped drinking milk, which I usually drink a lot of. I switched to soy milk until he was four months. I also cut out ice cream too but was able to eat cheese without causing a problem for him. How long have you tried cutting the milk out? Because for me it took about 3 or 4 days until the bad gas fits subsided completely although I did think they improved within the first day or so.

I didn't use the gripe water but have read many of the posters on mamasource that swear by it. One thing that did help our son was pulling his knees up to his chest as the pressure on his stomach helped but also made it easier for him to pass gas. We also swaddled him tightly when he was going to sleep, with his arms right by his side, and this helped too. I know it was tough for us so I can sympathize completely.

I agree with all the other advice. My girls were VERY sensitive to what I ate. Wheat, especially in whole form like in granola bars, was one. Along with most spices, chocolate, any diary and veggies. I had to eat plain chicken and potatoes for a few weeks and then gradually added those things back into the diet when she was about 4 months old. The infant mylycon drops worked well for us too.

Have you tried Mylecon gas drops? They are a life saver. They sale them in the baby dept. in most stores. Keep one in your diaper bag and one in your nursery. Good Luck.

I'm in the same boat. I've had 2 boys, both preemies with reflux. My youngest is 4 months. We have dealt with terrible gas with both of them. The mylicon drops never seemed to work for us on either one. I have friends that swear by them, but we couldn't tell much difference. It may be that the gas is so severe in some babies it doesn't help. My 4 month old had an upper GI to check the severity of his reflux. They drink a bottle with barium and watch what it does on an x-ray machine. We were also able to see the gas bubbles in his tummy. He took 1.5 oz. before it started coming up. The interesting part was that the rest of his tummy was packed with gas bubbles. It makes me wonder if the gas is causing the reflux because all babies have the open flap that allows reflux to happen. Anyway, that's a different thing. I just thought about it while I was typing this. MY point was, we saw the proof that his tummy has extreme gas issues.
We haven't tried any of the other solutions, but I think we will. Please talk to your pediatrician first ( I'm sure you know that without my saying) because he/she might be able to advise you on which to try first or if any might not be good for your baby as each baby is different and you never know what might interfere with medications, etc.
WE do bicycle legs as some others have mentioned. Lay her on her back and move her legs like she's riding a bike. Also, move them back and forth putting her knees to her chest. It's amazing how this pushes the gas right out. She should feel better after that.
One thing my lactation consultant told me which someone else mentioned a little was about the milk that comes out first. It comes in stages. Think of it like this: skim milk, whole milk, then half and half. The thinner a dairy liquid, the more lactose. The more lactose, the more gas. She suggested that I pump on the side I'll be nursing for 2-3 minutes before nursing and dump that skim milk. Then the baby is getting more of the thicker milk and not filling up on the skim milk. This seems to help when I do it. It's hard to do it everytime due to time, getting him before he's too upset after waking and having a toddler I'm taking of too. I try to keep the pump set up and I don't worry about getting everything sterile if I don't have time because I'm throwing out the skim milk. If I pump right when I hear him to stir a little, then I'm usually ready by the time he is.
Anyway, sorry for rambling. Hope this helps. I'm glad you asked this because I'm interested in better solutions too. My older son got much better around 4 months when he started getting rice cereal and a lot better at 6 months when he got solid food. He also got better each month as he got older and his tummy got stronger.

Hi A., my son also had gas problems when he was very young and lasted until he was about 3 months old. What i found more affective was Little Tummies Gas Relief Drops, they worked way better than the mylicon and the off brand. I used the gripe water also and that helped when he was really young. They are all safe, and its horrible b/c you feel so helpless. There is not much you can do to help them. Their digestive system is so immature at first and all they drink is milk so, who wouldn't have a tummy ache. Just power through it and it will pass. Hope this helps.

My daughter lived on mylicon drops for infants from the time she came home until about six months old. Have you tried those? You can purchase them at any grocery store. All it is is simethicone. Mylicon drops take away those painful gas bubbles inside them. It worked for my daughter. If you are unsure ask your peditrician. That was the advise my daughters peditrician gave me. Hope this helps.

