Three-month-old Gas Problem

Congratulations! I didn't read the other responses but to keep it simple, bicycle his legs pressing into the belly a little and MYLICON!!! It is a miracle! Good luck and have fun!

Congrats!! Ugh! Isn't that the worst when you know they are so uncomfortable??!! :(
I think some others said this but I would try switching formula....there are so many out there now that are much 'gentler' on sensitive bellies..
Also, Gripe Water works well too.
As for the cereal - too young. Can start at 4 months.
Good luck! :)

please try a homeopathic store there is a great one in Santa Monica and they are extremely helpful. Also, try heating some olive oil to just warm and gently rub it on his tummy and that might help also. Santa Monica Homeopathic Store broadway and 7th

YES, infant gas drops helps a ton!
At least he is releasing the gas... for my daughter when she was a baby, she very rarely farted... and well she had gas problems from it being kept in.

Also, try burping him more, during feedings and after. Keeping him upright after he feeds. When babies drink, they take in a lot of air.... and/or air bubble can accumulate even in the bottle. You might try different bottles....because some accumulate more air than others. I used the "MAM" brand with my son, which I got from www.amazon.com

Also, yes, gas pain does hurt... even in adults. My daughter as an infant had mega gas pain and crying.

And I must add: YES HE IS TOO YOUNG for cereal or any "solids" for that matter. He is only 11-WEEKS old... a baby's digestive system and organs are NOT even fully developed yet... if given solids too soon, it will cause more problems than solve it.
Feeding a baby "solids" is not the "cure" for making them stop crying or from waking up at night. It is a myth.
"Solids" should NOT be started until at least 6 MONTHS old. AND, many babies around the world, are not given solids until later.

A great book is: "What To Expect The First Year" which you can get at any bookstore or online.

All the best,
Susan

Bottle fed babies can be gassy, so make sure you are burping him and then over burping him. It's tough to get a good burp, but the excess will turn in gas and can be awful to pass.

Also, you can try rubbing his tummy gently to help him pass it. Little circular motions on the lower part of his tummy are good for a start. Or I had to use a heating pad under a blanket my son's tummy when it got really bad and this helped ease his discomfort too.

When I was instructed to, I gave him Mylicon drops and those helped a lot. We had issues because as it turns out he was lactose intolerant and we have to switch to Enfamil LactoFree.

Good Luck! And, Congrats on the baby!!!

I love what everyone has recommended so far. Change the formula to a non-dairy, non soy brand. There are many choices available and keep up the good work.

Since you have no idea what the health of the mother was and what she was doing during her pregnancy with diet and supplements, it is very important that you delay the shots and to spread them out as your precious little baby may be mitrochondrial challanged (just means the cells aren't as healthy as they should be). Several things are important with vaccines: do not have one vaccine if your baby/child is sick or has been sick recently, if your child is on antibiotics recently, has been given Tylenol within three weeks, has had a prior reaction to shots (rash, fevers over 103, seizures, diarrhea, high pitched screams).

Please make sure YOU have done the research on vaccinations for YOUR child. The AAP recommended schedule of shots for children is too many, too soon. Here are sites and books that I always recommend for people to start their research:

www.909shot.com
www.tacanow.org

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders, by Dr. Kenneth Bock

The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave

Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby

You have the right and the responsibility to say 'no' to the doctor at the time of the visit if you feel it is not the right time for the shots. You can delay them and never let a doctor's office 'catch up' with shots. The immune system is not ready for it. I have so much more to say on this and hope that you get the idea. Do the research.

Congratulations:o)

We had the same problem with our son until he was about 6 months old. My mom said that so did I as a baby an that she used to make a tea out of ANIS SEED and put a few drops in every bottle. We tried it and it works, its all natural which is super important and its cheap. Just go to the grociary store, go to where they have the spices an the dried herbs and get a bottle of anis seed. You put a little in a cup, fill with water and put in the microwave for 2 min, then strain it and save it in the fridge, it will last longer that way. You just put a little in each bottle. Works like a charm. My son still uses it sometimes if his gas is really bad.
Good luck!

Try to get in to see your pediatrician asap don't wait, Sounds like it's the formula, there are several on the market specifically for gas. You doc will help choose the right one.

Congrats on your newest addition! We went with Good Start formula because I had many other moms tell me they had good results because it was known to be easier on the tummy. Our son had terrible gas too and the Mylicon drops were hit and miss even though we gave it to him after every feeding. The Good Start did seem to help quite a bit though. What we found out later from our pediatrician was that those drops only work on the gas in their tummy. So, because we gave it at the end of the feeding, some of the formula may have already worked it way into the digestive process (you know how long it takes for babies to eat!) and then the gas is out of reach of the drops. Maybe try giving half before the food and then half after? Like it said, hit and miss.

