How to Get Your Baby to Pass Gas

Mother massaging little baby boy

Read time: half dozen minutes

What should I know about gas in breastfed babies?

Know that most babies have gas
Understand the many causes and symptoms of gas in breastfed babies
Learn tips and tricks to help prevent and relieve gas in your baby

One of the most common concerns parents have is their baby's gas. While gas is normally not harmful, the force per unit area that gas bubbles create may cause pain when it becomes trapped in your infant's tummy or intestines.¹

Gas is specially common during the first iii months of life when your picayune ane's digestive tract is still maturing.² You may fifty-fifty notice information technology'due south worse at night.ⁱⁱⁱ Nigh of the time, gas is from swallowing too much air, but at that place may be other reasons your little one is gassy.

Read on to learn how to assist your baby with gas.

Common causes of gas discomfort in breastfed babies:

An wrong latch while nursing leads your baby to swallow too much air³
Excessive crying fills your infant's abdomen with air^one
Strong allow-down or crowd, causing baby to gulp speedily and swallow air³
Constipation¹
Immature digestive tract is however learning to process breastmilk, gas, and stool finer²
Sensitivity or allergy to a food in mom'due south diet^{1, 3, 4}
Introduction to a bottle or to formula. Baby may swallow air while drinking from a canteen or may need to become used to formula's ingredients.^{iii, seven}

Common symptoms of gas in breastfed babies:

Excessive burping: May indicate that your baby is swallowing as well much air from feeding or crying¹
Spitting up (while typically completely normal): May be a sign of gas build up within the stomach.^five Trapped gas bubbles can push some breastmilk back up.
Excessive flatulence (once again, usually completely normal and a natural way to relieve the pressure of gas)¹
Bloating or swollen abdomen: May mean that gas is trapped in the intestines^{half dozen}
Your babe may: Weep, arch their back, depict their legs up toward their stomach, or clench their fists.⁸
Problem sleeping is ofttimes a symptom of as well as a result of the combined symptoms listed in a higher place – a vicious bicycle!

learning center article 15 How to manage gas in breastfed babies?

Not sure how to assistance your niggling ane? Come chat with our team of registered dietitians, fellow moms, and lactation specialists, bachelor from Monday – Fri eight am – 8 pm (EST) and Sat – Sunday 8 am – 4 pm (EST). Conversation at present!

What can I do to help forbid gas in my breastfed infant?

Cheque and adapt baby's latch

If your fiddling one is non latching deep enough, they may exist swallowing more air. A painful latch or a 'clicking' sound made while infant is feeding may betoken their latch needs adjusting^, ^thirteen ^, ¹⁴ Shallow latches are often remedied with a new breastfeeding position along with some minor latch corrections. If y'all're able, make it affect with a lactation consultant who can assistance with proper technique.

Annotation that if every position is painful fifty-fifty after corrections, call your babe's health care provider to check for other causes, such as tongue-tie or apartment / inverted nipples.

Have questions virtually your little one'southward latch? Chat live with our Happy Baby Experts for free breastfeeding support. Conversation at present!

Help baby deal with your strong permit-downwardly (milk ejection reflex)

If you find your breastmilk sprays out forcefully during the start few minutes of a feeding, causing baby to cough, clench downward, or pop off the chest, you lot may have a stiff permit down or crowd.²⁵ Trying to beverage milk so fast often causes infant to also have in quite a flake of air.

Here are some tips to help your little 1 handle your overactive permit-downwardly:

Hand express before latching baby. Starting time the catamenia of milk past massaging the breast and take hold of the spray in a burp cloth until the menstruum slows to a drip; then latch your fiddling one.^{ix, 3}
Try laid-back breastfeeding. This position has y'all reclining on your back (flat or at an angle) while baby is belly-to-belly with you. While y'all are on your back and baby's caput is in a higher place the breast, gravity helps to slow the menstruation of milk.¹ ⁰

For many moms, having a strong permit-downward is normal during the first few weeks when breastmilk supply increases dramatically and is regulated by hormones.^ane ^one One time the body understands how much milk your infant needs, breastmilk production regulates in response to supply and demand. This often happens around 4 weeks postpartum and many women observe their allow-downs are no longer as forceful.¹²

Is baby's gas caused by food?

While it's rare for mom's nutrition to exist the cause of infant gas, it does happen occasionally.^twenty If y'all doubtable that your babe may exist sensitive to something in your nutrition, keep a food log. Track your meals and beverages for several days along with the gas symptoms your baby is exhibiting. Check to run across if any patterns or links emerge.

