Most babies will experience the most discomfort from gas between three and six weeks of age, according to Dr. Alan Greene on the website Parents.com. Gas at this age is most commonly caused by babies swallowing air as they feed, but it can also be caused by foods in a breastfeeding mom's diet, or trouble digesting a particular type of formula. In some cases, your baby's gas may be so persistent and painful that it makes her cry as though she's in pain, a condition called colic.
Step 1
Eat non-gassy if you're breastfeeding. Be aware of your diet and if your baby tends to become gassy after you eat a certain food, cutting out that food may relieve his discomfort. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that caffeine, dairy products, citrus, soy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and spicy foods are all common causes of baby gas.
Step 2
Hold your child as much as you can, including times when he's not gassy or crying. The more you hold your baby, the fewer problems he is likely to have with gas, according to MedLinePlus, an online health information resource maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Step 3
Place your baby on her tummy each day. According to Dr. Greene, giving your baby plenty of tummy time during the day will put pressure on her tummy, which can help gas move through her digestive tract more quickly.
Step 4
Keep your baby in a sitting position when he's eating, and keep his head elevated for a little while after he finishes feeding to prevent gas from staying put in his tummy.
Step 5
Rock your baby to comfort her when she's upset by gas pain. Letting her cry uncontrollably means she's swallowing air, which makes gas pain worse, explains MedLinePlus.
Step 6
Place your baby on his back, and gently move his legs in circles, as though he's riding a bicycle to also help relieve gas pain, recommends Dr. Greene.