Good luck!

L.

Hey Nicole,
Giving him cereal won't get rid of his gas, it will make him feel full, and perhaps make his stomach hurt even more by feeling "over full".
My suggestion would be to talk to the doctor about switching formula for one that is gentler on the stomach. I am sure he/she will have some good recommendations.

He might be allergic to milk -- changing his formula to a non-milk based formula might be the answer. He may not be able to digest the lactose in cow's milk causing gas and diarrhea. I have had the problem my entire life.

I found this website with some responses: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/archive/index.php/t-...
This is one response to non-milk formula from that website: Nutramigen is hypo-allergenic and a good option those who are allergic to dairy. It does taste kind of nasty though. Another hypoallergenic formula is Neocate, it's more expensive but tastes better. You can get info on their website www.neocate.com.

If that's not the problem, it looks like Enfamil has a product for this situation: Enfamil® Gentlease®
A milk-based formula patterned after breastmilk*, with partially broken-down proteins and reduced lactose† for babies with fussiness or gas.

Ultimately, you need to talk to the pediatrician and work with them as to help your baby.

It's going to be a matter of trial and error somewhat to find the best solution.

You might want to try givng him Gripe Water. You can get it at Babies R Us and most pregnancy stores. It is all natural. It really helped my son who had gas, colic, and acid reflux.

Mylicon! I would try this first - there are no side effects. A couple drops after each feeding (&/or whenever needed.) If that doesn't work, I would talk to his pedi for advice before switching formulas, etc. Good luck! And congratulations!

First, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Get ready...parenthood is a wild, entertaining, perplexing, fabulous ride!

My son had lots of gas problems, including silent acid reflux, which affected his sleep. Plus, some babies are gassier than others...if he's passing the gas without problem and sleeping okay, then you probably don't need to worry. If he's waking up and having pain, then you can take some quick steps until you see the doc next week.

I haven't had a chance to read the other posts, so please excuse if I repeat...first, make sure you are burping him well after he takes a bottle. Some babies are harder to burp than others and may take a little longer. Don't give up...make sure you get a good one before you lay him down. Our son used to fall asleep while nursing/taking the bottle, you still need to burp them before laying them down. Next, I'd try Mylicon gas drops. These are benign and help break up the big gas bubbles into smaller ones so he can pass them easier. I'd wait on things like gripe water until you see the Pedi. I'd also skip the rice cereal, he's too young (our Pedi had us wait until 6 months) and it won't help with the gas...might even make it worse. When he's having gas pains, try using massage. There are various techniques, I would just gently rub his tummy in a circular motion with some slight pressure. When you go to lay him down for the night, lay him on his left side. It has something to do with how the organs are arranged in the digestive track, but it helps them pass gas easier. Finally, talk to the Pedi. You may need to adjust the formula to a gentle digestion type and they can help you with it. You'll also hear a lot of people talk about milk allergies, that's what everyone told us our son's problem was...the reality is that milk allergies are very uncommon. It turned out our son had the silent acid reflux, which he grew out of between 12-15 months of age. Talk with the Pedi and they will help you with the next steps to take.

As new parents, you might want to get a few books to help you navigate these waters...Baby 411 is quick/easy read & reference and they also make one called Toddler 411. My favorite go-to book for info & advice is "Caring For Your Baby & Young Child: Birth to Age 5" by the American Academy of Pediatrics...they also have a good website. These are just good all around books to have on hand.

Best wishes! Happy Parenting!

Babies at that age always have exceptionally loud gas. They can sound like it's really difficult to pass, too. It should start to be less noisy soon, though.

You might check with your local hospital to see if they have any parent support programs. Sometimes just seeing what other babies are doing and how other parents are handling things can be a big help. Plus, a lot of times there is a skilled leader who can address most of your questions.

As for sleeping through the night, from what I've read (Baby 411, What to Expect the First Year, etc.), babies aren't really ready to learn how to sleep through the night until they're 4-6 months old. We did sleep training with our daughter when she was 4.5 months and it was the best thing we ever did for her... or ourselves. We looked into several methods in Baby 411 and online at BabyCenter.com (search for "sleep training"). When it's time, choose the method that's the best fit for how you parent this baby.

Lastly, congratulations on your new bundle of joy. What a lucky baby to have found you!

