my baby is extremely gassy and has a hard time having a bowel movement, any suggestions?

Becki - posted on 10/19/2009

I had the same problem with my little one. Our doctor told us to add 1oz. of pear juice to the formula. It took about 24hrs. and we don't have anymore problems. He gets 1 bottle a day with the juice in it.

Stephanie - posted on 10/18/2009

i don't understand this thing, i want to post my replies to everyone who looks at this thread. sorry if i only replied to you carey

Stephanie - posted on 10/18/2009

i think the key is to note whether it is causing your baby discomfort. yes it is "normal" for some babies to go much longer periods without a BM, but you learn what is "normal" for your baby. however, pain and discomfort should not be part of that "normal". do anything you can to relieve that for your babe...and i'm telling you, chiropractic!

Carey - posted on 10/18/2009

my 2 year old had a BM only every 7 days and it worried me because she was breastfed. My other children has normal breastfed stools- loose and consistent.
My friend told me to put a 1/2 tsp. of Karo syrup in her bottle of milk and it worked. Of course, my doctor yelled at me saying that is old school and that some babaies only have BMs every 10 days.

Stephanie - posted on 10/14/2009

I know this is probably too late to help the woman who wrote the original post, but I hope this can help others. My baby cried and screamed too for the first eight weeks of her life. Passing gas hurt but having bowel movements caused excruciating pain for her and while everyone just petted me on the head and said " you're a new mom, and babies cry" i knew something was wrong! I tried absolutely everything suggested here other than the prune juice and the tablespoon of sugar but nothing worked and I was a wreck. She was miserable. Poor baby was so uncomfortable all the time and nothing I seemed to do helped her. She was inconsolable. My advice, consult a chiropractor. I know it's sounds crazy but it absolutely works! They are very gentle and do not do "adjustments" like with adults. They will tell you if they can or can't help. And if they can, you will notice a difference right away. My baby pooped twice in the same day (which she had never done in a 24 hour period since birth) right after we left the office. We saw the chiro 4 times and baby was sooooo much better. I kid you not, it sounds crazy, but try it. It will change your life! Good luck to all of you having gassy babies. It does get better I promise :)

Patricia - posted on 10/14/2009

Give her a tummy massage using clockwise strokes around her belly button (the intestines move that direction). Also try laying her on her back, holding her feet and gently push her knees up to her tummy. Alternate both legs together and one at a time. You can also try a warm (not too hot!) compress on her tummy.

Natalie - posted on 10/14/2009

why don't you try changing your bottle? try Playtex ventaire or Playtex drop-inns or Avent it helps reduce colic because it removes the air out of the bottle when the baby feeds. Also try giving him plenty of water. it helps =)

Hayley - posted on 10/14/2009

brown sugar definately works, diluted prune juice works for 6mths plus i would just boil them in water. My second daughter was sensitive to sugars in my belly when i would eat it she would go nuts, so when i stopped breastfeeding & started formula she slowly got worse over 5 weeks really windy was waking every 1-2 hours during the night. I put her on lactose free formula some babys have trouble digesting the sugars worked a treat totaly diferent baby she is 4 mths old & only wakes for 1 feed i can handle that.

Maureen - posted on 10/14/2009

Have you spoken to your doctor?? My daughter had this same problem from birth, i asked her doctor to give me something at her 1st appt, he gave me some lactose to put through her bottle to help her go as she was turning purple trying to make a poop. I would speak with your doctor and ask him for his recommendations first, also what bottles are you using? I used the Dr Browns which helped great with the gas, the Avent were too fast at the time, i slowly introduce them and now she takes them fine.

Samantha - posted on 10/12/2009

mmmm, yeah i know your pain. you need gripe water for the wind, best i have found yet, and supositries for the bowel, you may also need to give the bub a bit of fruit custard through the day, it will help a lot with the bowel movements. Hope this helps you out abit!!!

Rhiannon - posted on 10/11/2009

gas relief medication for babies, they are very safe just follow the bottle instructions and for having a bowel movement- my daughter has the same problem (she wont go for 5days) she is 100% breastfeed baby- but I was told by a few doctors and they all said 4oz warm water 1 tablespoon brown sugar and this will get her bowels moving (it really does work), she doesnt have to take the entire thing, my daughter takes maybe 1oz or 2 but it is great. Also with her gas stop or cut back on your coffee/caffine intake, my daughter would get bad cramps and would be screaming in pain and I was told this (I only drink 1.5cups aday) but I slowy cut it all out (it was very hard) and she is doing much better.

Abbie - posted on 10/09/2009

My son was colicky for the longest time. I had origianlly started breastfeeding, but had to stop around 10 weeks. After I put him on formula, he had the same problems with gas and having a hard time with bowel movements. I had tried everything to no avail, switched formulas, gripe water, other herbal remedies...I then brought him to a chiropractor and he has been a different baby ever since. They taught me how to rub his stomach in order to stimulate his colon. After I would do this, he would have a bowel movement immediately!! Hope this helps! Good luck!

