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Your baby could be fussy because they are having gas pains. Here are some of the quickest and best ways to naturally relieve gas in your baby or infant.
A fussy baby is no fun.
It’s like a game, trying to figure out what’s wrong with them. Are they teething? Hungry? Dirty? Uncomfortable? Are they colicky?
Frankly, It’s a game I hate playing.
Fortunately, one of the common signs of a fussy baby is gas.
They can’t get the gas out so they’re very uncomfortable and fussy. If you know the signs, and the remedies for gas, it can make your life a whole lot easier!
Heck, even if you’re not sure if it’s gas, you can always try one of these natural remedies to see if it will help them. It can never hurt!
What Causes Gas
There are a few different reasons that babies and infants get gas. They actually have several opportunities to suck in air all day.
Crying
When they cry, they gulp air. This can cause gas.
Sucking
Sucking on bottles or pacifiers can cause gas.
Eating
Babies eat all day, and suck air as they eat…all day.
Food
It could be the type of food they are eating, the formula they’re drinking, or if you’re breastfeeding, it could be your diet.
Signs your Baby or Infant could have Gas
Hard tummy
Sometimes your baby or infant can have a hard tummy, which is a sign of gas. Although, I’d have to say that I feel like this is a hard sign because sometimes their tummy just always feels really full to me.
I mean, what’s considered hard? I know…I’m not helping, but I rarely use this sign to help me figure it out. But if you’re a little more tuned into your infants tummy then you might notice a difference.
The bottom line is their tummies should be soft in between feedings, so if they’re hard, they could be a little bloated.
Fussy
You’ve tried changing their clothes, changing their diaper, changing positions, feeding them, and rocking them and they just aren’t happy. It’s possible they have gas.
It doesn’t hurt to add one of the remedies below to your list of trying to make them happy and see if it helps.
Farts
If your baby is farting a lot, they probably have gas. At least they’re getting it out, mostly. They might need some additional help.
Burps
Burping a lot is another sign of gas. Again, they might be getting it out, but need some additional help. Also, if they didn’t burp a lot after the last feeding, they could be gassy.
How to Relieve Gas in My Baby
Position of feeding
One way to prevent getting more gas is feeding them upright. Not completely upright, but at a good angle so that they aren’t gulping the air as much.
A 45 degree angle is good. Don’t have them lay flat on their back.
Type of bottle
It could be the type of bottle you are using. Make sure you have the right nipple flow and nipple size, and a good bottle.
Most newborns need a slow flowing nipple.
We use Dr. Brown bottles, and they have different levels based on how old your baby is and how they eat.
The level one is a slow flow nipple good for newborns.
These bottles are also supposed to help with eliminating gas.
Massage
You could massage their tummy. You can do this by applying pressure on their lower abdomen. Start on their left side and do a clockwise circle around their tummy. Here is a video for a demonstration.Â
You could also use some baby oil while doing it for comfort.
Pushing legs
I do this all the time in my kids. Even my 2 year old finds relief in this maneuver.
You lay them on your lap or bed on their back with their feet facing you. Then you grab their feet and just push their legs and knees into their stomach. (Gently).
I like to do the bicycle maneuver by pushing one knee into their stomach at a time.
I also push their knees into their stomach and then do a circular motion back and forth against their tummy.
Here is a good demonstration video.
Sleeping Position
Help them relieve gas by laying them down at a 45 degree angle. Don’t have them lay flat on their back.
You can do this by adding some blankets underneath their mattress.
You could also have them nap in bouncer or swing to give them that incline.
My son spent most of his infant life in this swing. He LOVED it.
Burping
An obvious one is trying to burp them. Make sure you are properly burping them after every feeding, and sometimes even more in between, if needed.
Gas drops
Gas drops have been a life saver for us. They work great!
There are a couple ones that you could use.
You could buy the cheap one, honestly, it works okay. But we saw a complete difference in our baby when we used the good stuff.
Bouncing
Bouncing them up and down can help bring the gas bubbles out. You could bounce them on your knee or bounce while you’re holding them.
Changing formula
The formula you are using may not be agreeing with your baby. There are formulas out there, sometimes they are a little more expensive, that can help if your baby has a sensitive stomach.
We tried several different formulas with my daughter because she was so fussy. We tried these:
Enfamil Genlease
Member’s Mark Sensitivity
These worked great for her gas, but she was colicky, so it didn’t help that.
Changing diet
If you’re breastfeeding, it could be the food you are eating that causes gas in your baby. You might consider changing your diet.
When I breastfed my daughter, I went off all dairy, which is super hard by the way, to see if this helped with her digestive issues.
Jan Barger, lactation consultant says:
“The most likely culprit for your baby is dairy products in your diet — milk, cheese, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, or any food that has milk, milk products, casein, whey, or sodium caseinate in it. Other foods, too — like wheat, corn, fish, eggs, or peanuts — can cause problems.”
It’s not so much the foods that give you gas, but the foods that are sensitive to your baby.
You could try eliminating those foods from your diet for a week or two and see if it provides relief in your baby.
Constipation
Your baby could be constipated which presents itself like gas.
Some signs of constipation are hard tummy, no bowel movements in the past day or 2, fussy, belly pain, fussy while trying to poop or dried, hard pellet poop (and not very much of it).
If your baby is older than 4 months you can relieve constipation by give them a couple ounces of water. If they’re even older and eating regular foods, you can give them some fruit or fruit juice to help.
You could also try the Windi, which is a little plastic tube that you insert in their butt hole and helps them to poop. We used these all the time on my little boy, and they work great!
If you are concerned about your baby, or if it’s been a couple days since they pooped, I recommend contacting your doctor.
Colic
Your child could be colicky. No one really knows exactly what colic is, but some of the signs are similar to having gas. My daughter was extremely colicky. Here are some colicky remedies if you can’t find relief with gas remedies.
Acid Reflux
Another thing your child could have is Acid Reflux.
These signs are also similar to having gas, with the exception of excessive spit up and possible vomiting after eating. This is something you could ask your doctor about. My daughter had acid reflex and we had to get her on a prescription medication.
I hope you can give your baby relief with these gas remedies!
A fussy baby is no fun!
Related: 10 Colic Remedies for the Colicky Baby
Related: The Ultimate Potty Training Guide
Beautiful article
Thank you