Common culprits include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Bloating, burping, and passing gas are normal. But if your baby is gassy or has colic, avoid these foods for a few weeks to see whether they relieve the symptoms.
Pains from gas can make your baby fussy, but intestinal gas is not harmful. Many mothers become concerned about how their diet contributes to their baby's gas and fussiness. There is limited scientific research proving that certain foods in a breastfeeding mother's diet cause intestinal issues in their babies.
Common causes of gas discomfort in breastfed babies:
An incorrect latch while nursing leads your baby to swallow too much air. Excessive crying fills your baby's belly with air. Strong let-down or oversupply, causing baby to gulp quickly and swallow air. Constipation.
If your baby shows negative symptoms after drinking breast milk. Consider how your baby responds to breast milk after drinking it. If symptoms occur such as fussiness, irritability, crying, gas, increased spitting up and/or drawing their legs up due to tummy pain, write down everything you ate that day.
“Almost all babies will find some baby gas relief by sucking on a pacifier,” O'Connor says, because the sucking action releases endorphins that will soothe them. Infant massage. Simply rubbing your child's belly may be helpful, since massage can help calm the nerve signals in baby's immature intestines.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic. The face may be flushed. The abdomen may be tense with legs drawn toward it.
The gas escapes while they rest. Babies should always sleep on their backs, even if they're gassy. Do not try to relieve your baby's gas by putting them to bed stomach down. You can, however, try burping them while they're laying stomach down across your lap or give them some supervised tummy time to move the gas.
Avocados, full of healthy fats and fiber, are a great addition to your diet while breastfeeding. The fat in avocados help you and your baby absorb fat-soluble vitamins and can also be beneficial to your baby's developing brain health.
Some people describe a “soapy” smell or taste in their milk after storage; others say it is a “metallic” or “fishy” or “rancid” odor. Some detect a “sour” or “spoiled” odor or taste. Accompanying these changes are concerns that the milk is no longer good for the baby.
A baby who twists, pulls, and grunts during a feeding session might have gas trapped and feel uncomfortable. If yours continues to squirm, pause feeding and try to burp her instead.
New mums should be advised that it is normal for their baby to cry more if they are breastfed, say experts. The Medical Research Council team says this irritability is natural, and although formula-fed babies may appear more content and be easier to pacify, breast is still best.
Tummy time.
Placing a baby on their stomach while awake helps to relieve gas pains. By gently increasing the abdominal pressure, tummy time pushes gas bubbles up and out. Tummy time is also a great way to strengthen the head and neck muscles needed to reach early motor milestones.
Limit caffeine when you're breastfeeding. Caffeine is a drug that's found in things like coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate and some energy drinks and medicines. Too much caffeine in breast milk can make your baby fussy or have trouble sleeping.
"It may take up to two or three days for food to be completely out of your system," says Dr. Shu. "So, think back to what you've eaten over the last 72 hours to see if you can pinpoint a particularly gas-inducing food." You can even keep a log of what you eat to identify patterns between your diet and baby's mood.
Foods commonly linked with affecting a mother's breast milk in this way include: Garlic, onions, cabbage, turnips, broccoli, and beans. Apricots, rhubarb, prunes, melons, peaches, and other fresh fruits. Cow's milk.
While the best sleep position for a gassy baby is still on their back, sometimes, gas pains make it harder for your little one to sleep. If this is the case, you may find that swaddling your baby before bedtime will keep them warm and comfortable during the night, as well as reduce any discomfort.
Lying still at night: When we sleep, typically, there's minimal movement of our bodies. Therefore it's harder for air to move around and work its way through our system. Immature digestive systems: Babies have immature digestive systems and their little bodies are learning too!
Some positioning tips: Feed your baby as upright as possible; lay your child on their back and pedal their legs with your hands to help expel gas from below; if your child is awake after a feeding, place them on their belly. Increase tummy time.