If your babyfrequently experiences gassiness, you’re not alone. A gassy baby is very common and normal, especiallyduringthe newborn stages of life.Since babies have ample opportunities to swallowair during feeding and crying throughout the day, they are extremely prone to gassiness. Theswallowed aireasilygets trapped in the baby’sunderdevelopedsystem, causing digestive upset.
If your baby cries for about an hour each day, seems upset most of the time, and isn’t eating or sleeping well, he or she may be dealing with gas discomfort.Some babies also get red in the face or pull their legs to their chest when dealing with excessive gas.
Trying to console a baby with these symptoms can be frustrating.Luckily, there areseveral tips and tricksforsoothing your gassy baby.And,weare here to help! Below are five of our top tips to soothe your little one’s digestive discomfort.
1. Practicephysicaltherapies
a. Practicingphysicaltherapies on your little one can be very helpful in gas relief.Bicycling your baby’s legs,giving a tummy massage, andswaddling are just a few remedies.
i. You can also try the football hold by carrying your baby face down with the tummy on your forearm and legs around your wrist.Watch a video demonstration onhow to do the football hold here. The pressure applied on yourlittle one’s tummy from gravity will help to release gas. A gentle back rub can also assist in this process.
ii. Baby wearing can be another helpful practice. Baby wearing is practiced in many other cultures where a baby is constantly clinging to its caretaker in an infant carrieror sling.Bykeeping your child upright constantly in a baby carrier, you’ll help pass gas and smooth the digestive process.However, you’ll want to be careful when selecting a baby carrier as some can cause hip dysplasia.Visithttps://hipdysplasia.org/hip-healthy-products/for a list of hip-healthy carriers and slings for baby wearing.
2. Implement tummytimeoften
a. Not only is tummy time important for strengthening the neck and shoulder muscles, it’s also helpful when trying to prevent gas.Simply place your baby on his or her stomach (while awake and supervised, of course).Lay a blanket down on the ground. After changing your baby’s diaper or waking he or she up from a nap, place your baby on the stomach for three to five minutes.Try to dothistwo to three timesa day.
3. Frequently burp your baby
a. Because feeding is an opportune time for a baby to swallow gas, you’ll need tofocus on burping the baby more than once. It can be helpful to burp your little onein between feedings. For example, you can feed your baby for a little while and then burp him or her. Feed your baby again, and then burp again once the feeding is finished. This method will ensure that your baby gets all the gas out.
b. If your little one turns away from your breast or the bottle after a few minutes of feeding, he or she is most likely experiencing gassiness.In this case, you can burp every 2 to 3 ounces of milk if bottle feeding or every 5 to 10 minutes when breastfeeding.
4. Use specific feeding techniques
a. Feeding techniques are crucial in preventing an infant from feeling gassy. Try feeding your baby at an angle. Keep your little one’s head and neck elevated above thestomach while feeding. If feeding with a bottle, tip the bottle slightly so that air bubbles rise to the top.Bottles with curves or angles can help with this technique.
b. You can also try out different types of bottles and nipples to see which ones work best with your baby. Bottles with soft nipples that contour with the baby’s lips help preventair flow. This helps milk flow gradually and slowly to prevent the baby from swallowing air. Switching formulas can also be helpful.
5. TryColic Calm or Colic Calm Plus
a. It can also be extremely helpful to utilize a gripe water or gripe water alternativesuch as Colic Calm. Colic Calm combines 8 safe and effective ingredients to encourage a baby’s body to heal itself. Instead of masking the symptoms liketypical gripe waters do,Colic Calmaddress the root issue and breaks down gas bubbles to provide quick relief.
b. If you’re looking for a step up,try Colic Calm Plus.Colic Calm Plus includes four additional ingredients thatprovide professional strength digestive support.
Though it can be difficult to have a baby struggling with gassiness, there are several tips and tricks you can implement to soothe your little one. Have you tried other methods that have worked for you? What did we miss? Leave a comment below and let us know!