Natalie - posted on 10/09/2009

My doctor recommended some water with a little brown sugar, it works quite well for my bub. I also hold her feet and make her legs move like she is on a bicycle, it works wonders. Plus when you think about it your bowels get moving pretty quickly after a long walk/run. ;)

Christy - posted on 10/05/2009

My daughter was having an issues with bowel movements. Not because of constipation (her stools were still liquid), but because of a sphincter control issue. I was told that it is very common for babies to have a hard time learning when to relax at the right times and they they will grow out of it. That was exactly true for mine. She finally figured things out, but until then we had to stimulate her with a Q tip. My pedi also suggested Similac Alimentum formula b/c it makes stools even runnier and easier to pass (also worked well for us!).

Kim - posted on 09/11/2009

I have the same problem to first I changed her formula to Gentlease and when I know hse has gas I take her legs and press them all the way up to her stomach and back down if that doesn't work then I lay her on her tummy and that normally works. I have never used the drops or any kind of juice.

Tina - posted on 09/09/2009

I find moving my baby's legs towards her tummy and then extend, like an acordian... or like she's riding a bike. Also, tummy time across your knees, while rubbing her back. Luckily I have been lpretty ucky with these techniques.

Beth - posted on 09/09/2009

My 2 month old had terrible gas the first week we were home. We used Mylicon gas drops & also changed him to Enfamil Gentlease formula, made a huge difference! Also, when my son had constipation issues, the Doctor recommended glycerin suppositories. You can buy them OTC, you may want to check with your Pediatrician first, the dosage amount is based on your child's weight ( I do believe?) I was advised to cut the suppository in half, this was when he was around 3 to 4 weeks old. We also tried Karo in his bottle , but that didn't seem to help at all.

Angela - posted on 09/09/2009

Try cutting out gassy foods. I had to stop eating eggs and that helped a TON since i was breastfeeding.

Da'Vita - posted on 09/09/2009

My daughter and son both had that problem. Right now my son is drinking Kuddles lactose free formula and it is great. I had tried soy and it did nothing for him. Also my pediatrician recommended me give him dark caro syrup which is in the sugar aisle. Give them one teaspoon to every 2 ounces. Worked like a charm because my son would scream when he had bowel movements.

Krystin - posted on 09/09/2009

You need to call your doctor and find out what he/she recommends, that is the safest thing to do especially if you need to switch formula, you shouldn't do that on your own becuase your baby could wind up sicker!

Shelly - posted on 09/07/2009

I was having the same problem with my son. A friend suggested "Gripe Water" but when I went to buy it I noticed another kind from Gentle Natures called "Tummy Soother" and since my son was only about 2 1/2 months old I wasn't sure which was better or if they were the same. The Gripe Water is about $4-5 more than the Tummy Soother. The Pharmacist said for as young as my baby is use the Tummy Soother because although they both had the same ingredients the Gripe Water had sodium added. And it is not good to give a baby [that young] salt. So, you might try that they sell it at Walgreens.

Lauren - posted on 09/07/2009

Have you tried giving them Mylecon? It helped with Blaire and Madelyn. Also, you can try something called Gripe Water (buy at Babies R Us). I lay Blaire over my knees on her stomach and rub her back. She really likes that and it seems to help. Good luck!

Lori - posted on 09/05/2009

It could be the formula that she is on. I know it's hard to see them in pain, especially when you don't know how to "make it better." You might want to let your pediatrician know what is going on. You may have to change formulas or even your bottles! Hang in there!!

Melissa - posted on 09/04/2009

Have you tried warm baths? Do a baby oil massage and try some gripe water...My daughter lived off of gripe water cause formula did such a number on her tummy!!! Thank god my June baby is breast fed....Hope this helps!

Linzi - posted on 09/03/2009

I used to gently massage the sides of Milly's stomach (not directly on her stomach) and she would usually fart or poo... I learnt at the hospital, maybe ask your mid wife to show you.. also buy Avent bottles as they stop so much wind intake when drinking, unless breast feeding of course, and also gripe water helped a lot.

Heather - posted on 09/03/2009

I had the same problem with my daughter, she would scream and clinch her fist together when she went. I asked my peds. doctore and she told me a little bit of Karo syrup and water some water once a day.I tired it and it worked for us but, I would ask your peds. doctor first to make sure it's nothing medical. As for the gas we did the mylocn drops they are expensive but, they work. Also try burping her halfway through her bottle if bottle feeding or in between breast.

Tracy - posted on 09/03/2009

My son is very gassy and was constipated at one point. The doctor placed him on Alimentum which is a pre-digested formula. It's expensive and definitely helped with the bowel movement. Now as far as the gas, he's not as gassy as before and the gas isn't as painful but he still has his gassy moments. I also tried mylicon drops and gripe water for the gas and neither helped.

Mudhita - posted on 09/03/2009

What formula milk has low based iron in it? I tried to find one in store but couldn't find it. I breastfeed my baby but sometimes I give her formula to help her to feel full. I've just been here in the US for the last month and just switched the formula I used to use before to Enfamil Lipil. Ever since I gave that to my baby, she can't have BM everyday and seems to be pretty gassy and she's fussy too.

