Things to do if Your Baby is Forming Gas
It is very common for babies to form gas. Learn few checks & precautions you can take to get rid of gas & make your baby comfortable
If you feel that your baby is forming excessive gas and burping is taking a long time and not necessarily getting rid of entire gas bubbles then you are not alone. There are countless mothers who go through the exact same dilemma that burping is not proving to be enough to relieve your baby of discomfort. In this article, we will discuss some of the gas causing agents in your day to day life that you should analyze.
Things to Check if Your Baby is Forming Gas
1) Check What Mom is Eating
It is a common knowledge that mother’s eating habits influence the quality of milk that is produced and being fed to the child. There are certain foods which get passed on to the child through breast milk and gets broken down in intestine by bacteria and cause gas. Some of the common foods which have been observed to cause this issue are
– Vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, artichokes)
– Fruits (apricots, melons, peaches)
– Beans
– Fried Food
– Strong Caffeine
2) Check Your Feeding Bottle Style & Nipple Size
Market nowadays is full of different feeding bottles & Nipple sizes customized for different age groups (like 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6M+). One of the reasons these bottles are differentiated is by the flow-rate or amount of liquid that the nipple lets through in one go. If your bottle is releasing large amount of formula or milk in one go then that might be causing baby to swallow large amount of air and causing excess gas.
3) Formula Preparation
One common mistake made by new parents is while preparing the formula to feed the child. If you are shaking the formula excessively and directly feeding the child, that might allow lot of air to get mixed in the liquid. Try waiting for a couple of minutes to let the formula settle before feeding the kid next time.
4) Check any Supplements that Baby is being given
For slightly older babies who are receiving any supplement other than mother’s breast-milk, the chance is that those supplements could be causing gas in the underdeveloped digestive system of the baby.
When to Reach Out to Your Doctor
If none of these cause any changes then please reach out to your pediatrician who can check for any infections like Thrush that might be bothering the baby and causing gas.
