Tongue Tie Facebook Groups
One of the best ways to get in touch with not just great tongue tie providers but really good chiropractors and cranial sacral therapists is to join a tongue tie Facebook group. These can be gold mines of information! We put together a list of ones for the United States here.
I hope that this post was helpful! As always, please work with your own care providers to come up with the best plan for you and your baby.
Reasons For Gas In Breastfed Babies
For most babies, gas is not really a big deal. However, some fussy babies are very uncomfortable due to gas pains. Here are some of the top reasons gas in breastfed babies and what you can do!
If youve ever worried about your babys gassiness trust me, you arent alone. A babys gas problems are a common concern amongst breastfeeding mothers.
Whenever I do one of my Q& As on Instagram, there is always a handful of questions about the gassiness of their baby. It can be a bit distressing to see your baby squirming around in pain with clear gas lurking. You might even just find yourself shocked by the loudness of the gas they pass or the burps they produce it can often rival that of a grown adult!
If you find yourself wondering why your breastfed baby is gassy and if theres anything you can do about it, youre in the right place. Below, youll find some of the most common reasons for gas, some solutions, and an amazing resource for diving more into this topic to get to the bottom of your gassy babys problems.
Of course, please do not take any information in this post as medical advice.
Loose Latch To The Nipple
Sometimes infants do not latch the breast nipple or bottle nipple properly due to bad positioning of the baby or the bottle. This might leave a considerable hole between the nipples and mouth by which air can get into the stomach along with the milk. This is one of the common causes of gas in babies.
Also Check: What Causes Stomach Cramps And Gas
Easing Your Baby’s Gas Pain
Q. Can I alleviate my baby’s gas pain?
A. You can help prevent gas by feeding her before she cries, a signal that she’s too hungry to wait any longer to eat. When you do feed her, use a leisurely pace, because rapid feeding increases her intake of air. If you are breastfeeding and your milk is letting down briskly, you may need to remove your baby for a moment and let the spray of milk slow down so she can manage the flow. If bottlefeeding, check the nipple opening to be sure it isn’t too large or too small. Bottlefed babies usually swallow more air, especially when the bottle’s nipple isn’t full of milk.
But if, despite your efforts, your baby seems uncomfortable, gas may be the reason behind her fussiness. You can help trapped gas move by gently massaging baby’s tummy in a clockwise motion while she lies on her back. Or hold your baby securely over your arm in a facedown position, known as the “gas hold” or “colic hold.” Still no relief? Ask your pediatrician about trying the over-the-counter anti-gas medication simethicone, sold as Infants’ Mylicon Drops, which may help move gas through the intestines.
Q. How often should I burp my baby?
Trapped air can cause immediate discomfort, make a baby feel full before he has finished his feeding, or pass into the intestines, causing flatulence.
There are several good positions for burping your baby. Use the one that works best for you:
See If Foods You’re Eating Could Be Making Baby Gassy
If youre nursing, certain foods youre eating may also make baby gassy, because they create gassy breastmilk
Beans, onions broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage are common culprits, as are other green vegetables. But fruits and fiber-rich foods can also be culprits.
If you suspect that breastmilk is making baby gassy, keep track of the foods you eat. . Then, ask a doctor or lactation consultant if certain foods youre eating may be causing your babys gas.
Only cut out foods from your diet, though, if your doctor or lactation consultant
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How To Differentiate Colic From Gas
Many parents tend to confuse gas with colic, but they are different situations. Crying from colic occurs after the babys second week of life , is inconsolable, can last from 1 to 3 hours for more than 3 days a week, predominates in the afternoon and early evening. It generally subsides spontaneously in the third month.
Colic occurs more frequently in boys than in girls, in children of highly emotionally charged mothers, and both in babies fed to the breast and with infant formulas .
Burp Your Baby Correctly
We cant stress enough that your babys digestive system is still developing so dont skip the burping stage! In some cases, you might want to burp them twice.
This means that midway through a feeding session, let them take a break and burp them. Then you can continue feeding them, and burp again once youre done. Be sure to follow different positions for burping and always work the gas from the bottom up.
If youre breastfeeding or chestfeeding, you may not need to burp your baby as frequently, since nursing babies usually swallow less air which results in less gas. Babies with lots of gas may need to burp more often.
Recommended Reading: How To Control Stomach Bloating
Be Careful About Foods
To provide your infant with gas relief, talk to their doctor about foods that may cause extra gas. Some fruit juices contain sorbitols or sugar alcohols that babies cant absorb, causing gas. The doctor will also make sure your baby is getting all the essential nutrients they need.
If you are breastfeeding, foods youve eaten can also cause your baby to be gassy. If you give your baby formula, you can try switching brands. Some brands claim to prevent gas.
