If you care for your baby, you’ve probably heard the advice “don’t eat broccoli/beans/dairy/garlic/whatever-you-really-want-to-eat, because it can cause your baby to have gas.” While there are some cases where an allergy to specific proteins in the foods you eat can affect your child, fortunately, this more general advice is a piece of folk wisdom you can take from with a grain of salt – and a side of feta – because baby gas is not usually caused by the foods you eat.
The other good news is that there is some postpartum-doula-tested-and-approved ways to help your child become more comfortable with gas which they will inevitably experience.
Why do babies get gas?
Babies pass gas constantly. Gas happens at any stage (just wait a few years, until fart jokes are the dominant form of humor in your household) but is particularly common in the fourth trimester when your baby’s digestive system is still maturing. There can also be gas if your baby has a bowel movement: as you may have experienced yourself, there can be a little “back-up.” Gas is usually painless, although it may take a little work for the baby to expel it. Sometimes, however, the pressure can build up and your child will let you know that they are not happy.
How to help a baby with gas
Limit the amount of excess air they inhale
Whether in the bottle or at the breast, while breastfeeding, a good latch will help your baby avoid swallowing too much air. When offering a bottle to your baby, use baby led feeding, sometimes also called fast feeding or responsive to feeding. Helping your baby control the flow of milk or formula minimizes swallowing, which can lead to swallowing air while drinking. If you think your baby is swallowing air while breastfeeding or bottle feeding, Bridgetown Baby’s lactation consultants help!
Massage not belching
Gone are the days of slapping the small of a baby’s back to “burp out.” If you think your baby is gassy, you can keep him, or move him to, an upright position, then gently rub his back up and down. You can perform small circular massages, starting from their lower back and moving up. This should be enough to “release” a burp, if they have some excess gas. You can also hold your baby with his belly in your arm or lap while massaging his back. Massaging in this way can do double duty of helping baby burp while also offering them a soothing touch.
Movement
Movement can help release trapped gas from both ends. Tummy time is not only good for building strength in their neck and upper back, but also for helping release tension in their digestive system. So from the very beginning try to get a few minutes a day on their stomach.
If they are in pain and crying, a good place to go is the Bus tires activity. Lay your baby on their back and sit on their feet, then sing or play a recording of The Wheels on the Bus. (Singing and eye contact create connection and diversion – helping the situation in other ways!) As you do each action, mimic the action with your baby’s hips and legs: when the wheels round and round, move their legs to the right circles; when wiping swish swish swish, slowly bend their legs at the knees and move the knees back and forth and side-to-side; when the horn sounds beep beep beep, you can gently press their bent knees toward their chest. You can get creative as you help your baby with three-dimensional movements to reduce discomfort in their lower digestive tract.
While most cases of baby gas are harmless and just a normal part of being a baby, there are times when you should seek professional help. If your baby exhibits new and/or excessive crying or is not eating, urinating or having regular bowel movements, or if your instincts tell you something is wrong, call your pediatrician.
The key with gassy babies is to be proactive. squeeze in tummy time as long as you can. Help control your baby’s air intake when giving them a bottle o breastfeeding. If they still have gas that makes them uncomfortable, move their little legs.
And remember the good news: most baby gas comes as a product of babies’ immature digestive systems, and they’ll pass. So you can always keep in mind that (pun intended) this, too, shall pass.
