1. Every Baby Toots
You finally hold that sweet little baby in your arms and you have no doubt that your little one is perfect. Then reality hits. Your sweet angel lets one rip so loud that you'd swear it came from an adult and it stinks more than you can believe. Gas is a normal process for all babies because it's a natural occurrence after baby digests lactose, proteins and the other invaluable nutrients found in breast milk and formula. Babies also get gas from air bubbles caused by nursing or sucking on a pacifier. Even over-stimulation and stress can cause excessive gas in infants.
2. Gassiness From Mom's Milk
Mother's breast milk is one of the best nutrients for a new baby, but it can also be a significant source of gas. Gassy foods eaten by mom can make its way to baby through the breast milk. Common culprits include citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, strawberries and legumes. Dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and yogurt are also a no-no for some moms because baby could have trouble digesting the lactose. Eliminate problem foods from your diet and eat bland foods to see if your breast milk is making baby's excessive gas worse.
3. Identify Your Baby's Gassy cry for Help
Excessive gas in infants causes pain and discomfort and the only way your baby knows how to express that is to cry. Some parents identify a gassy cry because baby pulls her legs up to her chest when she hurts. However, that doesn't guarantee excessive gas is the problem. Other signs to look for include fussiness even after you changed and fed your baby, a belly that looks bloated or full, baby having a hard time burping, excessive spit up or baby kicking and pumping her legs to get rid of the gas.
4. Find gas Relief for Baby
When many parents suspect excessive gas in their baby, they instantly reach for gas drops. While these drops are safe to use at every feeding, it's not the only option for relief. If you bottle feed your baby, check the nipple size. A nipple that's too large causes your baby to eat too fast, while a small nipple causes baby to swallow air. During feedings, burp your baby after every one or two ounces. If you breastfeed, burp your baby between breasts. If necessary, you can even switch to a formula designed to help gassy babies.
5. Gas Versus Colic
Babies with colic usually have excessive gas, but that doesn't mean that they're the same. Babies with colic usually get excessive gas because of air swallowed while the baby cries. Numerous studies show that gas alone does not cause the discomfort and stress that colicky babies exhibit.