I agree with all the advise so far also Lay him on his back and move his legs gently like he is riding a bike that will help him get rid of the gas too. Good luck and bless you & your hubby for giving this child a good home

Congrats on having a new life in your lives! Very kind of you to take him in! Well..what i would do is switch him to Good Start Supreme's comfort protein formula..introduce it slowly not all at once..u might want to try Dr. Brown's bottles ..they have a gadget that goes inside to cut gas. Also believe it or no Hylands Colic Tablets helped my son w/ his gas problems. You also can lay him on his back and you peddle his legs like he was on a bike..to help get the gas out..u can rub his lower back too ..i used to rub coconut oil i bought at Erewhon on Beverly on my son's lower back ..make sure you're burping him well ..don't start with rice yet..and when u do start with a solid i would recommend oatmeal first because rice constipates. If your little one is constipated you can use a child suppository to help get the poop out.
A good book to get is "What to Expect the First Year" very helpful..i'm sure moms will have a lot of good advice for you..good luck!!

hugs

D.

Hi Nicole,

Big congratulations on your new baby. What a full time of life it must be for you all! I'm not sure if you know it, but you can speak with a naturopathic doctor who will help you figure out what would be best for your baby. Here's contact info for a naturopath who has some recipes for formulas for babies who are having a hard time: Molly Linton, ND, LM Loren Riccio, ND, LM, CPM 1409 NW 85th Street Seattle, WA 98117. Phone: ###-###-####
And if you wanted to talk to or see someone in the Los Angeles area who could help you with your baby's belly you could try Devi Khalsa ###-###-####

There are so many choices from goat's milk formula to probiotics that can help make life so much gentler and easier for little ones. I'd also like to recommend taking a look at Marci Axness site http://www.quantumparenting.com/articles/
She's amazing and knows so much about the experience of adoption for babies (amazing to think about thier perspective isn't it?). If you scroll down on this page (address above) you will find some articles about adoption that may help to develop a deeper understanding of what your baby's experience is like.

Also, sometimes gut trouble comes from traumatic past experiences (kind of like some people can't eat when they get nervous). When babies haven't been well cared for in-utero or if during birth they are handled disrespectfully it can result in trouble with their bellies. It's a complex process and I don't want to take the time to write it all out, but if you'd like to know more, you're welcome to drop me an email(____@____.com) and I will give you my number.

All the best,
K.

Hi Nicole -

Congratulations to you & your husband! I'm so happy for you and your your baby boy that you are now all a family.

As to this issue -- just having gas isn't necessarily painful. You don't say that he's crying a lot, so it may be just his little digestive tract settling with a possibly new formula? I'm guessing the Enfamil is a different one from whatever he was getting before. Even if it's the same, it could just be a physical developmental stage he's going through.

I wouldn't start him on the rice cereal yet. He'd definitely too young for that. You could call the pediatrician's office & ask to talk to someone for some suggestions if he seems like he's really having trouble. My daughter's pediatrician's had a couple of nurse practitioners on staff who were more available than the docs & had a world of great advice.

Oh, I just had another thought -- you should probably try to talk to your baby's previous pediatrician. They may have some info for you as to whether this is just how he is, what he was being fed before, etc.

All the best to you!!

Colleen

Both of my sons had painful gas in the beginning and were only breastfed. I excluded all possible culprits from my diet though can't say that made a huge difference. I think it just comes with the age and goes away on its own. I tried Mylicon, but that is actually only for upper gas (burps). As a scientist, I'm not comfortable with herbal remedies because they are not well tested or regulated by the FDA so you don't really know how safe or effective they are. My now 5mo old still has a lot of gas, but it doesn't seem to bother him or wake him up much any more. Hang in there and give it a bit longer! (My first son started having big problems again when starting solids so we are waiting longer with our second).

Baby's Bliss/Gripe Water is very helpful for digestive difficulties (and cholic!). It is a water with ginger and fennel.
Perhaps the baby is having an allergic/adverse reaction to the Enfamil. Is there another formula you could try--or better yet, a breast milk bank you get human breast milk from.
Best to keep the baby off solid foods till 6 months, if possible, to avoid risk of further digestive problems.

Try Babies Bliss Gripe Water (Henry's, Sprouts, prob Whole Foods, I think babies r us, etc). It worked miracles on my niece. Perhaps try different ways of burping him also - on your shoulder, sitting on your lap/holding his head, etc.

Congratulations. Like you, we are first time parents and waited for more than 10 years for our little one who we adopted 2 years ago. We had her since birth and she has been an absolute blessing in our lives.
To answer your question, when our daughter had bad gas, someone suggested we try Dr Brown bottles, which we did and it immediately made a difference. So many mothers told me since how much they love those bottles and what a difference it made, so it is definitely worth the try.
I pray that God will give you strength, wisdom and everything else you need to take care of this little one that was entrusted to you.

my child had the exact same issue when he was a few months old. our dr. had us give him mylicon drops right before we fed him every time and it really works!

and when he does have gas, bunch his legs up to his chest and very lightly push on his belly and that helps get the gas out, too.

good luck!