Remedies For A Gassy Baby
Here are several home remedies you can try to help relieve your babys excess gas!
Burp Them Twice
Since swallowing air while feeding is the most probable explanation for newborn gas, burping them twice is a great and simple thing to try. Even giving your baby some gentle back pats during feeding can go a long way. A lot of times, if your baby turns away from the breast or bottle in the middle of feeding, its not because theyre fullits because the gas is making them uncomfortable!
Keep Them Upright
Try to feed your baby in a very upright position. This will help minimize the amount of air theyre swallowing. If youre bottle feeding, you can try an anti-gas nipple to better control the flow of milk. Also be sure to avoid shaking the bottle too much, which can create extra bubbles.
Learn Their Hunger Cues
Crying, of course, can be very unpredictable. But, if you can, try to feed your baby before they start crying. Babies swallow a lot of air while crying try to learn their hunger cues as early on as possible, so you can get them fed before they cry.
Baby Bicycles
Lay your baby on their back, and gently cycle their legs toward their tummy. This motion will help manually push all the trapped air out of their tummy. You can also try gently pushing their knees to their chest, holding the position for 10 seconds, releasing, and repeating.
Tummy Time
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Surefire Ways To Soothe A Gassy Baby
As a new mom, one of the things that surprised me about my babies was how gassy they were. My sweet, little cherubs would toot and grunt and pass gas a lot. At times, it was hard not to laugh. How can such a little baby make such a big noise! The truth is babies pass gas 13-21 times a day, so its totally normal.
How Do You Comfort A Baby With Gas In Other Ways
Many of us with kids can attest to the power of distraction, especially if your little one is feeling a bit cranky. By using the same techniques experts recommend for calming a fussy baby, you can also help calm a gassy baby.I Here are five of our favorites.
1. Embrace a quiet space: If your babys emotions are already running high due to a gassy belly, refocusing or moving them from a busy or loud environment to a quieter space may help. Calm begets calm, after all.
2. Herald in playtime: To both distract and entertain your baby at the same time, try engaging them in play. Be sure to make eye contact when you talk to them, then reach for a favorite rattle or toy. Bright colors, things with black-and-white contrasts, or even showing them their own reflection can all be good distractions from gassiness, too.
3. Repeat, repeat, repeat: Babies are creatures of habit, making a routine a welcomed comfort. Find one that works for your infant, like playing, sleeping, eating, and repeating. In the same vein, repetitive motions can be hypnotically soothing to your baby: rocking or bouncing them gently as you speak or sing softly can be a lullaby in and of itself.
4. Pacify their innate urges: Sucking is one of the first natural instincts infants haveand its especially soothing to themso a pacifier or teething ring may help do the trick.
Next: Learn more about infant massage in our article How To Give Your Baby a Belly Massage.
Recommended Reading: Can Migraines Cause Upset Stomach
Signs Of A Gassy Baby
If you suspect that your fussy baby is genuinely uncomfortable, and they keep squirming and pulling up their legs, they might have some gas that refuses to pass. The best way to confirm your suspicions is to try some gas-relieving techniques. “If your baby seems much better after passing gas, then that’s a telltale sign that the problem was gas,” says Jennifer Shu, M.D., an Atlanta-based pediatrician and coauthor of Food Fights: Winning The Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and A Bottle of Ketchup. This applies to gassy breastfed babies and gassy bottle-fed babies.
How To Help A Baby Get Rid Of Gas
- Move around. Any activity that involves torso movement will help push the gas through and provide some relief.
- Get upright. Moving baby from a supine position to an upright position can help move things along, with the added benefit of being more comforting.
- Belly down. Tummy time is fun and distracting and can help massage that stomach to help gas find its way out.
- Snack time. Although not a direct fix for gas, a quick feed can help soothe baby as things work their way throughso long as there are no air bubbles in the bottle and baby is burped often.
Another sign of trapped gas is, of course, a grumpy baby. If a baby stops smiling and is visibly uncomfortable, theres a good chance that there is something inside that needs to be released. For really little babies, though, moving the gas bubbles from inside the digestive tract to the open air is no mean feat. Their undeveloped organs are ill-equipped for pushing that air out, and their lack of motor skills make any deliberate attempt almost futile.
Luckily, there are a few things parents can do to help ease the passage.
RELATED: Fatherly Advice: How to Comfort a Baby With Colic and Not Go Insane
Some formula or mommy milk can also have a pain reducing effect, Palmer says.
MORE: How to Burp a Burpless Baby
Alleviating gas is about making a baby comfortable. And, if done right, it can be an extremely satisfying end to an episode of fussiness.
