Gassy 1 Month Old

Breastfed babies tend to poop less often as the breast milk is used more efficiently. His body is also still learning how to poop comfortably. My son would get fussy too. We would bring his knees to his chest which often helped.

T., I realize that I am responding late but wanted to let you know my daughter is the same way. She is also 1 month old. In the beginning I was terrified she was only having 1 dirty diaper every 5-6 days. My pediatrician reassures me that this can be perfectly normal for a breastfed baby. So long as when she does have one it is yellow, loose, and seedy. My daughter also has foul gas regardless of what I have eaten. It is also worse than her actual diapers. I second the Mylicon drops. My cousin is a pharmacist and she insists that they are safe and that you can use them as often as needed. My ped also recommended adding 1/2 to 1 oz of pear or prune juice to her breastmilk bottle per day to help with her regularity. Best of luck to you!

T.,

Almost every baby is gassy. They get that huge bloated frog belly. When babies are born they aren't "done" being made and one of the last things completed is their digestive tract. This makes it very easy for them to get gassy, or be uncomfortable. I nursed and every single baby (3 of them) had some kind of gas early on. As their system matures it will get better.

If you haven't yet - buy some generic Mylicon drops. They will make your life and his so much easier and they are perfectly safe for newborns. All it does is break down the gas. When you give your baby a dose - put the dropper into the backside of his cheek so he swallows it.

Nurse, nurse and nurse some more. Suckling is soothing for an upset tummy. You might also try a gentle massage, rubbing his belly with some baby oil or gentle baby lotion. The drops should clear up the issue though.

If you really think it's something you could be eating, some Moms find reducing their amount of dairy helps. You could experiment - eliminate milk for a week and see if it helps? But I would try the drops first. That may be all you need.

Congrats on your newborn and nursing! You're doing great, try not to worry, the gas is very normal.

H.

I second the mylicon drops, and the reminder that he's only been working on digesting food for a few weeks - it takes a while for them to get it all figured out. A food journal is the way to go, but I will tell you that I never did connect either of my sons' gas to anything I was eating.

Also, most breast fed babies go from 6+ poopy diapers a day to sometimes only 1 poopy diaper every 7-10 days, right around a month old.

Broccolli, beans, lots of things can cause gas in both you and your baby. I would suggest keeping a food journal of what you eat...see if that helps you find a corrolation between your food and his gas. As to his being "regular"...breast fed babies are the most irregular things in the world!! I breast fed all three of my girls and they would go back and forth between 6 dirty diapers a day and 2 dirty diapers a week!!
There is a product out there called Mylicon ( or the generic equivalent). I am not sure what age it is alright to give it to a baby but I think it is something that would be good for any age. Check with your pharmacist and see if it is alright for a 1 month old. It simply breaks up the gas bubbles and helps him get over the pain of the gas in his intestines.
Also be sure you are burping him well after each feeding. They used to tell us that breast fed babies didn't NEED to be burped, but my adult daughters now burp their babies after each feeding, and there is almost always some air bubble in there for them to get rid of!!
Good luck to you!!

T.,

My first baby had a lot of tummy trouble when I ate broccoli, beans and chocolate. Some babies don't do well when their moms have dairy products. My two boys weren't phased by anything I ate, so it depends on the baby.

Good luck,
S.