How do I help my baby get rid of gas

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If you have spent time with a newborn mom even when you didn’t have a baby of your own, you’ve probably heard them complaining about their baby having gas and colic. Babies tend to be fussy when they have gas or colic. Many times, mothers have a difficult time handling such situations.

Baby Gas

Babies can be termed as very “gassy” because they can pass gas up to 21 times a day. This can be attributed to the fact that they have plenty of opportunities to swallow air like when they are eating from the breast or the bottle. Once air gets trapped in the baby’s belly, he or she burps, gets fussy, bloated, cries, farts and has a hard tummy.

You can help your baby feel better by following these steps:

Check the position in which you are feeding them: when breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby, ensure that his or her head is higher than the stomach. The milk will then sink to the stomach’s bottom displacing the air
Burp your baby after feeding
Change bottle-feeding equipment to slower-flow nipple bottle feeders.
You can either gently massage your baby, pump the legs back and forth while he or she is on her back, give the baby some tummy time or a warm bath.
Stay away from foods that give extra gas like fruit juices
You can try over the counter medications recommended by your doctor

Baby Colic

Colic usually describes a time in which a baby cries for an extended period. It can last for many hours a day. It starts from around the second week until the baby is 3 months old. All babies have colic with the difference being to what degree. Researchers are yet to find the definite cause of colic but some of the factors that may cause it are:

Immature nervous system
Unusual sensitivity to stimulation
The diet of a breastfeeding mother may bother the baby
Intolerance to certain formula proteins for bottle fed babies
Overfeeding and quick feeding
Women who smoked during pregnancy
Intestinal gas
Failing to burp after feeding or an incorrect position after feeding
Low birth weight baby
Hunger
Acid reflux

There’s really no cure for colic because there is no definitive cause. Nevertheless, you can try these methods to reduce the intensity of the crying:

Hold your baby and if possible for a couple of hours
Place a warm water bottle on his or her tummy. Don’t use hot water.
If you are breastfeeding, be careful about what you eat
Gently rub your baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction
Evaluate whether the baby is reacting to ingredients in a formula if you are bottle-feeding them and change the formula
You can also lay your baby across your knees with their tummy down. Then, gently move your legs as you massage the abdominal area.
Frequently burp your baby
Try to hold your baby upright as much as possible

Motherhood is not easy. When your baby has gas and colic, it can be quite frustrating. Be encouraged that the phase will come to an end in due time.

Related:

BABY DEVELOPMENT: FIRST-YEAR MILESTONES

WHEN SHOULD I INCREASE MY BABY’S FORMULA

IS IT OKAY TO PUT BABY TO SLEEP WITHOUT BURPING