Since it's adequately uncommon for your baby to react to something yous are eating, try not to go overboard finding a dietary cause.²⁰ You and your little 1 both demand a full range of nutrients to support practiced health and development. Taking too many things out of your nutrition may take other potentially negative health furnishings.²¹ Additionally, the hardship of post-obit such a strict eating blueprint has been linked with women stopping their breastfeeding journey early.²¹

Learn more: Is your baby reacting to something in your milk?

Apply paced bottle feeding if introducing a canteen

Sometimes a nipple size that is too big or a canteen latch that is also shallow can make your baby eat more than air. Paced canteen feeding helps your fiddling one regulate the menstruation of milk similar to how they would while breastfeed.

Utilise a newborn or stage one nipple to ensure the flow of milk is not also fast.

Learn how to use Paced Bottle Feeding

Ask our Happy Baby Experts about bottle feeding if you have more questions! Chat at present

What can I practice to assistance alleviate gas in my breastfed baby?

Utilise gentle pressure to your infant'due south belly

Tummy Time: This position tin can put gentle pressure on your babe'southward belly, helping to provide gas relief. Await at least 30 minutes subsequently a feeding to allow your fiddling i's abdomen to settle before starting tummy time.^vii

Or try a more than advanced motility – utilise both easily and a lot of guided support to lay your baby tummy downward on a large beach or exercise ball and gently gyre her on the ball in a round motion.

Forearm Hold: Likewise called the football concur, magic hold, and the colic carry. Try carrying your baby confront down with her body resting on your forearm, the forepart of her diaper expanse in your hand and her chin cradled in your elbow.⁹ Make sure to tilt baby's caput to the side to avoid blocking their nose or mouth. Carrying your footling one in this face-down position will identify the aforementioned gentle pressure on their belly that is achieved during tummy time.

Burp your infant during and subsequently a feeding

Take a break between sides or even during a feed to become a burp or two out.⁸

Y'all may choose to burp your baby while they are in a seated position, with their caput supported by the cradle of your hand.^one ⁷You can also burp your baby in the typical position: upright and over your shoulder.⁸

Exist patient while burping because information technology may take some time for the gas bubbles to surface. You can ever endeavor laying infant down for a moment or two to allow the bubbling re-settle and then lifting baby up and trying again. If your little one doesn't burp after a few minutes, it's ok to move on.

Effort infant massage on your baby's tummy for gas relief

While your baby is laying on their back, gently rub their breadbasket in a clockwise motion and and then pull your hands down the curve of the belly. Massaging in a clockwise direction helps to move gas along equally that is the route the intestinal tract follows.¹ ⁹ Repeat several times to help movement trapped gas.

Read more: Babe massage benefits and techniques

Bicycle your baby'southward legs

Bicycling your baby'southward legs in a circular motion can help to motility the intestines and release gas trapped.^vii With your babe lying on their back, take their legs in your hands and cycle them slowly back and forth as if they were riding on a bike. Take a break every now and then to press both of infant's knees gently into their own tummy for some extra pressure.

Read more than: How Do I assistance My Breastfed Baby with Diarrhea and Constipation?

Do gas drops like simethicone work?

Simethicone breaks downwardly bubbles of gas trapped in the stomach and intestines. It is not absorbed past the body and therefore considered to be safe for babies (but notwithstanding check with your baby'due south dr. earlier starting any kind of medicine or supplement for gas).^vii

In clinical trials, simethicone drops accept non been found to be very effective, but many companies offer money back should you desire to give these drops a shot with your picayune one.^vii, ²² ^, ²⁴

Wait it out!

For nigh babies, the number one most effective treatment for gas is time. Remember that babies are likely to be gassy no matter what because their digestive system is still immature. If you cannot find an credible cause for your babe's gassiness, they probably just demand a piddling more time to mature.

Let'south Chat!

We know parenting oftentimes means sleepless nights, stressful days, and endless questions and confusion, and we want to back up y'all in your feeding journeying and across.

Our Happy Baby Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitians certified in infant and maternal diet – and they're all moms, too, which means they've been there and seen that. They're here to help on our free, live chat platform Mon -Fri 8am-8pm (EST), and Saturday – Sunday 8am-4pm (EST). Chat Now!

Read more than near the experts that help write our content.

For more on this topic, check out the following articles:

Summit Latching Tips

Managing colic in babies

Is your baby reacting to something in your milk?

Tips for Bottle Fed baby gas

How tin I relieve constipation for my infant and toddler?

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