How To Cure a Super Gassy Baby
Now, I don’t mean to brag but one thing I’ve proven to be really good at is making super gassy babies. Okay, so, hold the phone (does anyone remember that saying?). I know, we all what to be the best at something and you might be sitting there feeling just a little envious that I managed to find something to excel at while you still figure yours out. BUT (there’s always a ‘but,’ isn’t there?) this may not be the skill you want to excel in. No. I’d say, be happy to leave this one to me.
Anyways, you’ve probably started reading this because you have a super gassy baby. I mean, it makes sense. If you were somehow blessed with a baby that isn’t gassy (you have a unicorn-baby, by the way, and now it’s my turn to be jealous of you), there’s really not much reason why a post about newborn gas would appeal to you. So, I guess, it’s safe to assume that I’m talking to someone in the midst of walking a similar path to the one I’ve already walked three - count ‘em three - times before. Before I get into the gassy goods, I just want to say: Mama (or Papa!), I get it. I understand your struggle here. I understand how it hurts your heart to see your sweet little baby wrenched up and screaming in pain. I know that you’re here because you just want to try something to help relieve them of their discomfort. And to relieve yourself of the discomfort that comes along with caring for a super gassy baby. Also - even if you wouldn’t describe your baby as a super gassy baby, I don’t discriminate. You are still very welcome to use these tricks to alleviate general infant gas! Here we go.
How to Know it’s Gas
The super gassy baby has some pretty obvious tell-tale signs once you know what to look for.
The easiest one is to feel and observe their abdomen. A rock-hard tummy that is distended-looking (rounded) is a great indicator, even when they’re settled (ie. not crying) is a great indicator that there are some gas issues at play.
Another obvious tell-tale sign? Crying. A lot of it. Especially after a feed. I swear that my kids had a distinct gas cry as opposed to their “regular” crying (but don’t ask me to explain the difference because I couldn’t if I tried!).
Excessive spitting up could also be a sign of digestion troubles - which is not to say that it’s real trouble, per say, just that nourishment is having a hard time settling. Same goes for hiccups.
Does your baby pull their legs in to their tummy/chest often (especially following a feed)? You guessed it - another sign of gas.
Anti-Gas or Anti-Colic Drops
If I could have given my babies Ovol through an IV drip for the first twelve weeks of their life, I might have. IV or not, they certainly got their fair share of Ovol and gripe water - balanced out, of course, with the wide variety of homeopathic options marketed to appeal to the desperate parent of the super gassy baby. I’m not going to go through the pros and cons of these here. I’m not a medical professional, and don’t pretend to be, so you definitely should not be taking anything I write here as sound medical advice. But I can (and will!) write from my own experiences - and in my own experiences, Ovol was met with a satisfactory level of success and would probably be my go-to recommendation over all the others on the shelf. Although there were some of the homeopathic stuff that maybe worked - not one better than the other, though.
Probiotics
In totally simplistic terms, the idea behind giving a baby probiotics is the belief that their immature digestive system may still be lacking the good bacteria required for a well-functioning system. Probiotics are billed as those “good” bacteria. If you’re heavy into empirical research, you likely won’t be swayed by this option but if you find anecdotal findings persuasive you’ll be more open to giving this a go. As always, when purchasing supplements, quality matters - and yes, that translates to spending a little bit more dolla-bills to upgrade from the generic version.
Bodywork
Honestly, when you think about it, it just makes sense that digestion issues on this level could be remedied through the central nervous system - which is the foundational practice of chiropractic care, Bowen Therapy and Craniosacral Therapy. Infant treatment involves very gentle manipulations of the body. There are no sudden movements and none of the cracking many of us often assume is involved with all forms of chiropractic care. If you can’t warm to the idea of taking your infant to a chiropractor (please recognize this as an unfounded fear, though!), Bowen or Craniosacral Therapy is a great place to dip your toes into the infant bodywork water. However, those two treatment methods are typically not covered by extended medical plans - whereas chiropractic care is covered by most extended medical plans (where I live, in Canada, at least).
Burp, Burp and Burp Again
Pockets of air bubbles are one of the main culprits for infant gassiness. I know, I’m not making any super surprising revelations with that one but the reason I’m saying it at all is to, hopefully, reinforce the importance of a good, old-fashioned burp. This might sound like a simple solution but don’t discount it. A good burp could totally change the course of your super gassy baby’s digestive experience. And, by association, yours as well.
Ideally, you're burping several times throughout the course of a feed and not necessarily all at the end of the feed, either. Share the love. Spread the burps out. A couple in the middle (if breastfeeding, when you switch from one boob to the other is a natural break and a good opportunity to encourage a burp) and then try for two or three at the end of your feeding session. Even if you’ve gotten out one really good one, keep trying for just one more. With a bit of coaxing, you usually can encourage a follow-up burp and that can be the one that makes all the difference! The reward is worth the effort. I also want to mention that burping is a type of art form. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s not really. But it is something that takes practice, repetition and a willingness to experiment with different burping strategies - there are a few! Like everything with babies, one size does not fit all.