I was in the same situation with my little one at that age. I too stopped drinking milk and it took a while, but seemed to help. Our Doctor suggested Gripe Water and we tried it, but it didn't seem to help (plus I didn't like having to keep it refrigerated.. it was hard to take with us.) We switched to regular gas drops ( Mylecon or Little Tummy's) and she was fine. I still keep them around and she is almost 2. I would just check with your Doctor to make sure it's ok for your little one.

Years ago I had the same problem with my daughter. Drink water instead of milk. You can also get a list of foods to avoid from your pediatrician. My memory is a little rusty since my daughter is now 21 yrs old but here goes. Avoid or limit:

tomato sauce
cabbage
broccoli
beans
spicy food
milk

Not sure about what else. Anything that may give an adult gas will pass directly through to your child.

Hey A.,
I have 3 kids, and my middle (now 2.5 yrs) had terrible issues with me drinking or eating any dairy. For 3 months I suffered through constant crying and she was inconsolable. I cut my dairy intake back to 2 servings or so a day (including dressings, cheese on a potato, the whole thing). She was much much happier, but still fussed, and still does to this day.

Most of all, some things with little people just take time and patience, the answer no one wants to hear, but the very thing that shapes our character and changes us the most.
I encourage you to enjoy her when she isn't fussing and do what you can to help her without stressing out.
I've learned that we all fuss a lot, babies just get a bad rap b/c they don't conceal their needs.
Hope you get some rest and time to bond with your sweet newborn and your other child too.
Oh, the gripe water I don't know about, the excessive research to finding an answer I do.
For me, the Lord is the author of Life and ultimately seeking Him has always revealed the most common sense answers I've needed, like just rest and endure.

Try Pepperment water... Boil the water and make a few oz with a piece of peppement in it. I used this with my son who also was a brest baby... This worked for me and it is alot cheeper than the Mylocon drops you buy over the counter. They never did work for either of my kids... I used it almost 7 years later on my daughter also. She had reflux and this helped me keep most of her milk down.. also a brest baby...

Than just give it to her out of a bottle... Also try placing her in the sitting position with pressure on her stomach while burping her... This is what I did I hope it works for you.. If it doesn't than you it didn't cost a bunch... Just a piece of pepperment candy... I have alot of those I get them during happy hour at Sonic....

You could also try a warm towel out of the dryer on her belly... Some say a heating pad on low... that scared me...

I also rubbed my doughters belly after her evening bath with baby oil gel... just to help work the gas out...

Best of luck...

T.

have you tryied mylecon drops, they work well for some. I found no research that says that what a mother consumes while breastfeeding effects the baby! Many say its just an old wives tale. Try the drops they are safe even for newborns.

Breast milk is affected by what you eat. If you eat certain foods like cabbage for example...it can cause gas or "colic" in the baby; also, not proper burping. So you might want to take a look at what you are eating and avoid thinks like coleslaw and saurkraut for awhile, and yes, drink lots of milk. Then, thoroughly burp baby. I used to think....for some reason...that since i wasn't using a bottle, baby shouldn't be swallowing air...BUT they do.
Love, G.

While your daughter is on your lap,laying on her back,with her head on your knees and her legs by your stomach, try to gently bring her legs (bending them at the knees) to her stomach, and roll her up, slightly lifting her but off your lap, with her knees going into her stomach (Gently and Slowly). you can do this as often as needed and it kinda massages the gas out of her and helps relieve her. Changing your diet will help too, remember the things that gave you heart burn during pregnancy and dont eat that cause it will probably cause the baby to have gas (I nursed 3 kids, they all had gas and this worked on all of them to help relieve their pain)

i've heard great things about gripe water though mine never had such bad gas as to need it. when mine had gas what we would do is lay him on the bed and pump his legs furiously as if he was running (accompanied by vocalizations or a silly song to make him laugh). then i would fold his legs in up to his chest and press up and then at an angle to each side (think yoga positions). he sould fart like crazy, laugh, and then everything was better.