Sherry - posted on 09/02/2009

I have the same problem with my 9 week old son Gavin. We are using Mylicon drops and also Gripe Water with each feeding. My doctor also recommended we try low iron formula. Bicycling their legs helps and also after they eat try not to put them in a sitting position (like in their car seat) because it puts a lot of pressure on their belly and causes more gas pain. I have also tried hard to make sure I get some good burps out of him after each feeding. oh, one more thing...sometimes you can gt these warming vibrating wraps that go around their bellies - I found the vibrating bouncy chair has a similar effect. Good luck - I know it is hard to see your baby in pain :(

Ellen - posted on 09/02/2009

I had the same problem and my doctor told me to give her 1 oz of prune juice to 1 oz water. I do this once a day and it has helped my DD

Vannessa - posted on 09/02/2009

my little girl was like that we had to switch her to soy milk. it helped a lot!!! the only thing now is her poo is super stinky and she smells like soy when she gets sweaty.

Kerri - posted on 09/01/2009

Water does the job every time for ny babies as a prevention of constipation. I read a suggestion of making fennel tea and giving your child a couple of ounces as the fennel relaxes the bowel but I have never tried it myself. A few people said they tried it sucessfully though...hope this helps x

Elizabeth - posted on 09/01/2009

My son has the same problems. I was recently told NOT to give karo syrup. It's actually very bad for babies. Give a small amount of diluted prune/apple juice. This is my third child and I swear by Mylacon gas drops. He was sooo uncomfortable his first month and it didn't seem like the Mylacon was working so I tried Gripe Water. This seemed to work for the first few days.I switched back to Mylacon and it helps. He is breast fed but I sometimes give him formula. I switched to Simalac Alimentum and he is sooooooo much happier. When he is gassey I hold him like a football or push his legs up towards his cheast and it helps. Hope this helps and good luck mamma! It gets better!!

Sheena - posted on 09/01/2009

WHat I understand is that, if breastfed, the baby can go more than 10 days without a bowel movement and everything be ok. My dr said she woulnt be worried until the baby went 21 days without one (remember, only if breastfed). If your baby has a bowel movement and it is normal (not a hard stool), then she most likely is not constipated. When in doubt though, maybe see your doctor to get more advice/information. Sometimes babies seem to be in discomfort or pain through our eyes when really they are just workin' hard on passing the gas/stool:)

Ashley - posted on 08/31/2009

Hey Alisha

Try little tummy's gas drops....they worked wonders for my son who tends to be a little gassy at times. Just put the drops in his bottle when he eats and it really works by the time he is finished. Hope this helps:-)

Apryle - posted on 08/31/2009

but i found that switching her formula from Enfamil Lipil to Enfamil Premium is what did the trick

Apryle - posted on 08/31/2009

i had the same problem around 2 months. the doctor told me to dip the end of her thermometer in vaseline & put it in her butt (just the tip) to help it out.

Michele - posted on 08/30/2009

my newborn was extremely more gassy than my first son. what we ended up doing...1. Mylicon drops and 2. changed formula to Similac's Alimentum and he's a MUCH happier baby. ( i don't even use Mylicon anymore.)

Alisha - posted on 08/29/2009

thank u all!!

Julie - posted on 08/29/2009

Our pediatrition recommened prune juice for our two month old. We use the Gerber Apple/Prune juice and give them an ounce when they need a little help.

Amber - posted on 08/29/2009

Try Mylicon or Little Tummy's I've found that they don't necessarily help with the gas, but they seem to calm the baby. I think she just likes the taste! If baby goes more than 5 days without a bowel movement, check with your doctor. Mine had me give part of a glycerin suppository after 7 days and it worked almost immediately. I was nervous to give it, but it was easy and tear-free! I just cut it in half lengthwise so that it wasn't so big around. Good luck with your little one!

User - posted on 08/29/2009

hi Alisha, i had the same problem with my 8 week old boy, i found about 20-40mls of warm boiled water with a leavel tea spoon of sugar twice a day done the trick and laying your baby on there back and moving there legs like there riding a bike type thing helps to!!! so give that a shot , dont go useing any types of drops, they just upset your babies tummy and makes them upset, you cant make bowel movement work any quicker, boiled water just brakes up the milk.but its up to you, i had troubles when i started useing formual as well as breast milk, if thats your case things will get better, there tummys start to get use to it!!

Tracy - posted on 08/28/2009

I personally don't think the Mylecon works well, but thats just me... My daughter was that way and was breastfed. We had her in the hospital for 6 days, which during that time they said she had a cows milk protein allergy and put her on a hypoallergenic formula (Enfamil's Nutramigen) and that helped right away, for the gassy part. She also was having problems have a BM and we were told by the Dr to add 1tspn of karo syrup to her bottles, start with 1 bottle first day, then 2 bottles second day, and so on to make sure she didn't have a reaction to that too. The karo syrup worked great!

Aliya - posted on 08/28/2009

I say the same thing. I think the drops are called Mylacon. And try a different formula. Also are you using Milk based or Soy based. The baby may not be tolerating milk well.

Melissa - posted on 08/28/2009

I have two suggestions for you. One go and buy gas relief drops for babies. They are completely safe. Two try a different formula. I use Gentlese from Enfamil.