Also Check: What To Take For Sick Stomach
What Causes Baby Gas Pain
Baby gas pain is caused by pockets of excessive gas which form in a babys stomach or intestines. These pockets of gas exercise pressure on its tummy causing discomfort or even pain. There are six common causes for this condition.
- Incorrect feeding. If the breast or the feeding-bottle is wrongly positioned, the baby may swallow too much air.
- Overfeeding. If the baby is given too much food at one time, you little ones tummy gets overloaded.
- Lactose overload. This happens usually when the baby gets too much foremilk which is rich in lactose but low in fat. Then not all of the lactose is digested because there is not enough fat to slow down the process. As a result excessive gas is produced.
- Food sensitivity. Some babies turn out to be intolerant or allergic to some ingredients in breast milk or formula.
- Immature digestive system. The infant has not yet learned to process the food, gas and stool properly. The intestines also have not yet to create their own micro flora a group of microorganisms which are unique for every persons guts. The micro flora is necessary for digestion process and the immune system.
- Excessive crying. Excessive crying may lead to taking in too much air, then resulting in excessive gas.
Feed Her Before Shes Too Hungry
If you are tracking your babys feeding times, try to stick to a schedule and feed her before you start hearing her hungry cries. That way she will be more likely to eat at a leisurely pace and not gulp down her breast milk or formula too quickly. If youre breastfeeding and your milk lets down quickly, you may need to unlatch baby for a moment and then re-latch her so she can manage your milk flow.
Tummy woes can make for a fussy baby. Find out what you can do about hiccups, gas bubbles and colic to ease the symptoms here.
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What Can I Do To Help Alleviate Gas In My Breastfed Baby
Apply gentle pressure to your babys belly
Tummy Time: This position can put gentle pressure on your babys belly, helping to provide gas relief. Wait at least 30 minutes after a feeding to allow your little ones belly to settle before starting tummy time.7
Or try a more advanced move use both hands and a lot of guided support to lay your baby tummy down on a large beach or exercise ball and gently roll her on the ball in a circular motion.
Forearm Hold: Also called the football hold, magic hold, and the colic carry. Try carrying your baby face down with her body resting on your forearm, the front of her diaper area in your hand and her chin cradled in your elbow.9 Make sure to tilt babys head to the side to avoid blocking their nose or mouth. Carrying your little one in this face-down position will place the same gentle pressure on their belly that is achieved during tummy time.
Burp your baby during and after a feeding
Take a break between sides or even during a feed to get a burp or two out.8
You may choose to burp your baby while they are in a seated position, with their head supported by the cradle of your hand.17You can also burp your baby in the typical position: upright and over your shoulder.8
Try infant massage on your babys tummy for gas relief
Read more: Baby massage benefits and techniques
Bicycle your babys legs
Read more: How Do I help My Breastfed Baby with Diarrhea and Constipation?
Do gas drops like simethicone work?
Wait it out!
Lets Chat!
Poor Guts Health From Premature Birth Or Other Reasons
Our guts health is very important in determining our overall health. It contains numerous microbes, making it a sophisticated ecology. Any kind of disturbance or problem in your babys gut health can cause baby stomach gas pain or even constipation. Such types of problem will have many other symptoms as well. You can follow this guide to relieve your baby from constipation problem.
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What Nursing Mothers Can Eat To Relieve Infant Colic
- Papaya can relieve constipation in infants. If a child eliminates regularly, her colic problems will ease.
- Ginger
- Pulses
- Spices such as black pepper, red chili, green chili, cardamom, and cinnamon
I ate exclusively homemade food while I was breastfeeding. I never ate chocolate, cake, ghee, burgers, or pizza until my child was six months old. These precautions helped my baby recover from his colic problem.
Reasons To Call A Doctor
Most of the time, its normal for an infant to have gas and its treatable. In rare instances, more serious problems of the digestive tract can also cause gas. You should contact the doctor immediately if your infant exhibits any of the following:
- They are vomiting, arent passing stools, or have blood in their stools.
- They are extremely fussy. If you arent able to calm your baby, a doctor can check to rule out any problems.
- They have a high temperature. If the rectal temperature of your baby is 100.4 F or more, make sure a doctor rules out an infection. If your baby is younger than three months and has a fever, take them to a doctor immediately.
It is very common for babies to become gassy, and there are a number of reasons for that. Babies swallow air while crying, sucking a pacifier, and eating. Furthermore, babies digestive systems are still developing, which can sometimes lead to gas and a bloated belly. A gassy baby may belch, burp, pass gas, and have a hard distended tummy. You can follow certain tips to help relieve gas and make your baby feel better. In rare instances, certain symptoms may indicate a more serious problem. If your baby is experiencing gas along with other, more serious symptoms, get them checked by a doctor.
May 10 2019
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