Infant Gas and the Breastfed Baby - Need help!

Michelle - posted on 01/01/2009

acidopholus or however it's spelled the yogurt enzyme concentrate works good

Elizabeth - posted on 01/01/2009

have you tried elevating the head of her bed some? With Brenna, laying flat on her back made the reflux worse...I just folded up some blankets and put them under the head of her bed...not much, just enough to say it's at an angle...maybe that's why she wakes up in the middle of the night, she's laying flat longer than for just a day nap...?

Sonya - posted on 01/01/2009

thanks for all the replies...i've tried the leg scrunching and massage and it seems to help her sleep through the cramps when they come on...which is great! but my nights have gone back to what they were like when she was first born...up at all hours! it's worth it though to ease her discomfort. i wonder why it only happens in the dead of night and not at all during the day!

Amy - posted on 01/01/2009

As someone else said add things back into your diet if it doesn't seem to be helping. Any chance you have started eating citrus fruits?

Sarah - posted on 12/31/2008

until you know what's causing the gas, you could give her some gripe water (it has ginger, fennel & chamomile in it which are all digestive aids.)

Emily - posted on 12/31/2008

My father-in-law is a chiropractor and has adjusted all our babies soon after birth and throughout their infancy. It has been extremely helpful with gas and other issues (they live two hours away so the girls don't get extremely regular adjustments and I can always tell when it's been a while).

Extra saliva from teething can definitely be causing gas, and that's one you can't really avoid... you just have to treat the symptoms and wait for it to pass. I would try belly rubbing and bicycling and scrunching legs. That has helped all my kiddos. You can also try gas drops.

Also, I discovered that my nurslings handle dairy and green veggies in my diet just fine, but apples cause gas in my babies while I nurse. Once they get a bit older it's not as bad... but I have to be very careful of apples, applesauce, or apple juice for about 6 months.

Sara - posted on 12/31/2008

We didn't try it, but I've heard a chiropractor can really help. Our family practioner recommeded against it... as is common amoung the medical community. My brother took their baby to one for constipation problems and it was taken care of after one adjustment. Who knows....

LAURA - posted on 12/31/2008

please try a chiropracter who works on infants. my niese had terrible problems and a chiro really helpped her

Elizabeth - posted on 12/30/2008

I would talk to the dr. Brenna was the same way. I know now that she can't handle dairy and the dr says for us to avoid soy if she can't handle the dairy. Don't eliminate everything, that's not good for either of you! Just take one thing out and see if it makes a difference, if not, after a week, add it back. The dr told us to give her Maalox. 1/2 tsp as needed. I would give her one dose when she woke up screaming with gas pains, she'd pass the gas almost immediatly, then back to bed! We hardly use it anymore, but I always keep it on hand, it's a miracle cure for us. Good luck! Colic and gas are no fun!!

Sara - posted on 12/30/2008

Our first was so colicy, although nobody ever said that's what her problem was. She was always so gassy and cried and wanted to nurse to sooth herself, and that only made her tummy hurt more. I was on a soy diet... and eliminated many foods, no better... and eventually she just outgrew it. Getting her to sleep was a miracle, we swung her in the car seat carrier alot to get her to fall asleep.

Our second one seems like an angle in comparrison, but she still gets gassy. I found a trick online that seems to help her relieve the gas pain. stroke downward from belly button for 15 sec. then scruntch legs up and hold to chest for 15 sec. then rub clockwise around in circles on belly for 15 sec. then scruntch the legs again for 15 sec. You can repeat if needed... I find usually by the first or second run through she is getting it out. I don't know if that trick will help your little one... but if you are anything like I was you'll be willing to try!:) Good luck.