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.
Gently massage your baby, pump their legs back and forth (like riding a bike) while they are on their back, or give their tummy time (watch them while they lie on their stomach). A warm bath can also help them get rid of extra gas.
Gassy Foods
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.
Overfeeding a baby often causes the baby discomfort because he or she can't digest all of the breast milk or formula properly. When fed too much, a baby may also swallow air. This can produce gas, increase discomfort in the belly, and lead to crying.
Using a pacifier.
“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.
A gassy baby may have more burping or flatulence, or they may be screaming in pain from gas. They'll grow out of it as their immature system develops (usually around 4 to 6 months). In the meantime, to get rid of baby gas fast, reduce the amount of air your baby swallows before and during feedings.
Side Lying Position
Being one of the comfortable breastfeeding positions to relieve gas, you need to lay down on your side while your baby facing you. In order to protect your baby's back, place a breastfeeding pillow or a roll-up towel behind them. The breast that is lying on the bed is nursing the baby.
Sit your baby up on your lap and lean them forward slightly with their tummy against your hand. This gentle pressure may help your baby to bring up their wind. Rub or pat their back with your other hand. Place your baby face down on your lap or your forearm so they're looking outwards.
If you suspect that your fussy baby is genuinely uncomfortable, and they keep squirming and pulling up their legs, they might have some gas that refuses to pass. The best way to confirm your suspicions is to try some gas-relieving techniques such as burping them and moving their body into different positions.
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.
Let the formula settle
Shaking and blending naturally introduces air bubbles into the mix, which your baby can swallow, resulting in gas. Try using warm (but not hot) water, rather than cold or room temperature water, to help the formula dissolve more effectively and produce fewer bubbles.
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.
At nighttime, there's less movement and the gas can build up and get trapped. Additionally, babies tend to feed close to bedtime, and air introduced during this feed can become trapped. Also, our digestive systems are still very active at night and the results of digestion can be… gas!
So, can pacifiers cause gas? While pacifiers are not the major culprits of producing gas, they are one of the minor causes. “Babies can swallow air during feeding, when using a pacifier and while crying,” Natasha Burgert, M.D., wrote in Forbes.
What position should I lie in to relieve gas? Your side. Lying on your side with your knees bent can help to relieve trapped gas. If you don't feel relief after a few minutes, pull your knees closer to your chest or try alternating between straight legs and bent knees.
In healthy babies, gas is caused by the air and should not be a source of distress or pain. But babies have immature digestive systems, which means the food does not move smoothly from time to time, and the result can be a bit of uncomfortable gas.
Gripe Water is a gentle herbal supplement that offers relief to babies who suffer from gas, colic, hiccups, or general fussiness. Gripe water helps to settle the stomach by relieving gas buildup. Gripe water contains fennel, and ginger, which are historically known to ease nausea and discomfort caused by stomach gas.
Myth #2: You have to avoid certain foods so your baby doesn't get gassy. When a breastfed baby fusses for seemingly no reason, it's often attributed to gas caused by something the mom ate. But this isn't true in most cases. For a majority of people, what you eat is not going to make your baby feel bad.
To prevent adverse reactions in the baby while breastfeeding, it's recommended to avoid consuming citrus fruits, cherries, and prunes. Citrus fruits have been associated with digestive problems, fussy behavior, vomiting, and diaper rash in breastfed babies.
In addition, it is common for mothers to be warned to avoid “gassy foods” such as cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. Eating such foods can cause gas in the mother's bowel; however, gas and fiber do not pass into breast milk.
Can Swaddling Help with a Baby's Gas? Yes. If your baby is younger than 2 months, you can help them release gas by swaddling them. In addition to applying gentle pressure to their stomach, swaddling relaxes baby, which may help them calm enough to lull them to sleep.