Fridababy, Windi the Gaspasser
I demand a refund on my own experience(s) with my super gassy babies because this very intriguing little contraption was not around when any of mine were babies and one look at the slick packaging really makes me believe that it would have made all the difference (great job, Fridababy marketing team). Straight from the Fridababy website, the Gaspasser is a “single-use tube that helps babies get rid of excess gas.” Sounds AH-MAZING, right?! (Side note: what kind of world am I living in where I’m literally excited by a product with such a description?) So, yeah, what you can take from this is that I have no idea if it actually works or not but I’m pretty convinced it would have solved all my problems and I’m a little bit bitter for missing out on the opportunity to find out. If you have used it, maybe you could leave some feedback in the comments.
Tummy Time + Strategic Carrying
Your baby needs tummy time to help strengthen their neck muscles. Tummy time puts constant pressure on their abdomen which helps to ease the discomfort caused by gas pain. In other words, two birds, one stone - something I know you, my multi-tasking mama, can really appreciate. Baby-wearing works equally well if tummy time isn’t your babe’s cup of tea and there are also some other baby holds (the Football hold, for example) that keeps pressure on baby’s tummy. The tummy pressure can work two-fold. It can help them pass the gas and it the counterpressure can be a source of comfort to an otherwise uncomfortable ailment.
Warm Bath
Great at relaxing an abdomen that might be tense due to gas. A relaxed abdomen provides the necessary groundwork to promote flatulence… and that’s the goal, my friends!
Infant Massage
You know all those times someone’s told you “Google’s not your friend?” Okay well, in this case, Google is your friend. Google the “I Love You” infant massage (after you’ve finished reading this, of course! Don’t leave me hanging) and start incorporating it into your daily routine. Post bath time at our house always included a nice, naked, gas-relieving tummy massage in front of the fire (don’t make it weird, I’m talking about the babies). This massage really works wonders at pushing any gas bubbles through intestinal passage and out le derriere.
Bicycle Legs
You know this one because you’ve probably done it yourself once or twice in your life - although, I highly doubt you were doing it with the intention of gas relief… not in your adult life, at least. With your baby on their back, pedal their legs, knee to chest, slowly. Let their knee rest against their chest for a beat before alternating the opposite leg. Do this multiple times throughout the day.
The Super Gassy Baby and the Breastfeeding Mama
If you’re breastfeeding, you might be wondering if something you’re eating is the culprit of all that gas in your baby. While this is a matter still hotly contesting by varying experts, in my (totally not-expertise) opinion, it kinda makes sense that the gassiness could be caused by something you’re consuming. If you’re desperate-desperate, you’ll try anything. So, it might be worth giving your diet a good examination and making changes where necessary. With my third super gassy baby, I finally committed to eliminating dairy and cruciferous vegetables when he was around two weeks old and I noted that I felt like I noticed and improvement in his gassiness. This was so motivating that I continued with it until I stopped nursing him. If you go all cancel culture on dairy, remember that there’s no sliding scale to dairy consumption. It’s all or nothing in order to get the effect and dairy can take two to three weeks to completely leave your system (although you likely will notice an improvement in gassiness sooner). In the hopes that baby would reap some of the benefits, my naturopath also suggested drinking an anti-gas tea, like fennel or a “Smooth Move” digestive tea. If you’re so put out by the idea of having to rearrange your diet that it’s making you second guess breastfeeding, ignore this advice. There are many infant and breastfeeding experts who say a breastfeeding mother’s diet does not affect her baby’s digestive system.
Check ‘Yo Latch + Manage ‘Yo Letdown
Again, for breastfeeding mamas: make sure your baby has a good, tight latch to ensure they aren’t taking in too much air when sucking and, if you suspect you have a strong letdown, manage it. A strong letdown could mean your baby is gulping quickly trying to keep up with the flow and, in doing so, is (again) taking excess air. By now, you know why this is important but, just to reiterate: air causes gas bubbles. Too much air is going to mean an increase of gas bubbles. And that’s bad news for those of us who are trying to reduce our baby’s gassiness. If you aren’t sure if what a “good” latch or “overactive letdown” is (or even if either of these apply to you), schedule a visit with a lactation consultant (there are private options or some available through your hospital) or visit your local La Leche League chapter. This is truly one of the most empowering steps you can take in your breastfeeding journey and, likely, you’ll only need one visit to sort things out.
The Last Point - TIME
When babies are born, their digestive system needs a bit of time to mature. That means that nearly every baby goes through a period of gassiness, although degree and the duration of time varies widely. For some babies, you will exhaust everything on this list and see no significant change and, while I know this is not what you want to hear, for those babies, it really is a matter of giving their digestive system the time it needs to mature. That’s the key - time. Most babies’ digestive systems seem to settle around the 12 to 14 week mark and, while it feels like freakin’ forever while you’re in it, don’t start a countdown and wishing these days away. I promise, the days of your baby being a super gassy baby will be over and a thing of the past faster than you think.