Newborn Gas

I don't think all babies go through this, but us lucky moms do! My daughter was the same way, the only thing that worked for us was to pump her legs and then bend her knees into her tummy until the let some loud little toots and usually had a BM. The other thing that helped was she also ate smaller meals more frequently until she was 6 months old and went to solids.
We did the same thing with all the formulas, and all the different types of bottles very expensive experience other than that she was a great baby.

Sounds like my story. I didn't produce enough milk so we had to use formula. At about 6 weeks I noticed the same thing gas and irritability. At about 2 months I started to notice mucus in her poop (never any blood). Under the referral of our Ped. we went to a GI Dr who did a biopsy and determined an allergy to milk. This procedure sounds extreme but in really wasn't. The GI Dr didn't recommend Soy because the protein is about the same size as dairy and most babies still have a hard time digesting it. He put her on an Amino Acid based formula called Neocate. It's expensive but here in CO our insurance is legislatively required to cover the formula.

She is now 10 months and is still on Neocate. No problems since then. She will stay on it for her first year. We'll then try here on regular formula for year two. 90% of kids outgrow the allergy in the first year. There are a few things I give her that have dairy in them (crackers) and she doesn't have any problem with them so I think she has probably outgrown it.

I would definitely consult your Ped. Left untreated it will usually cause blood in their stool, which is usually when parents first notice a problem.

Let me know if you need help with dairy free finger food! Good luck.

Hi D. -

My first was very gassy and had problems from his first weeks. Baby massage worked amazingly well to relax him and many of the movements are geared toward helping moves things along in the digestive tract.

Here's a couple of things to try when your little one is gassy:

1. during tummy time fold his knees up into his belly and let him lay there with his bottom in the air. You can also do this when he is laying on your tummy. The warmth will be comforting.

2. with your baby laying on his back on the floor or in your lap, loosely ring your thumb and fingers around his thighs just above the knees. Gently press his legs into his tummy and slowly roll his legs from left to right in the direction of digestion for about a count of 5 then let him relax then repeat the motion a few more times as he will allow. His bottom will rise up a little and he may even turn a little red in the face. He will most likely toot more than once and will be happier when it's over.

Hope that helps you!

C.

Hello! Just a quick thought. Have you been changing your formula around a lot? Making so many changes in a little person can cause all sorts of tummy troubles. It may just be his fussy time. My 2nd daughter had this from about 11pm to 1 am. And don't get me started on my first. Lets just say that we tried all different kinds of formula for her and nothing really helped. I have however liked the new similac advanced with the little gold shield on it. It has worked wonders for my little one. I also didn't really try too many new things with her while she was little and it helped a ton. Anyway, I hope this makes sense and helps a bit! good luck!

If it hasn't already passed- which it normally does by 5 months- my son found great releif by using Hyland's colic tablets. You can find them for around $5.00 at any natural heath food store. They're all natural and you can give them every 15 minutes if the gas hasn't passed. I usually only needed to give them one time right at the first signs of fussiness and all was well. I still use them on my now 8 month old when he gets a little gassy from a new food.

Have you tried Gripe Water, it helped my now 4 month old. And its natural...

Put Mylicon drops in his nighttime bottle and be sure to burp him after every bottle.

Infant massage is great for relieving gas, find a massage therapist in your area to teach it to you or buy a book on it. The important thing is just to rub in the direction that the bowels go, never against the way that they go! The knee to tummy push is good for gas too. Also, soy formula is really not the best thing to feed your baby, particularly a boy. One of the pre-digested kinds are the very best, although they are also the most expensive. Good luck!

It could be acid reflux. All three of my kids had it. My oldest two had the curdled spit up and it affected them all the time. My youngest one did not have all the horrible spit up but she was just miserable at night. We had her testd and it was "silent" acid reflux. It is worse at night when they are laying down and later in the night when they are not sleeping as deeply it keeps them up more. You could bring it up with your doctor and see if it's a possibility. Getting my baby on some zantax was the greatest thing that ever happened for her!!

No solutions for you, just another tip to cope: warm a wash cloth in the microwave for about 20 seconds (not much longer than that, you don't want it to catch fire) so it feels like a little heating pad. Put the cloth on top of baby's belly (not directly on skin) and hold him up right over your shoulder to try and get a burp. He'll feel some relief and if he burps, he'll feel even better.

Our Ped. said that a lot of kids have some degree of Reflux. It has to do with the valve that connects the stomach and the esophogus (sp?) having not formed completely, so the stomach juices come back up and it feels like heartburn for the poor little ones. She said they usually grow out of it by a year in age.

If it just that window of time during the day I am not sure what to tell you.
I know my daughter had tummy issues, we tried soy, lactose free formulas. She had reflux too and the only thing that helped her was Nutramigen formula, as it is predigested. Turned her tummy issues around.
Burping well during the feedings and my giving my babies mylicon BEFORE the feeding always helped. I say turn to your Pediatrician if you really are concerned. Hugs!

From a chinese medicine perspective that time of night is considered the time when the large intestine is working it's hardest. If it's disrupting sleep I would guess a food allergy. Soy is not good for little boys--too much estrogen; it can mess up their hormones. I don't know much about formula as I breast fed, but both my little ones had a lot of allergies and the gas didn't clear up until I took all their allergies out of my diet.
If it is simply an immature gut and not an allergy, giving him probiotics (they make them specially for babies--you can get them at whole foods or vitamin cottage) should clear up the problem. You can add them to the formula, so it's really easy to give them.
Good luck!
J.

I don't know if this will help you but have you tried fenugreek? or More MIlk? These are supplements to help you produce more breastmilk. If your son is having such a hard time with formula it might be worth a try. My three and a half week old daughter has gas too, but I am able to use mylicon drops and we just keep her upright a lot and burp her a lot after and during feedings. She gets her worst gas in the morning also, but it is around 7:30 to 9:00. Luckily she is able to sleep through it but she grunts and groans and squirms and sometimes cries in her sleep as she is passing the gas.

I dont have any answers for you, only true empathy. My two boys (one now 8 weeks old) has same issue. I dont produce enough breast milk either so I feel your pain there too. We use Enfimil Gentle Ease, but not sure that makes any difference. My oldest out grew it at about 4 - 6 months. But I know how tired you are and am right there with you. My SIL gave me something called Gripe Water she bought at Target. She swears by it. I may go get some and try it for more than one night and see. Good luck and congratuations.