For new parents, taking care of their babies is a big challenge. They learn all kinds of parenting knowledge every day, but also always encounter various difficulties: spitting up, indigestion, crying, colic...... By the way, many times the baby crying may be due to "gassy".
In this article,
6 Signs and Symptoms of baby gassy
Why is my baby so gassy?
4 ways to relief your baby gas
How to prevent gas in babies?
The Signs and Symptoms of baby gassy
For new parents, it is difficult to distinguish whether their babies have gas or not, but how can they see if they have a gassy baby? Usually, when a baby shows the following signs, it probably is:
- Your baby stomach rumbling, farting a lot, sometimes quite loud, farting sometimes with a bit poop.
- Your baby has bubbles in the stink. Abnormal number of stools, sometimes more and sometimes less.
- Your baby is fighting with himself, pushing hard, tensing his body - little arms and legs stirring, sometimes holding his little face red.
- Your baby eats milk frequently. It will be more obvious if breastfeeding, and always want to drink even when dazed.
- Your baby's spitting up and milk overflow.
- Your baby has short bedtimes. Sleeps restlessly and cries a lot.
Why is my baby so gassy?
Causes: baby gassy may be due to these：
- Physiological factors: gastrointestinal tract function is not yet mature
Due to the baby's young age, the gastrointestinal tract digestive system is not mature, lactase content in the small intestine is insufficient. Therefore, either milk or breast milk lactose in the small intestine has not been fully digested into the large intestine. In the digestive tract through the intestinal bacteria and other digestive enzymes action and fermentation, so that gas-producing bad bacteria proliferate to form flatulence.
- Daily factors: swallowing too much air while breastfeeding
Simply put, the baby swallows air while drinking milk and becomes flatulent.
① For exclusively breastfed babies, if the mother eats too much gas-producing food while breastfeeding, the baby will be prone to flatulence after eating breast milk.
② For formula-fed babies, the size of the nipple hole of the bottle is not appropriate, so it is easy to inhale air when drinking milk.
③ Babies are also prone to swallowing air when they cry a lot.
4 ways to relief your baby gas
- Burp after breastfeeding
Burp your baby after feeding in time (the burp is the gas in baby's stomach). There are three methods of burping.
① Vertical holding: hold the baby vertically after feeding, let his head rest on the adult's shoulder. Gently pat the baby's back from the bottom up with the palm of the adult's hand in a hollow shape until the baby burps.
② Sitting position: Place the baby in a seated position on the adult's lap. The adult holds the baby with one hand and pays attention to supporting the head, with the hand in a hollow shape from bottom to top, gently patting the back.
③ Lap Burping Position: put your baby in a semi-prone position on the adult's lap, head high and feet low position. Adult one hand to protect the baby's head, the other hand is hollow from bottom to top, gently patting the back.
- Warm towels on the baby's tummy
Parents can also try using a warm towel to cover the baby's tummy. By warming the tummy to promote the baby's intestinal peristalsis and relieve the discomfort caused by flatulence. Put the towel in the microwave oven for a few minutes, but note that the towel is warm enough to try the temperature before use, do not burn your baby.
- Massage baby's belly
Moderate massage can promote intestinal peristalsis and exhaustion, relieve your baby gassy.
Specific practices: wash your hands, first warm up your hands or rub hot. Then the baby's belly button as the center, with the palm of your hand along the clockwise direction to gently massage the baby's stomach. Each time gently massage 15-20 times (do two groups), about 5 minutes massage. It’s okay do the massage after baby finished his meal one hour.
- "Pedal bike" exercise
When your baby is awake, you can let your baby lie flat on the bed, lift the baby's legs. In the air to imitate the "pedal bicycle" action, through this action baby's thighs curled and stretched, and so in the intestines to do "gymnastics".
How to prevent gas in babies?
In fact, gastrointestinal flatulence is very common for babies at a young month, but it is mostly caused by improper feeding or care. Thus, to prevent gas in babies, you can start with feeding and nursing.
- Avoid feeding your baby only when he or she is hungry for too long
If your baby is hungry for too long, he or she will be very anxious and hard to chase the milk, which will suck in too much air.
It is recommended to feed your baby as soon as he/she has a hungry expression and reaction, and feed him/her on time. Otherwise he/she will cry for a long time and suck in a lot of air causing flatulence, and help him/her burp after feeding.
- Feeding posture should be correct
For bottles feeding, you should pay attention to let the milk fill the top of the bottle nozzle and not to have a slant. To avoid letting the baby inhale air. If your are breastfeeding, you should also stabilize the baby's head with your arms as much as possible, so that the baby's mouth and lips fit closely to the mother's nipple to reduce the possibility of swallowing air. Also ensure that the baby eats milk in the most comfortable position.
- Choose the right size pacifier hole
For formula-fed babies, it is recommended to choose the right bottle and nipple according to the baby's month to avoid oversized nipple holes. If your baby has diarrhea or flatulence, consult your pediatrician to see if you need to adjust the concentration of the formula or change to another one.
- Rational feeding and regular living
Cultivate normal eating habits for your baby. Avoid milk that is too cold for formula milk. For breastfed babies, the mother's diet needs to be careful to avoid foods that are easily flatulent. In addition, ensure that your baby gets enough sleep every day, and avoid wearing too little to catch a cold.
Eventually, the gas will “passing through”.