How to Massage a Baby's Stomach for Gas Pain

Mother massaging little baby boy

Read time: half-dozen minutes

What should I know nearly gas in breastfed babies?

Know that most babies have gas
Understand the many causes and symptoms of gas in breastfed babies
Larn tips and tricks to help forbid and relieve gas in your baby

1 of the most common concerns parents have is their baby'due south gas. While gas is usually not harmful, the pressure level that gas bubbling create may cause hurting when information technology becomes trapped in your baby's stomach or intestines.^ane

Gas is particularly common during the first three months of life when your niggling one's digestive tract is nevertheless maturing.² You may even detect it's worse at night.³ Most of the fourth dimension, gas is from swallowing too much air, but there may be other reasons your little one is gassy.

Read on to larn how to aid your baby with gas.

Common causes of gas discomfort in breastfed babies:

An incorrect latch while nursing leads your baby to swallow likewise much air³
Excessive crying fills your baby'due south belly with air^one
Strong permit-down or oversupply, causing babe to gulp quickly and eat air³
Constipation¹
Immature digestive tract is nonetheless learning to procedure breastmilk, gas, and stool effectively²
Sensitivity or allergy to a nutrient in mom'southward nutrition^{1, 3, iv}
Introduction to a bottle or to formula. Baby may swallow air while drinking from a canteen or may need to go used to formula's ingredients.^{iii, 7}

Common symptoms of gas in breastfed babies:

Excessive burping: May indicate that your baby is swallowing too much air from feeding or crying¹
Spitting up (while typically completely normal): May be a sign of gas build up within the stomach.⁵ Trapped gas bubbling tin can push some breastmilk back up.
Excessive flatulence (again, usually completely normal and a natural way to salvage the pressure of gas)¹
Bloating or swollen abdomen: May hateful that gas is trapped in the intestines^half-dozen
Your babe may: Cry, arch their back, draw their legs upward toward their tummy, or clench their fists.⁸
Trouble sleeping is oftentimes a symptom of besides every bit a outcome of the combined symptoms listed above – a vicious cycle!

learning center article 15 How to manage gas in breastfed babies?

Not certain how to help your little one? Come chat with our team of registered dietitians, fellow moms, and lactation specialists, bachelor from Monday – Friday 8 am – viii pm (EST) and Saturday – Sunday 8 am – 4 pm (EST). Conversation at present!

What can I do to help prevent gas in my breastfed baby?

Cheque and adjust baby's latch

If your little one is non latching deep enough, they may exist swallowing more air. A painful latch or a 'clicking' audio made while baby is feeding may indicate their latch needs adjusting^, ¹³ ^, ¹⁴ Shallow latches are often remedied with a new breastfeeding position along with some pocket-size latch corrections. If you lot're able, go far touch with a lactation consultant who tin help with proper technique.

Note that if every position is painful even after corrections, call your baby'due south health care provider to check for other causes, such as tongue-tie or flat / inverted nipples.

Take questions near your trivial one's latch? Conversation live with our Happy Baby Experts for free breastfeeding back up. Conversation now!

Help infant deal with your strong let-down (milk ejection reflex)

If y'all find your breastmilk sprays out forcefully during the start few minutes of a feeding, causing baby to coughing, clamp down, or pop off the breast, you may have a strong let downward or oversupply.²⁵ Trying to potable milk so fast often causes baby to likewise have in quite a bit of air.

Hither are some tips to help your piffling one handle your overactive let-down:

Paw express earlier latching baby. Outset the flow of milk by massaging the chest and take hold of the spray in a burp cloth until the catamenia slows to a drip; then latch your little i.^{9, 3}
Attempt laid-back breastfeeding. This position has you reclining on your back (apartment or at an angle) while babe is abdomen-to-belly with you. While y'all are on your back and baby'due south head is higher up the breast, gravity helps to slow the flow of milk.¹ ⁰

For many moms, having a strong let-downwardly is normal during the first few weeks when breastmilk supply increases dramatically and is regulated by hormones.ⁱ ¹ In one case the torso understands how much milk your infant needs, breastmilk product regulates in response to supply and demand. This often happens around 4 weeks postpartum and many women detect their allow-downs are no longer every bit forceful.¹²

Is babe's gas acquired by food?

While it's rare for mom's diet to be the cause of baby gas, it does happen occasionally.²⁰ If yous doubtable that your baby may be sensitive to something in your nutrition, proceed a food log. Rails your meals and beverages for several days forth with the gas symptoms your baby is exhibiting. Check to come across if any patterns or links sally.