What is your diet like? Do you intake alot of caffine or eat foods or vegetables that will make you gassy? I had that problem with my girls too and some of it had to do with what I would eat. Just remember that whatever you eat and drink, they do too. Try changing your diet up a little and see if that helps. Good luck.

My nursing newborn had this same problem. My doctor suggested the gas drops, then lay her on her back and rub her belly for a few minutes, then try to nurse again. It helped sometimes. Luckily she's now 9 weeks old and we hardly ever have problems like we did.

When my daughter was an infant she too had a lot of gas & her doctor told me to get some MILACOM drops at Walmart & that cleared it up.....good stuff...good luck!!

I used the gripe water. You get it at natural food stores such as The Old Country Store in Hot Springs, AR. It seemed to work for me better than the Mylicon when mine was younger. In my opinion, though, none of the products really get rid of all of the gas. You just have to try your best to keep them upright for about 30 minutes after eating & sometimes that even doesn't help. Their tummies are so sensitive.

when my girls were little, they both were allergc to milk and they had gas all the time, with my second I tried breast milk and it didn't work either.....might try changing or using formula...............

All my girls had problems with gas off and on during the first three months. We used Mylacon infant drops almost daily. It is better than the generic brand. You might also try to find a lactation consultant to call (local hospital), or go online and google "lactation consultant". I had to change my diet some too. Oranges would affect my children too.

Think about anything that you eat from eggs to broccoli that gives you gas. If your breast feeding I think you mentioned that you were. I did all three of my girls for a year each and learned real quick when my first was three mo. old I had been on vacation tried a new kind of pizza that had jalapeno peppers and banana peppers on it well about by the next day she had gotten very cranky and started drawing in on her legs.. Then the diareah started> thought at first she got sick but then by the next day she was fine and I ate the pizza again (love leftover pizza) and about the same time the next day she was at it again.. needless to find out I learned spicy foods, as well as green veggies, caffiene, and some dairy will give breast fed babies the worst gas it compares to collic. And then have you found uot that collic wasen't a possibilty?

Could it be a foremilk imbalance? The first milk expressed from your breast is watery compared to the ending milk...the first milk (foremilk) is rich in enzymes needed to aid in digestion of the milk. The last milk (hindmilk) is fattier and more calorie dense. When a baby feeds mostly on the foremilk, it can lead to gas, abdominal pain, loose stools and sometimes green and frothy stools. Most of the advice I received in the hospital said to nurse 10 min on one breast and then to switch.....that can work for some women, but after meeting with a board certified lactation consultant, she told me to nurse the first breast until it was empty before switching sides....I had a bit of an oversupply problem and couldn't tell when the first breast emptied so she had me nursing for ~4 hours on the one side before switching sides. (Not 4 hours of continuous nursing ;) Just that when ever he nursed, I would use the same side for a 4 hour block of time.)

Another cause could be a poor latch...it's common for newborns to gulp air when they nurse....maybe watch her latch and make sure she's got a tight seal around your nipple.

Of course you can always contact your local La Leche Group for more help.

http://dev.lllusa.org/AROK/OKC/

Your diet is probably it. Try staying away from spices, cokes, & coffee.

We had to change my baby to soy too because the gas was apparently a sign of a milk allergy. However, I asked my ped. about Karo syrup and was told that that tends ot make them gassy because of the sugar. Everyone tends to have different experiences though. Try changing to a lactose free or milk formula instead of breat feeding and use mylicon. You'll find you will hardly need the mylicon though after changing. My little brother couldn't take breast milk either because of a milk allergy.

Try using Mylion for babies before each feeding. My daughter finally had to start bottle feeding along with breast feeding. She had to use a soy product such as " Parent's Choice a Walmart brand. It has helped a lot. Give your baby 2 ounces of water with two Tablespoons of dark KARO syrup 2 times a day.

Check with your local pharmacy, there is over the counter medicine you can give your infant for the gas pangs. There are also hundreds of home remedies. I would start with the pharmacy first.

sounds like she has colic. I don`t know anything about gripe water, but my youngest daughter had colic. Have you tried Mylicon Drops? Those may help, we had to do that with our daughter and she has had to use those with her son.
Good Luck