Your baby is crying, pulling his legs up to his chest and his body is very tense, he's uncomfortable, your baby has gas. Gas is not caused by milk, gas is mostly caused by swallowed air, in most cases the gassiness and fussiness period is at its worst when baby is between 6 - 8 weeks old, but all babies are different. Here are some tips to help your gassy baby.
Pressure on the stomach - Lay your baby down belly first on your lap. Pat her back and her bottom gently, you can also rub her back.
Gather up the air bubbles - If your baby is having a hard time burping after he's done eating try laying him flat for a minute or two, this usually gets all the air bubbles to make their way up his tummy. You can sometimes hear the bubbles in his tummy, pick your baby up and he should let out a big one after a few pats on his back.
Feed your baby before she's hungry - If your baby is intensely crying because she is hungry, chances are she is swallowing a lot of air. It's a good idea to feed your baby before she is hungry to avoid intense crying. It is very hard to nurse or bottle feed a baby when they are crying and hungry.
Help him get his gas out - Hold your baby in an upright position with his back against your belly with one hand, with your other hand hold his leg up so that his knee is against his tummy, or lay him down flat and gently push his legs up to his belly, this should help him push some gas out.
Gripe water - This product is amazing in helping babies with gas and hiccups. It helps babies with hiccups instantly and it takes a few minutes to help the gas.
Massage her belly - This helps break up the air bubbles.
Put a warm towel low on babies tummy - This helps with cramps, in some hospitals when baby has cramps they wrap baby in a warmed up blanket.
Switch bottles - If you're bottle feeding your baby, try switching to a bottle that is made to reduce the air intake.
Burp your baby - In the middle of a feeding and after a feeding, this is great for preventing gas build up. Some moms even burp their baby after every ounce of milk.
A good latch - If baby is not latched on correctly she could be swallowing a lot of air while eating. It's a good idea to make sure your baby is latched on correctly every time you nurse her.
Empty bottle - Make sure you take the bottle away before it is completely empty so that baby doesn't suck in any air.
Change your diet - If you are breastfeeding your baby and he has gas, try changing your diet a little. Foods such as dairy products, beans and chocolate can give baby smelly gas.
As we all know time heals everything, hang in there! All babies get gas, some more than others, just know that you are not alone and eventually the gas will come out. If you've tried everything you possibly can to help your baby with the gas problem and nothing has worked you should call your family doctor and make an appointment.
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