Your Baby's Got Gas
Gas. It happens to the best of us. Unfortunately, it seems to happen a lot more to your baby than it does to the rest of us. That could be because your baby has no social inhibitions and feels free to let them rip where and whenever he wants.
Bubble Trouble and Why It Happens
Your baby's stomach contains millions of bacteria that help the process of digestion. When these bacteria encounter and process sugars, a gas is released. If this gas gets trapped, you have one unhappy baby on your hands. Don't worry, your baby will let you know if gas pains are ailing him; that's right, he'll start crying. Once you're alerted to his gas problems, there are several techniques you can turn to in order to relieve his pain.
Gas Relief
- the gas pedal: lay your baby on a padded surface facing up and 'pedal' his legs as if he were riding a bike; this should help him release the pent-up gas in his belly
- cut out certain foods: if your baby has constant gas complaints, then look to his diet; cut out unnecessary sugar and dairy
- more burps, baby: spend more time burping your baby as you feed him
- change your own diet: if you're breastfeeding your child, it's a good idea to watch what foods cause gas for your baby; try cutting out dairy, peas, broccoli and all caffeine products or anything that resembles caffeine, such as chocolate
- try yogurt: the live cultures in yogurt help your body digest foods; this helps if your baby has a gastrointestinal infection or is taking antibiotics that are upsetting his stomach
- proper latch on: ensuring better latch on can help reduce the air that your baby swallows
- pass up the cow: avoid feeding your baby cow's milk as it can cause gas
- switch nipples: if your baby is bottle-fed, then switch to a slow-flow nipple, as it will reduce the amount of air your baby swallows; remember that formula-fed babies swallow more air than breastfed babies and therefore suffer more from trapped gas
- gripe water: gripe water, a European remedy for baby's discomforts, offers relief from gas, teething, colic, cramps and hiccups. The gripe water recipe contains all natural ingredients that aim to alleviate nausea and pain.
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