A parents guide on how to help a newborn with gas. Everything from what causes it and how to help baby pass that gas (fart).
Jump to:
Gas Relief for newborns
None of us want to see your babies in pain and so it’s important to know just what we should do if our baby is experiencing gas.
- Bicycle Exercise
- Gripe Water
- Change to mom's diet
- Tummy time
1.Bicycle exercise
One way you can help a baby who is experiencing gas is to do some tummy exercises with him/her.
What we like to gently push their legs into their tummy in a bicycling emotion. This always helped my babies pass gas and feel a lot more comfortable.
2. Gripe Water
Another trick was using a product called gripe water which was truly a lifesaver especially in the beginning first few months.
If your baby is experiencing a lot of gas and is really fussy because of this I would extremely recommend you purchase gripe water.
The reason my gripe water works is because it has peppermint oil which naturally helps relieve gas.
We used both the Lil' Remedies Gripe Water and also the Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water , but the Mommy's Bliss seemed to work the fastest!
3. Mom's diet needs to change
As we mentioned earlier, if you’re breast-feeding one thing you might try is changing your diet and avoiding certain foods that are known to cause gas.
4. Adequate Tummy time
Another way you can help baby with gas discomfort is to make sure your baby is getting tummy time regularly. Tummy time helps because it puts pressure on their tummy which helps push the gas out.
If you are needing help with some tips and advice on how to make tummy time more enjoyable, my tummy time tips might be something you should read too.
What causes gas pains in babies?
Gas pains can because by a number of things including:
- formula
- swallowing air while drinking from a bottle
- mom's diet (if breastfeeding)
- solid foods
The Kind of milk they drink
Formula-fed babies tend to have more gas problems than breast-fed babies because breastmilk is more gentle.
This isn't always the case though, because what mom eats while she breastfeeds can also play a big part in baby developing gas pains.
Some of the biggest culprits are foods that would cause gas in adults like broccoli, beans, spicy foods, and any foods high in sulfur content.
If they are bottle-fed
Also, if your baby is bottle-fed (and there is nothing wrong with that), he/she may unintentionally be swallowing air while they drink their milk.
If your sweet little baby is experiencing a lot of gas pains, you might try switching bottles to Dr. Browns Bottles which are specially made to help babies who suffer from a lot of reflux and gas.
Certain kinds of baby food
Baby's first foods can also play a part in gas pains.
Again these are some of the biggest culprits for causing gas pains for baby:
- broccoli
- beans
- oatmeal
- apricot
- prunes
- pears
- peaches
- spicy foods
You don't need to stop feeding baby these foods, just limit how much of each you give. Also, use this as a guide that if baby had one of these foods and is extra fussy, he/she may just be gassy.
FAQ about Gassy Newborns
Yes, gripe water is a great thing to try if your newborn infant has gas.
Sometimes! For older babies, tummy time is a great way to help naturally keep those gas bubbles from getting out of control.
For a newborn, doing bicycle exercises to help push the farts out works better.
As adults this might be hard for us to understand, but when a baby has gas...it's painful!
This is because of the discomfort of all that gas and pressure on their little, sensitive tummy.
Yes, typically babies grow out gas pains around 4 to 6 months old. That's why it's important to know how to help baby now while they are still young.
Thanks for stopping by! If you enjoyed reading this, please remember to pin it to your favorite baby board on Pinterest. Thanks!!
Alicia ahmad says
My baby is gassy and colic he cry’s when he has to pass stool. He is 5 weeks and I found he started to cry during the day and want to be breastfed all day.. and often throws up after he feed. I’m worried and get tired . I’m not able to do anything in the house I don’t get the time to cook , because of his constant cry all the time . Need advice
She's Your Friend says
It sounds like maybe your baby is dealing with some reflux. My suggestion would be to slow down your feeding and have baby take breaks to burp. Also, after baby is done, try to hold him upright for at least 15 minutes. When in doubt though, if things aren't improving, I would suggest taking him to your pediatrician and see if maybe something else is causing this?