Newborn Gas and Breastfeeding....

I had the same situation with both of my kids starting at around 3 weeks of age with breastfeeding. The gas had a more severe odor than typical baby gas. My pediatrician recommended eliminating dairy from my diet completely--which I did and it seemed to improve both of the kids' gas and pain. I did not use Mylicon but know several people who did and felt it worked.

A little about me:
Have a 4 mo. old daughter and 3 yr old son.

A. E

I used Mylicon before feedings and Gripe water afterward. Those two items were a life saver for the first 5 weeks. After that, my daughters GI track matured enough where we only needed to use one or the other as needed. Good luck!

If this lasts longer I would definitely check with the doctor. One method that worked with my child was not patting the back, but the side/waist area of the baby. Someone suggested that to me and I tried it and it worked. But I wouldn't pat too hard as their little bodies don't have much protection there. Good luck.

I had this problem with my daughter. There are different causes for everyone, but in our case it was largely because I had an overabundant milk supply. I read 3 books on breastfeeding before I finally figured it out. Especially if you have larger breasts, this could be the case. If his poop is dark green and stringy, that is an indicator, although because he is so fresh from the womb, it may be hard to tell. To fix it is easy. Just make sure you're emptying your breast before you switch to the other. It might take 2 or 3 feedings before you need to switch, as opposed to some women who feed off both sides at each feeding. The hindmilk, or milk at the end of the feeding, is fattier milk, and will help him feel more satiated, too, instead of him always getting the more watery stuff and then getting hungry again so soon. Hope this helps!
K.

Is the gas causing him pain or is he farting like a frat boy? Everything I've read (APA, what to expect - the first year) and from what I experienced with my baby early on, breastfed babies might pass a lot of gas and it is normal. As long as he isn't grimacing or crying out in pain (i.e. he's acting like it isn't a big deal).

I'm not kidding when I say that we could hear our son rip farts from across the room. His nickname was Captain Thunderpants.

A friend of mine just had a baby and she had the same problem with her little one. She is also breast feeding. She bought some of those Dr. Brown's bottles, pumps and uses those. The gas problems have gone away and the baby is doing great now. Might be worth trying!

Unless he seems seriously upset by it, you shouldn't worry. Babies fart. A LOT. Amazing amounts - you probably have forgotten how much in the last 2.5 years. Make sure you're nursing long enough off of each side so that he gets some of thie hindmilk (this won't be much so early on - your milk probably hasn't been in for more than a day or two). I wouldn't go second-guessing your diet too much at this point - just nurse oten and on demand and take your cues from your baby. If he is happy, you should be happy. Congrats on the new baby!

All my children had that problem, GAS medication is what I used. You can get at any drug store. It's pretty expensive, but worked on my children. You give him a little droplet before you feed the baby. Lay him on his stomach and bump him on across your knees and rub thier back until they burp or pass gas. Also try to make sure the baby don't get a lot of air around them. I keep mines head covered all the time even in the house.It worked for all 4 of my children, 18,13,5,2. Good luck!

I know you mentioned some foods, but it is really trial and error with foods. Taking one thing out at a time. Dairy, chocolate, and onions were big ones for my kids. I couldn't eat them while I was nursing.

Hi, S.. I had the same problem with my last baby, who is now 10 months and doing really well. Unfortunately, the gas was causing him so much pain, he would not stay asleep, could not get the gas out, would wriggle around and no position was comfortable for him. After trips to the gastroenterologist to rule out anything serious and giving him Axid (a prescription drug for reflux) things slowly (very slowly) got better. It's only been about 2 or 3 months since he's been good as new, but I went through some guilt about the breastfeeding also. I didn't want to give it up without a fight, but didn't see how I could go on knowinig that it was making him miserable. I just stuck with it, feeling that it was still better than switching to formula and bottles, which can have their own gas creating problems. I also noticed that I could have small amounts of dairy like a piece of cheese on a sandwich but a glass of milk or bowl of ice cream would make him absolutely scream in pain (that really high-pitched scream). He's still on the Axid just because I'm not quite ready to wean him since things just started shaping up, but he is sleeping well, with no need to rock or bounce him to sleep or get up 6 times overnight with him. He is now a happy little guy. So the only thing I can tell you for sure is, is you're sold on the breastfeeding, things WILL get better. Just stick with it and give him whatever attention he needs, even if people say you're spoiling him. Good luck.