Since it's adequately uncommon for your baby to react to something you are eating, try not to go overboard finding a dietary cause.²⁰ You and your piddling 1 both need a full range of nutrients to support adept health and development. Taking too many things out of your diet may take other potentially negative health effects.²¹ Additionally, the hardship of following such a strict eating pattern has been linked with women stopping their breastfeeding journey early.²¹

Larn more: Is your baby reacting to something in your milk?

Employ paced bottle feeding if introducing a bottle

Sometimes a nipple size that is too big or a bottle latch that is too shallow can make your baby consume more than air. Paced bottle feeding helps your little one regulate the period of milk similar to how they would while breastfeed.

Utilize a newborn or stage one nipple to ensure the flow of milk is not also fast.

Learn how to use Paced Bottle Feeding

Ask our Happy Babe Experts about bottle feeding if you have more questions! Chat now

What can I practice to assistance alleviate gas in my breastfed infant?

Utilise gentle pressure to your infant's belly

Stomach Time: This position can put gentle pressure on your baby's belly, helping to provide gas relief. Expect at least 30 minutes after a feeding to allow your piffling one's abdomen to settle before starting tum time.⁷

Or try a more advanced move – utilize both hands and a lot of guided support to lay your baby tummy down on a large beach or exercise ball and gently roll her on the ball in a circular motion.

Forearm Agree: Also called the football concord, magic hold, and the colic carry. Try carrying your baby face down with her body resting on your forearm, the front of her diaper area in your hand and her chin cradled in your elbow.⁹ Brand sure to tilt baby's head to the side to avert blocking their nose or mouth. Conveying your little one in this face-down position will identify the same gentle pressure on their abdomen that is accomplished during stomach fourth dimension.

Burp your babe during and after a feeding

Take a break between sides or even during a feed to get a burp or two out.⁸

You may choose to burp your baby while they are in a seated position, with their head supported by the cradle of your hand.ⁱ ^viiYous tin can also burp your baby in the typical position: upright and over your shoulder.⁸

Be patient while burping because it may take some time for the gas bubbles to surface. Y'all tin always effort laying infant downward for a moment or two to permit the bubbles re-settle and so lifting infant up and trying again. If your little one doesn't burp after a few minutes, it'due south ok to move on.

Try babe massage on your baby's tummy for gas relief

While your baby is laying on their dorsum, gently rub their tummy in a clockwise movement and and so pull your hands down the curve of the belly. Massaging in a clockwise direction helps to move gas along as that is the road the intestinal tract follows.¹ ⁹ Repeat several times to help movement trapped gas.

Read more: Baby massage benefits and techniques

Bicycle your baby's legs

Bicycling your infant'south legs in a circular motion can aid to move the intestines and release gas trapped.^seven With your infant lying on their back, take their legs in your easily and cycle them slowly back and forth every bit if they were riding on a bicycle. Take a suspension every at present and so to press both of babe's knees gently into their ain breadbasket for some extra pressure.

Read more: How Do I help My Breastfed Baby with Diarrhea and Constipation?

Do gas drops similar simethicone work?

Simethicone breaks downward bubbles of gas trapped in the tum and intestines. Information technology is not absorbed past the body and therefore considered to be safety for babies (but yet bank check with your baby's medico before starting any kind of medicine or supplement for gas).⁷

In clinical trials, simethicone drops have not been found to exist very effective, but many companies offer coin back should you desire to give these drops a shot with your lilliputian ane.^7, ²² ^, ²⁴

Wait it out!

For most babies, the number one most constructive treatment for gas is time. Remember that babies are probable to be gassy no matter what because their digestive organisation is still immature. If you cannot observe an credible cause for your infant's gassiness, they probably just demand a trivial more than fourth dimension to mature.

Allow'southward Chat!

We know parenting ofttimes means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and defoliation, and we want to support you lot in your feeding journeying and beyond.

Our Happy Baby Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitians certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they're all moms, too, which means they've been there and seen that. They're here to help on our complimentary, live chat platform Monday -Fri 8am-8pm (EST), and Saturday – Sunday 8am-4pm (EST). Conversation At present!

Read more virtually the experts that help write our content.

For more than on this topic, check out the following articles:

Peak Latching Tips

Managing colic in babies

Is your baby reacting to something in your milk?

Tips for Bottle Fed babe gas

How can I salvage constipation for my babe and toddler?

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