It is perfectly normal for all babies to become gassy. It is the natural result of their digestion process. Many things can cause gas. Just as in adults, food is usually the main thing that can make your baby gassy. Gas is air that builds up in the body. It is an attempt by the body to break down certain ingredients that are contained there.
There have been connections made that foods in which a breastfeeding mother eats passes on to the infant. Citric fruits such as oranges or grapefruit can be one cause. This includes juices as well. In fact, any food that has a high content of acid in them can be passed to the baby from breast milk. These foods can irritate the baby’s delicate tummy.
One of the most common sources of the problem are dairy products. This can include milk, cheese, ice cream and butter. You can test this on your own to see if the foods you are eating could be irritating the baby. Remove all of dairy products from your diet for a couple of weeks. Slowly reintroduce them into your diet one at a time. This should help you pinpoint the offending food.
When there is a lot of activity going on around the baby, this can also cause gassiness. For instance, a lot of noise and people around that normally wouldn’t be there can cause the baby to stress. When the baby feels stress, he/she will react to it much like an adult will. Stress can cause physical things to happen to a baby’s body as well as it can to an adult.
Your baby’s gas isn’t usually something to worry about. Gas in your infant simply means that the baby is digesting the foods. It can be a bit painful at times. You can probably attest to that yourself when you get gas. Once the gas passes though, the baby should be fine. If you find that the gas last for an extended period of time, you may want to contact your pediatrician to find out what suggestion he/she may have for you.
There are over the counter remedies that can be used. These usually do the trick in getting rid of the gas. It also helps to burp the baby during feedings to get as much air out as possible. This won’t stop all of the gas, but it is helpful.
You can also try to place a little pressure on the baby’s stomach. Don’t press down too hard. Laying the baby on his/her tummy or across your knees while you rub his/her back can help to relieve the gas more quickly. The baby may even find relief from laying on his/her side while cuddled closely to you.
There are several causes for baby to get gassy. It isn’t something that you have to worry over too much. If you do not see any relief in sight for your infant, call the doctor to schedule and appointment to see if there is something more that you could be doing.