I started taking probiotics, which helped out a lot. But my son was just really colicky. I even tried not eating dairy products, but after 4 or 5 weeks of that, he was still colicky. He grew out of it around 7 or 8 weeks old. I tried gripe water, Hyland's colic tablets and Little Tummies. The latter two seemed to help for an hour or so. Please don't feel bad about the breastfeeding; even if he is having gas, your breast milk is still better for him than formula! Things will work out...I promise!

Congratualtions! I agree on not limiting your diet. PLease don't feel bad. Many babies have a gassy period. If think about it - his little gut has never had food in it. His first food (breastmilk) begins the colonization of good bacteria in the gut.

I am suspecting you have a lot of milk right now (as most moms do jsut after their milk comes in. Look up and Call you local La Leche League Leader www.Lalecheleague.org and just run your situation past her. The help is free, confidential, and non sectarian (not church based). It's a great starting point. This is likely a temporary problem. But here may be some things to think about that you haven't tried and you will get extra support.

Best Wishes!
E.

Some reads:

Infant massage technique for colic
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBJanFeb98p13.html

Other Foods and Breastfeeding: http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Breastfeeding%20and%20Ot...

Latching:
http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/When%20Latching.asp

S.:

a) thee is no research to document that you should not eat any of the foods you mentioned/

b) if you continue to struggle, find a board certified lactation consultant to come help you.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

Hi there! I spoke to my ped as my son had really bad gas as well! He would just ball up in a knot and scream!!

She suggested that I give him mylanta..

I was really nervous about that and questioned it thinking that maybe it would be better to use Mylacon but she said that stuff was "high priced garbage that does not work". I reluctantly tried it and IT WORKED!!

He let out SEVERAL series of air bombs and then he was fine! and back to his happy self.

She also mentioned that it seems that boys are just more gassy than girls..

I guess its all those sticks, snails, and puppy dog tails!

Good luck!

My son also had frequent gas, and it didn't seem to matter my own diet. When I asked my mom, she said to put a hot water bottle on his tummy and put him on my knees to rub his back. I also had the benefit of still being in the hospital, :( but the pediatrician also recommended the little tummy gas relief drops prior to feedings. That helped tremendously. As for home remedies my mom also said to drink ginger tea, for variation peppermint, and mint tea; I also made these iced teas as my son was born in the summer oh and to ensure I was eating yogurt. When I inquired why this happened the pediatrician told me that some babies are not even born early but their digestive system is still juvenile, so they have a hard time with digestion. My son had issues with gas until he was 4 mos old, best of luck to you! I know it can be hard to see your lil guy struggle and in pain!

Congrats on the new arrival. It can take a week for something in your system to be totally out if that's what he is reacting to. He may just be a gassy boy. good luck.

S.

PLEASE!!!! don't beat yourself up over breastfeeding!! It is the best!!! and especially if you are lucky enough to be able to. It most likely isn't anything you have done or are doing. My middle daughter had some of the same problems with her son from almost day one also. we did alot of walking,bouncing,warm washcloths,etc. She eventually got infant gas drops which helped tremendously. He has since outgrown the gas problem and he is 6 months old now and doing well!!! Hang in there and don't be hard on yourself!!! good luck and hang in there. Grandma J.

There are many foods that can cause gas in a newborn that is breastfeeding. Garlic and onion are a few that are in most foods that can be a source of the problem. I also avoided any foods that had any kind of seasoning on it because you never know what is in some seasonings. Pretty much any type of food that would give you yourself gas like a lot of vegetables and some fruits you just have to stay away from and soda pop is something to avoid as well. I ate a very bland diet that was no fun for me but my son never had a problem with gas or any other tummy troubles and he nursed until he was almost 15 months old.