As a new mother, I never had any idea about baby gas pain. I knew that I am gonna deal with sleepless nights and dirty diapers but gas pain? Never thought about it. So if you are a new mom like I was, and you wonder about baby gas. Let me tell you that babies pass gas more than 20 times a day.
If your newborn is having discomfort passing gas, he turns red and cries, pulls his legs towards his tummy and can’t sleep properly, then these are the signs of gas pain. Another old trick is to check the baby’s tummy. If it’s hard, then most probably your baby is having gas pain.
Have a look at some of the causes behind baby gas!
Underdeveloped digestive system
This is one of the most common reasons babies have tummy gas. An underdeveloped digestive system does not allow your baby to digest food completely. And this results in baby gas.
Swallowing air
Babies swallow air when they are feeding and crying. This is very common and most of the times unavoidable. Make sure you are not giving your baby an empty bottle.
Food allergies
Another common reason why your baby may have tummy gas is having a food allergy. Breastfed babies usually have an allergic reaction to their mom’s diet. Even formula-fed babies react to the formula so this a very common reason too.
How to tell if your baby has gas pain?
All the babies pass gas so that is normal. But if your baby has a gas pain, these are the symptoms:
Baby is fussy and cries without any reason
Now you have to differentiate between normal crying and gassy crying. If your baby cries and tries to roll over, pulls his legs, stretches his back, then he may have gas pain.
Baby is not comfortable
Newborn babies smile and laugh most of the time. But if your baby is not comfortable and is unhappy most of the time, then maybe gas pain is troubling him.
Baby doesn’t sleep well
Although newborn babies don’t usually sleep for long hours. But if your baby is up and isn’t even hungry, but he still cries, then that could be a symptom of a gassy baby at night.
So here are the ways to relieve baby gas pain in newborn babies.
Try the bicycle method
Lay down your baby on his back. Start moving his legs back and forth just like riding a bicycle. This exercise is very effective in releasing any trapped gas inside the intestines of your baby. You can also do the same motion exercise while keeping your baby on his tummy. Whatever your baby likes and is comfortable with!
Tummy massage
Massaging newborn babies is good for their muscles and bones. But did anybody tell you that baby tummy massage is good for baby gas pain too? Here is how you can do it.
Lay down your baby on his back and start rubbing his tummy softly. Starting from the middle of the tummy, go sideways and move your hands in circular movements. Make sure your hands are gentle and you are not hurting the baby. This method triggers the trapped gas in the abdomen and releases it easily and stop infant gas pains.
Always burp your baby after feeding
After you feed your baby, put him up, and keep him up to your shoulder. Gently tap the back of your baby and keep doing till he burps. This is a very effective way to soothe a gassy baby. If your baby doesn’t burp within a few minutes, lay him down and pick him up again after a few minutes. Burping is one of the best gas remedies for babies.
Using gas medicines for babies
Another way to deal with a gassy baby is by using gas medicines. Gripe water or gas relief drops are quick solutions for relieving baby gas pain. You can ask your doctor to prescribe your baby any medicine for gas pain.
Hold your baby’s head high when feeding
One thing new moms miss is that you have to adjust the angle while feeding your baby. Hold your baby in a position that his head is a bit higher than his body. Also, make sure you are holding the bottle in an angle that allows the milk to slowly goes in the baby’s mouth. This helps in reducing the chances of passing the gas in the baby’s tummy while feeding.
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Take care of your diet if you are breastfeeding
If you are breastfeeding, everything you eat will affect your baby. Don’t eat foods that may result in having a gassy baby.
So these were the signs of having a gassy baby and ways to relieve baby gas pain. Make sure you follow these to avoid the gas pain.
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Thnx it is really helpful ??