Dear Nicole,
Yes, he is young to try with cereal yet. It sounds like he need a formula change. The doctor should be able to help with that. You may want to call him and ask what you should switch to and try this week to see if it helps before going in. They may make a suggestion. He may be lactose intolerant which would cause gas. Many other things can to.
Hope you find out. Sometimes it takes a few tries. Be patient. Congratulations on your new precious blessing.
H-

Hi Nicole, I hope he hasn't launched yet. Gas is a diet issue. The good thing is that you know what it is because he only drinks enfamil. Change it up. Do you mix it with water or milk? He may be lactose intolerant. If not then its the mix itself. Try powder mixes if your using the already mixed kind. Nestle has formula. Also, for night time you can give him li'l tummies smithecone, to help with discomfort.
Change his formula until you find one that doesn't blast him into space. I love that. The Dr will have recommendations. Good luck!

Dave

I only have addenda to other responses. . . they are all helpful and good - but I would add:

try Gripe Water and Mylicon and a couple other things too. Find out what works for your baby! For us (fost-adopt parents at 5.5 months of the "gatling gun poot machine"), it was mylicon that gave her the fastest and most consistent relief, along with the bicycling the little legs. As for formula, she ended up on a soy formula but it took 7 test runs with milk and then soy based brands to find something that didn't seem to exacerbate her gassiness.. . .

and we didn't give her cruciferous vegetables until after her 1st birthday (broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onions – that sort of thing). . ..

and we could only put her to sleep by having her vertical, and bouncing on our tippytoes for up to an hour sometimes. . .

and still, it was wondrous good (she turns 5 tomorrow!) an amazing thing, and please try to enjoy and cherish each moment.

Congratulations. I wish you grace and humor and much, much joy on your journey.

I agree, I would try a new formula and definitely not start cereal until 6 months. Make sure the baby is burped properly too. They do make a product called Mylecon for gas, and I think it's ok for a 3 month old. I used it with my boy and it worked. Gripe water worked too.

Good luck and congrats on your adoption.

Don't do the cereal thing yet...he is too young. My son had bad gas problems and we used a natural drop (recommended by our pediatrician) called "Gripe Water". You can by it at Walgreens in the baby aisle. It is all natural product and very calming for the baby (better than Mylicon drops). It calms their stomach. Our little guy ended up having Acid Reflux (AR) as well...but the drops did wonders for the AR and for the gas. There are also special formulas if he does have AR...but the doctor can tell you more about that when you see him next week. Try the drops first. You can also do exercises with his legs after changing his diaper. I can't really do a good description of it here...but you put both legs in toward the baby's chest (bent) and gently roll hip/pelvis around by bringing knees up toward chest in a circular motion. The "old-fashioned" bicycle exercise helps as well...pretend like you are helping baby ride imaginary bicycle after you changing their diaper. The baby will love it too because it is like play time for him. These exercises help expell more gas. Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Hi Nicole,

I have a a 7 mos old and there was a time in her 3rd, 4th mos that she had gas. That is when I stopped breast feeding due to not being able to produce anymore. Here are a few options that you can do all 3 or try which everone you want. First, I took her off the Enfamil and put her on Organic formula ( Earths Best ). Second, I gave her Chamomile tea in her bottle. That is a calming tea that its okay to give babies. Third, I also bought a heat bag that you wrap around the babies tummy. Inside is a pack that you heat up that has Chamomile in it. She would sleep with it on. It helped my Priscilla and it has helped friends of mines kids. Good luck and Congrats on getting the chance to be parents. Its a wonderful gift.

Hello,
congrats on the foster baby. it may be the enfamil hats giving him gas, you may want to switch him to a soy enfamil instead. also there are gas drops u can give him to help with the gas as well.hope this helps.

Nicole - Try Mylicon drops, or GripeWater. You can get them at the drugstore, no prescription needed. My pediatrician told us that the sugar in the products helps break the gas down into littler bubbles, to it's less painful for babies. I think this is just part of being a young baby, though: their digestive systems are still working really hard, trying to figure out this new world. So give him lots of love during this, and try holding him upright while patting his bottom. Bottom patting helped our daughter.

Congratulations!!! Along with all the other suggestions,(try changing formula, simethicone,powder v.s.liquid etc) try moving his legs not just "bicycle" style, but also both knees into his chest and pull his legs straight.Press slightly into chest and pull out again, repeat every time you change his diaper several times, a bit after feeding, during play time, after nap time, the "exercise" is great for their bodies and digestive systems.The simethicone along w/ exercise will do WONDERS!

Congrats Nicole, I didn't read through all of your responses but changing formulas may help. I have a friend with a 5 month old that was on Enfamil and they switched him to Similac and it helped TREMENDOUSLY!!! Good luck!